It was a classic PNW morning as we began our 10am tour out of Friday Harbor; skies were gray. A light sprinkle of rain drenched us as we tore north through the San Juan Channel. We didn’t have a heading at this point as we never really know where whales are going to pop up. As cliché as it sounds, whale watching really is like a box of chocolates out here- who knows who’s going to be around that day let alone where they’re gonna be! As we mention on each of our trips, we work closely within the...

Olivia | M/V Osprey | August 24th, 2024 | 12:30pm 

Luck was on our side today as we encountered two different species of whales in the Haro Strait! We left Friday Harbor and began our search for whales going south through San Juan Channel. As we neared Cattle Point we stopped for a look at some harbor seals and sea birds, which are great signs of our productive ecosystem out here!

We continued our travels to the north west following up on some earlier reports of various whales in the area, and as...

Elle | M/V Sea Lion | 9/16/2022 | 1:30PM

Today, Bigg's killer whales swam right past Friday Harbor as they hunted harbor seals. Three big males put on a show for the Washington State Ferry, Chelan. Some of the lucky passengers on that ferry joined us on our vessel, Sea Lion and got a second look at a different family of orcas later in the afternoon. By the time we left Friday Harbor, those big males had headed south into rough, windy seas. We headed north and caught up to a group of...

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...

Elle | M/V Osprey | 8/24/2022 | 1:30 PM

Today’s trip was a long haul into Canada! We heard reports of Bigg’s killer whales way north and sped as fast as we could to catch up to them. Finally, north of Saturna Island we encountered two adult whales. Mom Nootka and her eldest son Galiano, named after the nearby Galiano Island. We watched these whales zigzag through the Strait of Georgia, admiring Galiano’s massive floppy fin. This 30ft whale dwarfed his 24ft mother as they swam side-by...

Elle | M/V Sea Lion | 8/19/2022 | 2:00PM

Today we traveled from Friday Harbor, WA to Victoria, BC and back again in search of wildlife. First we encountered Steller's sea lions at Whale Rocks, one of their favorite spots to stop and hang out as they migrate to Alaska for the summer. We were lucky this group decided to stay for a few extra months! We continued southwest until we saw blows in the distance. These turned out to be a young family of Bigg's killer whales. The mother of...

Elle | M/V Sea Lion | 8/18/2022 | 2:00PM

Today’s trip on Sea Lion took us out of Roche Harbor and up into the Canadian Gulf Islands. We stopped at a rocky reef near Spieden Island to look at some harbor seals and their pups, which are just a month or two old. As we continued up to Canada, we encountered a group of Bigg’s killer whales south of Gooch Island in the Haro Strait. We arrived just as they were finishing their hunt of a harbor porpoise, so we got to see some playful...

Elle | M/V Osprey | 8/14/2022 | 12:30 PM and 5:30 PM

Today on Osprey, we spent the day with two families of Bigg's killer whales; the T099 family and the T036 family. This was a group of ten whales, including a calf born in 2021 which still had a pinkish tinge to its eye patches (the normally white spots on the side of the whale, right behind their eyes). These whales were formerly known as transient, and each individual is given an identifying set of numbers and letters, such as T...

Elle | M/V Kestrel | 7/27/2022 | 2:00 PM

After departing from Friday Harbor we headed south in San Juan Channel. Near Cattle Point Lighthouse, we entered some choppy water, produced by fast currents mixing together, as well as wind. Above the waves, we saw a fifteen-foot puff of air: an exhalation from a humpback whale! The whale surfaced and dove, rarely staying under the water for more than a few minutes as it fought against a six-knot current. The whale didn’t make much progress...

Haleigh | M/V Kestrel | July 19, 2022 | 10:00am & 2:00pm

10:00 am

Today’s trip was a spectacular showing of the abundant wildlife seen around the Salish Sea! We departed from Friday Harbor for our first trip in pursuit of reported killer whales along Vancouver Island, BC. En route, we scanned the glass-calm waters where we spotted Harbor Porpoises surfacing around. Confirmation of two Bigg’s Killer Whales guided us towards Sidney, BC, and James Island. The two orcas were...