Written by Bethany
on Jul 01, 2023

Whale Report: June 19, 2023 – T49C, Minke Whales and Tufted Puffins!

Whale Report: June 19, 2023 – T49C, Minke Whales and Tufted Puffins!

June 19, 2023 PM – We headed south of the San Juan Islands out into the Straits of Juan De Fuca to follow up on a report of a single killer whale. It turned out to be a lone Bigg’s Killer Whale male known as T49C “Neilson”. He’s a very distinct male with two notches in his dorsal fin and often travels alone. Sometimes he’s seen traveling with other families or the families of his two older sisters but today, he was slowly cruising his way across the straits solo. There were also several Minke Whales all around us as we watched “Neilson” although neither of the two types of whales made any acknowledgment of the other! We got some good looks at him as he surfaced on Eastern Bank and of the minke whales before we continued on. Before we headed back to Friday Harbor, we got to stop at a very special island to look for Tufted Puffins! Smith Island is one of only two breeding sites left in Washington for this unique looking bird! They are considered the “parrot” of the sea because of their bright colored beaks and tufts! For many on board, this was a lifer bird moment for them! What a wonderful opportunity!

 

Photographer and Naturalist: Bethany Shimasaki – Instagram @Adventures.with.Bethany – Website: www.bethshim.com

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

Written by Bethany
on Jul 01, 2023

Whale Report: June 19, 2023 – T49C, Minke Whales and Tufted Puffins!

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