Written by Alison
on Apr 12, 2024

Whale Report: April 4, 2024 – Sakura the Humpback and the T49As

Whale Report: April 4, 2024 – Sakura the Humpback and the T49As

April 4, 2024

We set out on a blustery day everyone was excited to see what the day would bring. Our first encounter was with a young Humpback that was identified as “Sakura.” From the spotting records we know they were born in 2022. When we first got there it happened to be hanging out in rough spot of water and it was a being a shy whale. Eventually they worked their way into calmer waters and did a beautiful fluke up dive not too far from our boat. Sakura then got on a more regular surfacing pattern as they travelled along the Stuart Island shoreline.

 

After leaving Sakura we went to check out the Turn Point Lighthouse then went on to see what else we could find. After just a few minutes another boat radioed that they had seen several blows in the area. Captain JB made a quick U-turn and soon we had black dorsal fins in sight. We were all so excited for our encounter with a family group of Bigg’s (marine mammal eating) Killer Whales known as the T49A’s. We had 5 of the 7 family members present including the mother who was born in 1986, and her four youngest ranging in age from 13 down to little “Smoosh Face” at 2 years old. Smoosh face, my name for this adorable little whale, is due to its blunt rostrum and underbite. From there we headed for home with one last stop at Green Point on Spieden island. There we had a great encounter with a few dozen Steller Sea Lions before heading back to the dock.

 

Photographer and Naturalist: Alison Engle – Instagram: @Alisonengleart – Website: www.alisonengle.com

Western Prince Wildlife Adventures – Instagram: @Westernprincewildlife – Facebook: Western Prince Whale Watching

Written by Alison
on Apr 12, 2024

Whale Report: April 4, 2024 – Sakura the Humpback and the T49As

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