Olivia | M/V Kestrel | July 24th, 2020 | 10:00

We started off the trip by being one of the first boats out on the water for the day. That being said, we decided to start the trip by scanning some major bodies of water such as the Haro Strait. These tend to be hot spots for larger cetaceans and a great place to start. Additionally, we left the dock with a shore report of a potential Humpback Whale north of Lime Kiln Lighthouse. Unable to find this rumored Baleen Whale, we headed north...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | July 20th, 2020 | 17:30

For our evening sunset trip, we heard that the same Bigg’s Killer Whales from earlier this morning were still in range but traveling a bit further east closer to the edge of our scope. We felt it would still be worth it to our 11 passengers to see the black and white dolphins if at all possible, so off we went! Heading north through the San Juan Channel and cutting through Presidents Channel, Harbor Porpoise started swimming on the port...

Laura | M/V Kestrel | 7/20/2020 | 2:00pm

I must say, today was one of my favorite trips all season!  It was a gorgeous day on the water and the seas were so calm!  It felt so nice to have some warm breeze on such a hot day!  As we left the harbor there were reports of some Bigg’s killer whales close to home!  We made our way into the Rosario Strait and found orcas just 20 minutes after leaving our dock! 

Passengers scanned the shores and saw a cluster of tiny black dorsal fins as...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | July 20th, 2020 | 13:30

On what felt like the warmest day all summer (I wore shorts for the first time!) we left the dock with a Transient Orca report, which started us of with a boat full of excitement. Heading inner island through Upright Passage, we admired the Shaw and Lopez shorelines while spotting Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seals, and Bald Eagles. The sun was effortlessly radiating off the water as we caught astounding views of Mount Baker as she looked...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | July 19th, 2020 | 14:00 

This Adventure Trip on M/V Kestrel was so fun with Captain Brian and our guests! At the dock we had a few guests that were extra excited to be going out with us today which always makes it more exciting right away. We set out on our sunny venture by heading inner island towards Lummi Island. Upon arrival we spotted the same family group of Transient Orca that we saw yesterday, the T37A’s. At first sight, we saw TWO full body breaches...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | July 18th, 2020 | 17:30

We initially received word that the same family group of Transient Orca we saw on our 13:30 trip was traveling south away from the island. Trying to get off the dock quickly, we were humbly surprised that they turned INTO San Juan Channel!  We headed towards Shark Reef where we first caught word that they were hunting along the shoreline. Upon arrival, they happen to be on a long dive and ended up surfacing near Big Rock off Lopez...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | July 18th, 2020 | 13:30

It was the most picture-perfect day on the water we have had yet. Immensely sunny, WARM, Mount Baker and Mount Rainier flawlessly in view, the Olympic Mountains defined on the horizon, and calm seas.  We traveled south gazing at Harbor Seals hauled out on Turn Island and watching Harbor Porpoise swim outside of Griffin Bay. Upon reaching the southern side of Lopez Island between Colville and Long Island, we caught out first glances at...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | JUly 14, 2020 | 13:30

Every moment of our trip was a picture-perfect day out on the water. From the minute we left the dock we were graced with sharp views of Mount Baker [volcano] towering over the islands, a full bodied Mount Rainier [volcano] greeting us in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, as well as the entirety of the Olympic Mountain Range silhouetting the South.

We took a sneak peek at some Harbor Seals hauled out near Turn Island before spotting Harbor...

Olivia | M/V Kestrel | July 13th, 2020 | 11:00 Charter

Baleen whales in the sunshine, how neat is that!? Captain Brian and I started our private charter by heading south through San Juan Channel, briefly stopping in Cattle Pass to scout for Harbor Porpoise, and eventually dipping down into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Shortly after nearing Salmon Bank, a shallow area of the large waterway, we found an elusive Humpback Whale! This whale was initially averaging dives of around 7-minutes...

Laura | M/V Sea Lion | 7/13/2020 | 1:30 PM

M/V Sea Lion rocked it today in the Rosario Strait!  We left the dock with reports of a humpback whale south of San Juan Island and a potential orca whale sighting near Point Roberts in the Strait of Georgia from this morning.  Our captain and I discussed our tactic and decided to steam north in hopes of getting to see something black and white today.  Passengers were fully behind this notion and eagerly scanned with their binoculars across...