Kelly | M/V Sea Lion | March 14th, 2026 | 12:30pm
All we had was a whale report very far away and a prayer! Captain Gabe and I, along with our 24 visitors aboard the M/V Sea lion, took a right out of Friday Harbor and wasted no time heading south. The report was currently out of our range, but we crossed our fingers that the whales would turn our direction and close the gap. As we dipped into the straight of Juan De Fuca, we couldn't help but ogle at the Olympic mountain range in the distance. The unusually sunny winter day gave us crystal clear views at at the freshly dusted snow capped mountains. It certainly helped pass the time as we made our way through this large body of water. We were hit with good luck! A separate family of Biggs killer whales were found much closer to us in the same direction. Identified as the T137's made up of:
- T137/Loon — female, born in 1983
- T137A/Jack — male, born in 2002
- T137B/Tempest — female, born in 2006
- T137D/Wright — female, born in 2012
This family of 4 was split into two groups of two. We watched the group further off shore, which included the large male Jack and his youngest sister Wright. We watched these two siblings swim side by side, exhaling large plums of hot air that instantly vaporized in the chilly winter weather. Jack's massive 6ft tall dorsal fin certainly stealing the show.
Not but 10 minutes after departing the killer whales, we noticed additional exhales in the distance. Two grey whales traveling side by side (unusual, as they are typically solo travelers here)! These ancient whales lack a dorsal fin, and in its place have a series of humps or knuckles along their back. They are one of the most unique looking whales in the world and it is always such a treat to see these seasonal visitors.
What happened next was truly unbelievable....yet ANOTHER exhale in the distance, only this time it was a much taller blow. I truly could not believe my eyes, but soon we were on scene with a FIN WHALE! My first time seeing a fin whale here in the 5 years I've worked on the water. These whales are extremely rare in our interisland sea, only occasionally spotted once a year or so. We watched this massive animal (fin whales can get up to 80 feet long!) surface with its back curved, showing that distinctive short sickle shaped fin. So happy to finally cross that off my Salish Sea bucket list! Absolutely legendary day on the water.
To see photos from this tour click here: https://sanjuansafaris.smugmug.com/31426-kk