Kelly | M/V Osprey | Tuesday, June 17th 2025 | 12:30 PM
We started our trip with a right turn outside Friday Harbor and pointed south down San Juan Channel. Not long after departing, we began to slow the boat, 8 Killer whales we reported essentially in our backyard! This group was identified as the T75B's and T65B's including:
- T065B/Chunk — female, born in 1993
- T065B1/Birdsall — male, born in 2011
- T065B2/Nettle/Corvis — born in 2019
- T065B3/Rook — male, born in 2023
- T075B / Pebbles — female, born in 1994
- T075B2/Jasper/Fifi — born in 2015
- T075B3/Rubble/Kasnikyu — born in 2017
- T075B4/Petra — born in 2021
We met up with the group Inside Griffin Bay, just around the corner from Friday Harbor. I’m so fascinated by the fact that these are near identical families! Both groups include a mother in her early 30’s and 3 children of similar ages. Perhaps they set up a play date? Had a lot in common to discuss? It is so fun to speculate on the interpersonal lives of these incredibly complex marine mammals! After watching this family swim down the channel and into the straight of Juan de Fuca, we slowly motored away in search of other wildlife.
We quickly found a lone Steller sea lion napping on the green buoy on Salmon Bank. Seems like these large pinnipeds are utilizing this marker more than ever! To finish our trip, we weaved through the small islands off the southern coast on Lopez Island. Stopping for looks at both harbor seals and bald eagles and more Steller sea lions.