Haleigh | M/V Sea Lion | October 5, 2021 | 12:00 pm

It’s peak Humpback Whale watching season in the Salish Sea! Our Humpbacks are incredibly special because in the 1900’s, they were entirely whaled out of the area. Due to the increase in bait fish over the last couple of decades, more Humpbacks are returning each summer season. Females that return occasionally bring their calves back with them, teaching those young cetaceans that the Salish Sea is a viable feeding ground. With this...

Haleigh | M/V Kestrel | October 3, 2021 | 2:00 pm

Through the summer in the Salish Sea, we have the opportunity to spend time with Humpback Whales. Humpback Whales migrate to colder, nutrient-rich waters to take advantage of the abundance of food -- Sand Lances, Herring, and Krill. It’s important for these animals to stock up during these summer months before they begin their migration towards Hawaii. As we are entering our fall season, more Humpbacks are making their way through...

Haleigh | M/V Sea Lion | October 1, 2021 | 12:00 pm

It’s not super common to find whales right outside of the harbor, but when it happens it is incredibly special! Today was that day. We found two Humpback Whales traveling South through the San Juan Channel. Each surfacing was powerful, with a 15 foot exhalation releasing a plume of misty water into the air. The two humpbacks were traveling close alongside one another. At one point as they dove, one tail fluked while the other half...

Abby | M/V Kestrel | 2pm | 9/27/2021

Captain Gabe and I haven’t been on Kestrel together for a long time, and for that reason we knew it was going to be a great day. We left the dock with the only sighting report of the day, which was a long shot… but we were determined to make it work. We zipped out of the harbor and headed north through San Juan Channel while just about every other operator went south. It was a windy day with a rainy forecast, but we knew we could beat the weather...

Abby | M/V Kestrel | 2pm | 9/23/2021

Captain Eric and I zoomed out of the harbor, a new sighting report coming from the north, close to Waldron Island. We popped over to Flattop Island on our way to view the lazy harbor seals who were sprawled out on the rocky shoreline, thermoregulating their plump bodies. Birds dotted the trees and the wake around this small island, giving us a good glimpse (and smell) of the base of the food chain. 

Once we got on scene with the whales, we got...

Haleigh | M/V Kestrel | September 21, 2021 | 2:00 pm

Of the wildlife we see in the Salish Sea, about half of our summer inhabitants are migratory. Animals like Humpback whales, Gray whales, and Minke whales spend their summers here feeding due to the prey abundance. The other half of residential animals can be expected around the sea year round. One of those residential animals are our Bigg’s Killer Whales. Though their population ranges from the southern part of the Salish Sea all...

Haleigh | M/V Kestrel | September 19, 2021 | 2:00 pm

Our adventure tour took place on one of the beautiful, crisps fall days in the San Juan Islands. With calm conditions in the channels, we directed our boat towards a report of killer whales westbound. One our way, we stopped by a haul-out of Steller’s Sea Lions roaring at one another and playing in the kelp forest alongside the rocks. We continued west and saw spouts from afar. As we arrived, Captain Solan slowed our vessel down...

September 18th, 2021

Abby | M/V Kestrel | 2pm | 9/18/2021

Captain Solan and I zoomed south in San Juan Channel, cumulonimbus clouds rising steadily in front of Mount Baker. We headed over to Goose Island where double-crested cormorants stood atop their haystack-style nests and glaucous gulls screeched loudly at the prospect of an opportunistic snack. Harbor seals, or “rock sausages,” lazily laid on the shoreline, intermittently raising an eye at our presence. A large bull kelp...

Abby | M/V Kestrel | 2pm | 9/9/2021

Captain Solan and I slipped out of the harbor, deliberately cruising south through San Juan Channel to spot many different species, including:

• Steller Sea Lions
• Harbor Seals
• Double-Crested Cormorants
• Pelagic Cormorants
• Glaucous-Winged Gulls
• Marbled Murrelets
• Pigeon Guillemots

As we were viewing a large congregation of birds feasting on a bait ball, Solan and I received word of a family of Biggs (transient) killer whales heading north through...

Haleigh | M/V Sea Lion | September 9, 2021 | 1:30 pm

Our classic whale watching tour took off smoothly with blue skies around us and a boat full of passengers excited to search for wildlife! We began heading south through the San Juan Channel headed towards the Strait of Juan de Fuca. As we came through Cattle Pass, the smell of harbor seals and Steller’s sea lions wafted towards our vessel and drew us closer. We listened to the growls and play fighting by these toasty-brown males...