Written by Alison
on Apr 07, 2019

Our 2019 season so far!

Our 2019 season so far!

2019 sightings start out strong!

We are seeing Killer whales on nearly all our tours! Hopefully, that trend will continue as the last few springs have continued to amaze us with just how many different families of Bigg’s (transient) Killer whales come into the area. As a result, this year continues to be no different, and almost like clockwork, the same families show up at roughly the same timeframe. Though the Salish Sea is a large area to roam and these families can go anywhere their hearts desire as their food can be found anywhere they go. Bigg’s Killer whales are not like the Endangered Southern Resident Killer whales and do not eat salmon or other fish. These Killer whales are coming to eat on the plentiful marine mammals that we have in the San Juan Islands. Bigg’s Killer whales in the Salish Sea primarily target Harbor seals, Steller Sea Lions, Harbor Porpoise, Dall’s Porpoise and other marine mammals.

This season so far, we’ve primarily been observing Bigg’s Killer whales. Though on occasion J pod (one of 3 Southern Resident Pods) has been seen in the area as well.

It is also time to start seeing Humpback whales as well! We heard that a couple of our regulars were sighted in the past couple days just to the west of San Juan Island. We look forward to seeing more and more of these incredible giants of the Salish Sea.

Come on out and join us on the water! Spring is truly an awesome time to search for whales and enjoy the wide variety of migratory species that we see.

Here’s a recap of our latest encounter from April 4, 2019 from Naturalist Alison:

Fun day on the water with Bigg’s Killer Whales, the T49A’s. Between Traci’s video and another naturalist’s pictures, it appears that they were feeding on a Steller Sea Lion. Nice day with lots of backward surfacing and spy hops under the backdrop of Mt. Baker. Sightings of Bald Eagles, River Otters, Harbor Seals and lots of Steller Sea Lions added to a great day on the water.

Written by Alison
on Apr 07, 2019

Our 2019 season so far!

Latest Blog ...