Jordan | August 14, 2018 | M/V Sea Lion | 5:30 trip
Today was a beautiful foggy day that made the islands seem extra magical today. As the sun set in the sky, the blazing orange ball made the water sparkle like a painting. Captain Pete, Alexandria and I headed north through the San Juan Channel, boated south of Spieden Island and around towards the coast of Henry Island.
Here we found a group of transient (Bigg’s) whales! The T2Cs were taking deep dives and popping up every so often throughout the surrounding waters. Suddenly, the whales surfaced just a few feet from out boat! They got close enough that we could see their dorsal fins wobbly in the wind.
Within this group, we had such a wonderful time watching T2C2, also known as Tumbo! This special whale has scoliosis! This makes it a lot more difficult for him to swim with his family. Often times we see him trailing far behind his family. Today he swam alongside his pod and only fell a few feet behind for a handful of moments due to their slow speed. The pod swam about 3 knots as they traveled north alongside Henry Island. It’s great seeing this whale family supporting each other despite Tumbo’s handicap.
Eventually we headed back home towards Friday Harbor, hearts full of joy and love for these beloved whales.