On August 4th, Bigg’s orca fan-favorite T137A “Jack” gave guests and crew aboard our Seattle (Edmonds) afternoon Half-Day Tour a great show! Traveling through Commencement Bay in Tacoma with T36 “Flapjack” and T36B2 “Greenfelder,” the three orcas showed off some social activities, including tail slapping and spyhopping. The most dramatic display of the day came from Jack, who breached three times in quick succession, much to the joy of those aboard.

Breaching is one of the most exciting behaviors we see in orcas and often follows a successful hunt — something to celebrate, for sure! Like on this occasion, breaching can also be used as a social activity. Whatever the reason, we’re always excited when we get a chance to witness this behavior in the wild!