Welcome to the Whale Report Blog

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | September 5th, 2020 | 13:30

Leaving Friday Harbor and setting out south to find whales, we had no idea we would be part of such a unique moment in history. We started the long trek through the Strait of Juan de Fuca with Mount Baker peering down at us and Harbor Porpoise swimming in every direction we looked. Just shy of two hours later [so proud of our patient passengers!] we came across the south western corner of the United States border when we started...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | September 4th, 2020 | 13:30

Leaving the dock, we were lucky enough to receive some whale rumors far south in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Attempting to give our passengers the best possibility of seeing whales, we decided to follow this rumor and head straight south. Coming up on the eastern side of Hein Bank, we spotted SIX black dorsal fins! These whales were initially by Smith Island and traveled west our entire trek south through the calm waters.

This...

Olivia | M/V Kestrel | September 3rd, 2020 | 14:00

Every day feels unique and special with the mass diversity we have in the Salish Sea; however, some days stand out a bit more. A cloudless day, glassy seas, and Mount Baker standing sharp over the islands set the tone for a memorable day. Briefly stopping at Whale Rocks, we watched and listened to Steller’s Sea Lions bellow across the water and roll in the kelp bed. A few Harbor Seals sat quietly in banana pose looking towards the...

Erick | M/V Sea Lion | September 2, 2020 | 1:30 PM

We have come to my favorite time of the year in the San Juan Islands! As summer ends and we inch closer to fall the world starts to slow even more down here. All the historic orchards are heavy with fruit, the last native berries are just finishing their ripening, and the crickets are ever louder in the mornings and evenings. We are usually greeted each morning by a thick fog bank moving over the islands and then the sun starts to...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | September 1st, 2020 | 13:30

Every day and every trip in the San Juan Islands are completely unique. With such a strong diversity in the most productive waters in the world, we never truly know what is going to grace our presence. Today solidified that theory. Captain Sarah and I received word through the PWWA of Southern Resident Killer Whales in Haro Strait on the west side of San Juan Island. This was a big surprise since this ecotype of Killer Whales are...

Laura | M/V Sea Lion | 8/31/2020 | 1:30pm

Even though it is the end of August and fall is right around the corner, we had the most beautiful summer day out on the water on M/V Sea Lion!  Morale was high among passengers as Captain Erick explained at the dock that our plan was to head south today to follow a morning report of Bigg’s killer whales!  The whales had been seen by the RA buoy east of Hein Bank and were trending southeast at 5-6 knots.  With a quick calculation, we aimed to...

Olivia | M/V Kestrel | August 30th, 2020 | 14:00

It was the iconic Pacific Northwest weather today, going into the trip with sunshine and warmth, and ending the trip in rain and clouds. However, we do not let the shift in weather get us down just like it does not get down the whales- our trip proved this theory! We were lucky enough to leave Friday Harbor and immediately between Turn and Shaw Islands, we saw a Minke Whale! The Minke Whale fought against the nickname “Slinky Minke”...

Erick | Kestrel | 2:00PM | August 28, 2020

As August comes to a close, we have had a couple of great weather days. Captain Gabe and I took a great group of guests out to look for exciting wildlife in the Salish Sea. We headed north where there was a group of orcas spotted. We met up with them around White Rock near Flattop Island. It was a family of Bigg’s (formerly known as Transient) Orcas! This family was the T37A’s! This is a great family with five members. As they approached...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | August 28th, 2020 | 13:30

It was a flawless day out on the water this afternoon. Captain Pete and I were lucky enough to inform our passengers that we were leaving the dock with a rumored whale report in the area, which already made it a special day. What was even better? The rumor was that the whales were just south of Jones Island, right in San Juan Channel. Who on our boat has good karma?! Scooting up to Jones Island, we caught sight of those black dorsal...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | August 25th, 2020 | 13:30

We started the day with a report of Transient Orca as we left the dock. This immediately shot Captain Sarah and I into excitement, since every day we leave port having to find whatever whales might be swimming in our waters. Without whales being tagged, everything is found based on visual sight. Not only was there a report, but they were rumored to be close! What!? If this held true, our jobs were going to look way too easy. We...