Logan Stecker | M/V Kestrel | August 22nd 2025 | 2:00 pm
A beautiful afternoon to be on a boat. Leaving Friday Harbor, we began a journey south past Cattle point making our first stop at Whale Rocks. There we saw a multitude of large male Steller’s Sea Lions battling it out for space and playing on the rocks. This species is the largest sea lion in the world and has a skull similar in size and shape to a Grizzly Bear. The larger sagittal crest atop the skull gives surface area for muscle to attach and allows more vertical bite strength than our other pinniped Harbor Seal. One main difference between seals and sea lions is their skeletal structure allowing a wider range of upper body movement in sea lions whilst seals are restricted much like a person in a sleeping bag when they are out of the water.
We then went out into Salmon Bank, south of Cattle Point, where we got to see a glorious Humpback Whales rising a mere 100 yards away! So cool! On top of that we were surprised by a matriline of transient killer whales that joined us and the Humpback briefly, a rare moment watching both species in the same view.
Upon a report of a nearby group of Killer Whales being seen to have a recently born child we quickly moved north up to Speiden Channel to watch this family. Today was the first time anyone has seen this child, and it is presumed to have been born in the last few days. We arrived shortly afterward research vessels got the official photos for their reports. This family is a group of now 5. The mother Pebbles and her 3 older children Rubble, Petra, and Jasper were seen by our boats earlier this summer and are now joined by a new child who will most likely gain a name that fits with the rock theme of their siblings. While there, we had to navigate high marine traffic and successfully slow 6 private vessels via flag waving. So many emotions are felt when seeing nature in its glory, especially with new life. Seeing this new child amid the human traffic on the waters painted a picture I won’t forget about how tied our story and theirs are.
What a rare moment we shared with the Salish Sea today! Truly special.