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

Today was truly an exciting day out on the water as we set out from Friday Harbor, following up on potential shore reports. We headed north through San Juan Channel, curving through the Wasp Islands, and extending our search northwest into New Channel which rests north of Spieden Island. Continuing west/ southwest, we dipped into the north Haro Strait around Henry Island and started seeing orca exhales outside of Mosquito Pass. 

We were the...

Levi Vandebunte | M/V Osprey | June 29th, 2026 | 12:30pm

We left Friday Harbor feeling very hopeful this day, as there was a great report not too far South. We started travelling down San Juan Channel, briefly stopping for a look at some huge Steller Sea Lions on a small group of islands called Whale Rocks. The report was that 11 Bigg's Killer Whales consisting of individuals from four different matrilines were moving West below Lopez Island. It first appeared that they would continue moving West...

Lauren Tschirhart | June 27th, 2026 | M/V Osprey | 12:30 pm

Today was a perfect example of how quickly things can change while out on the water. We left the dock, took a right out of Friday Harbor and headed south. As we made our way through Cattle Pass we stopped at Goose Island to view a ton of hauled out harbor seals. We got great views at a slew of pelagic cormorants, glaucous-winged gulls and double-crested cormorants before making our way west in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We passed by...

Levi Vandebunte | M/V Osprey | June 26th, 2026 | 12:30pm

This tour left the dock in calm conditions, with the occasional light rainfall for a few minutes at a time; a very "PNW" type of afternoon! We thankfully had a very short transit to our first group of whales though, and the rain stopped just as we arrived! The T49As were moving East through Cayou Channel, so we chose to wrap around the bottom of Shaw Island and meet up with them on the other side of it. We timed this perfectly and were...

Kelly Klein | M/V Osprey | June 24th, 2026 | 12:30pm

The only whale report in our area was far north, so we wasted no time leaving the harbor and pointing up San Juan Channel. Thankfully, it was an absolutely gorgeous summer day here! We certainty enjoyed the clear skies, calm water and a gentle breeze cooling all of us off from the mid day sun . As we continued to transit north, we were treated to looks in almost every direction of harbor porpoise! Their small dark triangular fins surfacing like...

Levi Vandebunte | M/V Osprey | June 23rd, 2026 | 12:30pm

This tour went North out of Friday Harbor towards a report of Killer Whales. We were even able to leave the dock a few minutes early which is always a nice start to a trip. After a beautiful transit through San Juan and President's Channels, we approached the T100 family at the very bottom of the Strait of Georgia. This family has been absolutely loving the San Juans this season, and they are quickly becoming one of our favorite matrilines...

Olivia Ellman | M/V Osprey | June 22nd, 2026 | 1:30 pm

The Salish Sea has been full of so many whales in beautiful conditions, I cannot get enough of these dreamy days on the water. Today was another exciting trip, as we found a famous family of Bigg’s Killer Whales that I had not seen before! 

We left Friday Harbor and immediately found a bald eagle on the shoreline. This was an excellent start getting to see this beautiful animal sit nearby. We continued north, traveling through the Wasp...

Olivia Esqueda | June 21st, 2026 | M/V Osprey | 12:30pm

Today was a heartwarming trip through the Salish Sea. Passing many Harbor Porpoise along the way, and the mountains peaking out behind the haze and clouds, it was remarkably warm with calm seas as we headed north through San Juan Channel in the direction of Boundary Pass. Weaving through Spring Passage and President’s Channel, we ended up north of Waldron Island, coming across a matriline of three Bigg’s Killer Whales- the T100’s! This...

Levi Vandebunte | M/V Osprey | June 20th, 2026 | 12:30pm

This tour headed North out of Friday Harbor. We stopped for a great look at tons of Harbor Seals that were hauled out on a rock formation. Some of them were sleeping, while others were swimming around in the nearby water. From there, we only had a few minutes of travel to arrive at a family of Bigg's Killer Whales! We set our eyes on the T100s, which is a family of three. The family consists of mother/matriarch "Hutchins", son "Laurel", and...

Kelly Klein | M/V Osprey | June 19th, 2026 | 12:30pm

We left the harbor and continued south in San Juan Channel eventually making our way into Cattle Pass. We made a quick pit stop at Goose Island, one of our birding hotspots. Enjoying looks at the cormorant nests and a few scattered harbor seals on the shoreline. Making our way into a bigger body of water known as The Strait of Juan de Fuca, we were treated to crystal clear views of the Olympic mountain range, perfectly mirrored in the glassy...