July 22nd, 2022

Abby Dahl

2pm M/V Kestrel

Captain Eric and I started our tour with plumose anemones and sea slugs; critters that call the underside of the docks and pilings their home. It’s one of my favorite things to do with guests, to work our way up the trophic scale by starting with the tiniest, most beautiful organisms first. If you can start with the smallest organisms on a tour, you create a keen eye onboard and can bring back the childhood sense of wonder to always seek out...

Kelly | M/V Kestrel | June 2nd, 2022 | 2:00pm
Today marked the first truly “warm” day on San Juan Island for the year 2022! Not ideal for standing around in our extra warm exposure suits… but delightful once we picked up speed and started cruising in our high-speed vessel.
First stop on this tour was a humpback just south of Saturna Island. The unmistakable 15–20-foot blow in the distance indicated the cetacean’s exact location. Guests were delighted to watch this impressive animal...

Jordan | M/V Kestrel | 05/14/2022 2:00pm

Thank you everyone for coming today! Our guests were such a lovely group of people eager for adventure and thirsty to learn.

The day began with Captain Eric and I greeting the group and heading out of Friday Harbor. Turning left, we headed out of the harbor and up towards Flat Top Island. This National Wildlife Refuge hosts a unique geology and plentiful wildlife. Today, we spotted a bald eagle perched in the treetops! He seemed to be...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 04/24/2022 | 1:30pm

    Today was crazy. Now, every day is of course, special out here- you never really know what you’re gonna get, much like a box of chocolates. But something truly wild happened on our journey today. 

    Kestrel rounded itself up and over the north side of San Juan Island and into the Haro Strait. We continued across the strait and over the US/Canadian border towards a Gray Whale that foraged off Sydney Island. This massive 45 foot whale...

Today was great!

I was incredibly excited when I first heard that the T18s were in the area. This powerful pod consists of 4 massive whales: Two adult males and 2 females. The pod is led by the matriach and grandmother named "Esperanza" followed by her daughter "Nootka" and her two grandchildren "Galiano" and "Spouter." This family is known for splitting into pairs consisting of one of the huge males and one of the females. And that's just what we saw today!

As the crew (Naturalist...

Jordan | M/V Osprey | 08/11/2021 12:30pm

Today, my adventurous spirit came out as we motored out to sea and into Canadian waters for one of the first times in two years!! We all felt so excited.

It all started when the Abby, Maxx, Captain Gabe and I jumped on Osprey with our guests and headed north through the San Juan Channel. With whispers of whales in the north, we booked it towards the border. But before we even left the harbor, we spotted a gorgeous bald eagle starring at us...

Today was quite the adventure as Abby, Cayla, Captain Gabe and I headed to Canada for the first time in 2 years!! It was a fantastic change in perspective as we crossed the border and entered a whole new world!

Going up through the San Juan Channel, around Waldron Island and towards Saturna Island, we passed close to the beautiful lighthouse off of East Point.

Continuing into the open waters of the Strait of Georgia, we found a Humpback whale!! This gorgeous animal was huge! Probably...

Jordan | M/V Sea Lion | 07/31/2021 2:00pm

Today was the first cloudy day in weeks. But instead of being dreary, it made the surrounding landscape appear even more mystical and mysterious. Captain Pete and I left Friday Harbor in hopes of finding something near Canada, so we headed north.

We cruised through the San Juan Channel and up President’s Channel as we passed Waldron. As we emerged into Boundary, we spotted Canada and admired her elusive beauty from a distance.

Stopping by...

What a beautiful day out on the water today! With the sun out shining and the warmth igniting our excitement, we set out for adventure.

Captain Brian and I and our guests headed out of Friday Harbor on our speediest vessel and booked it up north towards the promise of potential whales. We sped past Orcas Island and towards the Canadian border. Hoping the wildlife would stay over within American territory, we approached the scene.

As we slowed, we saw some blows! It was two orca...

Olivia | M/V Osprey | June 5th, 2021 | 12:30pm

Leaving the dock today, our Captain decided to push north towards some whale rumors creeping in from Speiden Channel. This made the easy decision to move north through San Juan Channel in hopes of seeing some large, black and white dolphins before they swam into Canada. With Covid-19 border restrictions still in effect, we are unable to view any whales in Canada as of right now, meaning we work as hard as possible to navigate around...