Abby | M/V Kestrel | 2pm | 8/28/2021

Captain Eric and I headed south again for our second trip of the day, word of two teenagers still hunting around the Chain Islets in between Discovery Island and Oak Bay in Canadian waters. We first stopped for a “rock sausage” extravaganza. There were harbor seals aplenty on our way through San Juan Channel, their big globular eyes watching us drift past their rocky haul-out site.

Once we crossed the glassy Strait of Juan De Fuca, we set eyes on...

Abby | M/V Kestrel | 10am | 8/28/2021

Captain Eric and I zoomed out of the harbor, sighting reports coming from Victoria. As we zipped through the glassy Strait of Juan De Fuca, smiles beamed amidst the bright sun rays that started breaking through the morning clouds. There were already a few boats viewing the family (T041’s) that had been spotted in Canadian waters this morning, so we decided to make a pit stop at the Chain Islets in between Discovery Island and Oak Bay. Pelagic...

Maxx K. | M/V Sea Lion | 07/29/2021 | 2:00pm

    Today was wild, y’all. Captain Pete and I had no idea what to expect when Sea Lion left Friday Harbor. There were rumors of Bigg’s Killer Whales north of us off the south side of Lummi Island but as we know, whales stay rumors until you see them yourself! We carried on taking the inter-island route, up and over Lopez and through Obstruction Pass. We passed by numerous harbor porpoises during the journey as they surfaced for air in our...

Jordan |m/v Kestrel |07/08/2021| 2:00pm

Today was definitely one of my favorite trips of the season. Just want to start by saying thank you to all my wonderful guests! Your passion and intrigue made the trip even better!

The day began as Captain Eric and I headed East out of Friday Harbor, in between Blakely Island and Decatur and then out towards Anacortes. We sped past Anacortes and around Guemes Island. Here, we found Orcas!

We shortly identified them as the T34s and T37s! These...

Jordan | M/V Kestrel | 07/05/2021 2:00pm

Perfect day out today!

Captain Pete and I jumped on the boat and headed north through the San Juan Channel. Heading up near Canada, we stopped by Flattop Island and checked out a whole group of Harbor Seals lounging in the water. Their beady little eyes stared up at us from the surface as they sleepily enjoyed the warm day.

Then, we saw 4 bald eagles! They all perched high in the treetops as they surveyed their surroundings in search for their...

Maxx K. | M/V Osprey | 06/20/2021 | 5:30pm

    This was a spectacular evening. From the moment Osprey left Friday Harbor you could see whales. A family known as the T049A’s had worked their way up the San Juan Channel and were now aimed at Friday harbor as we exited. 

These Bigg’s Killer whales were members of the T049A family and consisted of Mom, Nan (T049A), her oldest son, Noah (T049A1), and three additional children, Nat, Neptune, and Nebula. 

The family rose to the surface for...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 06/16/2021 | 2:00pm

    We had a full boat today as we set out of Friday Harbor, heading northbound gourds murmurings of orca on the west side of the island. Almost immediately as we turned left into the San Juan Channel we spotted a Bald Eagle, perched atop a tree on our left. From where we sat just above the water, the eagle seemed small though we know in reality that this was a massive bird. Mature bald eagles can reach over three feet tall when sanding...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 06/16/2021 | 2:00pm

Today was yet again, another prime example of how unpredictable and serendipitous a whale watch can be out here on the Salish sea. Kestrel left Friday harbor heading north. We weaved between Jones Island and veering right to pass between Orcas and Waldron following reports of a humpback just north of Sucia island. 

We stopped only once to observe a shoal of harbor porpoises as they slowly circumnavigated us. After a few moments we continued...

Laura | M/V Osprey | 6/10/2021 | 12:30 PM

Summer is here in the Salish Sea!  We had an awesome trip with 4 Bigg’s killer whales southbound in San Juan Channel!  It is not common for us to have orcas right outside of Friday Harbor, but if the stars align and our vessel departs as whales are passing by, we have found ourselves in the middle of an epic wildlife experience!  And today was not a day to disappoint!

M/V Osprey headed north in San Juan Channel and within 10 minutes our...

Abby | Kestrel | 5/27/2021

We suited up for our tour, the promise of a typical Washington drizzle looming off in the distance. The tide was at its lowest point, more so than I had ever seen, driving the crustaceans and nudibranchs lower on the pilings than they cared to travel. We set off on the zodiac, reports coming in about a Bigg’s killer whale family heading North on the western side of San Juan Island. As we zipped away from the harbor, heading South through San Juan Channel...