First 5: Raptor the Humpback off Saturna Island on 5/17/25 by: Lincoln Humphry
Last Photo: A T124A Breaching on 5/19/25 by: Kara Drovdahl
May 16th
We went North through Hail’s Pass, stopping at Point Migley on Lummi Island to look at hauled out harbor seals. There were so many! North of Lummi we saw three sleepy Steller sea lions on a navigation marker. We searched Alden Bank for a gray whale, as they are commonly seen there this time of year, but soon got reports of two humpbacks close to Point Roberts. The humpbacks were very reliable in how much they were visiting the surface, and were just hanging out in a small area. Their directions were never the same when they surfaced. A very fun day!
May 17
We started with visiting our standard harbor seals on Viti Rocks, with a bonus of an eagle on the navigation marker. We soon after came across a large group of harbor porpoise in Boundary Pass.
We seeked out reports of Raptor, https://happywhale.com/individual/7009. off Saturna island. We caught up with him tail fluking, and arching, with some mellow surface activity that indicated feeling feeding. There were two sleepy stellars on Point Migley marker off Lummi on our way home.
May 18th
Another large group of harbor porpoise in the bay we got to see very early in the cruise. Huge flock of Bonaparte’s gulls off Carter point. Then we got to our standard harbor seals on Viti Rocks. Five Stellar sea lions on the bouy off Sinclair Island. We were headed north over Orcas Island toward Spieden Island.
Three Biggs orcas were in Spieden Channel cruising the strong current. They didn’t move position for the whole show! The orcas were: T19 Nootka, a quite tiny female compared to her two male adult kiddos: T19B Galiano, T19C Spouter.
May 19th
No harbor seals on Viti this time , but we got good looks at a bald eagle. One active Stellar sea lion on the Sinclair buoy. A passenger spotted the whales today! 8ish whales found in Rosario strait next to Lummi. We saw mini T-Party of two pods: T100 & T124a2. Lots of breaching, tail lobs, predation and happy cartwheels. Very active fun day!
- T100 Hutchins, T100C Laurel, T100F Estrella
- T124a2 Elkugu, T124A2A Agafia, T124A2B Litton
