Abby & Maxx | Sea Lion | 6/23/2021
Whale, whale, whale. Hello there! Abby here.
I just got back from this stellar trip and am now on a complete orca high.
Captain Pete, Maxx, and I zipped out of Friday Harbor to find the T037A’s in San Juan Channel.
- Volker T037A (Female, 1994)
- Inyo T037A1 (Gender Unknown, 2007)
- Inky T037A2 (Male, 2009)
- Spinnaker T037A3 (Male, 2013)
- Crinkle T037A4 (Gender Unknown, 2015)
As we headed south through San Juan Channel, travelling parallel to our matriline, they zigged and zagged through the 7-knot current, porpoising through the waves. It appeared to Maxx and I that they were hunting. A lone male Steller’s sea lion may have slipped by quietly along the port side of the boat, hoping to go unnoticed…
Because the current was so strong, we took a break from the T037A’s and went to Whale Rocks where we spotted some swimming Steller’s sea lions. As we were viewing them, an orca breached in the distance, and we headed back to our friends.
By the end of the day, we had spent over two hours with our Bigg’s killer whale friends, a rarity that we were all happy to witness. With little wind and calm seas, our last views were peaceful as smiles beamed from even Captain Pete. An evening glow sparkled across the water as we sat and embraced the ride back to the harbor.