Written by Alison
on May 24, 2023

Whale Report: May 10, 2023: Humpbacks and a T-Party!

Whale Report: May 10, 2023: Humpbacks and a T-Party!

It was the perfect kind of day with sunny skies, calm seas and incredible cloudscapes.  We left the dock in Friday Harbor with a couple of reports from up in Canada so we headed that way.  We made a stop at White Rock to check out several dozen Harbor Seals that were hauled out on the rocks, warming up in the sun.  Next we went up to Saturna Island in British Columbia.  There we encountered two Humpback Whales.  They had been identified as Divot and her 2011 calf Zephyr.  This was a unique sighting as mom calf pairs do not typically hang out with each other after the first year.  We were all very excited to see the two swimming closely together and lifting their beautiful flukes before they dove.  Next we headed to Boiling Reef with a report of Orcas.  As we arrived we started to see dorsal fins and lots of them!  The whales were slowly heading south and we were enjoying watching the from a distance.  As they went down for a long dive, Captain JB kept the same course and speed so we could stay parallel to them at the right distance.  After a few minutes we were surprised when a couple of the whales surfaced heading right towards us.  Before we knew it they all started coming up on the other side of the boat.  It was amazing!  This gathering of Bigg’s (marine mammal eating) Killer Whales was large enough to be considered to be a “T Party.”  When all where identified the final count came to 19 Orcas!  The matrilines included the T36A’s- 6 whales total; T65 with T63,”Chainsaw”; T87, “Harbeson” who is estimated to be 61 years old; all of the T124A’s  – 9 whales total and 124C, a 31 year old male!  From there the whales spread out and headed SW quickly.  W3 got a quick glimpse of the Patos Island Lighthouse as it was time to head back towards the main San Juan Islands after a fantastic trip on the water.

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 May 24, 2023

Whale Report: May 10, 2023: Humpbacks and a T-Party!

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