Another great day on the water! M/V Sea Lion didn't have to motor very far in search of whales today since they were coasting along the inside passage of San Juan Island. From Friday Harbor to the whales it only took us 8.4 minutes! Not a bad day for whale watching. Once we met up with the 2 transients, we quickly realized the individual transients were T-21 and T-20, a mother and son pair. T-20 is a mature male who has a very distinctive notch in his dorsal fin. In addition to this very unique square notch out of the top of his dorsal fin, it also leans slightly to the left. Using these factors along with the saddle patch it wasn't hard to ID this transient orca and his mother. Unlike Residents, not all transient orca offspring stay with their mothers for their entire lives. A Transient pod usually consists of 2 or 3 offspring. Three orcas is the optimal number for hunting their marine mammal prey. Generally, it's usually only the oldest male offspring that will stay with their mother, the other younger offspring will have to move on. Overall, it was a great trip and an amazing opportunity to see these two transients so close to Friday Harbor.
Caitlin, Naturalist- M/V Sea Lion, San Juan Safaris