Welcome to the Whale Report Blog

Laura | M/V Kestrel | 4/24/2021 | 2:00PM

Today was a most adventurous day on M/V Kestrel!  The skies were quite cloudy with scattered showers, but the seas were glass calm.  Skies like these can increase the possibility of seeing whales, as the darker skies lift whale blows against a backdrop that really makes them pop!  Sometimes the glare from the sun can make it difficult to stare out looking for dorsal fins or exhalations so I was excited to start looking for whales today. ...

Jordan | M/V Sea Lion | 04/24/2021 |1:00pm

What a wonderful day!

As our wonderful guests hopped on our boat, Captain Pete and I headed out of Friday Harbor and south down the San Juan Channel. We boated until we reached the Southern point of San Juan Island where there was a gorgeous lighthouse called Cattle Point Lighthouse!

Around this area, there were huge rocks jutting out of the water that were completely covered with Sea Lions! These huge animals barked at each other, splashed...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | April 23rd, 2021 | 13:00

Kicking off the weekend, Captain Pete decided to start the trip by heading inner island through Upright Passage, eventually turning south into Lopez Sound. Just off Coleville Island, we spotted a large spout as it shot above the surface of the water. This spout belonged to a Gray Whale that was feeding in about 80 feet of water. This baleen whale feeds on about 2,400 pounds of food every day during the summer feeding months here in the...

Laura | M/V Sea Lion | 4/21/21 | 1:00PM

Even though I have lived in San Juan Island for a few years now, it still amazes me how often we are able to see orcas close to shore.  We left Friday Harbor with a report of Bigg’s killer whales near Green Point on the south side of Spieden Island!  We immediately headed north up San Juan Channel and by the time we were near the last report, this family of orcas went into Roche Harbor and into Mosquito Pass!  It’s amazing to know that there is...

Laura | M/V Sea Lion | 4/21/2021 | 1:00PM

It was a typical Tuesday in April as we headed out of Friday Harbor without a known whale report.  This is very common as most vessels head out of the marina around the same time and we all start communicating our charted plan for the day.  As soon as M/V Sea Lion headed out of Friday Harbor, there was a bald eagle resting perfectly perched near the Friday Harbor Marine Lab trails.  We took a quick look and then headed through Upright Channel...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | April 19th, 2021 | 13:00

Shortly after departing the dock, we received word of some Killer Whale reports northeast of Orcas Island. We immediately started heading that way north around the islands, passing lots of wildlife along the way such as harlequin ducks, rhinoceros auklets, pigeon guillemots, cormorants, Harbor Seals, and swimming Steller’s Sea Lions. About halfway between Barnes and Matia Islands, we started to see three spouts of Bigg’s Killer Whales...

Olivia | April 18th, 2021 | M/V Kestrel | 14:00

It felt great to get back out on my first M/V Kestrel trip of the season with Captain Brian, especially since it was warm, calm, AND sunny around the islands. We started the trip with a great group of people excited to get out and see what the Salish Sea had to offer. We departed the dock by heading south towards Cattle Point, stopping mid channel to view a giant bait ball with lots of bird action including a variety of gulls...

Jordan | M/V Sea Lion | 04/18/2021 |1:00pm

Today was one of the most incredible trips of the season! I felt so grateful that all my guests got to experience such a lucky tour.

It began as a normal day as we enjoyed the Sunday sunshine in Friday Harbor. Everyone felt excited but a little nervous about what we may see during the trip. Captain Pete and I hopped on our boat, the Sea Lion, and headed down south towards the southern tip of San Juan.

As we approached Cattle Point lighthouse...

Jordan | M/V Sea Lion | 04/17/2021 |5:00pm

I would call this second Sunset Tour of the season a success! It felt like it was already mid-summer with sunny skies and calm seas.

Captain Pete and I took Sea Lion out of Friday Harbor and headed south down the San Juan Channel, exploring the coastlines until we reached one of my favorite locations in the San Juans: Cattle Point! The beautiful lighthouse on the point sat illuminated by the lowering sun.

We then approached rocks jutting out...

Laura | M/V Kestrel | 4/17/2021 | 2:00PM

It was a miraculous Sunday out in the Salish Sea on M/V Kestrel!  Passengers suited up in their gear and we left the dock with a loose report of Bigg’s killer whales headed towards the Strait of Juan de Fuca and towards Canadian waters.  It was a long shot, but we quickly headed south in San Juan Channel and into the Haro Strait.  Along the way we passed Steller Sea Lions and plenty of birds, but we were committed to giving passengers the best...