Breaching humpback whale outside Friday Harbor, WA June 2013. Photo by Kevin Culmback.
More than any other season, 2013 proved to be an incredible year for humpback whale encounters in the Salish Sea. Encountering humpback and killer whales during the same tour became the norm! A few lucky passengers even experienced the "Whale Trifecta;" encountering killer whales, humpbacks, and minke whales (another small balleen whale) during one Whale Watch & Wildlife Tour.
Why, though, are we encountering more humpback whales then ever? What has changed in the eco-system of the Puget Sound?The humpback whale has had a trying history in the Pacific Northwest. Â By the time whale hunting in the United States was banned in the 1960s, humpbacks were nearly hunted to extinction with their numbers hovering around 1500 members in the Northeast Pacific Stock.
Breaching humpback whale outside Friday Harbor, WA June 2013. Photo by Kevin Culmback.
Since then, humpback whales who visit Washington waters has increased about 7% a year and now could be as many as 22,000! Very often, we encounter mother & juvenile pairs in the inland waters, which suggest that humpback whales are using the Salish Sea as a nursing habitat function. Read on for more information on humpback whales in the waters surrounding San Juan Island. You'll even find an interview with Brian Goodremont, our trusty leader!
We encountered this particular humpback whale (later identified as #409) directly outside of Friday Harbor in June 2013. I could see him breaching up a storm from my office window! Naturalist Kevin & Captain Mike counted 33 breaches while our vessel Sea Lion was with him. Naturalists from several companies compared notes and estimates that #409 breached over 50 times.
Let's hope the trend continues!
Brittany Office & Resverations Manager San Juan Safaris