Elle | M/V Osprey | 9/17/2022 | 1:30PM

Today we headed out of the harbor with no whale sightings reported nearby. Because none of the whales in this area have tags that report their location, we rely on our own visiual sightings and our partners in the Pacific Whale Watch Association to find wildlife here in the Salish Sea. We know that small, schooling fish like to congregate on banks (underwater hills) like the ones just south of San Juan Island. We also know that seals, sea lions...

Elle | M/V Osprey | 8/23/2022 | 1:30 PM

This afternoon we took a lovely cruise up San Juan Channel and past the forested northern side of Spieden Island. As we entered the Haro Strait near Stuart Island, we were able to see huge black dorsal fins and exhalations which look like 10-ft smokestacks at the surface. The group we encountered included five Bigg’s orca whales: two sisters, Pebbles and Sabio, and Pebbles’ two offspring: Jasper and Rubble. You may be wondering, who was the...

July 8th, 2022

Abby Dahl

10am Kestrel

Captain Gabe and I zipped out of the harbor with hopes of seeing some Biggs killer whales spotted north. Rumor had it that they were the T065A’s, my favorite matriline in all the Salish Sea, quite possibly my favorite whales in the entire world.

The T065A’s are made up of:

• T065A “Artemis” (1986, Female, Mother of all listed below)
  
  • T065A2 “Ooxjaa” (2004, Male)
  • T065A3 “Amira” (2007, Gender Unknown)
  • T065A4 “Ellifrit” (2011, Female)
  • T065A5 “Elsie”...

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 Osprey | 06/26/2022 | 12:30pm

    Today was hotter than hades! No doubt about it, summer is officially here. 

    Osprey slowly put putted its way out of Friday Harbor, north through the San Juan Channel and around again into Presidents Channel. A family of Biggs Killer Whales known as the T036A’s had been picked up right outside Friday Harbor a few hours before and had already made it to Sucia Island, north west of Orcas. 

    The T036A’s were a new family to me, being...

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...

June 9th, 2022

Abby Dahl

12:30pm Osprey

We boarded Osprey on a typical, rainy northwest afternoon. Cruising out of the harbor, we turned northbound and entered the San Juan Channel. Reports loomed of a humpback whale mother and calf heading through Boundary Pass, so we thought we’d give it a go, scanning for orcas along the way as the misty air hung in a still balance amidst a lush island backdrop.

We cruised along while harbor seals seemed to drift in and out of sleep on the rocky...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 05/13/2022 | 2:00pm

    Today was pretty dang close to perfect. It kicked off strongly as a good hour before Kestrel untied from the jetty, two bull Bigg's Killer Whales passed directly in front of Friday Harbor. I could see their tall six ft dorsal fins cut the surface of the water through my binoculars here at the office. 

    When we left the harbor for our adventure tour, we decided to save the whales for last. We opted instead to start by heading out into...

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...