Skip to main content
Image
female Bigg's orcas hunting

Spyhop!: Bigg's Orca family, the T99B's, hunt and play in Rosario Strait

Erick | Friday, March 15, 2019 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:00

 

On Friday, it was another beautiful sunny day that reminded us that spring is just around the corner for us! Captain Mike and I headed out with a great group up north to go see what we could find! We headed through San Juan Channel, then to Spring Pass, and through Presidents Channel. In Presidents Channel we got to see a lot of Harbor Porpoise. I sometimes call this area Porpoise alley. Harbor Porpoises are definitely our...

Image
Bigg's male orca tail slapping

Orcas Everywhere! Three families of Bigg's Killer Whales meet in Boundary Pass!

Erick | Thursday, March 14, 2019 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:00

 

This Thursday still felt a little bit like winter. It was quite chilly with a grey sky above. Captain Mike and I headed north to go check out a report of Orcas up in Boundary Pass. We traveled through San Juan Channel and headed past Spieden and Stewart Islands into Boundary Pass. Right in Between Gooch Island and Moresby Island we saw some blows up ahead! It was not just one but two families of Orcas. Both of these families...

Image
2 male Bigg's Orcas

We found Killer Whales in San Juan Channel!: T101 and T90 Bigg's Orca families hunt near Friday Harbor

Erick | Wednesday, March 13, 2019 | M/V Sea Lion| | 12:00 

 

This Wednesday was one of the first days it really has felt like spring here in the islands. The sun was out and there was only a slight breeze in the air. Captain Pete and I took a good-sized crew out to go see what wonderful wildlife was also out enjoying the sunshine. We headed south after we left Friday Harbor. We rounded Turn Island and just as we made our way into Griffin Bay we saw some blows just ahead in San Juan...

Image
Bigg's male orca

A Sunny Tour around the Gulf and San Juan Islands: The T137 Bigg's Orcas hunt among the islands

Erick | Sunday, March 10, 2019 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:00 

 

Today we were fortunate enough to have another beautiful, sunny day. Captain Mike and I headed out with a small crew to search for the whales and other wildlife of the Salish Sea. We first dipped a little bit south around Turn Island to scan around Griffin Bay. Here, we saw a wonderful Bald Eagle perched high up in a gnarled Douglas Fir. Underneath him amidst the glassy upwelling next to Turn Island we saw a few young Harbor...

Image
New calf in the T124A family

Sunny San Juan Islands: Two Families of Bigg's Killer Whales get their babies to play!

Erick | Saturday, March 9, 2019 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:00 

If you can imagine a perfect March day, then that day was today. The sun was shining bright, there were a few fluffy white clouds hanging out above the islands, and the breeze was slight. Captain Mike, Sarah, and I took a pretty large group out aboard M/V Sea Lion. We left from Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. And headed south into San Juan Channel. The channels in between the main islands of the San Juan Islands are not very...

Image
Southern Resident Orcas of J pod

Wildlife Winter Wonderland: J pod Orcas spotted in Haro Strait!

Erick | February 23, 2019 | M/V Sea Lion | Noon

As the short month of February approaches its end we do our last weekend-only trips from Friday Harbor. Once March starts we will be starting daily trips aboard M/V Sea Lion departing from Friday Harbor at noon. This Saturday, Captain Mike and I had a wonderful trip with a very small group of passengers. I think folks were afraid of the cold so it ended up being only two hardy folks aboard wanting to go out and see what was out there in...

Image
Killer whales surfacing

February Whales! Bigg's Killer Whales in Canadian Waters

Sarah | 02/16/2019 | 12:00pm | M/V Sea Lion

Today we were treated to an amazing day on the water with great conditions and wonderful wildlife. Captain Mike and I left Friday Harbor and decided to head north. This time of year, the weather and sea conditions often create incredibly productive waters to our north yielding great wildlife sightings.

At Green Point we stopped to check out some Steller’s sea lions hauled out on the rocks. These massive sea lions are the largest species of...

Image
Bigg's killer whale | Photo: Jeanne Hyde

Orcas Spotted in Haro Strait | 11/24/2018 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:00pm

[Sarah | 11/24/2018 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:00pm]

We had a lovely tour on Saturday, which, like many of our November tours, left us in awe of how fast sightings can change. Captain Brian, Naturalist Ryder, and I gathered our guests up and left Friday Harbor. To start the tour, we decided to head north through San Juan Channel towards the Canadian Gulf Islands. We stopped around Flattop Island to see if we could find any wildlife like harbor seals and bald eagles, before continuing north...

Image
M/V Sea Lion with Steller's sea lions

Orcas and Sea Lions Spotted in Cattle Pass, San Juan Island | 11/11/2018 | 12:00pm

[Sarah |11/11/2018 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:00pm]

We had an amazing day to go exploring for wildlife under clear November skies on a picture perfect day here in the San Juan Islands. Leaving Friday Harbor we decided to head south toward Cattle Pass and Haro Strait on the search for wildlife.

As we made our way through the narrow channel between San Juan Island and Lopez Islands we approached Whale Rocks, and out of nowhere the exhales of a group of orcas rose above the surface! We watched...

Image
Orcas foraging

Orcas and Wildlife Encountered | 10/30/2018 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:00

Sarah | 10/30/2018 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:00

Today we welcomed a small group of great guests on board the M/V Sea Lion for an exploration of the Salish Sea in search of wildlife. Autumn forecasts are so fickle here in the San Juan Islands, we had no idea what to expect until we left the dock. The water was glassy and we had peek-a-boo blue skies with low hanging clouds over the islands.

We headed north through San Juan Channel towards Canadian waters in Boundary Pass. As we worked our...

Start your next adventure today! View All Tours