Laura / M/V Kestrel / 5/17/2022 / 2:00PM

Today was an outstanding whale day on M/V Kestrel!  We left the dock headed north with a rumor of Bigg’s killer whales near South Pender Island.  The seas were beautiful, and we had a fun ride past Boundary Pass and into Canadian waters.  On the way to these orcas a passenger spotted a distant blow in the area northwest of Gooch and Comet Island!  We immediately went over to check it out and arrived just in time to find Big Mama and her...

Laura | M/V Sea Lion | 3/10/2020 | 12:00pm

Today was such a fun day to be out on the water!  M/V Sea Lion left the dock of Friday Harbor and headed north.  Moments after we left the dock a large common loon came right by our boat and surprised all the passengers!  He was sporting some gorgeous spring breeding plumage and this sighting was the closest I have ever been to a loon!

We continued through the San Juan Channel and stopped at Flattop Island to watch a juvenile bald eagle take...

Laura C. | 7/17/2019 | M/V Sea Lion | 5:30pm

This evening’s whale watch was simply magical!  Captain Pete manned the helm and ventured north to Swanson Channel.  Our passengers were thrilled to find a family of Bigg’s killer whales traveling near North Pender Island!  This family was quickly identified as the T60s, with the lead matriarch estimated to be 39 years old!  T60C is a large male that was born in 2001 and he stood out as a powerful bull compared to his younger and smaller...

Olivia | June 16, 2019 | M/V Kestrel | 11:00am / 3:00pm 

What an incredible adventure Captain Gabe and I had out on the water today! For our 11:00am tour we headed north around Spieden Island where we viewed many Harbor Seals and Bald Eagles. We didn’t hang out too long, as we wanted to continue towards our whale sightings. As we traveled through Swanson Channel near Moresby Island, we caught our first glimpse of a lone male Bigg’s Killer Whale known as T77A who is often seen...

Captain Pete and I were on our second trip of the day ready to be out on the water during the golden hour and hopefully encounter some animals! With very excited guests, we headed up North to see if we could find the same orcas we were with during our day trip. Apparently, these guys were covering lots of ground and moving North quick. We were worried that they would get away from us but decided to go up that way regardless. We were hopeful that we would get a good look at them...

Lauren Fritz, 07/06/17, M/V Sea Lion, 1:30 pm and 5:30 pm Tours

What a day! Passengers on both of our tours were able to watch Transient orcas cruising through the Salish Sea. On our first trip, Captain Mike, Naturalist Sarah, and I decided to head over to a family of Tranisents that were hanging out near Salt Spring Island. What a beautiful journey it was! I hadn't been out this way yet this year, and I always love checking out the Canadian Gulf Islands. The San Juans are beautiful...

While a heat wave roars through the Pacific Northwest, we here in Friday Harbor decided to cool our heals in the waters of Boundary Pass. The orcas had been north and east and everywhere according to the reports that we were getting, but we found them heading west towards Swanson Channel and the Pender islands. Supposedly, J1 "Ruffles" had been over near Lummi Island, but almost like clock-work he and his family showed up off of the starboard bow of our boat.

Capt. Craig always...