Lauren Tschirhart | June 16th, 2026 | M/V Kestrel | 2:00 pm
Today we began our whale watching tour by cruising north in San Juan Channel. We headed northeast into Boundary Pass, making a stop at White Rock where there was a beautiful bald eagle perched on the highest part of the rock. There were also tons of harbor seals sun bathing right where the water and rocky edge meet. Next we cruised into Presidents Channel, eventually catching up with a group of three Bigg’s Killer Whales. We hung out with these whales as they surfaced tightly to the Orcas shoreline. We were getting stunning looks at these orcas as they surfaced in the teal green water, with Turtleback Mountain visible in the background. Not only are the waters green from the reflection of the tree line close to shore, but the Salish Sea is also extremely nutrient rich, giving the water a glimmering green hue. This family group is known as the T100s, which is made up of a 47 year-old matriarch who is often seen traveling with her 24 year-old son and 12-year-old daughter. We ended our trip by heading south in San Juan Channel, briefly passing Friday Harbor to stop at Turn Rock. There has been a sea otter hanging out there pretty regularly. This otter was curled up with kelp wrapped around its body, preventing it from floating away. We waved goodbye to our sleepy otter friend and headed back to the dock.