[Sarah M. – 07/16/2017 – M/V Sea Lion – 01:30pm]

The M/V Sea Lion set out on another magical day in the Salish Sea. We had calm waters, blue skies, and whale reports! As has became the norm this year, we had orcas reported in an unusual location and we ended up weaving through the inner islands towards Rosario Strait and the Pea Pod Islands.

We were lucky enough to encounter the T037Bs and T034s traveling with T037. We had a lovely time watching the whales as they hunted in...

Lauren Fritz, 07/16/17, M/V Sea Lion, 5:30 pm Tour

What an incredible evening trip! Sunset is one of the most scenic times to be out on the water - and today, the water was pure glass. The San Juan Islands have this magic about them that createst the most beautiful pastel colors at sunset and dusk, and watching orcas swim through these periwinkle waters is a memory our guests on board will most likely never forget!

This evening, we encountered a few different orca pods. The T46's were one of the...

Lauren Fritz, M/V Sea Lion, 07/13/2017, 1:30 pm and 5:30 pm Tour

Today was an incredible day on the water. M/V Sea Lion ran two tours out of Friday Harbor today, each with some spectacular sea and weather conditions and some great sightings of killer whales, harbor seals, bald eagles galore, and an exploration of some unique aspects of our marine ecosystem out here in the Salish Sea - like our amazing bull kelp forests and nutrient-dense waters. I've compiled and editted some of my favorite...

[Erick D., M/V Sea Lion, 7/12/17, 1:30PM] Yesterday, Captain Mike, Sarah, and I took a full boat of eager folks out ot search for some whales. Sometimes the whales are a little bit harder to find than other days. Even though whales are massive creatures, even Humpbacks the bigger ones around here pale in comparison to the immense amount of water that they swim in. We headed south through San Juan Channel, out through Cattle Pass, and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The strait is one...

7/9/17 – Sea Lion 1:30 PM Departure

Today on our afternoon sea lion trip we were lucky enough to watch some transient orcas.  Transient orcas have been the name of the game this whale watching season, which is giving our guests and naturalists a good opportunity to observe the differences in the transient and resident behavior and physiology.  One major difference is their pod make-up or social groupings.  Resident orca pods are made of an entire extended family...

7/10/17 – Sea Lion 1:30 & 5:30 PM Departure

We spent the day out in Rosario Strait watching one unidentified sub-adult humpback whale.  Guests commonly ask us how we find our whale sightings and if we go to specific areas each day.  San Juan Safaris is a part of the Pacific Whale Watch Association, which is a prestigious company dedicated to ensuring the highest quality ecotourism out in the Salish Sea.  With that comes the variety of whale watching companies leaving from 19...

[7/11/17- M/V Sea Lion- 1:30PM]

Ohhhh what a day to be out on a whale watch! The reports were already great as we left Friday Harbor, but we almost didn’t even need them- whales were seen passing by Friday Harbor just as our trip was ready to depart!

After only about 15 or 20 minutes, we were on the scene with a group of transient killer whales. They were quickly dodging about and deciding which ways to travel. They were separated into 3 or 4 small groups with about 10 whales total...

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(Rachel A & Sarah M - 07/08/17 – M/V Sea Lion - 01:30 PM & 05:30 PM)

We had an absolutely beautiful day out on the M/V Sea Lion today!  Our first trip was filled with sunshine and a beautiful sea breeze and our second trip had an amazing sunset, and of course the whales were amazing as well.  On our first and second trip...

Lauren Fritz, 07/06/17, M/V Sea Lion, 1:30 pm and 5:30 pm Tours

What a day! Passengers on both of our tours were able to watch Transient orcas cruising through the Salish Sea. On our first trip, Captain Mike, Naturalist Sarah, and I decided to head over to a family of Tranisents that were hanging out near Salt Spring Island. What a beautiful journey it was! I hadn't been out this way yet this year, and I always love checking out the Canadian Gulf Islands. The San Juans are beautiful...

[7/5/17 ~ 2pm KL ~ Naturalist Sarah C ]

Transient killer whale sightings have been off the hook this season! And because their food source (harbor seals, porpoises, sea lions, and other whales) are so abundant and widespread here in the Salish Sea, these whales are also widespread and common. Sightings of transient orcas have taken us to almost every channel, strait, and pass in the San Juans, giving us beautiful and varying scenery along with excellent success in finding whales!

Tod...