Sightings Report: T100s - September 4th
Date: Saturday, September 4th, 2021
Location: West side of San Juan Island, County Park up to Henry Island
Weather: Cloudy with periodic rain showers, 64 degrees Farenheight with 4mph NNW winds
Tide: Flood
Pods/Matrilines: T100s
Total Whale Count: 4
Behaviors: Traveling
It is starting to feel like fall in the Pacific Northwest which is a nice break for the record-setting hot summer. We started our trip with very calm winds and smooth water. We left Anacortes, WA, and sailed south of Lopez Island in a westward direction where we encountered a Minke whale. After a few looks at the Minke, it gave us the slip and we continued on making our way north up to San Juan Island. After traveling up the west side of the island we arrived in front of County Park and on scene with the T100s.
The T100s are made up of T100 “Hutchins” (42 year old female) and her offsprings T100C “Laurel” (19 year old male), T100E “Tharaya” (12 year old female), and T100F “Estrella” (7 year old, sex unknown).
The changing colors of the leaves and the rocky landscape of the island combined with the cool grey colors provided an iconic PNW scene with the orcas traveling leaving trails of exhalations like something out of a painting. The whales were traveling at a fairly fast pace, likely in search of their next meal.
There were few boats on the scene, the majority of which were whale watching vessels that all formed a linear formation ranging between 200 to 400 yards distance. There were a few recreation boats present including a sailboat that followed the lead of the whale watching operators and an anchored fishing boat that the T100s passed by. No research or enforcement vessels were present.
Please note that our videos and photos are taken with high-powered lenses that can distort distances. The whales appear much closer than they actually are.
