Aly Liu | M/V Osprey | Wednesday, August 14, 2026 | 12:30 pm 

Today’s classic wildlife tour departed from Friday Harbor and made its first stop at White Rock after transiting north through San Juan Channel. Here, we enjoyed views of rock sausages, AKA harbor seals, a pinniped of the Salish Sea that is thriving at carrying capacity, eating over 60 species of prey, and satiating the hunger of the Bigg’s ecotype of killer whales here. 

The journey ahead across Boundary Pass and along the northern...

Olivia Esqueda | August 13th, 2026 | M/V Osprey | 12:30pm

Today was such a gift out on the water with so much wildlife to see and all close to home! We started off today’s trip by heading north through San Juan Channel. After passing heaps of Fried Egg Jellyfish and Harbor Porpoise, we found ourselves at Spieden Island. Not only did we see multiple Bald Eagles and a nest, but there were Harbor Seals hauled out all along the shoreline! This time of year is so fun as we can find pups everywhere...

Aly Liu | M/V Osprey | Wednesday, August 12, 2026 | 12:30 pm 

After leaving the dock in Friday Harbor, M/V Osprey booked it south through San Juan Channel towards reports of a T-party, or three families of Bigg’s Killer whales, in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. As we approached the scene, I had no idea that this was about to be my favorite encounter of the season thus far, and it is safe to say the entire crew shares these sentiments.

This afternoon was special for multiple reasons: 

• Large T-parties...

Levi Vandebunte | M/V Osprey | August 11th, 2026 | 12:30pm

We started this tour with a visit to a nearby kelp bed near Turn Rock to search for a Sea Otter that tends to frequent that spot. Just as we began searching we noticed him swimming towards the kelp from deeper water! It appeared that he was eating something small, perhaps a clam from the sea floor below. We watched him enjoy his lunch for a few minutes before departing and moving North up San Juan Channel. We were lucky enough to have a...

Kelly | M/V Osprey | August 10th, 2026 | 1:30pm

We began our journey north in San Jaun Channel, cruising quickly into Spieden Channel and enjoying fantastic looks at both Mount Baker and Turtleback Mountain along the way. We cruised over the top of San Juan Island, eventually making our way into a bigger body of water known as the Haro Strait. As we approached the Canadian border we began to spot exhales in the distance, two adult male orcas known as:

• T060D/Onca — male, born in 2004
• T060E/Lynx —...

Levi Vandebunte | M/V Osprey | August 9th, 2026 | 12:30pm

We left the dock with reports of several families of Bigg's Killer Whales moving South towards the San Juan Islands. We pointed North out of Friday Harbor and began our transit to hopefully see them. We made one stop on the way up to admire White Rock which on this day featured tons of Harbor Seals, Cormorants, and Glaucous-Winged Gulls. We then continued North and wrapped around the East Point of Saturna Island. After making the turn we...

Aly Liu | M/V Osprey | Friday, August 7, 2026 | 12:30 pm 

Today’s classic wildlife tour was full of large splashes, killer whale bellies, and even some...lustful displays. We followed reports east out of Friday Harbor between Shaw and Lopez Islands and through Peavine Pass to Rosario Strait. As we arrived on scene, Captain Gabe told the boat to quickly look outside, as he spotted large splashes off the bow. From these initial looks, we wondered if these two Bigg’s killer whale siblings, Neftali...

Olivia Ellman | M/V Osprey | August 8th, 2026 | 12:30 pm

We had such an exciting (and surprising!) find in the Juan de Fuca this afternoon! When we left the harbor, there were only some rumors of whale sightings in our regions that no vessels had been able to find so we began by heading south. Since we are part of the PWWA, we coordinated with other vessels in our network to figure out where to join in on the scanning in the hopes of finding whales. Luckily, conditions in the south had improved...

Kelly | M/V Osprey | August 6th, 2026 | 12:30pm

Hot hot summer day here in the San Juan’s! It felt amazing as the boat picked up speed and cooled us all off with a gentle ocean breeze. We took a left turn out of Friday Harbor and pointed north in San Jan Channel, setting our sights for a whale report off Stuart Island. Slipping into Spieden Channel and catching looks at non-native Mouflon sheep, harbor seals and bald eagles close to the shoreline. A we approached Stuart Islands scenic Turn Point...

Aly Liu | M/V Osprey | Wednesday, August 5, 2026 | 12:30 pm 

The sky above the glassy water was incredibly hazy today, the air was warm, and the Salish Sea full of wildlife. We headed north from Friday Harbor up San Juan Channel and circumnavigated San Juan Island thru Haro Strait, where two fifteen-foot blows erupted at the surface. It was two animals with one of the largest appendage-to-body-length ratios of any known animal! Humpbacks! These whales teased us with their arching backs repeatedly...