Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | September 11th, 2020 | 13:00

This smokey, yellow day started off a bit eerie in the San Juans due to the wildfires in Oregon, Washington, and California. We did not let this stop us from heading out in the water in search of wildlife that could be milling around. Shortly after leaving the dock, we saw a Steller’s Sea Lion swimming in San Juan Channel, coming up for big breaths in the golden haze. To start off our path, we decided to head north where there was...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | September 8th, 2020 | 13:00

Leaving the dock today, we did not let the smoke tear down our spirits as we headed south through San Juan Channel. Reaching Cattle Pass, we heard rumors of Bigg’s Killer Whales southwest of Hein Bank and decided to aim there with our best chances of showing our guests something black and white in the water. Our entire way there we were spotting Harbor Seals and Harbor Porpoise swimming between the shallow Salmon and Hein Banks.

It...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | September 7th, 2020 | 13:00

We left the dock today with no reports of whales in the area, a normal start with boats all leaving within the same hour out searching throughout the Salish Sea. Heading north towards boundary pass, we caught word through the Pacific Whale Watch Association of a family of Bigg’s Killer Whales on the Canadian side of north Haro Strait. Captain Pete decided to aim for that area in hopes we are lucky enough to be in the area with the...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | Septemeber 6th, 2020 | 13:00

The best thing about viewing wildlife is the pure fact that they are WILD! Every behavior is based on their timeline and comprised of raw moments they would be partaking in with or without us in the vicinity. That means, some days we travel almost 2 hours one way to see whales, some days we only have 3 sea lions hauled out opposed to 15, and some days we get lucky when they come right near San Juan Island and make the day feel...

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...

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”...