Whales, whales, whales...we have a marvelously diverse marine ecosystem out here, but of course, sometimes we get to encounter the biggest marine mammals of all. Humpbacks, minkes, killer whales, gray whales...each day brings new sightings and new experiences! Sea Lion was up and running, ready for her two trips on this wonderful Saturday afternoon. Pulling out of Friday Harbor with the breeze tugging at our hair and sleeves, there was a feeling of anticipation and the taste of...

What an adventure of a day out on Seahawk! We traversed waters that we don't typically get to venture out in, all due to beautiful weather conditions and exciting whale reports! On our morning trip, we ventured north and had the chance to view some harbor seals (our adorable little rock sausages as we call them here), the majestic bald eagle, and several little harbor porpoises playing all around our boat. So cute! The water was sparkling, the sun beaming, and the Salish Sea...

Today was one of those days where you look out at the water and think, "Wow, the world is magical." The temperature was perfect, a light breeze was blowing through Roche Harbor, and there was barely a white puff in the sky. As Captain Pete and I prepared the boat for our whale watches, I could sense the feeling of peace that the San Juan Islands bring to residents and guests alike. After our passengers boarded, we headed out of the harbor, ready for whatever came our way. With some...

Today Captain Brian and I had a lovely charter of three people on our newest vessel M/V Kestrel. This boat is pure fun, reaching speeds of up to 35 knots. Today was an ideal day for Kestrel: smooth water, sunny skies and whales in the area!

This summer has been interesting for our Southern Resident Killer Whales. They are specialists, meaning they focus mainly on one food source. Our Southern Residents focus mainly on Chinook salmon… actually 80% of their diet is comprised of this...

What's up, humpbacks! On our whale watch on M/V Seahawk today, we had a chance to encounter these massive baleen whales out in the Rosario Straight - a real treat, considering we don't always get the chance to pass by Orcas and Shaw Island on our tours. These beautiful islands greeted us with views of rocky bluffs dotted with wildflowers, pine trees, and the ever graceful medrona trees. The sun sparkled brightly overhead, hinting of exciting things to come. Not a single breeze waved...

It's the magic of the San Juans - we know that every day is different out here cruising with San Juan Safaris. That's why we call it a safari - we never know what we're going to see, and it's always an adventure! M/V Kestrel cruised away from Friday Harbor with high hopes for a day full of exciting whale watching, and we were not disappointed. It was one of those days that took our breath away, each and every one of us in awe of how much diversity we are able to see out here in this...

Ever heard of a rorqual? Try saying that word ten times fast! Rorquals are the largest group of baleen whales, and even include the largest known mammal on Earth, the blue whale (those fellas can reach up to 200 tons - WOW). But what exactly is a baleen whale? There's some basic facts that can help you organize your thought process when you're comparing an odontocete (toothed whale) with a mysticete (baleen whale). Mysticetes have two blowholes. They're filter feeders. And they can...

Wow, did we cover a lot of water today! We had sunshine above and beautiful weather as we pulled out of Roche Harbor on our whale watch, but had some decisions to make regarding which direction to head today. We decided to seek out some whale activity that had been reported to the south of Orcas Island, so off we cruised. The ever-majestic bald eagles soared overhead, allowing us to see their massive 6-foot wingspan in all of its glory. Maybe they're getting excited for the Fourth of...

Yesterday we left the dock with reports of humpback whales just south of San Juan Island, a short jog from Friday Harbor. On our way there, we happened upon dozens of harbor seals just off of Cattle Point and paused to watch them fishing for the small fish being carried in by the quick flood.

We then carried on for a few more miles until we reached the location that the humpbacks had been spotted in last. Baleen whales especially love feeding in the waters between San Juan Island and...

On Friday we went up north! We started our daily search for cetaceans by heading up near Flattop Island to both look at some Harbor Seals and Bald Eagles on this Federally protected island and also look in several different channels to see if any whales could be spotted. None yet so we headed east now through one of my favorite channels in the islands, President Channel! It runs between Orcas and Waldron Island so our journey east was framed by steep wooded slopes on Orcas and...