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...

Haleigh | M/V Sea Lion | September 22, 2021 | 1:30 pm

Today’s encounter with our Bigg’s Killer Whales was spectacular. After a long journey through San Juan Channel towards a chain of islands known as the outer islands, we saw the whale watching vessels in the distance! Rounding the west side of Sucia Island is where we first saw some spouts from a family of Bigg’s Killer Whales. This family seemed to be actively hunting and devouring a freshly-caught harbor seal. As they finished...

Haleigh | M/V Kestrel | July 29, 2021 | 2:00pm

I feel grateful for every day I spend on the water. On certain trips like today, it makes me think we all had some good karma in our favor. Calm waters and sunny weather made for an enjoyable departure headed inter-island. Passing through Orcas Island and Lopez Island, Mount Baker revealed itself for the most picturesque PNW image. We rounded through Peavine Pass, turning north towards Pea Pod Rocks. Lumped around the edges like a pack...

Haleigh | M/V Sea Lion | July 20, 2021 | 2:00pm

For our afternoon Classic whale watching trip, the boat full of excited passengers was just the beginning to a great day! We headed inter-island to follow a report of some Bigg’s Killer Whales in Rosario Strait. Bigg’s Killer Whales are a marine mammal-eating ecotype found in the Salish Sea. They primarily feed on Harbor Seals, though will also hunt Harbor Porpoise, sea lions, and the occasional baleen whale calf. Due to the abundance...

Maxx K. | M/V Sea Lion | 07/01/2021 | 2:00 

    It was a gorgeous afternoon on the water today, a perfect 70 degrees and calm as could be as we left Friday harbor with a boatful of excited guests. We turned northward, heading up and through the San Juan channel following rumors of whales approaching Waldron Island. We passed Jones Island and Orcas on our journey, weaving between the islands as they slowly began to rise further out of the water with the outgoing tide. 

    From...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 06/19/2021 | 2:00pm

    By the time Brian and I left Friday Harbor the rumors of Killer whales north of us were consistent. With Kestrel filled with excited guests we turned northbound through San Juan Channel and up towards Stuart island. 

    When we arrived at the Cactus Islands we briefly stopped to observe some harbor seals hauled out on and swimming amongst the rocky islands, seemingly unaware of the potential black and white dangers that had just passed...

Maxx K. | M/V Osprey | 06/17/2021 | 5:30pm

After an insane early afternoon tour the crew onboard Osprey were ecstatic for a sunset tour. We had just left a group of 21 Killer whales on the west side of San Juan Island. They were heading north but also straddling the US/Canadian border so we had all of our fingers and toes crossed that they might stay within US waters and we could have a second opportunity to observe them. 

    Bigg’s killer whales typically keep to smaller group...

Laura | M/V Sea Lion | 7/2/2020 | 13:30

    Today was a magical day on the west side of San Juan Island!  I am ecstatic to report K pod received the upmost welcome back as they made their way up and down the shoreline, foraging and enjoying their time back home!  There are 17 individuals left in this pod, and we were all able to see them spread out and moving through the water in their natural habitat, a heart-filled experience that hopefully we will be able to see again one day.  

Jordan | M/V Sea Lion | 09/14/19 | 12:00pm

Today was unlike any day I’ve had in the San Juan’s!

Captain Pete, Naturalist Olivia and I headed out of Friday Harbor and headed down south through the San Juan Channel on the lookout for any wildlife.

We reached the southern point of San Juan and admired the beautiful Cattle Point lighthouse.

Continuing out into open waters, we found a humpback whale! As we approached, the humpback slapped its tail against the surface of the water...

Laura C. | 7/19/2019 | M/V Kestrel | 11:00am

Today was absolutely exquisite on M/V Kestrel!  We had such a great time observing all the diverse wildlife found in the Salish Sea!  Our Captain Gabe rounded the bend out of Friday Harbor and we already had our first sighting, a bald eagle!  This eagle looked like he/she was supervising the vessel traffic in and out of the harbor from above and took this job very seriously! 

On our way to find whales we stumbled across some harbor seals...