Upon departing Friday Harbor, our guests were eager to suit-up in the bright yellow rain slickers we provide onboard; a little rain was not going to stop this group from having a wonderful time.  So, with a pair of binoculars in hand, a sense of adventure in our hearts, and a boat full of positive attitudes, we were ready to see what the day would bring and boy, we were not disappointed!   

Having heard reports of whale activity, Captain Craig took us east through Upright Channel...

Today we visited some of the bad boys/bad girls of the sea, the Transient Orcas. Now don’t get me wrong, they aren’t misbehaved, they just prefer some of the larger meat items on the menu. 

The first one we spotted was a male headed north in the San Juan Channel just offshore of San Juan Island. Transients are fairly individualistic so it was not a surprise to see him alone. It was a surprise however to some Harbor Porpoise just off our stern headed in the same direction. If...

It was another beautiful day on the water. The sun was out in full shine, the water pure glass. Out in Haro Strait at the very northeastern tip of D’Arcy Island we found two Transient Orcas (48°35.77N, 123°15.61W). We identified them as male T20 and female T21. Fortunately we were able to watch them hunt for a while.

We then continued our way around Mandarte Island, through the Cactus Islands, and back home. We saw all kinds of wildlife including Cormorants, gulls, Pigeon Guillemots...

Today we visited five Orca Whales on the western side of D’Arcy Island (48°04.14N, 123°18.21W). As we approached the scene we could immediately tell they were Transients based on their stealthy behavior. Once they went under no one knew when, or where, they would come up next. After continually changing paths they unexpectedly surfaced right towards our boat providing us with a great amount of excitement and the most amazing view! There was one LARGE male, his dorsal fin standing...

It was a calm and foggy day out on the water.  The majestic M/V Sea Lion cruised out of the mist on an exploration for whales!  We headed south through Cattle Pass towards Admiralty Inlet, and just beyond Smith Island (48°20’N, 122°58’W), we found two groups of transient orcas.  We estimated about 10 orcas altogether.  We were on a zig-zag pattern and it was though they were swimming on all sides towards the southwest.  Two breached and put on a show!  We also had a visit by a Minke...

We were very lucky today because the whales made it easy to view them! The transient, marine mammal eating, killer whales were right off San Juan Island. We headed south out of Friday Harbor and only had to travel to Griffin Bay before we saw a giant, male killer whale dorsal fin slice through the water. Shortly after, more dorsal fins came up followed by the misty, powerful blows of their exhalations. We counted five Orcas total, one of which looked to be a small calf! The whales...

Today we headed out into the Georgia Strait where we had originally heard of a sighting of 3 transient orcas. Unfortunately as we got closer to the area, we were informed that the group had suddenly switched direction and were headed northwest at a high speed. There was no way our boat or any others from Friday Harbor could catch up with them so we aborted.

We then got news of some Dall’s Porpoise in Active Pass and were fortunate enough to catch up with them. It was a group of about...

Transients Orcas and Summer weather!

Fantastic day on the water:  treated to clear skies, summery temps, and a stunning view of Mt. Baker, we traveled north out of Friday Harbor, around the north side of Orcas Island, until catching up with Transient Orcas on the north side of Lummi Island. Counts varied, depending on who you talked to, but we agreed that we did see 7 total. Latitude 48°44’ Longitude 122°45’. As mesmerized as we were by the orcas, it was hard not to notice the many...

Today we caught up with a group of 4 Transient Orcas off the southwestern end of Victoria; coordinates 48°22.0’N, 123°25.0’W. This group was not as stealthy as we typically see with Transients. They were surfacing multiple times, almost in a predictable manner, and were lobtailling often with a couple spyhops here and there. This group was also quite young; two younger calves and two adults who appeared to be in their 20s. We got to travel with them for about 20 minutes or so until...

From my experience, the best whale watching days occur in weather similar to today's: overcast and rainy. However, everyone was positive and optimistic that we would see whales. Well, not only did we see Orcas, we saw both ecotypes!

Our boat, the Sea Lion, headed north out of Friday Harbor towards East Point. Along the way we spotted some harbor seals as well as a juvenile bald eagle. Then, as we came across the north end of Orcas Island there was word that Transient killer whales...