Haleigh | M/V Kestrel | May 22, 2022 | 2:00 pm
After a long winter away from the Salish Sea, I was extremely excited to depart on my first tour of the season! With no expectations, I was thrilled to be back on the water with a group of giddy guests for our Adventure tour. We departed from Friday Harbor heading South through San Juan Channel towards Cattle Pass. Along the starboard side of the vessel, we stopped to check out a haul out of Harbor Seals basking in the sun. Continuing south, we passed by Goose Island where we saw Pelagic and Double Crested cormorants swimming through the kelp and building their nests on land.
As we crossed over Salmon Bank, we caught sight of a distant blow. Approaching the whale, we saw the white splotched markings along its back, revealing it was a Gray Whale! After viewing for a few surfacings, we received word of a family of Killer Whales. This family turned out to be the T123’s, a family of 4 Bigg’s Killer Whales. Mom Sidney, T123, was traveling with her three offspring, T123A (Stanley), T123C (Lucky), and T123D (Darcy). We enjoyed watching these whales travel through Haro Strait at a consistent speed and a united family.
Eventually, we got word of two Humpback whales nearby and decided to complete the whale trifecta! We approached the two baleen whales amidst choppy waves. Making their way west, we stuck around long enough to learn one of the whales had been identified as Split Fluke, a female who consistently returns to the Salish Sea for the feeding summer season.
Overall, it was a splendid way to kick off the summer season. Seeing an abundance of wildlife is a reminder to each of us how important this ecosystem is to our marine wildlife. I can’t wait to share more with each guest joining us this season!