Abby | M/V Sea Lion | August 18th, 2026 | 12:30 pm
Today we departed from Roche Harbor on the north side of San Juan Island. It was a beautiful day to be on the water. We had a full boat, and a report just outside of the harbor. Other Pacific Whale Watch Association boats had already identified this group as the T049A's, a family of 6 Bigg's or Transient Killer Whales.
- T049A/Nan — female, born in 1986
- T049A3/Nat — male, born in 2011
- T049A4/Neptune — male, born in 2014
- T049A5/Nebula — female, born in 2017
- T049A6/Charlie II — male, born in 2022
- T049A7*/Nimbus — born in 2026
This family is notorious out here and one of my personal favorites to spend time with. We transited with them from the south side of Stuart Island and had wonderful views as they surfaced together. Captain Brian shut off the engine for a few surfacings and we had incredible opportunities to hear them all exhale before going on deeper dives. That will always be some of my favorite moments spent with whales, existing in the silence and being completely present with these wild creatures.
Once we reached Turn Point on Stuart Island we turned East and headed for John's Pass. Our next stop was the Cactus Islands to see if we could find any harbor seals. Sure enough, there were plenty! We slowly cruised by as we observed them hauled out just above the water line along the rocky shore. These rock sausages are my favorite creatures out here and are always a treat to see. On our way back to Roche Harbor, we did one final cruise along the shoreline of Spieden Island where we spotted numerous mouflon sheep on the slope.
It was a wildlife-filled day and a beautiful time spent on the water. We had so many wonderful looks at many kinds of wildlife the Salish Sea has to offer!
Want 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/