Overview

• Big Mama, a well-known humpback whale, was spotted in the Haro Strait on May 21, 2025, with her four- to five-month-old calf, marking the first humpback calf sighting of the season.
• This is Big Mama’s eighth calf in approximately 29 years, adding to her lineage that includes seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
• Two of Big Mama’s previous calves, Divot (born 2003) and Moresby (born 2022), have also been observed in the Salish Sea this season.
• Humpback whales migrate annually from tropical birthing waters near Hawaii, Mexico, and Central America to northern feeding grounds, facing threats such as fishing gear entanglement, ship strikes, and orca predation.
• The Pacific Whale Watch Association has catalogued over 500 humpbacks in the Salish Sea, emphasizing ongoing conservation needs as the species remains federally classified as of 'special concern.'