Lauren | M/V Kestrel | August 25th, 2024 | 2:00 pm

The morning fog had cleared, and we had firm whale reports in the region. We couldn’t ask for a more promising start to our 2:00 pm Kestrel tour. We left the dock and headed north in San Juan Channel. The original plan was to catch up with the Bigg’s Killer Whale family the T075B’s. While on transit to T075B/Pebbles and the gang, we got a report of a group of killer whales near Eastpoint. Curiosity got the best of Captain Eric and I, so to the...

Haleigh | M/V Sea Lion | October 7, 2022 | 12:30 pm 

As we set off for our Classic Whale Watching tour today, we ventured south in search of wildlife. We made our way through San Juan Channel through feeding Harbor Porpoises and flocks of birds. After we travelled through Cattle Pass, we heard the roars of Steller’s Sea Lions hauled out on Whale Rocks. Some of the large sea lions were thrashing in the water while others were posed atop the rocks with heads regally pointed high...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 09/06/2022 | 10:00am

    When Kestrel zoomed up towards Spieden Island, we had no idea where we’d be seeing whales, let alone if there were whales close enough around to see! A rumor of some Bigg’s Killer Whales south of Victoria was all we needed to begin making moves, speeding off through the Haro. We only made it a few miles before we screeched to a halt- three blows appeared along the San Juan shoreline, followed by another, and another! 

    The T049A...

8/14/2022

MV Kestrel

10am

Helena

There is something very special about morning whale watch tours. The cool breeze off of San Juan Channel hitting our faces snapped us out of our last morning grogginess. Most days we are one of the first boats out on the water, leaving it up to our eyes and patience to see what we can find!

Our first stop was at the Pea Pod Islands in the Rosario Strait where we found dozens of harbor seals hauled out along this rocky island shoreline. It was a...

8/13/2022 

MV Kestrel

2pm

Helena

MV Kestrel departed Friday Harbor for our afternoon tour with a fantastic view of Mount Baker off of our bow. As members of the Pacific Whale Watch Association, we are in constant communication with both American and Canadian vessels throughout the Salish Sea in regards to reports of wildlife. As we entered into San Juan Channel, we got word of orcas traveling north up the Rosario Strait. They were moving with the flooding tide quickly so we held on...

8/10/22 // MV Osprey // 12:30pm // Helena 

As we boarded MV Osprey we could hear booms of thunder in the distance. It was a chilly grey August morning as we waiting for a storm in the southern Strait of Juan de Fuca to blow east. Once we had our final numbers and confirmation of safe weather, we left Friday Harbor with our teeth chattering (okay, maybe just me because I mistakenly wore shorts!). 

The crew decided to head north up San Juan Channel as there were reports of orcas near...

7/29/22

MV Kestrel

Helena

2pm

Our crew signed up for the adventure tour and oh boy did we get one! We began our day by heading south down San Juan Channel following reports from other vessels already out on the water. No whales in the Salish Sea are tagged and all reports of wildlife are publicly shared with all whale watching and research vessels alike based on sightings in real time. 

It did not take long to catch up to the excitement of the T037As traveling through Griffin Bay...

July 22nd, 2022

Abby Dahl

2pm M/V Kestrel

Captain Eric and I started our tour with plumose anemones and sea slugs; critters that call the underside of the docks and pilings their home. It’s one of my favorite things to do with guests, to work our way up the trophic scale by starting with the tiniest, most beautiful organisms first. If you can start with the smallest organisms on a tour, you create a keen eye onboard and can bring back the childhood sense of wonder to always seek out...

July 21st, 2022

Abby Dahl

2pm M/V Sea Lion

Captain Erick and I chugged out of a busy Roche Harbor, with our sights set on a humpback whale just north of Stuart Island on the Canadian border. We cruised by some thermoregulating harbor seals and their newborn pups, with the sun glistening off the calm waters of Spieden Channel. When we got to the humpback whale identified as the female “Fallen Knight,” we had some great looks and some beautiful tail flukes.

Upon leaving the scene and...

Maxx K. | M/V Osprey | 07/19/2022 | 12:30pm

    Me oh my it was a beauty out there! There wasn't a gust of wind out on the water today and you could see blue sky clear down until the bold and beautiful Olympic Mountains. 

    Osprey absolutely flew today, zooming up through the San Juan Channel and rounding over the north side towards rumors of a couple of Bigg’s Killer Whales we’ve come to lovingly know as the “butcher boys (T049A2 and T065A3).” *These maturing males have been...