Olivia | M/V Osprey | June 13th, 2021 | 12:30pm 

It was a rainy day leaving the dock. We could smell it in the air even if we could not feel it on our skins just yet. One thing I’ve learned is that being in nature feeling all the elements in addition to watching wild animals go about their day, is an entirely different feeling that is truly something special. That is exactly what we got this Sunday afternoon. While there was a Humpback Whale and calf duo in Spieden Channel just north...

Olivia | M/V Osprey | June 10th, 2021 | 12:30pm

The day shifted from a cloudy, rainy morning into a beautiful sunny afternoon- just in time for our adventure trip on the zodiac. After getting everyone geared up in their exposure suits and a brief tutorial on spotting wildlife, we were off the dock and in search mode heading north! It was a quick trip up to speed, because we were fortunate enough to have reports of Bigg’s Killer Whales IN San Juan Channel when we left the dock. Since...

Laura | M/V Osprey | 6/10/2021 | 12:30 PM

Summer is here in the Salish Sea!  We had an awesome trip with 4 Bigg’s killer whales southbound in San Juan Channel!  It is not common for us to have orcas right outside of Friday Harbor, but if the stars align and our vessel departs as whales are passing by, we have found ourselves in the middle of an epic wildlife experience!  And today was not a day to disappoint!

M/V Osprey headed north in San Juan Channel and within 10 minutes our...

Haleigh | M/V Osprey | June 9, 2021 | 5:30pm

Our Wednesday night sunset tour began with us racing north up San Juan Channel to catch the reported 8 Bigg’s Killer Whales before they crossed the US-Canadian Border. We witnessed this same group hours earlier at the Southern end of San Juan Island, and knew their travel pattern was taking them up along the West side of the island heading North. In the group, we saw T65A Mother (Female, 1986) with her calves T65A2 (Male, 2004), T65A3...

Olivia | M/V Osprey | June 9th, 2021 | 12:30pm 

Heading south through San Juan Channel, we started our whale watching adventure by checking in on a whale rumor in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. By the time we passed Cattle Point Lighthouse, we caught sight of black dorsal fins on the southwest side of San Juan Island. This was a delighted sight since the initial reports were far south in an area called Hein Bank, a shallow bank in the big waters if the strait. Bigg’s Killer Whales and...

Olivia | M/V Osprey | June 5th, 2021 | 12:30pm

Leaving the dock today, our Captain decided to push north towards some whale rumors creeping in from Speiden Channel. This made the easy decision to move north through San Juan Channel in hopes of seeing some large, black and white dolphins before they swam into Canada. With Covid-19 border restrictions still in effect, we are unable to view any whales in Canada as of right now, meaning we work as hard as possible to navigate around...

Haleigh | M/V Osprey | 06/04/2021 | 5:30 pm

Our Friday evening sunset tour began as we traveled north up San Juan Channel hoping to find Bigg’s killer whales. Earlier reports showed this pod traveling south through the Strait of Georgia, allowing us to time our arrival with them right around Matia Island. Sure enough we spotted them as we traveled through President's channel and into Haro Strait. We recognized them as Bigg’s Killer whales, including Mother T46B (Female, 1988) and her...

Abby | Kestrel | 6/4/2021

We had a long journey northward through the Strait of Georgia, right next to the Canadian border. The sky was cloudy and orca vibes fluttered among the sparkling blue-green waters of the Salish Sea. When we arrived at the last known location of some unidentified Bigg’s killer whales, we saw three blows on our port side. One on the starboard. Holy orcamole (like guacamole, get it?), one at our 12 o’clock! We were smack dab in the middle of an orca soup. They...

Abby | Osprey | 6/3/2021

We sprinted out of Friday Harbor, southbound. Wind was as high as the hype since orcas were spotted just south of Lopez Island. I passed through guests, smiles gracefully scattered along the railings, awaiting black fins cutting through the water.

There they were. Our not-so-transient transients (AKA Bigg’s killer whales):

• Jan T134, Female, Born <1959
• Scott T132, Male, Born <1969
• Plus, three other unidentified Bigg’s killer whales in this group.

All five orcas were porpoising along through the five-foot swells as we clung to the railings in shock and awe. Squeals rang through the boat’s atmosphere and children laughed at the size of the swells, yelling, “it looks like we’re flying through the air!” Indeed, we were flying through endorphins as we watched Scott (T132) in all his massive glory, swimming like a missile through each wave, as if going through a glass portal upon every dive.

Orcas swam into the hearts of all on board today as we chatted about the beautiful views and the major ecological changes we are going through in the Salish Sea. We saw some tasty “rock sausages,” or harbor seals, a favorite snack of Scott, Jan, and the other three orcas. We arrived back into the harbor, forever changed.

Abby | Kestrel | 5/30/2021

Today we had the A/B Team; Abby the naturalist (me!) and Captain Brian. It was 10am and looking like a typical northwestern island day; dew sat in circular mounds atop blades of grass, while deer pranced about the island in the morning fog. We left the harbor in Kestrel, without the slightest bit of indication on where we’d begin our journey. We headed South through San Juan Channel and cut across Cattle Point into the Haro Strait. Finally, a friendly...