Western Prince Whale Watching

Written by Alison
on Jun 17, 2026

Orcas Hunting a California Sea Lion

Orcas Hunting a California Sea Lion

May 28, 2026 – We left the dock and headed south. We had some great spotters on board and they were pointing out the Harbor Porpoise in San Juan Channel. Our first stop was at Whale Rocks where we spotted the Sea Otter that has been hanging out in our area this spring. He was floating in the current just off the rocks. Next, we checked out the few dozen Steller Sea Lions that were warming up and taking a snooze on the rocks. From there, we headed south of the islands, where we had reports of 2 family groups of Bigg’s Killer Whales hunting a California Sea Lion. They were not far away, and as we approached, we saw them leaping out of the water in the distance. We had to be patient, as we made our usual slow approach from a 1/2 mile out. For the next hour, we got to experience what this eco-type can do when they are hunting. There was lots of lunging, a few leaps, and whitewater flying as they hunted. We heard the hunt continued for another 30 minutes after we left. The whales we saw were the T65A – Artemis, a 40-year-old female, and 4 of her 5 offspring. Ooxjaa, a 22-year-old male, Amir, a 19-year-old male, Ellifrit, a 15-year-old female, and Callisto, an 8-year-old female. The other family group was the T64B’s. The mom is 24 and she was with her 13-year-old daughter and 2-year-old grandkid! We finally had to leave. We made a run down to Smith Island to check out some birds, then back to Long Island, where we found 2 Bald Eagles. From there, it was back to the dock. What a day!

Photographer and Naturalist: Alison Engle – Instagram: @AlisonEngleArt – Website: www.AlisonEngle.com – Instagram: @WesternPrinceWildlife – Facebook: Western Prince Whale Watching Adventures

Written by Alison
on Jun 17, 2026

Orcas Hunting a California Sea Lion

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