Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 04/02/2022 | 1:30pm
Today was a big day! Today marked Kestrels first voyage of the 2022 season and it did not disappoint! I had forgotten how fast this vessel is- it can reach speeds of up to 40 kts (45ish mph)! It’s like flying. But boy oh boy is it also freezing. With an average water temperature of 45 degrees, the wind chill coming off the Salish Sea is no joke! But what is a little cold air when you’re hanging out with a family of Bigg’s Killer whales?
Soon after leaving the harbor our sister vessel, Sea Lion called out to us over the radio. A family of Bigg’s Killer Whales had been spotted north of the San Juan Islands, along Salt Spring Island in Canada. I had never been to that region of the Salish before, this being only my second season out here with San Juan Safaris, my first was spent largely confined to US waters as the pandemic limited our ability to cross into Canadian territory.
We stopped first at Flat Top Island which was currently under siege by a parliament of Bald Eagles (yes, that is the plural of Bald Eagle). A harbor seal carcass had been reported at the base of the island and the eagles seemed to be taking shifts picking it apart. Carrion actually makes up a significant proportion of the Bald Eagle diet here in the San Juans so it was no surprise to see them flocking here now.
We carried on, now racing up over the Canadian border and towards the whale report. We found them pretty quickly. A young whale, probably less than a year old would surface first, thrusting its body out of the water to take a breath. Soon after its mother would surface, taking a fresh breath with a little more elegance than her clumsy newborn. A few more whales surfaced, followed swiftly by the male. This large boy loomed over the rest of his group and had to be nearly 30 feet long, at least 10,000 lbs. He was likely traveling with his mother, as many male Biggs Killer Whales are big ol’ mamas boys. They’ll often stay with their mothers for their entire lives. As we all know, mama knows best!
We slowly traveled with the family for a few more minutes, admiring them as they surfaced against the beautiful Canadian shoreline.
We stopped briefly at Spieden Island to check out dozens of beefy Steller Sea Lions before docking back in Friday Harbor.
Thank you all for joining us out there! ‘Twas a chilly day for sure but an adventure nonetheless and y’all were an absolute pleasure to sail with!