[06/07/2017 – M/V Kestrel – 2:00pm]

Today’s M/V Kestrel trip was arguably one of my favorites of the season so far. We had an amazing time with two species of cetaceans and the plentiful other wildlife of the Salish Sea. Leaving Friday Harbor we took a right, heading south, through San Juan Channel towards Cattle Pass to check out some seals and sea lions before continuing on into Haro Strait. The water was glassy and we had multiple reports of whales in the area.

[May 31, 2017 -- M/V Kestrel -- 2:00pm Charter]

One of my favorite things about M/V Kestrel is that with its speed our trip gains flexibility in wildlife viewing. Yesterday we left the dock with favorable reports of killer whales, but, because of the boat we were on, we got to see so much more.

We first cruised north through San Juan Channel towards Flattop Island. In circumnavigating the small wildlife refuge we got awesome looks at Pacific Harbor Seals hauled out on the rocks...

Something magical happens when two very different worlds collide and are able to coexist with each other in harmony, even if just for an hour. The human world aboard M/V Kestrel had a chance to link up with the mesmerizing orca world of the Transient killer whales today off of Green Point on Saturna Island. I've always loved orcas, and have always appreciated their cunning, intelligence, and constant ability to keep us whale-watching humans guessing. But before today, I'd never seen...

Yesterday we had our first evening trip for this season and it was one for the books!  Earlier in the day we saw all of members of J pod, a total of 24 whales, resting together on the South West side of San Juan Island.  Thankfully, the whales decided to stay in the area for our evening trip, which allowed our guests to have a relaxing and enjoyable view of these Southern resident killer whales.  On our way to the whale sighting we came across some playful Dall’s porpoise.  Always a...

We were lucky enough to leave the dock with reports of transient orca’s south of San Juan Island.  We knew we were going to need to go a little further today than usual but the reports were still in our reach and we wanted to make sure we gave our guests the best trip we could in our power.  As we headed down San Juan Channel past the Southern tip of San Juan Island we enjoyed the beautiful view of the surrounding Northern Cascade mountains as well as the Olympic mountains and the...

We left Friday Harbor with reports of transient orcas headed to the South side of San Juan Island.  On our way to the area where the killer whales were seen we saw a variety of wildlife that resides here in the Salish Sea.  We saw quite a few bald eagles both perched and in flight.  We also saw a pod of harbor porpoise swimming in the area as well.  Harbor porpoise are one of the smallest cetaceans and they also tend to be shy around boats.  A surprise sighting during our venture was...

Today on M/V Sea lion we left the dock with no whale reports and rain in the forecast.  This is not an uncommon start for our pre-season tours; however, today our expectations were exceeded as the day continued.  We left Friday Harbor with plans to go to the Canadian Gulf Islands in hopes of finding some transient orcas.   We quickly got reports of transient orcas near Matia Island, on the North side of Orcas Island.  We headed towards the area and saw a large pod of harbor porpoises...

We could not have asked for a better spring weather out on the M/V Sea lion today.  We started our day with reports of whales on the North side of Orcas Island.  On our way up to the area we spotted some harbor seals swimming in the water and some bald eagles flying up ahead. 

We arrived on scene to a pod of transient orcas formally known as the T49A’s.  This pod is made up of 4 individuals including the 31 year old matriarch and her three offspring; a 14 year old adult male, a 5...

Yesterday we had a charter scheduled on M/V Kestrel, our first trip of the season! The weather was March-perfect, with almost blue skies, no rain, and crisp air. To top it off we had a boat full of enthusiastic guests!

We suited up in Mustang Exposure Suits and headed down to the boat. Captain Brian Briefed our guests on the safety of the vessel and then we set out on the search for wildlife. Heading North out of Friday Harbor we set a course for the Canadian Gulf Islands and the...

We have had a great start to our 2017 season over the past two weekends, highlighted by a wintertime visit by some of the Southern Resident killer whales on Saturday the 18th.

In the winter we usually expect our Resident whales to be foraging for salmon off the coasts of Washington and Oregon, but, on occasion, they journey inland in search of fish. These winter trips here to the Salish Sea are often fleeting, usually lasting only a few days...