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Going the Extra Mile to See Whales in the San Juan Islands! Orcas Spotted!

[Sarah | 04/29/2019 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:00pm]

Today was yet another spectacular day out on the water in the San Juan Islands. We had amazing weather for a super long trip to find killer whales, and it was worth every moment on the water! Captain Pete and I decided to head south out of Friday harbor and, boy, did it pay off!

We travelled south through San Juan Channel and Griffin Bay popping out of Cattle Pass into the wide expanse of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The sky was a bright...

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T077A lone male killer whale

Orca spotted in the San Juan Islands

[Sarah | 04/12/2019 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:00pm]

Today was a fantastic day spent in the Salish Sea. The sun was shining, the water was calm, and we had wildlife to find! Leaving the dock in Friday Harbor we had no reports of whales in the area, but we didn’t let that dampen our spirits. Reports can change and come in at any time, so we elected to head north on a search pattern.

Just after we left the dock Captains Erick and Brian got a report of a whale to our east, we quickly ducked...

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J Pod heading North

Southern Resident Killer Whales Spotted in the Salish Sea

[Sarah | 03/23/2019 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:00pm]

Today was spectacular… there is no other way to put it. Oftentimes today the waters of the Salish Sea were so calm that the islands and tiny puffy clouds were reflected perfectly in the surface. It feels like spring all through the islands, with flowers sprouting and baby animals running around on the slope of Spieden Island. We left Friday Harbor with an early morning report of orcas spotted on the west side of San Juan Island and the...

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T123A Stanley

Last Minute Report of Orcas! Bigg's killer whales spotted in the Salish Sea

Sarah | 03/08/2019 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:00pm

Wowza what a day whale watching in the San Juan Islands. March is one of my favorite times to be out on the water because there is just so much wildlife that can be found in and around the islands while there is always the possibility of finding whales. Leaving Friday Harbor we experienced all of the possible weather conditions we could think of - flurries, a drizzle, clouds, and then bright sunshine – and we found amazing wildlife!

Based...

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Southern Resident Killer Whales

Humpbacks and Orcas Spotted | 09/18/18 | 02:00pm

Today was an incredible day on our afternoon adventure tour from Friday Harbor. It was one of those September days that I spend allllllll summer thinking about. We left the dock under bright blue skies with great reports of whales around the San Juan Islands.

We headed north towards the reports of whales, and first encountered a pair of humpback whales know as BCY0160 “Heather” and BCY0660 “Raptor.” As we got on to scene one of the massive whales lifted its pectoral fins out of the...

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Bigg's Killer Whales in Friday Harbor

Top Pre-Whale Watch Tour Morning Activities in Friday Harbor

Joining us for an Upcoming Whale Watching Trip?! Yay- So glad to hear it! There is so much to do in Friday Harbor you’ll want to make every moment count the second you get here!  Once you arrive on island feel free to stop by our office and we will get you checked in, as well as provide you with a map of the island- and of course point out some of our favorite spots to check out.  But before you get here read on to find out some of our favorite things to do- in the very walkable town...

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T124As

Wildlife and Orcas, a Perfect PNW Day | Friday, June 29, 2018

Sarah | 06/29/2018 | M/V Sea Lion | 01:30pm

 

Yesterday’s overcast weather yielded amazing wildlife viewing… with a bit of [much needed] rain falling from the gray skies the islands had that very specific Pacific Northwest magic swirling over them.

Leaving Friday Harbor Captain Mike, Naturalist Jordan, and I elected to head south towards some areas that we’ve had great wildlife sightings lately. Cruising through Griffin Bay we caught views of our two most common marine mammals in the...

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Bigg's killer whales

Bigg's Killer Whales in Rosario | Friday, June 22, 2018 | 02:00pm

Naturalist Sarah | 06/22/2018 | M/V Kestrel | 02:00pm

 

M/V Kestrel is such an incredible conservation tool and education platform. Every time I am scheduled for a day working on its open air decks I’m excited about the potential for encountering a plethora of wildlife to share with our guests. On Friday it was no exception… we were able to cover a lot of ground and see more wildlife than a conventional whale watch boat in our 3-4 allotted time.

We started our afternoon cruise by...

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Killer whales surfacing

Orcas and a Humpback! Spring at its best! Thursday, May 10, 2018

[Sarah – 05/10/2018 – M/V Sea Lion – 12:00pm]

 

Captain Mike and I had an amazing spring trip aboard M/V Sea Lion with a marvelous group of guests! Everyday in the month of May we inch closer and closer to what we consider our peak season to see orcas, but don’t tell the whales that!! We’ve experienced an incredible early season with sightings of orcas and humpbacks on about 75% of our trips, far higher a percentage that our predicted 50%!

We left the dock with an early report of...

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