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T123 Bigg's Killer Whales in San Juan Channel and Humpbacks Slate and Calf in Boundary Pass!

Piper | Wednesday, June 12, 2019 | M/V Kestrel | 11:00 AM

Today was another wonderfully sunny and warm day in the San Juans and as we were getting suited up to get on the colder waters off-island, a report of Bigg’s killer whales came through the radio! So Captain Gabe and I loaded up on Kestrel with some awesome folks and headed north in San Juan Channel! Right off the bat we saw an awesome bald eagle resting on the trees outside the marina, scanning the waters for food! We stopped...

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Surprise Humpback!

Naturalist Alexandria | M/v Sea Lion | June 10th, 2019  | 12:00 PM

What an amazing day we had today out on the water!  We started our trip out with no firm reports, though Captain Gabe had heard on the radio the possibility of a Humpback up north, so we decided to head that way to see what we could find.  

As we started our way north up San Juan Channel we were treated to a friendly harbor seal that was swimming by our boat.  He seemed to almost be posing got us as he swam along.  We...

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Stitch the Humpback near Saturna 06/02/19

Jordan | M/V Sea Lion | 06/02/19 | 12:00

Today Captain Erick and I took the Sea Lion out of Friday Harbor for a wonderful cruise around the islands. We, first, headed north through the San Juan Channel and passed the eastern tip of Speiden Island.

Then, we made a pitstop at Flattop Island! This beautiful national wildlife reserve hosted various birds flying overhead and a few harbor seals laying on the protected rocks. There was even one seal swimming gracefully through the water...

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Four Humpbacks Fluking in Boundary Pass!

Piper | Wednesday, May 22, 2019 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:00 PM

This lovely Wednesday morning the M/V Sea Lion was crewed by Captain Gabe and I, and we carried a great group of people north into San Juan Channel to scan the waters for whales. We made our way into Boundary Pass and across the border into Canadian waters where a report of humpback whales came through! We arrived at Saturna Island and Java Islets and we spotted the blows of two humpbacks surfacing next to each other! We...

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Bigg's Killer Whales at Sunset | 8/03/18 | 5:30pm

Leaving the harbor aboard M/V Sea Lion Captain Gabe, naturalist Eric and myself were excited to get out on the water and see some orcas! We had been hanging around a humpback earlier that day and there were now reports of transient orcas up north. Although pretty far out, we were hopeful we’d be able to catch up to them and get a chance to see them on this afternoon trip! The orcas were far out by Point Roberts well into the Strait of Georgia, but Captain Gabe decided to go for it...
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Humpback whale

Afternoon Trip with a Humpback Whale in Canada! | 08/08/2018 | 1:30

Jordan | August 8, 2018 | M/V Sea Lion | 1:30 trip

What a wonderful day out on the water! The skies were clear and blue and the water was especially gorgeous. Captain Pete, Mariana and I headed out of Friday Harbor with reports of a whale up in Canada!

So, we headed up through the San Juan Channel and boated along the east side of Stuart Island and past Turn Point, the most northwestern point in the continental U.S.! Then we traveled across Boundary Pass and into Canadian waters up...

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Afternoon Trip with Resident Whales in the Boundary Pass! | 07/18/2018 | 2:00

Jordan | July 18, 2018 | M/V Kestrel | 2:00 trip

Today was a lovely day with our beloved whales! The sun came out and we left the docks with high hopes of seeing some great wildlife! Captain Gabe and I heard reports of whales lounging about within the northern islands and along the Canadian border so we headed towards them!

We voyaged north up the San Juan Channel and passed beneath Spieden channel. We stopped here to see mouflon sheep grazing along the hillside! There even was a...

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Afternoon Trip with Killer Whales in Trincomali | 07/10/2018 | 5:30

Jordan | July 10, 2018 | M/V Sea Lion | 5:30 trip

What a great trip we had today! We received reports of whales traveling off of Active Pass up in Canadian waters. So, Captain Pete and I voyaged up through the San Juan Channel, past Boundary Pass, around the west side of Saturna Island and all the way up to Trincomali Channel. It was a long journey but it was definitely worth it when we found the whales!

We found two pods of transient whales, T124As and T36As, traveling together up...

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Perfect Pacific Northwest Day

Captain Pete, naturalist Alexandria and I were excited to work together on this rare rainy day in July on the San Juan Islands. During the summer, the islands stay dry and we usually don’t see rain until mid-September again! Without any whale reports in the area yet this morning, we decided to head North up the San Juan Channel and see what we could find. On the way up, we came close to the West side of Orcas and cut through the inside of Yellow island scanning the waters in that...

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Kestrel Travels North for Transient Orcas

Today was a gorgeous morning on M/V Kestrel!

We took to the waters this morning at 10am in search of whales!  Captain Mike had gotten a report of Transient Orcas up North near Tumbo Island!  Luckily Kestrel is a incredible vessel- the boat equivalent of a well bread race horse shall we say? Captain Mike and myself, along with our incredible guests were up for the adventure and we headed north! 

On our way we were treated to some adorable harbor porpoise views as they frolicked in San...

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