05/18/2026
Yesterday, May 17th, our Island Adventures team and guests aboard our full-day whale watching tour experienced an unforgettable surprise: the sighting of a brand-new Bigg’s killer whale calf!
After an already incredible day filled with whale and wildlife encounters, we spotted another pod of orcas traveling off the west side of Whidbey Island. As we slowly and respectfully approached the scene, our marine naturalists identified the whales as members of the T124A1 and T124A2 families.
What first appeared to be a group of four whales quickly became even more exciting when we realized there were actually five — a tiny newborn calf was swimming amidst the group. The energetic little calf stayed tucked close to T124A1 “Bonapartes” as the pod traveled south with the tide.
According to Finwave, a whale identification algorithm developed by Bay Cetology, the T124A2s were last sighted on February 14th in Saratoga Passage, while T124A1 was most recently documented near East Sooke on April 18th. Neither group included a calf during those encounters, meaning we may have been the first to document this new baby.
“Sighting a new calf is always cause for celebration, and the West Coast Bigg’s population has a lot to celebrate of late. It’s been incredible to witness the growth in this orca population over the past decade, and we’re thrilled to see this baby boom continue into 2026,” says Island Adventures Marine Naturalist Sam Murphy.
Although the calf’s mother has not yet been confirmed, T124A1 “Bonapartes” is considered a likely candidate, along with her sister T124A2 “Elkugu,” who remains within her reproductive years and is due for another calf following the birth of her last known offspring in 2016.
With these pods currently traveling through local waters, we’re hopeful for another sighting in the coming days and look forward to watching this young whale continue to grow. We couldn’t have imagined a more exciting way to end our full-day whale watch, and we wish this little one safe swimming in the days, and years, to come.
📸 Naturalist Sam Murphy
