WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. — A full-day whale watching tour off Whidbey Island ended with a rare and unexpected sighting: a brand-new Bigg’s killer whale calf.
Island Adventures said the sighting happened Saturday, May 17, as the company’s team and guests were on the water for a full-day tour. After what the company described as an already active day of whale and wildlife encounters, the group spotted another pod of orcas traveling off the west side of Whidbey Island.
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As the boat approached, marine naturalists identified the whales as members of the T124A1 and T124A2 families. What initially appeared to be four whales turned out to be five, with a tiny newborn calf swimming among them.
The calf stayed close to T124A1 “Bonapartes” as the pod traveled south with the tide, Island Adventures said.
According to Finwave, a whale identification algorithm developed by Bay Cetology, the T124A2s were last sighted Feb. 14 in Saratoga Passage, while T124A1 was most recently documented near East Sooke on April 18. Neither group included a calf during those encounters, Island Adventures said, meaning the May 17 sighting may have been the first documentation of the 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,” said Island Adventures Marine Naturalist Sam Murphy.
The calf’s mother has not been confirmed. Island Adventures said T124A1 “Bonapartes” is considered a likely candidate, along with her sister T124A2 “Elkugu,” who the company said remains within her reproductive years and is due for another calf following the birth of her last known offspring in 2016.
With the pods currently traveling through local waters, Island Adventures said it is hopeful for another sighting in the coming days.