[06/16/2017 – M/V Kestrel – 02:00pm]

The whale watching has been great lately! We are entering what local naturalists are calling the “new normal.” The diversity of our ecosystem is shifting, and we are seeing that reflected most notably in our local orca populations. With a drop in our local salmon population we are seeing less and less of our Southern Resident killer whales in our inland waterways. Traditionally we expect to see members of J, K & L Pods from about May through...

[6/14/17- M/V Kittiwake- 1:00PM]

What. A. Day. When the day started off with a humpback whale IN Friday Harbor AT the ferry terminal, it should have been a sign that things were going to be good today! We departed San Juan Island on M/V Kittiwake and skimmed past the humpback (who was perhaps lost and a tad bit stressed to be where it was) to give it some peace, and we continued out the harbor in search of killer whales. And, along the way, we spotted 5 bald eagles soaring in circles...

[06/07/2017 – M/V Kestrel – 2:00pm]

Today’s M/V Kestrel trip was arguably one of my favorites of the season so far. We had an amazing time with two species of cetaceans and the plentiful other wildlife of the Salish Sea. Leaving Friday Harbor we took a right, heading south, through San Juan Channel towards Cattle Pass to check out some seals and sea lions before continuing on into Haro Strait. The water was glassy and we had multiple reports of whales in the area.

[May 31, 2017 -- M/V Kestrel -- 2:00pm Charter]

One of my favorite things about M/V Kestrel is that with its speed our trip gains flexibility in wildlife viewing. Yesterday we left the dock with favorable reports of killer whales, but, because of the boat we were on, we got to see so much more.

We first cruised north through San Juan Channel towards Flattop Island. In circumnavigating the small wildlife refuge we got awesome looks at Pacific Harbor Seals hauled out on the rocks...

You know it's going to be a good day on the water when you have three naturalists, but it's an even BETTER day when you also have three TRANSIENTS! Naturalists Sarah, Sarah 2, and Rachel set out on the water today with the wonderful Captain Pete in pursuit of the best wildlife that the Salish Sea had to offer today. What started out cold and rainy quickly turned sunny, bright, and calm to boot as we approached the north side of our neighboring Orcas Island. In a few short minutes...

Today we left Friday Harbor with the exciting report of J pod hanging around the San Juan Islands.  We headed around to the North side of Orcas Island where we saw a few Steller’s Sea Lions swimming around as well as a harbor seal.  We also got some great looks at a pod of harbor porpoise.  Harbor porpoise tend to be a bit shy around boats so it is always exciting when we get excellent look at them from our vessel.  We hugged the North shore of Sucia Island where we saw a bald eagle...

Big Mama the humpback whale was spotted fishing with friends just north of the border today.  After marveling at her broad back, knobby head, and impressive blows, we turned around to find another adult and juvenile humpback feeding in the same vicinity.  Humpbacks are solitary beasts, but are known to congregate at productive feeding sites.  Adult whales spend their day gulping about 3,000 pounds of tiny crustaceans or schooling fish, such as sand lance, surf smelt, or herring.  A...

I drained a few tablespoons of sea water from the pocket of my rain jacket while recounting the details of yesterday’s wild adventure to our Sunday guests.  Today had to be a smoother ride, I promised, and indeed it was.  The skies were just as ominous, however, and the wise whale watchers left nothing to chance, immediately taking refuge in the protected cabin. 

Our first stop was the San Juan version of Jurassic Park:  Spieden Island.  In the late 1960s, two taxidermists from...

Captain Mike seemed antsy to board our guests and depart on the day’s safari.  The skies were dark and brooding, but there wasn’t a puff of wind and the channel outside of Friday Harbor was calm.  By the time we left the dock, the wind had cranked up and white caps busted against the bow, blurring the line between sea and surface as sheets of salt spray soaked the aft deck. 

Fortunately another captain in the whale watching fleet had sighted killer whales near Lopez Island and we...

That’s just how the cookie crumbles.  When my granny bequeathed to me this idiom, I understood that sometimes you’re unlucky, and sometimes you win big.  Whereas yesterday’s guests rode wild seas and saw zero whales, today’s guests experienced placid waters and a once-in-a-lifetime whale sighting. 

East of Orcas Island, the M/V Sea Lion glided beside a group of approximately eight transient killer whales.  The light was ideal for photography as Captain Mike set us up to enjoy the sun...