June 6, 2026 – As we set sail from Friday Harbor we had been monitoring reports of a family of Biggs/Transient orcas known as the T99’s who were southbound in Rosario Strait, so we set a course for Upright Channel with the hopes to catch up to them. Scattered rain showers were popping up all around and caught up to us in Lopez Sound. Views were dramatic with dark clouds one direction and gorgeous layers of puffy clouds the other. The orcas were traveling very quickly on the ebb current and getting away from us so we stopped to drift near Shoal Bight to see the gray whale (CRC-2702) who has been spending time here for about a month now. Upon hearing the orcas had stopped near Lawson Reef presumably to hunt we picked up the pace and caught up to them after they started on the move again. Their course took us down to Smith Island where we broke away to check out the sea birds including a fine looking tufted puffin. There were a few in the area. As we sailed north over MacArthur Bank we also got to see two humpbacks (BCZ0298 “Split Fin” and BCX1675 “Strike”). “Split Fin” was born in 2006 to infamous humpback whale “Big Mama” – the first humpback whale to return to the Salish Sea in close to 100 years. White “Split Fin” (likely male) has been known to winter in Hawaii, “Strike” mother of a calf born 2021, and “Thunderbolt” born 2023 winters in Mexico. We stopped by Whale Rocks to see the Steller sea lions and a bald eagle sitting on Deadman Island before riding the flood current back up San Juan Channel. Enjoyed the peaceful beauty in the narrow channel around Turn Island spotting a couple black tailed deer on the small island with 2 tiny fawns. An epic trip with 3 different whale species plus so much wildlife.
