Guests aboard M/V Kestrel today got suited up in our exposure suits and eagerly boarded for our Adventure Whale and Wildlife Watching Trip.  Upon departure Captain Gabe let guests know that reports of whales were all quite a substantial distance away, but as always our goal was to get everyone to them so that we can get some awesome looks at orcas in the Salish Sea.

We started heading out- the report we had that was closest was all the way West past Victoria!  In fact we were even...

[Friday, 8/17/18, M/V Kestrel]

On Friday, Captain Mike and I took Kestrel out for two trips with great folks on each one. On M/V Kestrel we go extremely fast so we can cover lots of water to look for the coolest wildlife in the Salish Sea. We headed out and on our first trip we ended up on the east side of Orcas Island in Rosario Strait. It was a group of Transient Orcas (Killer Whales)! We also call this type Bigg’s Orcas. They are the type of Orcas that we see in the inland sea...

August 16- M/V Kestrel - 10:00 am

For our first trip out on the water we headed out towards British Columbia to go and find some orca whales.  We went up to Saturna Island to find a group of transient orcas called the T2C’s.  This particular day our guests were very lucky to get a great look at some of our mammal eating orcas.  Not only do we always want to find whales on our trips we also always try to highlight other wildlife in the area as well.  Harbor seals are definetly are...

Jordan | August 15, 2018 | M/V Kestrel | 10:00 trip

The morning was a beautiful start to the day as the fog, that has been heavy on our sea for the past week, burned away as the sun came out. Captain Gabe and I heard several reports of whales so we were excited to head out into open waters today.

We zipped out of Friday Harbor and headed south through the San Juan Channel. We boated through Cattle Pass and checked out a few Steller sea lions that were lounging on the Whale Rocks...

Leaving the harbor on Kestrel with a full boat of excited guests and my very own brother aboard for the first time! We even had some repeat guests whom I️ had taken out last time and had no luck with, so we were even more excited to see whales today. There were already reports of killer whales by Heinz bank south of San Juan island. These killer whales were two different families of transients traveling together, including the T65As who have graced us with their presence all summer!...

Jordan | August 11, 2018 | M/V Kestrel | 2:00 trip

This afternoon trip was incredibly lovely as the bright blue skies mingled with beautiful wispy clouds. Captain Mike and I jumped on the Kestrel and booked it north through the San Juan Channel in our speedy vessel.

We went around the north side of Spieden Island and checked out a beautiful bald eagle perching perfectly in a tree! At three feet tall and seven pounds, this massive bird surveyed the land and the sea for any food as we...

Piper | 7/21/18 | M/V Kestrel | 10:00 AM

Captain Gabe, myself, and an awesome group of guests left the dock in Friday Harbor this morning headed toward a report of a humpback whale near Cypress Island. We made our way over the top of Lopez Island, right through the heart of the San Juans and in no time at all we’d arrived at our destination. The humpback surfaced in the distance, giving us an idea of where we should look, and as we finished our slow approach we were shocked to see...

Jordan | August 11, 2018 | M/V Kestrel | 10:00 trip

The early morning clouds burned away as the sun rose higher in the sky. We knew right away it was going to be a great day as we received reports of whales along the west side of San Juan Island! Captain Mike and I sped off on our Kestrel vessel and headed south through the San Juan Channel and through Cattle Pass.

We passed by Whale Rocks and took the opportunity to check out the harbor seals and Steller sea lions that were lounging...

Jordan | August 7, 2018 | M/V Kestrel | 2:00 trip

Today the sun was out and shining and the water seemed especially calm as we headed out of Friday Harbor in our search to find whales! We headed south down through the San Juan Channel and through Cattle Pass past the southern point of San Juan Island.

We then spotted some Steller sealions on the Whale Rocks! These massive creatures lumbered around this tiny island barking at each other and rolling around, trying to get as much sun as...

Jordan | August 5, 2018 | M/V Kestrel | 2:00 trip

Today was such a great day out on the water! The Kestrel headed out from Friday Harbor and traveled south down through the San Juan Channel. Then, Captain Mike and I traveled west towards the Canadian border and towards Vancouver Island. As we grew closer to the city of Victoria we found our whales!

In fact, we saw a fantastic pod of Bigg’s (transient) whales, the T18s, who were in the process of hunting a harbor seal! Within this...