Aly Liu | M/V Kestrel | July 9, 2026 | 2:00 pm
Here is a recap of the incredible adventure aboard Kestrel, our speediest vessel, this fine Thursday afternoon! We cruised north from Friday Harbor through President's Channel past the east side of Waldron Island. Faces quickly lit up as the captain slowed our vessel to under 7 knots, as we were indeed approaching a group of 6 Bigg’s (Transient) killer whales! Here are the IDs, names, genders, and birth years of the individuals present:
- T046B/Raksha — female, born in 1988
- T046B2/Akela — female, born in 2008
- T046B2B/Takaya — female, born in 2023
- T046B4/Quiver — male, born in 2014
- T046B7/Tala — born in 2023
- T046B8*/Pi — female, born in 2026
- T046B2/Akela — female, born in 2008
One of my favorite fun facts about this family is that the matriarch’s name, Raksha, means “protection” in Sanskrit. This is quite fitting, as the mother is in charge of teaching her young how to do everything they need to know in order to survive in a highly complex ecosystem. Our encounter with these toothed whales was so special that I fear my squeals and gasps of awe are in the background of a few videos taken by guests; the magic of these animals truly never gets old.
In order to both respect these whales and save time to search for other wildlife, we departed the scene and proceeded to circumnavigate Patos Island counterclockwise, where we got stunning views of several bald eagles, Harbor seals, and pigeon guillemots, one of my favorite seabirds, before heading home through San Juan Channel.
I hope that you all went home with a new favorite memory in the San Juans! Cheers.
Want more information about the Pacific Whale Watch Association? See https://www.pacificwhalewatchassociation.com/
Want to see more photos from our trips? Visit our SmugMug page at: https://sanjuansafaris.smugmug.com/