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 Osprey | 8/13/2022 | 12:30 PM 

What an epic day! Dare I call it the trip of the summer? Today our 12:30 Classic Whale Watch & Wildlife Tour had one of those unforgettable moments... a key memory if you will?  

With no firm whale reports in the area, we had no idea what was in store for us when leaving the dock. Shortly after cruising out of Friday Harbor, we got word that there were some rumored killer whales in Rosario Strait. I say rumored because we were working off...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 06/29/2022 | 10:00am

    Forgive me, but I’m gonna geek out here during this blog. Bigg’s Killer Whales are obviously fascinating for a myriad of reasons but I’m never more impressed than when I get lucky enough to see a T-Party of whales. A T-Party is essentially an informal nickname given to the circumstances when several families of Transient whales (related or not) come together for whatever purpose; feeding, socialization, reproducing, family cookouts...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 06/21/2022 | 10:00am

    I love a morning tour, for a lot of reasons really, but also because there is a real sense of urgency and tension. Being a part of the PWWA is such a great tool, not only are we able to collect and share data about whale behavior but we’re also able to stay up to date on where they’re being located. Given that none of the whales seen out here are tagged, we're reliant on spotting them ourselves! 

    At 10:00 in the morning, it’s easy...

Lauren | M/V Osprey | 6.18.2022 | 12:30 PM

It was my first day back to work after a week-long vacation and I had whales on my mind. I truly miss them when I’m gone, and I felt especially eager to show our guests all the San Juans has to offer. As M/V Osprey left the dock, we got word that Bigg’s killer whale family the T123s were in the area. The T123s are “frequent flyers,” or should I say swimmers, here in the Salish Sea. They are one of the families I’ve seen the most thus far...

Laura / M/V Kestrel / 5/19/2022 / 2:00PM

Our whale watch and wildlife tour was filled with fun adventure today!  Our vessel Kestrel headed out of Friday Harbor with the plan of looking for a humpback that was spotted north near Boundary Pass.  As we were making our way out of the harbor everyone was thrilled to hear our Captain Brian had just received a tip that orcas were spotted from land near Anacortes!  Passengers immediately got ready to pick up speed and we cruised though the...

Laura / M/V Kestrel / 5/17/2022 / 2:00PM

Today was an outstanding whale day on M/V Kestrel!  We left the dock headed north with a rumor of Bigg’s killer whales near South Pender Island.  The seas were beautiful, and we had a fun ride past Boundary Pass and into Canadian waters.  On the way to these orcas a passenger spotted a distant blow in the area northwest of Gooch and Comet Island!  We immediately went over to check it out and arrived just in time to find Big Mama and her...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | May 6th, 2022 | 12:30pm

Leaving the dock at the start of a trip is not only normal for the shoulder season, but for peak season as well. With no whales tagged in these waters, everything is found on visual sight. Today we left the dock and decided to take a chance heading north while other vessels in the Pacific Whale Watch Association were searching down south. This worked in our favor because about 20 minutes into our trip, another vessel spotted not one...

Lauren | M/V Sea Lion | 5.1.2022 | 12:30 PM 

It was a magnificent May morning, filled with a warm breeze and sunny skies. It was my first trip of the year where I really felt like spring was upon us. None of the crew even wore jackets out there today!

We left the dock with word that there was a group of Bigg’s killer whales south near Hein Bank. We made a stop at Whale Rocks to view some noisy Steller’s Sea Lions and went on our way.

Once on scene, there wasn’t a single dull moment...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | April 28th, 2022 | 12:30pm

Leaving the dock today, we were elated with the weeklong streak of sunny weather. Cool winds and warm skies guided us inner island towards Rosario Strait, passing heaps of bait balls and feeding Rhinoceros Auklets. Kissing the southern end of Lummi Island, we spotted black dorsal fins seemingly hugging the shoreline.

In my opinion, Lummi Island is one of the most breathtaking islands within the San Juan’s. The lush green, cliffy...