As Captain Craig, the guests, and I left Friday Harbor and headed south through San Juan Channel it was grey and the water was swirling with whirlpools from the tidal currents. However, as soon as we rounded Cattle Point on San Juan Island the clouds parted and the water was like glass! With the sun on our backs, we encountered a Minke near Salmon Bank. We had marvelous views of the solo Minke all the way up to Eagle Point.

Captain Craig heard that there might be a Humpback on the...

We left our Friday Harbor location today and headed south out the San Juan Channel, though Cattle Pass, and into the Haro Strait where we came across a Humpback Whale! This was the same Humpback that we saw last night right off the south end of San Juan Island. When we reached Hein Bank, the whale was heading toward Vancouver, BC. At first it was diving deep and staying down for about eight minutes at a time. Then, the whale seemed to have a change of pace and started swimming slowly...

To be born into the world a baitfish would be an especially cruel fate. Baitfish such as herring, sand lance, and surf smelt form the base of the food chain, performing a critical, albeit brief function in the Salish Sea ecosystem.

Schools of these forage fish were being discovered and plundered all across the shallow banks south of San Juan Island today. Gulls attacked the schools from above while rhinoceros auklets picked them off from below, returning from their dives with a...

Just another great day out on the water! Captain Mike, myself, and our small group of passengers were able to enjoy a very peaceful sunset tour complete with glistening seas and Minke Whales! Heading out of Friday Harbor, we were able to spot Minke Whales feeding right off of Salmon Bank. This was the same region we spotted them earlier in the day feeding. Although this time around we were the only boat around, lending itself to a much more personal and intimate tour. The Minke...

Upon leaving our Friday Harbor location we heard a report of Minke Whales just south of San Juan Island. After watching Harbor Seals and Bald Eagles along San Juan Channel we ventured out Cattle Pass into the Strait of Juan De Fuca where it didn't take long before we spotted our first Minke Whale.
This is the time of year when we start to see more and more Minke Whales in our area. Minke Whales in our area feed on schools of Herring and Sandlance that can be found in the waters near...

The Salish Sea is experiencing massive tidal exchanges recently. The full moon is the closest it will be to our planet for all of 2013 (a mere 221,824 miles). Its mass exerts an incredible force of attraction that pulls on the oceans.

Our guests marveled at the manifestation of that force today as Captain Mike bulldozed through massive waves and abysmal whirlpools created by the strong flood current. It reminded me of some class four rivers that I’ve rafted down. Even the burly M/V...

As we cruised south through San Juan Channel, Captain Mike, Naturalist Caitlin, and myself couldn't help but notice how calm it was on the water! Even though the tides are extreme today because of the summer solstice, the water was calm as could be. As we continued into the Strait of Juan De Fuca, we found a cluster of sea birds, which usually leads to Minke whales! This theory did not lead us astray, as we saw several Minkes right over Salmon Bank!

After some looks at Minke whales...

Sunset trips happen to be Captain Mike and I's favorite trips to go out on with our guests. Tonight was great! We left Friday Harbor and went to the south end of San Juan Island, through Cattle Pass and into the Haro Strait. The whales were right off of Eagle Point and were spread out feeding. Mega (L-41) was there, as well as Ocean Sun (L-25) who happens to be the oldest female in L-Pod. These guys seemed to be on a course of their own hunting for the Chinook Salmon they prefer to...

We brought in the start of a new summer with great weather on the water today! Crew and passengers alike, busted out their shorts and sunscreen while we sped out of Friday Harbor to catch up with some of our favorite summer friends, our resident orcas,  L Pod.  We didn't have to go far since L Pod was grazing along the west side of San Juan Island searching for their favorite food, Chinook salmon. Chinook salmon makes up 80 percent of resident orcas diet and on average they eat about...

Today was sunny and beautiful for a whale watch. Captain Jim, Captain Chris, and myself departed with a full boat on the Kittiwake and made our way down and around San Juan Island. We experienced some strong currents going through cattle pass due to the summer solstice and full moon being so close together, but it made for a fun boat ride! We got to Eagle Point and spotted a mother (L77-Matia) and her calf (L119). Captain Jim put our boat into position for some great viewing and...