Abby | M/V Kestrel | 2pm | 9/8/2021

Captain Solan and I cruised out of the harbor with the intention of viewing what is known as a “T-Party,” where several families of transient, or Biggs, killer whales were playfully interacting with one another. We zipped in between Shaw and Lopez Island, through Obstruction Pass, and headed North through the Rosario Strait before seeing our first exhalations and dorsal fins dotting the surface of the water.

Below is a list of the matrilines we...

Abby | M/V Kestrel | 2pm | 8/28/2021

Captain Eric and I headed south again for our second trip of the day, word of two teenagers still hunting around the Chain Islets in between Discovery Island and Oak Bay in Canadian waters. We first stopped for a “rock sausage” extravaganza. There were harbor seals aplenty on our way through San Juan Channel, their big globular eyes watching us drift past their rocky haul-out site.

Once we crossed the glassy Strait of Juan De Fuca, we set eyes on...

Abby | M/V Kestrel | 10am | 8/28/2021

Captain Eric and I zoomed out of the harbor, sighting reports coming from Victoria. As we zipped through the glassy Strait of Juan De Fuca, smiles beamed amidst the bright sun rays that started breaking through the morning clouds. There were already a few boats viewing the family (T041’s) that had been spotted in Canadian waters this morning, so we decided to make a pit stop at the Chain Islets in between Discovery Island and Oak Bay. Pelagic...

Jordan | M/V Sea Lion | 08/19/2021 2:00pm

So nice to get out on the boat!

Captain Pete and I grabbed our guests and headed out to sea. We heard whispers of something exciting happening over in Canada so we headed out to find out what the commotion was about.

We headed south and passed cattle point lighthouse as we rounded the southern point of San juan and headed west. Looking at a map, the Canadian border zig zags across the islands so the city of Victoria is actually south west of...

Jordan | M/V Sea Lion | 08/16/2021 2:00pm

Nturalist Haleigh and I joined captain Pete on the boat with our excited guests and headed out to see what we could find around the Salish Sea.

We headed north and crossed the border into Canada. Here we found Orcas!! Beautifully swimming around off the coast of Pender Island, we watched in awe as they searched for any prey that could be hiding within the rocks. It felt like a whole different world as we appreciated being able to boat in...

Haleigh | M/V Kestrel | August 15, 2021 | 2:00pm

As we loaded M/V Kestrel and shoved off there was excitement in the air - the search for whales had begun! We headed north towards Canadian waters, and although we expected choppy waters we had nothing but smooth sailing. The puffy white clouds reflected down in the glassy waters as we skimmed along in the zodiac.

We headed into the Strait of Georgia near Point Roberts, at the very tip of US waters. Then, in the distance, we saw a...

Haleigh | M/V Osprey | August 14, 2021 | 5:30pm

With intense fires burning throughout the west coast, smoky skies are spreading hundreds of miles. Here in the Salish Sea, the burnt skies finally reached us. As we departed for our sunset tour, the amber haze made the islands feel like a new place. The golden reflection from the fiery sun glimmered off the water’s surface. Seeing such intense sunlight also meant good conditions to find the reported Bigg’s Killer Whales traveling...

Abby | M/V Osprey | 8/11/2021

Naturalist Jordan, Captain Gabe, and I set out on an adventure to find some orcas. We had already seen them on our first trip, but they were still quite far at this point. We decided to take a gamble and press on towards Canadian waters, hopeful they would directionally trend in our favor. We headed north through San Juan Channel, a bald eagle making an immediate appearance as it regally sat atop a tall pine. We made a quick pit stop at Flattop Island to...

Jordan | M/V Osprey | 08/11/2021 12:30pm

Today, my adventurous spirit came out as we motored out to sea and into Canadian waters for one of the first times in two years!! We all felt so excited.

It all started when the Abby, Maxx, Captain Gabe and I jumped on Osprey with our guests and headed north through the San Juan Channel. With whispers of whales in the north, we booked it towards the border. But before we even left the harbor, we spotted a gorgeous bald eagle starring at us...

Abby | M/V Osprey | 8/10/2021

It was our second tour of the day and so far no orcas had been within our range. That was all about to change, however, as a new matriline I had never seen before was trending northeast past Victoria. We could potentially make it in time if they didn’t change direction. As we headed south through San Juan Channel and out into the Strait of Juan De Fuca, we saw a minke whale, who ended up doing laps around our vessel. The minke whale was a great first...