August 20, 2019 – A great big thanks to our passengers for spotting two humpback whales coming down the channel shortly after we left Friday Harbor. We identified the mother humpback as MMY0042 aka “Hydra” with a new calf born 2019 (presumably). According to the humpback catalogue she had another calf in 2017.
The humpbacks breached close to Point Caution and a few more times as they passed Friday Harbor. We got some very cool photos as the calf did several inverted tail lobs right in front of the harbor with the Whale Museum in the background. Sailing with this pair of humpbacks was an awesome sight. We said good bye to the humpbacks to continue up the channel to check out other wildlife.
There was a family of Biggs/Transient orcas in the area known as the T49A’s. We hugged the shoreline of Stuart Island up to Turn Point Lighthouse before sailing across the border into Canada to meet them.
As we arrived they may have been hunting as they were spread out with vocals heard over our hydrophone. Together we cruised around Gooch Island and over towards Mandarte Island. We sailed passed the cormorant colony and various birds nesting on Mandarte Island before a fast sail back across to Spieden Island.
Route Map 8-20-19
MMY0042 aka “Hydra” right dorsal fin
New calf of MMY0042 right dorsal fin
Humpback whale tail and kayakers
Humpback breach off Pt Caution – 1
Humpback breach off Pt Caution – 2
Humpback breach off Pt Caution -3
Humpback whale MMY0042 exhale
Humpback whale MMY0042 exhale
New calf of MMY0042 left dorsal fin
New calf of MMY0042 top of tail flukes
New calf of MMY0042 bottom of tail flukes
MMY0042 aka “Hydra” left dorsal fin
Humpback whale MMY0042 aka “Hydra” tail flukes
Humpback whale MMY0042 aka “Hydra” tail flukes
Humpback calf playing
Humpback whale MMY0042 with new calf outside of Friday Harbor
Humpback whale MMY0042 with new calf outside of Friday Harbor
Underside of tail flukes for MMY0042’s new calf
Sex ID photo of whale (our guess is a girl)
Sex ID photo of whale (our guess is a girl)
Top side of calf’s tail fluke
Humpback whale MMY0042 ‘Hydra’ with new calf
Humpback whale MMY0042 ‘Hydra’ with new calf
Humpback whale MMY0042 ‘Hydra’ exhale
Humpback whale tail – MMY0042 ‘Hydra’
Humpback whale breach! MMY0042 ‘Hydra’ -1
Humpback whale breach! MMY0042 ‘Hydra’ – 2
Humpback whale breach! MMY0042 ‘Hydra’ -3
Humpback whale chin slap
Humpback whale MMY0042 ‘Hydra’ with new calf
Humpback calf cartwheel
A different view of Mt Baker
Bald eagle on Spieden Island
River otter on the beach of Spieden Island
Bald eagle on Spieden Island
Harbor seals on Stuart Island
Harbor seals on Stuart Island
Turn Pt Lighthouse and Lovers Leap
Biggs/Transient orca T49A3 splitting off from the group
Biggs/Transient orca T49A3 splitting off from the group
The Biggs/Transient orca family known as T49A’s
Youngest member of the family T49A5
Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s traveling toward Gooch Island
Nervous steller sea lion pops up after orcas go by
Black oystercatcher on the rocks
Mt Baker
Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s
Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s with WA State Ferry near Mandarte enroute to Sidney
Mother T49A with son T49A1 (born 2001)
Mandate Island – cormorant colony
Double crested cormorants nesting on Mandarte Island
Pelagic Cormorant chick on the cliff
Brandts Cormorants on Mandarte Island
Fallow deer on Spieden Island
Sika deer and Mouflon sheep on Spieden Island
Sunset through Nob Island Pass
Madrone tree on Yellow Island at sunset
Looking towards Canada
Sunset over Friday Harbor