Written by Bethany
on May 27, 2023

Whale Report: May 15, 2023 – Bigg’s Killer Whale Playtime

Whale Report: May 15, 2023 – Bigg’s Killer Whale Playtime

May 15, 2023 – We headed off from Friday Harbor in search of amazing wildlife! We started the trip with a stop at Skipjack Island where we spotted a few Caspian Terns and some Harbor Seals hauled out on the rocks. Suddenly, we got a report of some Killer Whales north in Canada! When we got on scene, we were able to identify them as Bigg’s Killer Whales, the T99s! This is a family that consists of mom T99 “Bella” and her four kids, with the youngest, T99E, being only two years old! They started becoming very active and it eventually became very clear that it was play time for everyone! It was incredible and somewhat shocking to watch as the older whales started to ram and toss their youngest sibling around. At some points, T99E was flung clear out of the water, head over tail! While this behavior can look brutal, these whales are tough and T99E seemed to be jumping right back into the fray time and time again! We got to see lots of socializing and very tactile behaviors in this encounter and it was amazing to get a glimpse into this tight-knit family group’s dynamic! As we headed back to the main San Juan Islands, we were treated with beautiful conditions and gorgeous views of Mt. Baker!

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 May 27, 2023

Whale Report: May 15, 2023 – Bigg’s Killer Whale Playtime

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