Episode 39 - Trip Report, Humpbacks of the Silver Bank

Sara, Jeff and a group of After the Breach Podcast listeners just returned from the Dominican Republic where they spent a week with North Atlantic humpback whales in their winter breeding waters on the Silver Bank. The plan was to record this episode from the Silver Bank, but everyone was having so much fun (and there were some technical difficulties), so it had to be recorded after Sara and Jeff returned home to Friday Harbor, Washington.

Joining Jeff and Sara to recount some of the highlights are two members of the Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching crew, who also joined the charter to the Silver Bank. Alex McIntire and Mikayla Riley both had their first in-water experience with whales and have a chance to share the memories of their first swim—and also all of the other memorable encounters they had that week.

It was an incredible week that had a lot of in water encounters with moms and young calves, including TW and her calf ("Floppy Disco"). Jeff also swam with TW on the Silver Bank in 2023. The entire group also had a rare and coveted encounter with dancers, which are acrobatic, curious humpbacks. Check out some of the videos on the Episode 39 page or on our YouTube channel.

A huge shout out to the amazing team at Conscious Breath Adventures—Gene, Cat, and Jeff—and to the hardworking crew of the Sea Hunter. They all make the live aboard and humpback encounters a life changing experience. And special thanks to the amazing humpback whale TW and her 2025 calf. We are wishing them an easy and successful migration north this spring.

Jeff and Sara will have more information soon on upcoming trips, both near and far. In the meantime, if you’d like to join them for some After the Breach fun, they’re hosting two separate weekends in 2025 in the San Juan Islands that each include two full days on the water looking for whales and wildlife in the Salish Sea. The first is on May 17-18th. The second is September 20-21st. Reach out to at afterthebreachpodcast@gmail.com to learn more and to sign up for one or both weekends!

If you are enjoying listening to our podcast, please share this with your friends, follow/subscribe, and leave us feedback/reviews wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you’d like to join Jeff and Sara on a trip then reach out to Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching to book! 

You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube. Please send us feedback or questions at afterthebreachpodcast@gmail.com. And remember, stay safe out there.

 

Links from this episode:

• Conscious Breath Adventures: https://www.consciousbreathadventures.com/

Photos & Videos from this episode:

 

Humpback whale TW, named for the marking on her left pec fin.

 

This was the start of humpback whale Mojo's dancing over several minutes. She continued dancing on and off for about an hour. 

 

Humpback whale TW and her 2025 calf, Floppy Disco, who approached several times to get a closer look.