7/21/22

MV Kestrel

2pm

Helena

We journeyed north up San Juan Channel following reports of wildlife in Boundary Pass. With the base of Mount Baker off our starboard side, the group was buzzing for the potential of what we might encounter!

Captain Michael slowed down first at the Cactus Islands through New Channel. This serene area east of Spieden Island was perfect for viewing some Harbor Seals and their newborn pups! There are nearly 40,000 individual harbor seals in the Salish...

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...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 06/29/2022 | 10:00am

    Forgive me, but I’m gonna geek out here during this blog. Bigg’s Killer Whales are obviously fascinating for a myriad of reasons but I’m never more impressed than when I get lucky enough to see a T-Party of whales. A T-Party is essentially an informal nickname given to the circumstances when several families of Transient whales (related or not) come together for whatever purpose; feeding, socialization, reproducing, family cookouts...

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. | 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...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 06/21/2022 | 10:00am

    I love a morning tour, for a lot of reasons really, but also because there is a real sense of urgency and tension. Being a part of the PWWA is such a great tool, not only are we able to collect and share data about whale behavior but we’re also able to stay up to date on where they’re being located. Given that none of the whales seen out here are tagged, we're reliant on spotting them ourselves! 

    At 10:00 in the morning, it’s easy...

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...

Laura / M/V Kestrel / 5/19/2022 / 2:00PM

Our whale watch and wildlife tour was filled with fun adventure today!  Our vessel Kestrel headed out of Friday Harbor with the plan of looking for a humpback that was spotted north near Boundary Pass.  As we were making our way out of the harbor everyone was thrilled to hear our Captain Brian had just received a tip that orcas were spotted from land near Anacortes!  Passengers immediately got ready to pick up speed and we cruised though the...

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...