June 24th - Humpback Whales, T65A's and T124A's in the San Juan Islands

We had a long day today! We covered 150 nautical miles, saw Harbour Seals and Steller’s Sea Lions, but the Humpbacks definitely stole the show! We were traveling south to try and catch up with the T65A’s and T124A Orcas who were cruising through the San Juan Islands when we spotted 2 humpbacks breaching and pec slapping! These guys were extremely active as we approached before they started doing deep dives.

Divot (BCX1057) and another humpback getting ready for a pec slap. Photo by Rebeka Pirker

Scientists aren’t too sure why whales pec slap, but it could be a method of communicating, of attracting a mate, or a feeding technique. Whatever the reason, Divot sure was pec slapping a lot today! You could clearly hear the sound of her fin hitting the water!

They love to pec slap! photo by Rebeka Pirker.

Divot was doing a lot of tail slapping when we arrived, which allowed us to get a positive ID using her flukes, the underside of the whales tail. Each humpback has a unique edge and markings on their tails, much like a humans finger print! The other whale Divot was with was a little more shy, and we weren’t able to get a clear fluke shot.

Divot finally gave us a really clear fluke shot! photo by Rebeka Pirker.

When we finally caught up with the T65A’s and T124A’s they were heading south around Orca Island in the San Juan islands! These guys were moving quickly and were doing deeper dives. The T65A’s have been busy over the last week, moving from South Vancouver to Howe Sound and then back down south, all the way to Washington!

Photo by Rebeka Pirker.

photo by Rebeka Pirker

Want a chance to see a humpback pec slapping? Or an Orca breaching? Call our office to book your trip today! 1-250-667-5177. We have sailing tours at 10:30 am and 3:30 pm.
We guarantee you’ll see a whale, or your next tour is on us!