June 6, 2025 – After casting off from Friday Harbor we headed north with exciting news of humpback whale BCY0324 “Big Mama” and her newest (8th) calf milling between Jones Island and Reuben Tarte Park. As we arrived to see them the pair was zig zagging their way northeast and basically doing circles in that area much of the day. We left the whales to check out check out Flattop Island National Wildlife Refuge. There we saw harbor seals, three river otters, a black oystercatcher, pigeon guillemots, and a bald eagle near its nest. We aren’t completely positive but believe there could be a chick(s) visible in the nest as something white and fuzzy was noticeable. Too hard to tell what it is in photos. However we have seen bald eagles near and in the nest the last few weeks and have been hopeful of new eaglets. After circling Flattop Island we made our way across to Ripple Island and through the Cactus Islands before hugging the north shore of Spieden Island in New Channel before returning down San Juan Channel.
Tail flukes of Humpback Whale BCY0324 “Big Mama”
Harbor seals and gulls
Humpback whale BCY0324 “Big Mama”
Humpback whale BCY0324 “Big Mama”
Tail flukes of Humpback Whale BCY0324 “Big Mama”
View of Sentinel and Spieden Island
Tail flukes of Humpback Whale BCY0324 “Big Mama”
Humpback whale BCY0324 “Big Mama”
Humpback whale BCY0324 “Big Mama”
Tail flukes of Humpback Whale BCY0324 “Big Mama”
Tail flukes of Humpback Whale BCY0324 “Big Mama”
2025 calf of humpback whale BCY0324 “Big Mama”
White underside of tail flukes for 2025 Calf of Big Mama
Tail flukes of Humpback Whale BCY0324 “Big Mama”
Humpback whale BCY0324 “Big Mama”
Humpback whale BCY0324 “Big Mama” and her 2025 calf
Flattop Island
Harbor seal on Flattop Island
Bald eagle nest on Flattop Island with eaglets (?)
Bald eagle near nest on Flattop Island
Closer look at bald eagle nest on Flattop Island with eaglets visible (?)
Pigeon Guillemot
One of three river otters at Flattop Island
One of three river otters at Flattop Island
Route map 6/6/25