Olivia Esqueda | April 19th, 2026 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:30pm
Woah! Today was picture perfect.
The weather, the wildlife, the calm seas- we really felt the warmth of it all. After heading north, we visited Spieden Island, where at least a dozen adult and juvenile Bald Eagles scanned the area from both the treetops, down to the ground itself. We were also able to see two species of Pinipeds! First, we saw Steller’s Sea Lions (the world’s largest sea lion) hauled out on the shoreline at Green Pt, and rafting right at the surface below, in and amongst all the currents where extra nutrients flow. Secondly, we were able to view many Harbor Seals in their cliché banana pose not far away, also attracted to abundant food sources in the area.
With the beautiful, former “Safari Island” and all the Mouflon Sheep behind us, we continued north through New Channel, around the Cactus Islands, and towards Boundary Pass. It was here that we were able to come across one of my most favorite matrilines of Bigg’s Killer Whales- the T123’s! This family of four slow cruised south and ultimately ended up surfacing many times below Mount Baker (aka Koma Kulshan, the volcano in the North Cascades). With curious passengers, we all looked at the photo ID catalog to see how unique all those dorsal fins, saddle patches, and eye patches really are. And surprise! Harbor Porpoise surface not too far way, leaving us excited about not only two species of Pinnipeds, but also two species of Cetaceans for the day as well! What a humbling three-hour tour on this sunny Sunday.
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/