OnBoard Tours Whales

July 31, 2019 Serendipity brought the Transient-Bigg’s killer whale family of T46B1’s swimming with the last of a strong new moon 10′ flooding tide, foraging nearshore for seals and porpoises along the westside of San Juan Island.

T46B1 is the sixteen year old mom of four year old T46B1A, and new youngster T46B1B first sighted in May this year.

T46B1B has been named the Coast Salish Bella Coola name Tl’uk which means moon. Tl’uk has an unusual light skin color that may be outgrown, a syndrome, or albino, time will tell.

Wistful to see this family swim along the shoreline by the Westside Preserve and Lime Kiln Point State Park as Southern Resident salmon dependent orca used to do, yet joy to see this family thriving in the Salish Sea.

Transient-Bigg’s killer whales tend swim further out in Haro Strait. Mystical to me, that this light, second born Tl’uk- Moon and family swam so close to shore on this black new moon day (black means 2nd new moon in a month).

I wasn’t expecting to see these whales so close to shore and I didn’t bring my camera, so my phone photos don’t show the color differentiation. But those moments of seeing them in the cove right below me is unforgettable and the endorphins they ignited lasted for hours, adding to celebrating my first born son’s 33rd birthday!

T46B1’s T46B1B Tl’uk

T46B1’s T46B1B Tl’uk

T46B1’s T46B1B Tl’uk