Extended Range Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg's killer whales (T37As, T101s, T99s)
Humpbacks (BCY0409 Yogi, BCZ0410 Anvil, CRC-19813 Chi, BCX2075 Olympus)
Steller sea lions
Harbor seals
Harbor porpoise
Bald eagles
Belted king fishers
Sand Pipers
Bonaparte's gulls

August 23, 2026 | Extended Range Whale Watch

Wow. Wow. Wow. Our guests and crew were all in agreement-- this Extended Range is one we won't be forgetting anytime soon. SO many whales, so much wildlife, and such consistent sightings throughout the day! We got to spend time with four different matrilines, at least four humpback whales, sea lions, seals, eagles, and so much more!

Of course, our early 6AM departure began with pouring rain. We quickly shuffled into the main cabins for morning coffee and pushed off the dock with a buzz of anticipation for the hours to come. Out in Bellingham Channel, we were met with a gray mist that swirled over the emerald Cypress shoreline. As we passed by Barns and Clark, the clouds began rise and the skies lightened. We took it as a sign and continued to press north.

Exploring the outer islands, we spotted harbor seals hauled out along the sculpted sandstone of Matia, black oyster catchers foraging against vivid green algae growing in the exposed intertidal zone, and a bald eagle perched in the trees. We slowed at Ewing island for more seals and a few pigeon guillemots, then visited Clements reef where eight massive sea lions rested above another gathering of harbor seals. The size comparison of these pinnipeds was so interesting to see side by side.

Pushing out into the open Strait of Georgia, a tall black dorsal fin caught our eye... We slowed up to investigate and soon discovered we'd found T37A Volker and T37A2 Inky! This mother and son Bigg's killer whale duo swam slowly north, taking long, relaxed surfacings and potentially processing some breakfast. The 37As used to be a much larger family, however Inky's siblings began to fragment a few years ago. Inky's older sister, younger brother, and younger sister have all taken to independent wanderings, however Inky has stuck close to his momma's side. After lots of amazing looks at this duo, we decided to continue pushing north. Up at Patos, we got stunning looks of the lighthouse, more seals, Bonaparte's gulls, and a flock of sandpipers flying together in unison along the surface. Leaving the Patos Island lighthouse behind us, we pushed into Canada to run up the Bell Chain Islands.

Here, we spotted another hauled out harbor seal and two bald eagles. One flew overhead scanning the water intently, while another perched along the shoreline before taking off and flying about 200 yards before landing again to the north. We also spotted more Steller sea lions swimming in the water, belted king fishers darting over the surface, and sea stars clinging to the intertidal zone rocks. Up ahead, captain Carl spotted more black dorsal fins. However when we went to investigate, some mist rolled in and we were unable to reacquire these mystery orcas. But it was ok, because slightly offshore we spotted a humpback whale blow! Scooting over, we slowed and spent time with the lovely BCZ0410 Anvil. This whale gave us some stunning sounding dives with consistent surface time. Under a light, painted slate sky, it was a gorgeous encounter. But Anvil wasn't the only humpback around, we also spent time with BCY0409 Yogi, CRC-19813 Chi, and BCX2075 Olympus. Seriously humpback soup up in the Strait of Georgia! Along the shoreline of Galiano Island, we also spent time with more Bigg's killer whales, the T101s. Another mother sun duo, T101 Rush and T101B Lagoon cruised through placid waters. Along Galiano, their dorsal fins and exhalations shared a lovely contrast against the evergreens and splashes of early fall colors.

Working our way back down south, we spotted more blows just past east point. After getting some initial ID photos, we introduced our guests to another iconic group of Bigg's, the T36As, led by matriarch Leland! And another very special whale was present... we were delighted to see T37A1 Inyo, Volker's first born daughter, keeping right up with the rest of the 36As. The newest and cutest member of the 36As, T36A2A Rouge, bumbled along next to their mother T36A2 Kailas. We watched them swim peacefully towards Patos, side by side in the boiling currents. Then... chaos erupted.

These whales began porpoising west, sending us all into excited shrieks. The orcas began circling, flying out of the water and causing a total commotion. Kailas even gave us a full porpoising breach! Then, something small caught our eye. A harbor porpoise skittering across the surface trying in a desperate attempt to flee. It was so interesting to see Inyo fully embedded into the hunting team, working together with Kailas, Leland, T36A3 Storm, T36A5 Squall, and even little Rouge. The T36As were here to show us why killer whales are apex predators, and in a matter of moments, the hunt was completed and the prey sharing had begun. Such a stunning, humbling reminder of the power, speed, coordination, and intelligence of these whales, as well as the importance of strong prey populations. As these whales feasted, we spotted something pink floating on the surface-- harbor porpoise lungs and organs! We stuck with the 36As as they slowly resumed their travel south, skirting along Patos Island, before peeling off to go search waters to the south.

Skipping down to Lummi Island, we met up with yet another group of Bigg's, the T99s. Leading the way was T99 Bella. And guess who was hanging out with Bella's kids... none other than T37A4 Crinkle! Crinkle is Volker's younger daughter and Inky and Inyo's little sister, which meant we'd seen four of the five T37A family members in three different groups. Volker... come get your kids! What's more, before this Crinkle had not been officially documented since January, so we were relieved to lay eyes on her again. The 99s cruised down the coastline in front of a stunning hillside packed with conifers. Right inside Lummi rocks, we witnessed some splashing, realizing Bella and her family had snagged some food. Most likely a harbor seal, the hunt was completed with impressive speed and efficiency. This made two predation events in one day! These whales passed their food around as they traveled, celebrating with tail slaps and several dorsal slaps by T99C Barakat. Crinkle got breach-happy, and gave us four adorable leaps out of the water! Such a spectacular finale to an unbelievable day.

After our visit with the T99s, we set a course for home after over 100 miles covered and 11 hours out on the water. Thank you so much to all of the guests who joined us on this epic adventure. We truly can not wait for what next year's extended range tours bring!!

- Carl, Sam, Amy, Juliann, and Juna