Kelly | M/V Kestrel | July 20th, 2026 | 2pm
We turned left into San Juan Channel and made our way to White Rock, first enjoying looks at our ever so lovable harbor seals. Currently, we are in the middle of pupping season, and after close inspection we noticed many adorable pups lounging next to mom! Investigating a whale report, we turned northwest and made our way across the Canadian border and eventually next to South Pender Island. Two tall exhales arose from the surface! A pair of humpback whales identified as:
"Scratchy" BCY1022
"Zephyr" BCZ0414
These two Hawaiian migrating humpbacks traveled together off Penders shoreline, occasionally fluking (throwing up their tale) to indicate longer deeper dives. Both tales with a significant portion of white on the underside, making them easy to identify- especially if you’re snapping a photo with a zoom lens. We next transitioned into search mode, keeping an eye out for any dorsal fins or exhalations. As we scanned along the northern side of Stuart Island, Captain Vaun spotted an exhale! We later identified this humpback as
“Zig Zag” BCX1193
A much larger female humpback that was making her way north just off Moresby’s shoreline. What a delight to find a bonus humpback! On our way back to Friday Habor, we made a stop at Speiden Islands forested northeastern side. A bald eagle was snacking on what appeared to be a mouflon sheep (one of three non-native species brought to the island for game hunting in the 60’s) caraccas! A crowd of bald eagles had accumulated around the feist, one even so bravely dove down to steal a snack! For the grand finale, as we cruised down Speiden’s coastline, we were treated to a look at a rarely seen family of fallow deer as they made their way down to the water’s edge. An adorable tiny fawn following closely behind mom’s footsteps. Fallow deer have the most breathtaking spotting pattern on their coat; they truly look like they’re pulled directly from a fairytale! Absolutely magical day on the water!