Abby | M/V Osprey | April 6th, 2026 | 1:30pm
We departed Friday Harbor and traveled along the ferry route towards the eastern side of Orcas Island. As we rounded the southeastern point of Orcas Island, we saw a number of Steller’s Sea Lions swimming off the shore. The waters were so clear and calm that we had incredible looks at their big brown bodies below the water’s surface. Not far away was a report of 18 Bigg’s Killer Whales! When this many individuals are together, we call it a T-Party. The group of 18 was made up of 4 different families: T34’s, T36’s, T37’s, and the T99’s. The dense green backdrop of Orcas Island paired with the calm waters made for unforgettable views as they surfaced and exhaled. There were maybe 6 or 7 killer whales at the surface at the same time. They were traveling quite slowly, so the captain turned off the engines, and we just sat with them and observed them from a distance. As I have said in numerous blogs before, one of my favorite sounds is the exhale of whales. Today was special because there were so many more individuals than usual. Everyone on board today had the pleasure of soaking in that sound of so many whales. It was remarkable! When it was time to leave and make our way back towards Friday Harbor, we saw some harbor seals hauled out on some rocks. Hence our nickname for them: rock sausages. On top of the rocky haul out were a pair of Bald Eagles! We had a lovely group of folks join us on the water today and the T-Party made it even more memorable!
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/