Sarah | 09/21/2018 | M/V Kestrel | 01:00pm
We had an amazing day on the water, traveling further south than Captain Mike and I had ever taken one of our boats before, and most importantly, saw killer whales! When we left Friday Harbor we had no reports of killer whales in the area, but days on the water can change moment by moment.
Leaving Friday Harbor, our plan was originally to head north past Shaw and Orcas Islands, up towards the Canadian Gulf Islands. When we have no reports from the Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) spotting network, all of the whale watch boats try to spread out to cover as much water as possible. Through the PWWA we are all obligated to share wildlife sighting information with one another. After driving north for a couple of minutes we heard about some whales far to the south in Saratoga Passage traveling north towards us. After a bit of math, we decided to go for it!
Mike steered M/V Kestrel interisland and then across Rosario Strait towards Deception Pass. We crossed under the high bridge and into the shallow waters of Saratoga Passage. As we reached Baby Island and Holmes Harbor we started to see a group of dorsal fins and blows over the surface of the water! Orcas! We were lucky enough to find the T137 family hunting in along the shore. This family of four is known for their exuberance when socializing and hunting. We got a small taste of that lively behavior as the whales played with the bull kelp on the surface of the water.
