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...

Jordan | M/V Kestrel | 05/14/2022 2:00pm

Thank you everyone for coming today! Our guests were such a lovely group of people eager for adventure and thirsty to learn.

The day began with Captain Eric and I greeting the group and heading out of Friday Harbor. Turning left, we headed out of the harbor and up towards Flat Top Island. This National Wildlife Refuge hosts a unique geology and plentiful wildlife. Today, we spotted a bald eagle perched in the treetops! He seemed to be...

Lauren | M/V Sea Lion | 5.3.2022 | 12:30 PM

M/V Sea Lion had a small group today, only 9 passengers were aboard as we puttered out of Friday Harbor. I was beyond delighted to hear that the infamous “Big Mama” was back in the Salish Sea, and that we may see her out on our trip today. Seeing “Big Mama” is a treat in itself, but we got some exciting news yesterday… “Big Mama” was not only back in town, but she had a new calf with her!

Once we got word that “Big Mama” and calf were...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 09/16/2021 | 2:00pm

    Kestrel flew out of Friday harbor with purpose this morning: a family of Bigg’s Killer whales had been reported passing through Deception Pass State Park and were now traveling across the Juan De Fuca. We stopped briefly at goose island to observe the cormorants that sat proudly over their neatly stacked nests. A harbor seal passed at the water's edge, diving to forage amongst the Bull Kelp forest that sat between us and the bird Island...

Jordan | M/V Osprey | 08/03/2021 5:30pm

What a beautiful day out on the water!

Naturalist Laura, Haleigh and I headed out of the harbor and headed north through San Juan Channel. We looked and looked for any signs of blows or fins when all of a sudden we hear guests shouting "blow!!" We look towards shore and sure enough there was a whale!

We slowly approached and watched as the massive whale surfaced. It was a Humpback Whale! Then, suddenly a second blow surfaced right next to the...

Laura | M/V Osprey | 8/3/2021 | 5:30PM

Today was one of the best humpback encounters I have experienced in quite a while!   We left the dock headed northbound through San Juan Channel and it was only about 10 minutes before we spotted some blows!  A young boy named Oliver looked close to the shoreline and exclaimed to naturalist Haleigh that he just spotted a blow!  Our Captain Gabe instantly slowed the boat down and we patiently awaited our next leviathan sighting!  On the next...

Jordan | M/V Sea Lion | 07/31/2021 2:00pm

Today was the first cloudy day in weeks. But instead of being dreary, it made the surrounding landscape appear even more mystical and mysterious. Captain Pete and I left Friday Harbor in hopes of finding something near Canada, so we headed north.

We cruised through the San Juan Channel and up President’s Channel as we passed Waldron. As we emerged into Boundary, we spotted Canada and admired her elusive beauty from a distance.

Stopping by...

Jordan | M/V Osprey | 07/28/2021 12:30pm

What a fantastic day out on the water! Somewhere wore their lucky whale socks because we saw not only one but two different species of whales!!

As the crew and I headed down south, we passed through the San Juan Channel. As we scanned the Lopez Island shoreline, we quickly found a humpback whale!!

The behemoth cruised through the water effortlessly as he headed out through turbulent waters to open sea. His breathe shot out high above the...

Abby | M/V Osprey | 7/25/2021

Captain Gabe, Alexandria, Laura, and I left Friday Harbor with no sightings or reports of whales in our waters. It was clear early on that we would head north in search of nutrient-rich waters and potentially some baleen whales. We all clutched our binoculars and crossed our fingers for exhales to present themselves like confetti across the calm evening waters.

Harbor seal pups lifted their heads as we passed rocky haul-out sites. Harbor porpoise...