Logan Stecker | M/V Kestrel | August 13th 2025 | 2:00 pm
What a spectacular trip! We had rough waters in the south today so we tentatively went northbound hoping the whales up there would not evade us. We made our trip as efficient as possible with short looks at Spieden island, the Turn point Lighthouse (the northwest point of the lower 48 states and jumping pink salmon.
Our luck saved us as the group of whales we were trying to make it to turned south towards us and we got to meet them along Vancouver Island and Slat Spring Island. This group was the T109As, a fun family of 6 transient killer whales including a mother (named Runaway) and 5 children. The youngest child, Weiss, is 1 year old and quite an enthusiastic jumper. We watched this family as they rested and slowing drifted along the shore only to wake up and swim back in the other direction and rest again. It was amazing to see them, especially with that surprise turnaround of activity.
On the way back, we slowly searched Spieden for wildlife. We saw so much activity today including 5 bald eagles, moufflon sheep, fallow deer bucks, and seals. We got to have an intimate moment watching 2 seal pups and an adult tear up a pink salmon and share the meal. It was incredibly cute and showed how interconnected this area and all we saw today truly is. The eagles were staggered all along the shore and a few flew as we passed them including one into a tree with a large nest in it. These eagles return to their nests year after year and add to it. The nest can become so large they break the branches that hold them
What amazing wildlife in the area! It makes you wonder how many stories this place can tell. Captain Brian took us on a great trip!