Abby | M/V Kestrel | April 25th, 2026 | 2:00pm
I could not have asked for a better trip today. The sun was shining, the water was calm, and we already had some reports of whales in our range before we left the dock. However, before we saw some cetaceans, we had a surprise visitor towards the southern end of San Juan Island! An infrequently seen species of pinniped was spotted on Goose Island, a female elephant seal! We don't usually find elephant seals in these waters, so it was an incredible opportunity to view some unique wildlife. We had a longer trip ahead of us as we had a report that was southeast of Victoria, B.C. We made our way towards the report but always kept our head on a swivel because you never know what you're going to find when you're underway. The report was for three Bigg's Killer Whales that were already identified as the T018's (or T019's).
T019/Nootka/Mooyah — female, born before1965
T019B/Galiano — male, born in 1995
T019C/Spouter — male, born in 2001
This is an infamous family here in the Salish Sea. The two males, Galiano and Spouter, have massive dorsal fins with unique curvatures to them. As we were first approaching the scene, we could see some splashing and a tail slap from one of the bigger males. As we approached, we noticed the three were spread out from one another. The more time we spent with them, the closer they got to each other. We had some great looks of this family of three. We eventually peeled away and headed back towards San Juan Island. Before we headed back towards the harbor, we made a stop where there was a report of a humpback whale! Again, this individual was already identified as Gretzky.
BCX1800/Gretzky - migrates to and from Hawaii
Gretzky kept us on our toes today and was a perfect example of why we keep our head on a swivel when we are looking for whales and other wildlife. When Gretzky would go on a deep dive, we were waiting around 6 minutes for another surfacing, but they kept surfacing in "unexpected" locations. Wildlife certainly has a way of being unpredictable. We had yet another wildlife filled day here in the Salish Sea. I am so grateful to be able to experience it and share the knowledge with all the lovely folks that join us on the water!
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/