[Friday – 4/6/18 – 12:00 – M/V Sea Lion – Naturalist Erick]

Today was a perfect Pacific Northwest day. This morning was completely covered with a misty low-level cloud cover. It was only about 1,000 feet high, so it masked the tallest hills in the islands and scraped the tops of the evergreen forest covering the islands. This is the weather that this area is known for and what it was meant to look like. As Captain Mike and I took a small group out with us to go look for some whales...

[Saturday, 3/31/18 – 4:00PM – M/V Sea Lion – Naturalist Erick]

     On Saturday, there were so many folks that wanted to go watch fun wildlife that we had a second trip! In the summer we have two trips every day, but this was definitely a treat for this time of the year. Captain Mike and I picked up a new group of guests and headed back out. We headed north in San Juan Channel and pointed towards Boundary Pass. The Orcas of J Pod which we had left in the northern end of Haro Strait...

[Sunday, 3/18/18 – 12:00 – M/V Sea Lion – Naturalist Erick]

This Sunday started like most days this spring. It was a little cloudy, the water was super calm, and Captain Mike and I went looking for some whales and other amazing wildlife in the waters around San Juan Island. We headed north and pointed towards Boundary Pass which is the border between Canada and the U.S. As we approached Java Rocks and Saturna Island we started to see a few dorsal fins emerge above the surface. They...

[Naturalist Sarah – 02/24/2018 – M/V Sea Lion – 12:00pm]

Yesterday was not what I would call an average trip in the Salish Sea… Definitely not normal mid-February, not even a normal for our peak season! The trip started out average enough, with no reports of wildlife as we left the dock. This time of year we rarely receive early reports from our spotting network, as the wildlife and boats are fewer and farther between. Captain Mike decided to steer the M/V Sea Lion east from Friday...

[Saturday 02/10/2018, M/V Sea Lion 12:00, Naturalist Erick]

     And…we’re back! Saturday was San Juan Safaris’ first public trip of 2018! A high pressure system has moved into the San Juan Islands so this weekend has been sunny, calm, and a little brisk. Most folks come to see whales in the summer months for many reasons. The weather is nice, kids are off from school, and that is when we usually see the Southern Resident Killer Whales – the famous J, K, and L pods. Unbeknownst to...

[Naturalist Sarah – 11/18/2017 – M/V Sea Lion – 12:00]

November whale watching in the San Juan Islands is exciting. When we leave the dock we have no idea what we might find. Typically this time of year I expect to see amazing bird activity, harbor seals, Steller’s sea lions, humpback whales, Bigg’s killer whales, minke whales, and many other amazing species. Every now and again we get a sighting surprise.

Preparing for the Trip...

As I was getting the boat ready for our trip, our...

(October 28, 2017)  Autumn is the best season to experience the San Juan Islands.  The crowds of visitors have thinned dramatically, weather is often epic, and wildlife is more abundant than in the summer.  This fall has been exceptional.  Bobbing out upon the Salish Sea under crystal clear skies, my eyes have been busy drinking in the vibrant golds and rusty hues of maple, oak, willow, and cherry burrowed into the deep green canvas of Pacific Northwest firs.  Competing for my...

[Naturalist Sarah –  10/25/2017 –  M/V Sea Lion –  12:00pm]

Is this July? Is this the summer? Well, the weather didn’t seem right today, but the sighting sure did… more orcas! Usually we expect to see most of our orcas May-September, with a 90% success rate. In the spring and fall, our orca sightings are usually fifty, fifty, as most of the Chinook salmon that our Southern Resident killer whales feed on has diminished in the inland waters. This fall we have been seeing a lot of our...

[Naturalist Sarah – 10/23/2017 – M/V Sea Lion – 12:00pm]

Some days on the water are just surreal. From perfect weather to a beautiful sighting with awesome whales, Monday was amazing… one of those days that is perfect.

We left Friday Harbor with no reports of whales, not a problem for this time of year, and, actually, pretty normal. Usually we communicate with the other whale watch boats in the area to form a search pattern, covering as much water as possible between the boats. On...

[Naturalist Sarah – 10/15/2017 – M/V Sea Lion – 12:00pm]

This time of year leaving the dock we don’t often have reports of whales or other wildlife when we leave the dock. Sunday was not one of those days! Just as we untied the boat, we received a report of killer whales on the west side of San Juan Island! We quickly transited north and around the north end of San Juan, and then down along the west side of the island.

We encountered the orcas just off of County Park. Usually during...