MV Sea Lion

Helena 

7/16/22

What another great day on MV Sea Lion! We departed the dock at Roche Harbor and traveled south into Speiden Channel. Our first encounter of the tour was with some Harbor Seals hauled out on Center Reef in Speiden Channel. We have nearly 40,000 harbor seals in the Salish Sea and these pinnipeds eat small schooling fish and can dive up to 1,000 feet! They are also the primary food source for the marine mammal-eating ecotype of killer whales, the Bigg’s...

Laura | M/V Sea Lion | 4/21/21 | 1:00PM

Even though I have lived in San Juan Island for a few years now, it still amazes me how often we are able to see orcas close to shore.  We left Friday Harbor with a report of Bigg’s killer whales near Green Point on the south side of Spieden Island!  We immediately headed north up San Juan Channel and by the time we were near the last report, this family of orcas went into Roche Harbor and into Mosquito Pass!  It’s amazing to know that there is...

Erick | M/V Sea Hawk | 12:00 | Wednesday, July 23, 2020

Today, we had a trip on M/V Sea Hawk out of Roche Harbor. I love taking Sea Hawk out. She has a great viewing platform from the bow, where you are raised a little off the water but not too much, so you feel like you are a little more part of what is happening in the water around you. She also started her life as a salmon fishing boat in Puget Sound and has switched over to ecotourism as her fun retirement job. Wyatt and I took...

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...

Fourth of July on San Juan Island is like no other. Hundreds of people flee the city life to head to this little island to experience the parades, fireworks, picnics, fun runs, and various other festivities that are offered on the July 4th weekend. Both Roche Harbor and Friday Harbor have an impressive array of events for the entire family to enjoy. Some favorites? The log-rolling and donut eating contests are a favorite in Roche! Even if you choose not to participate in the powdered...

Well, the title says it all: J Pod returned home to the waters outside the San Juan Island through the night and surprised us all in the morning! Usually, J Pod would be back in these waters foraging for salmon at the beginning of May, but we’d only seen them once. So, you can imagine everyone’s sheer delight when we heard J Pod on the hydrophones early this morning- I couldn't wait to get on the water and give guests the experience of a lifetime. And, as we boarded guests onto our...