Today, Captain Jim and myself, got to spend our afternoon a little differently since we had a charter on the M/V Kittiwake. This charter was special because we got a great family from Chicago, Illinois, who had an affinity for lighthouses! I got to "wow" them with my endless knowledge of lighthouses, or at least about the lighthouses on San Juan Island. As we took a leisurely drive along the west side of San Juan Island, we were able to see both Cattle Point and Lime Kiln Lighthouses...

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...

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...

AMAZING views of transient orcas today! Captain Mike, myself, and the passengers aboard our sunset tour were rewarded with a multitude of spectacular sightings right outside Friday Harbor. It didn't take us long to meet up with the same transients we left during our 1:30 trip since they had moved further north in our absence.

With the sun setting at our backs, we were able to coast alongside the transients as they went about their foraging behavior. Transient orcas are marine mammal...

Today we headed to the south end of San Juan Island with some fabulous guests, many from foreign countries such as Japan, Germany, and even Australia! We were happy to see such diversity on board today. As we headed through the San Juan Channel, we were all excited to see our Dall's Porpoise having a grand old time ridding the waves off of our stern and bow! Both myself and Emily (the other naturalist on board) had never seen these small mammals and were equally excited to witness...

Working on a tip from other whale watching boats, Captain Mike, Naturalists Andrew and Heather, and a hopeful crew, departed the Friday Harbor docks and set course for the northeast tip of Orcas Island. I made it known to our guests that we were embarking on a unique cruise. The majority of the time, the M/V “Sea Lion” explores the west side of the San Juan Islands, as the southern resident killer whale pods are known to focus their activity there. But two days ago, the resident...