Lauren | M/V Sea Lion | October 26, 2024 | 12:30 pm
With only two trips left in our 2024 season, I could not have been more delighted when I woke up to an alert that one of my favorite Bigg’s Killer Whale families was in the region. The T049A’s were picked up near Victoria and were trending northeast across the Haro Strait. The T049A’s are local legends and one of the families we’ve encountered most this season, so I was excited to get the chance to wish them a safe and prosperous winter.
By the time our 12:30 Classic Tour left the dock, the T049A’s had made their way to Eagle Cove on the southwest side of San Juan. We headed south in San Juan Channel and made a quick stop at Goose Island to look at some harbor seals. We continued around the coast of San Juan Island and eventually made our way to the T049A’s. Lucky for us, these whales had just seemingly killed something and were prey sharing. We watched as this family circled around each other, sharing lunch. We were then greeted by a double spy hop! Two of the whales poked their heads above the surface, one right after the other. What a treat to be in the presence of surface active Bigg’s Killer Whales. After their snack, they continued up island, close to shore. Before we knew it, T049A6 “Charlie II” porpoised fast in the opposite direction. We were in the midst of another predation event! We observed as these whales milled around and we even got to witness an orca baby backflip! It is not unheard of to witness multiple predation events in a row. An adult killer whale needs about 300 lbs. of food a day to sustain themselves. Therefore, a family of 5 will need to hunt several times a day to feed the entire family. These whales predominately eat harbor seals, which top out at about 250 – 300 lbs. Although not unheard of, seeing multiple predations in a single tour is still something that should be considered rare.
After lunch break number two, these whales kept north and even decided to poke into Westcott Bay on the northwest tip of San Juan Island. While in Westcott Bay, we witnessed a THIRD predation attempt. Three predations in one trip is something I’ve only seen one other time in my four years with San Juan Safaris. We ended our trip with a cruise by Spieden Island and finished our circumnavigation of San Juan.