MV Osprey- Naturalist Alexandria- Monday, June 21st, 202- 12:30

We had a wonderful time today onboard MV Osprey. As we boarded onto this vessel we knew it was going to be a gorgeous day. The sun was shining and as far as Washington standards go it was a warm toasty day, and the thought of being out on the water was the perfect plan for the day. As we boarded onto the vessel we left the dock with naturalists Laura, Maxx and Alexandria. 

As we headed down San Juan channel we were...

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...

Haleigh | M/V Osprey | June 20, 2021 | 5:30pm

Every time we leave the harbor in search of wildlife, we combine our scientific knowledge of the Salish Sea with previous visual sightings to pinpoint the best routes. That being said, it takes time to actually get on scene with wildlife. On a sunset trip like today, I feel fortunate that within 10 minutes of departure we had our eyes on a Humpback Whale! This humpback was found in San Juan Channel between San Juan island and Orcas...

Olivia | M/V Osprey | June 18th, 2021 | 12:30pm

It was an exploratory day circumnavigating Lopez Island! We set off inner island through Upright Passage and eventually crept between Blakely and Decatur to reach the larger body of water known as Rosario Strait. Just west of Burrows Bay, we began seeing multiple black dorsal fins piercing the water. Slowly making our way on scene, we were able to count 12 individual Bigg’s Killer Whales!

While this ecotype typically travels in small...

Haleigh | M/V Osprey | June 18, 2021 | 12:30pm

Today’s wildlife viewing was quite exceptional. We departed from Friday Harbor heading East on an inter-island excursion. We navigated the channels of the Salish Sea with Koma Kulshan (aka Mount Baker) off of our port and Tahoma (aka Mount Rainier) a mound in the distance at 150 miles away! 

Nearing the port of Anacortes, our captain Gabe spotted the exhales of distant orcas about ½ mile off shore. The killer whales were swimming in...

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...

Olivia | M/V Osprey | June 17th, 2021 | 12:30pm 

Wowzers was today an incredible day we experienced! We were able to watch a Humpback Whale right outside Friday Harbor and fluked with every dive! This led us to amazing views of the sparkling salt water gracefully dripping off the tail of this ocean giant. Nearby we even saw Harbor Porpoise presumably feeding on similarly sized bait fish, and heaps of migratory birds casually diving within San Juan Channel. Continuing north during our...

Haleigh | M/V Osprey | June 16, 2021 | 5:30pm

Sunset is my favorite time of day. We depated from the harbor and into the warm, golden sunlight reflecting on the calm waters in San Juan Channel. Guests spotted the shiny, chocolate chip-shaped dorsal fins of harbor porpoise gliding through the surface as we traveled northbound along San Juan Island and into Haro Strait. As we approached the Northern tip of Stuart Island, we recognized the distant dorsal fins of reported orcas! We...

Olivia | M/V Osprey | June 16th, 2021 | 12:30pm

Another clear day graced us with the presence of Mount Rainier beaming high atop the Puget Sound to the south. We set off with the volcano guiding our way, passing Harbor Porpoises swimming outside Upright Channel. Passing Cattle Point Lighthouse and keeping it on our starboard side, we continued around Salmon Bank aiming for False Bay off San Juan Island. 

Not only did we catch a Bald Eagle chasing after a Rhinoceros Auklet upon...

It was an awesome wildlife day in the Salish Sea! After a smooth exit out of Friday Harbor, we began our search for wildlife southbound in San Juan Channel. Our first stop was at Whale Rocks to look at two kinds of Pinnipeds: Steller Sea Lions and Harbor Seals! While the Harbor Seals were peacefully hauled out, the hefty Steller Sea Lions splashed around the shallow waters and roared fiercely. Observing pinnipeds cohabitating helped us distinguish their differences in size...