June 30th, 2022

Abby Dahl

10am M/V Kestrel

Captain Michael and I peeled out of the harbor, knowing it was about to be a long journey in our search for whales. We had only one report of Bigg’s killer whales near Race Rocks in British Columbia, Canada, so we took a right and began heading south through San Juan Channel. It was almost ironic, as we immediately found a pair of humpback whales upon our southbound journey. They were taking long dives, so we only saw them a few times before...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 06/27/2022 | 2:00pm

    It’s was a bomby summers day. Kestrel absolutely flew threw the San Juan Channel, cutting through the velvety water with ease. We raced up and around through Waldron Island, stopping briefly once to scope out Skipjack Island and dozens of Harbor seals that rested along its rocky shorelines. 

Harbor seals haul out onto rocks for a variety of reasons such as rest, thermoregulation, birthing and nursing. This gives us a great opportunity...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 06/21/2022 | 2:00pm

    One of my favorite things about working as a naturalist is trying to interpret what is going on in the head of a whale. They are assumed to be some of the smartest creatures on the planet: Killer whales in particular have the second largest brains in the animal kingdom AND the second largest brain to body ratio (another presumed indicator of intelligence). The inherit intelligence and personality of a killer whale, something we only get...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 06/21/2022 | 10:00am

    I love a morning tour, for a lot of reasons really, but also because there is a real sense of urgency and tension. Being a part of the PWWA is such a great tool, not only are we able to collect and share data about whale behavior but we’re also able to stay up to date on where they’re being located. Given that none of the whales seen out here are tagged, we're reliant on spotting them ourselves! 

    At 10:00 in the morning, it’s easy...

Maxx K. | 06/20/2022 | M/V Kestrel | 2:00pm

    It took next to no time for Kestrel to fly into the Juan de Fuca today. The sea was just choppy enough to spice up our travels a little bit as we raced off to meet Big Mama and her calf over Hein bank. Big Mama is probably the coolest Humpback whale that I’ve ever met. She’s a pioneer to start, being one of the first humpbacks observed here during the Humpback Comeback back in 1997. Since then she returns here year after year and has...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 06/18/2022 | 2:00pm

    Today was so much fun. Not only did we have a full crew aboard Kestrel today (myself, Elle AND Captain Eric), we also managed to spend some time with my favorite family of Bigg’s Killer Whales, the T123s. Then we got a quick glimpse of a couple of Peregrine falcons, some wild South Pender Island mountain goats and the biggest eagles nest I’ve ever seen!

    The T123s traveled tightly together around the east side of Barnes and Clark...

June 11th, 2022

Abby Dahl

12:30pm Osprey

We zipped out of the harbor at 12:30pm, an earlier sighting of Biggs killer whales rattling our brains. We took to the south, through San Juan Channel, harbor porpoises bobbing parallel to our vessel all the way to Cattle Point. We made a beeline for the report of killer whales which were traveling parallel to the western shore of Whidbey Island.

When we saw whales in the distance, guests rushed to the railing, jaws dropping for those who were...

Maxx K | M/V Sea Lion | 05/05/2022 | 12:30pm

    It was a cold and dreary Cinco de Mayo! Skies were gray and absolutely everything was sopping wet yet there were whales to be seen so Sea Lion moseyed out of Friday Harbor and off towards a report of whales inter island. 

    We didn't make many pit stops on our journey there, instead opting to wrap Sea Lion down and around the northern tip of Lopez and into Orcas’s Eastsound. At this point the rain was horizontal. No one shall be dry...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 04/23/2022 | 1:30pm

    Well today was exciting, to say the least! Kestrel flew out of Friday Harbor and turned right, taking a brief moment to observe a bob of Harbor Seals (yes, the collective noun of seals is a bob. How fun!) hauled out on the rocks just beyond turn island. There must have been 30 seals on this rock, each with its own unique grey, black, speckled, or spotted coat. We continued zooming through the San Juan Channel and out past Cattle Point...

Laura / M/V Sea Lion / 4/15/2022 / 12:30 PM

Today was a wonderful experience out in the Salish Sea with a most exciting orca encounter!  We departed Friday Harbor with a morning report of Bigg’s killer whales traveling up the west side of San Juan Island, so we immediately went northbound in hopes of seeing them in the Haro Strait.  We stopped along Spieden Island to view over 50 active Steller sea lions hauled out on Green Point and swimming in Spieden Channel!  There were a couple...