Olivia | M/V Osprey | June 18th, 2021 | 12:30pm

It was an exploratory day circumnavigating Lopez Island! We set off inner island through Upright Passage and eventually crept between Blakely and Decatur to reach the larger body of water known as Rosario Strait. Just west of Burrows Bay, we began seeing multiple black dorsal fins piercing the water. Slowly making our way on scene, we were able to count 12 individual Bigg’s Killer Whales!

While this ecotype typically travels in small...

Laura | M/V Osprey | 5/28/2021 | 12:30 PM

Today was an exciting day boating in the Rosario Strait!  We headed out of Friday Harbor on M/V Osprey with Captain Gabe, Captain Pete, Olivia, me, and a boat full of excited passengers.  We had a report of orcas earlier in the day and were making our way over to the area they were last sighted near Guemes Island.  As we slowed down our vessel passengers were thrilled to see blows and large black dorsal fins of Bigg’s killer whales! 

The...

Laura | M/V Osprey | 5/28/2021 | 12:30 PM

Today was an exciting day boating in the Rosario Strait!  We headed out of Friday Harbor on M/V Osprey with Captain Gabe, Captain Pete, Olivia, me, and a boat full of excited passengers.  We had a report of orcas earlier in the day and were making our way over to the area they were last sighted near Guemes Island.  As we slowed down our vessel passengers were thrilled to see blows and large black dorsal fins of Bigg’s killer whales! 

The...

Laura | M/V Kestrel | 4/24/2021 | 2:00PM

Today was a most adventurous day on M/V Kestrel!  The skies were quite cloudy with scattered showers, but the seas were glass calm.  Skies like these can increase the possibility of seeing whales, as the darker skies lift whale blows against a backdrop that really makes them pop!  Sometimes the glare from the sun can make it difficult to stare out looking for dorsal fins or exhalations so I was excited to start looking for whales today. ...

Laura | M/V Kestrel | 7/20/2020 | 2:00pm

I must say, today was one of my favorite trips all season!  It was a gorgeous day on the water and the seas were so calm!  It felt so nice to have some warm breeze on such a hot day!  As we left the harbor there were reports of some Bigg’s killer whales close to home!  We made our way into the Rosario Strait and found orcas just 20 minutes after leaving our dock! 

Passengers scanned the shores and saw a cluster of tiny black dorsal fins as...

Today we had another trip on our adventure boat, M/V Kestrel! It was another stunning summer day in the San Juan Islands. We had blue skies, calm seas, and a light breeze. Capt. Brian and I took a group of guests out to go search for some amazing wildlife in the Salish Sea! There had been reports of Southern Resident Killer Whales on the west side of San Juan Island and a report of some Bigg’s (Transient) Killer Whales east of us in Rosario Strait. These types are both orcas but have...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion| June 30, 2020 | 13:30

Today was such an exciting day as Captain Erick and I were able to bring our guests over towards the outer islands to see Killer Whales! Along the route, we passed three Bald Eagles soaring overhead near Lopez Island and throughout Upright Channel with those six-foot wingspans.

We initially were aiming for Cypress Island where the transient orcas were milling around in Rosario Strait. The great thing about these whales is that they are...

Naturalist Erick | Sunday, October 13, 2019 | M/V Kestrel | Noon

We couldn’t ask for better fall weather today when Capt. Pete and I took a full group out to go search for wildlife in the Salish Sea.  We started out by heading east through Upright Channel and through the small passage between Obstruction Island and Blakely Island called Peavine Pass. We had heard earlier of reports of some orcas in Rosario Strait and were looking for them. There they were heading north towards...