Episode 49 - January Whales in the Salish Sea

There were a lot of whales here this January and the winter months are a great time to see them in the Salish Sea. On this episode we talk about our January encounters and who has been present in the Salish Sea this winter. We also discuss how this was not always the case in the Salish Sea and how the old information persists that whale presence is predominantly May - September. But with the increase in both the Bigg's killer whale and humpback populations, and the changing patterns of Southern Resident killer whale presence in the inland waters, whales can be seen in the Salish Sea year-round.

While Sara was in Australia with the Bremer Canyon killer whales in January, Jeff is joined by frequent guests Monika Wieland Shields from the Orca Behavior Institute and April Ryan, a marine naturalist and captain with Maya's Legacy Whale Watching. 

We also announced special, limited availability collaborative whale watching tours with the Orca Behavior Institute and Maya's Legacy Whale Watching. These tours will be available on limited dates in July, 2026. 

Designed for those who want to experience, learn about and support whale research, this unique tour will give you the chance to learn directly from a killer whale scientist. This tour follows the same half-day format as Maya's Legacy Whale Watching's daily half-day tours, with an added research perspective on board. A guest naturalist from the Orca Behavior Institute will share how scientists observe whales in the field and how observations made on the water contribute to long-term research efforts. 

These tours are limited in availability: 

• Friday, July 3 — 4:30 PM
• Friday, July 10 — 3:30 PM
• Friday, July 17 — 3:30 PM
• Friday, July 24 — 3:30 PM
• Wednesday, July 29 — 4:30 PM

If you are interested, you can contact Maya's Legacy Whale Watching to reserve seats.

We also responded to several listener emails regarding the music at the beginning and end of each episode. Shout out to Other Animal who created original music for After the Breach Podcast. Curious which of our listeners knew there were whale vocals in there? Anyone interested in hearing the full version of the music? Hit us up by email.

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 whale watching tour, please 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.

T19C, "Spouter," breaching during a sea lion hunt in January mid-day lighting. Photo by Jeff Friedman, Maya's Legacy Whale Watching.