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Humpback Whale

Humpback Whale Plays in the Strait of Georgia

[Sunday, 4/22/18 – Sunday – M/V Sea Lion – Naturalist Erick]

 

This Sunday, we were again blessed with another high-pressure system bringing cool, blue skies, and a sunny day. There was only on teeny cloud that traveled its way across the islands. Captain Mike, myself, and great group of humans hopped onboard the M/V Sea Lion and headed out to do what we do every day…to find some amazing things! We headed north towards the outer islands and the Canadian border. Since it was a nice...

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Humpback Whale

The Return of the Humpback Whales!

[Saturday, 4/21/18 – M/V Kestrel – 1:00PM – Naturalist Erick]

 

The past few weeks we have started running trips on our adventure vessel, M/V Kestrel. This craft is a RIB, a Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat, and can go pretty fast, around 30 – 40 knots. We suit up in these dope red and black exposure suits and head off. Captain Brian and I took a full group of folks northward to go search for somefun and exciting wildlife. This Saturday was sunny with a little breeze. We made our first...

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Steller Sea Lions

Springtime Wildlife Sightings - Steller Sea Lions, Harbor Seals, & Harbor Porpoises Galore!

[Saturday, 4/14/18 – 12:00 – M/V Sea Lion – Naturalist Erick]

 

Like most places in the northern hemisphere springtime is about balance. We get some bright sunny days where all the flowers seem to sing spring, and other days we get the classic drizzly Pacific Northwest weather. Today on our noon tour Captain Mike, Piper, and I took a group out on M/V Sea Lion to search for wildlife among these amazing islands. We headed north in San Juan Channel. We made our first stop just a little...

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Transient Orca Family Hunts Near Saltspring Island (T49A's)

[Sunday – 4/8/18 – 12:00 – M/V Sea Lion – Naturalist Erick]

 

            This Sunday was another cloudy and misty day here in the Pacific Northwest. Captain Brian, Rachael, and I headed out with a group of excited passengers. We headed north to go in search of whales and other exciting wildlife as well as avoid some of the spring winds that were blowing out of the south. We made it all the way up to Swanson Channel. Just around Moat Point we started to see some blows in the distance...

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Bigg's Orcas

Bigg's Orca Family T2C's Hunting in Spieden Channel

[Sunday, 4/1/18 – 12:00 – M/V Sea Lion – Naturalist Erick]

 

            On Sunday, we went on another fun search for wonderful wildlife in the San Juan Islands! We headed north towards Spieden Island. We made a quick stop just south of Point Caution because there were four Bald Eagles fighting over some carcass right next to shore. They were super active and kept dive bombing each other with talons open! After they flew away we continued northward. We headed through Spieden Channel...

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Sperm Whale in Boundary Pass

There She Blows: J pod and the First Sperm Whale in the San Juan Islands!

[Saturday, 3/31/18 – 4:00PM – M/V Sea Lion – Naturalist Erick]

 

     On Saturday, there were so many folks that wanted to go watch fun wildlife that we had a second trip! In the summer we have two trips every day, but this was definitely a treat for this time of the year. Captain Mike and I picked up a new group of guests and headed back out. We headed north in San Juan Channel and pointed towards Boundary Pass. The Orcas of J Pod which we had left in the northern end of Haro Strait...

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Bald Eagle pair

Circumnavigating Orcas Island: Wildlife around the Archipelago

[Sunday – 3/25/18 – 12:00 – M/V Sea Lion – Naturalist Erick]

 

      On Sunday here in the islands Mike, Sarah, and I took a great group of folks out to see what we could find in the cool waters of the Salish Sea. We started north through San Juan Channel and towards the outer islands of this little archipelago. We squeezed in between Jones and Orcas Island and took a quick stop to take a peek at some Harbor Porpoises. These are the most common and also the smallest cetaceans (whales...

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Steller Sea Lions

Spring Time in the Islands - Wonderful Wildlife In and Out of the Water

[Friday -  3/23/18 – 12:00 – M/V Sea Lion – Naturalist Erick]

 

     This Friday, Captain Mike and I took ourselves with a great group of guests out on a little adventure. We headed north on this nice spring day and pointed towards Spieden Island. We were on a search for exciting wildlife and our first stop was the eastern end of Spieden Island, called Green Point. Here we found one of the Steller Sea Lion colonies in the San Juans. This colony is only here in the winter months and...

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Northern sea lions spotted near San Juan Island

Secretive Seals and Stinky Steller's: You do you, Nature!

Saturday, March 24th | M/V Sea Lion | 12:00 PM

Under today’s blue skies the M/V Sea Lion took to the Salish Sea with Captain Mike, naturalist Erick, myself, and a boat full of enthusiastic visitors! We pointed our sights north in search of whales and wildlife and soon found ourselves at Green Point on Spieden Island watching a raft of Steller’s sea lions frolic in the currents. These giants must have thought the M/V Sea Lion was one of them because as we floated there we were treated...

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Bigg's Orcas

A Family That Preys Together: T2C Transient Orcas Hunt Near Stuart Island

[Monday, 3/19/18 – 12:00 – M/V Sea Lion – Naturalist Erick]

 

            Again, today, it was beautiful and sunny, and the green waters of the Salish Sea greeted us placidly. Sometimes this great weather is too much. Captain Mike, myself, and a newbie, Alexandria headed out with a great group of folks to find some fun creatures out in the wilds of the sea. We headed north to the place where we had spotted some orcas earlier that morning in San Juan Channel. We soon found them again...

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