Jordan Higgins | M/V Sea lion | 06/19/21 |12:30pm

It was a gorgeous sunny day out in the San Juan Islands.

We began in Roche Harbor as Captain Pete and I jumped on Sea Lion and headed out of Roche Harbor. We boated straight up towards Stuart Island and boated towards Turn Point Lighthouse.

Just around the corner, we found orcas whales! We were very close to the boarder so we could see Canada just a few miles away. The whales cruised along the northern shore of Stuart Island exploring...

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

The boat was full and everyone suited up. The cetaceans were out of the country; two humpback whales in Canadian waters and the orcas from this morning also heading further into international territory. We took off out of the harbor and jetted North through San Juan Channel. At least the sun was on our side; nutrient-rich waters lit up while harbor porpoises somersaulted over small wave breaks in the sea.

We decided to try our luck with the humpbacks after...

Jordan | M/V Sea Lion | 05/30/2021 | 2:00pm

Captain Pete and I enjoyed a beautiful day today! 

We grabbed our guests and headed north out of Friday Harbor towards northern waters to explore. We shot up in between Waldron and Orcas Island and spotted a whole group of harbor porpoises bobbing up and down all around us! They were so cute. 

As we reached Patos Island near the boarder of Canada, we enjoyed a gorgeous view of the lighthouse and Mount Baker glowing in the sun amongst the...

Abby | Sea Lion | 5/29/2021

We set out on M/V Sea Lion. Or at least, we tried. At the lowest tide of the year (or more notably, the past few years), we began our reverse into some shallow water. With the wake from the ferry and hardly any depth, we motored forward and tried again. This time, Captain Pete reversed almost symphonically, as the crowd on the stern cheered in joy that the ferry wake had ceased long enough for us to pull out of the harbor.

We made a beeline for the...

Jordan | M/V Kestrel | 05/15/2021 1:30pm

We were all really excited to get out on the water as Captain Brian and I gathered our new friends and boated out of Friday Harbor.

We heard whispers of something exciting down south, so we boated down the Channel and out into open waters. Boating out towards the Olympic Peninsula, we reached an area called Middle Bank where we started to see boats! As we approached, we began to see blows and wow it was beautiful!

The mottled gray and white...

Jordan | M/V Sea Lion | 05/08/2021 |5:30pm

Today was one of the most magical trips of the season! And perhaps, my career.

It began just like any other day as Captain Pete and I gathered our guests and headed out of Friday Harbor. But, unlike a typical trip, it was a mere 2 minutes before we found the whales!

There was a pod of 4 Transient whales sleepily swimming up the San Juan Channel. There were hardly any other boats out as the sun sank lower and lower in the sky and cast a...

Jordan | M/V Sea Lion | 05/08/2021 |1:00pm

What a fun day today!

Captain Pete and I excitedly hopped on board with our guests and boated out of the harbor and headed between Shaw and Lopez Island. Continuing on we went through Pevine Pass and out into the open waters of the Rosario Strait.

Here, we found orca whales! By looking at the unique patterns and shapes of their dorsal fins, we identified them as a transient pod of orcas (also known as Bigg’s Killer whales) named the T123s...

Jordan Higgins Blogs

Jordan | M/V Sea Lion | 05/02/2021 |1:00pm

For any given trip, we never know what is going to happen or what we are going to see that day. But, wow, today we were incredibly lucky! We saw so much extraordinary wildlife!

The day began as Captain Pete and I greeted our guests and set off out of Friday Harbor towards the great unknown. We headed down south towards whispers of potential sightings. As we saw Cattle Point Lighthouse appear on the horizon, we knew we...

Jordan | M/V Sea Lion | 04/24/2021 |5:00pm

The clock strikes 5:00 o’clock and Captain Pete, our guests and I jump onto the boat and head out to semi-open sea. We turn right and head towards adventure.

We arrive at these rocks jutting out of the water in the middle of the channel and find that they’re covered with Steller sea lions! These males were massive creatures that threw their body weight around and practiced being as macho as possible. They clearly have been feeding well in...