Olivia Esqueda | March 22nd, 2025 | M/V Sea Lion | 2:30pm Charter

This afternoon was such a special treat out on the water with the Orca Behavior Institute’s Biggs 201 Class. Lucky for us, we were able to leave the dock about 10 minutes early, which worked in our favor since we had a whale report flirting with the line of the range our vessel could travel in the allotted timeframe to get folks back for the 6:25pm ferry!

We immediately started traveling south through San Juan Channel keeping San...

Kelly | M/V Sea Lion | March 10th, 2024 | 12:30pm
 

Excitement was in the air as we left the harbor on our first tour of the 2025 season! The sky was an overcast grey but at least the forecasted rain was holding off. No whale reports just yet…so we were fully in scanning mode. Our first wildlife encounter was almost instantaneous. A bald eagle soaring overhead suddenly took a nosedive entrapping an unlucky fish in its talons. Gulls swarmed around the commotion as the massive raptor flew off and...

Olivia Ellman | M/V Osprey | August 27th, 2024 | 12:30pm

Today’s afternoon trip was certainly one to remember! We left Friday Harbor with an excited group of passengers and started our search for whales to the east. As we followed along the ferry route between the islands of Shaw, Lopez, and Blakely, we got some looks at a bald eagle and adorable harbor seals swimming through the channel. We maintained our course to the north east following up on some reports of whale activity, and as we rounded...

Kelly | M/V Kestrel | August 26th 2024 |10AM

We took a left outside Friday Harbor and pointed north up San Juan Channel. First stop, Flattop Island, one of our national wildlife refuges. Almost immediately we laid eyes on a group of harbor seals resting on the rocky shoreline. After cruising down the north side of the island for a few moments, we noticed a full grown bald eagle perched in the trees. 

Next stop, killer whales! We took a sharp left turn and cruised through Spiedan Channel to...

Kelly | M/V Sea Lion | August 26th, 2024 | 5:30PM

We left Roche harbor and cruised into Spieden channel on our 2nd to last sunset tour of the season. The weather had finally cleared from the the morning rain and the sun was peaking out from behind the clouds. We made our way to the northeast side of Spiedan island and quickly cruised through the Cactus Islands. In this small island cluster, we found a group or harbor seals and a pair of bald eagles perched in the evergreen trees. We then turned...

Olivia Ellman | M/V Osprey | August 25th, 2024 | 12:30pm

Summer weather came back today as we departed Friday Harbor under sunny skies! We took a left out of the harbor heading north in San Juan Channel, and quickly caught up with a group of Bigg’s Killer Whales traveling close by! This family of four turned out to be the T075Bs, consisting of mom Pebbles and her three calves born in 2015, 2017, and 2021! We enjoyed our sunny cruise up the channel with them as they traveled along the shoreline on...

Elle | M/V Kestrel | 9/11/2022 | 2:00PM

Today's adventure tour headed south into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. On our journey towards the Olympic Peninsula, our passengers braved sea spray and choppy waters as we soared through the smoky haze. Just a few miles from Dungeness Spit, We witnessed a large group of Bigg's killer whales from the T34 family and the T37 family swimming quickly amidst the waves. We even got to see some porpoising, which is when a marine mammal launches itsself...

Lauren | M/V Kestrel | 9/3/2022 | 2:00 PM

Labor Day weekend is upon us, and Friday Harbor is looking just as crazy and beautiful as ever! Our 2:00 pm Adventure Tour was totally sold out. With 20 guests aboard, Captain Eric and I zipped out of Friday Harbor and took a left into San Juan Channel. Our first stop was to Green Point, which is the southeastern tip of the infamous Spieden or “Safari” Island. We viewed several Mouflon Sheep grazing on grass before heading over to Flattop...

Lauren | M/V Kestrel | 8/31/2022 | 2:00 PM

Today was the last day of August, which means our peak season for whale watching will soon be coming to an end. We see whales on 90% of our tours from June through August. Our “peak season” doesn’t actually refer to the peak of whale action, but the peak of eyes on the water. None of the whales in the area are tagged, and we don’t use any kind of sonar to find them. As members of the Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA), we work...

Lauren | M/V Kestrel | 8/7/2022 | 10:00 AM

We couldn’t have asked for better boating conditions on our Sunday morning adventure whale watch and wildlife tour! It was predicted to be one of the warmest days Friday Harbor has seen all summer, which is a blessing for anyone cruising aboard M/V Kestrel. The water temperature of the Salish Sea sits at about 47 degrees year-round, and Kestrel is the fastest boat in our fleet. Traveling at a speed of 35 knots, she always ensures a breezy...