Haleigh | M/V Kestrel | July 19, 2022 | 10:00am & 2:00pm

10:00 am

Today’s trip was a spectacular showing of the abundant wildlife seen around the Salish Sea! We departed from Friday Harbor for our first trip in pursuit of reported killer whales along Vancouver Island, BC. En route, we scanned the glass-calm waters where we spotted Harbor Porpoises surfacing around. Confirmation of two Bigg’s Killer Whales guided us towards Sidney, BC, and James Island. The two orcas were...

Haleigh | M/V Kestrel | July 3, 2022 | 10:00 am

Today’s whale and wildlife excursion aboard M/V Kestrel reaffirmed the title of our Adventure Tour! Guests suited up in the rain and endured the gusts of wind as we traveled north through the San Juan Channel. We made our way to White Rock to scan for wildlife. All along the rocky crevices, pelagic birds like Glaucous-Winged Gulls and Pigeon Guillemots burrowed into a nesting formation. At the water’s edge, Harbor Seals hauled out...

10:00 am

Today’s adventure tour started out as a shockingly hot morning on land. Our guests, and myself, were eager to zip around on the water and cool off. We departed from Friday Harbor scanning the exposed shorelines due to the low tides hoping to find some Harbor Seals. We came across a reef nearby Yellow Island with some curious Harbor Seals hauled out and a Bald Eagle watching from the reef marker. We made our way around the island and across San Juan Channel where we found a...

Haleigh | M/V Osprey | June 4, 2022 | 12:30 pm and 5:30 pm

The start of the summer has shown off the Humpbacks returning to these waters. The presence of these Humpbacks is a reminder of the days these creatures feared the inland waters. Whaled out of the area in the 1900’s, Humpbacks were a memory of the past pre-human influence. As time passed and Humpback populations rebounded, thanks to the banning of whaling internationally, these large baleen whales slowly reentered these...

Haleigh | M/V Kestrel | May 22, 2022 | 2:00 pm

After a long winter away from the Salish Sea, I was extremely excited to depart on my first tour of the season! With no expectations, I was thrilled to be back on the water with a group of giddy guests for our Adventure tour. We departed from Friday Harbor heading South through San Juan Channel towards Cattle Pass. Along the starboard side of the vessel, we stopped to check out a haul out of Harbor Seals basking in the sun. Continuing...

Jordan | June 13, 2018 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:00 noon

What a great day within the Salish Sea! The 12:00 noon tour had such a wonderful group of people who asked so many thoughtful questions! Before we even left the dock, our guests showed us they were eager to learn. Captain Pete, Mariana and I set off from Friday Harbor with high hopes of finding some orca whales and excited to teach everyone about our wildlife.

We ventured north and cut through the channel beneath Speiden Island...

[06/10/2017 ~ M/V Sea Lion 1200 Departure]

One of the biggest challenges of whale watching is in the name itself: you're watching WHALES. Wild animals, who can travel 100 miles per day easy, who spend the majority of their lives underwater where we can't see them. Untrained, unpredictable, wild animals. This also happens to be the fun of whale watching. You're watching WHALES! Wild whales that are on their own schedule and doing their natural whale behaviors while you just look on in...

Whoa, Friday Harbor! Are we getting a heat wave or what? Nothing beats summer here in the Pacific Northwest. Dry heat, and out here on the San Juan Islands, it typically doesn't rise above 72 degrees during the day. But the winds have shifted for a few days, and we've been getting some beautiful warm air blowing down from the north, bringing the temps up to about 85! Needless to say, it was beautiful out on the water, with barely a need to put on a jacket out on the water! While we...

Fourth of July on San Juan Island is like no other. Hundreds of people flee the city life to head to this little island to experience the parades, fireworks, picnics, fun runs, and various other festivities that are offered on the July 4th weekend. Both Roche Harbor and Friday Harbor have an impressive array of events for the entire family to enjoy. Some favorites? The log-rolling and donut eating contests are a favorite in Roche! Even if you choose not to participate in the powdered...

Who would think that a heat wave would hit Friday Harbor?  It has though and while this is not one of those melt-your-shoes-to-the-sidewalk kind of heat waves, it has had an affect on life here.  For one thing, there is no such thing as air conditioning on San Juan Island.  Maybe not in the whole of the Pacific Northwest, I am not sure.  Next, everything is in rapid bloom mode.  Flowers are practically faded before they can even escape the confines of their sepals.  Lastly, it makes...