Olivia Esqueda | June 30th, 2026 | M/V Osprey | 12:30pm
Today was truly an exciting day out on the water as we set out from Friday Harbor, following up on potential shore reports. We headed north through San Juan Channel, curving through the Wasp Islands, and extending our search northwest into New Channel which rests north of Spieden Island. Continuing west/ southwest, we dipped into the north Haro Strait around Henry Island and started seeing orca exhales outside of Mosquito Pass.
We were the first on scene with five Bigg’s Killer Whales, appearing to be all females or juvenile transient orcas, as there were no large, adult male dorsal fins. They swam south in the direction of County Park before they swooped backwards appearing to take a quick snack break! After some big lunges and even a spy hop, this family continued slowly moving south again. We identified these individuals as the T046B1’s and T046C2! Saying our goodbyes, we slowly turned around and boated back towards Spieden Island in search of more wildlife.
Nearing the island, we observed a haul out of Harbor Seals [the orcas’ number one food source], including a few pups! Additionally, we saw heaps of Bald Eagles [and a nest], Mouflon Sheep grazing on the hillside and down by the water, Turkey Vultures, Kingfishers, Canada Geese, Pigeon Guillemots, and many more! AND THEN SURPRISE!! We spontaneously found a male Bigg’s Killer Whale who we quickly ID’d as T049A1- one of our favorites! This adult male was squirreling around not too far from another matriline he had been hanging out with that morning. It was fun to be the first to find and ID whales, yet again!
We love days like today that show any moment is such a surprise when working around wild animals, making each day truly unique.
Wanting to see more photos from our trips? Visit our SmugMug page at: https://sanjuansafaris.smugmug.com/
More information about the Pacific Whale Watch Association: https://www.pacificwhalewatchassociation.com/