Today we got spoiled: we had a choice between two transient killer whale pods!  The first group was called in as located off Sidney Island on the Canadian side of the Haro straight.  We left the harbor with these whales in mind but then we got another call; a second pod was seen between Saturna and South Pender Islands.

Once we caught up with this second group, we found that there were three animals in the pod: one male, one female and one calf.  Even with lots of helpful eyes on the...

Today we left the harbor and headed north toward Sucia Island.  Once there we spotted a small pod of transients.  There were 3.  One female, one male, and one calf.  They were taking long dives with a few breaths at their surface intervals before they dove again.  They were  cruising along, with one quick stop that I thought might have been a hunting opportunity, but after a brief spyhop from the big male they continued along their merry way.  When we first saw them they were on the...

My favorite trip of the year so far.

Flat, calm, no wind, beautiful lighting, and thanks to the hockey game we were the only boat sitting off of Sidney Island with a pod of 5 transient orcas.  There was one big male, one calf, one other juvenile and a couple of larger adults (at least one was a mom).  They were swimming south, taking five minute dives, with long surface intervals when their behavior changed drastically.  They dove and then surfaced inshore of where they were...

The M/V Sea lion departed Friday Harbor with reports of Transient Orcas coming from Thatcher Pass.  We motored past Yellow Island and stopped to check out some harbor seals hauled out on the rocks.  After that we headed towards Green Point on Spieden Island and noticed some blows on the north side of the island.  They turned out to be the Transients we had been looking for.  Accordingly to some other boats in the area they had just made a kill, but it was hard for us to tell if they...

Word was whales were headed north... no, wait... south... no, wait... north!  A pod of indecisive orcas!  Yes, northbound for sure along the west side of San Juan Island.  So north we headed as the Sea Lion left the harbor on this sun shiny afternoon, hugging the eastern coastline.  Along the way, we spotted a bald eagle perched regally on a nest on O'Neal island.

As we rounded the northernmost point of San Juan Island, we saw several boats in the distance, paused to look at...

Whale Watching Naturalist with Young Whale Watcher

Today on both of our trips, we encountered J-pod.  First off of the west side of San Juan Island where they were headed northeast and then off of East point, the most northwestern point of the United States, and headed into Canadian waters.  Our whales went international today, visiting a few countries along the way.

Within the pod, we were able to identify Mike.  With Mike, we found his mother J16 (Slick); she has a little...

With one short of a full boat and some sunshine peeking through the intermittent clouds, we took the Sea Lion up north towards Canadian waters in search of some Pacific northwest wildlife.  Just outside the harbor as we were coming around the corner, a passenger spotted a bald eagle perched high in the top of a pine tree: conveniently photogenic.

Our luck kept rolling in as we soon found a large pod of orcas who turned out to be J-pod!  Rather than traveling at a quick pace, they...

Northbound from the harbor, we soon found our dead harbor seal with about five bald eagles sharing its carcass off of Sentinel Island.  Day three of its destruction and the seal still had some meat on it to feed the local raptors.  Onwards around the north end of San Juan Island, we started to see sporadic dorsal fins belonging to harbor porpoises.  Into the Haro Straight, we passed Lime Kiln State Park on the west side of the island.  We were lucky to have sunny weather with...

The clear, sunny day brought out the normally elusive harbor porpoise…and Mt. Rainier!  The massive volcano, which is over a hundred miles away, was in the backdrop of as we headed through Cattle Pass.  There we saw a minke whale, harbor seals, stellar sea lions and many harbor porpoises.  Once in the Strait of Juan de Fuca we sighted at least two other minke whales alongside many birds.  Near Spieden Island a juvenile bald eagle ate a decaying seal while many others were in the top...

With storm clouds and rain to the north, we started heading south towards Cattle Pass.  Word on the quiet ocean: Minke whales were in the neighborhood.

Passing several plump harbor seals hauled out off Cattle Point, we motored out to Salmon Bank and then Hein Bank, areas known for schools of herring and, subsequently, birds and marine mammals feeding on the abundant food source.  A female and calf Minke whale were seen by other vessels in the area.  At Hein Bank, we spotted several...