Olivia | M/V Osprey | June 12th, 2021 | 12:30pm

Every day is a complete surprise on where we travel around the Salish Sea depending on where whales and wildlife are being spotted. That means, often we head off in one direction and end up turning a different way. Today was one of those days where we initially pointed south down San Juan Channel and immediately got a report of a Gray Whale picked up just north of Friday Harbor. By the time we got on scene, the baleen whale was on the...

Olivia | M/V Osprey | May 29th, 2021 | 12:30pm

Kicking off Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, we left the dock with Koma Kulshan (Mount Baker) standing tall on the blue horizon as the water below sparkled in the mid-morning sun. Captain Gabe decided to start our adventures south through San Juan Channel. With the glassy water laid out in front of us, it made our ventures easy to spot Harbor Porpoise surfacing for a warm breath of air. These chocolate chip dorsal fins really stand out...

Jordan | M/V Kestrel | 05/15/2021 1:30pm

We were all really excited to get out on the water as Captain Brian and I gathered our new friends and boated out of Friday Harbor.

We heard whispers of something exciting down south, so we boated down the Channel and out into open waters. Boating out towards the Olympic Peninsula, we reached an area called Middle Bank where we started to see boats! As we approached, we began to see blows and wow it was beautiful!

The mottled gray and white...

Jordan Higgins Blogs

Jordan | M/V Sea Lion | 05/02/2021 |1:00pm

For any given trip, we never know what is going to happen or what we are going to see that day. But, wow, today we were incredibly lucky! We saw so much extraordinary wildlife!

The day began as Captain Pete and I greeted our guests and set off out of Friday Harbor towards the great unknown. We headed down south towards whispers of potential sightings. As we saw Cattle Point Lighthouse appear on the horizon, we knew we...

Jordan | M/V Sea Lion | 04/24/2021 |5:00pm

The clock strikes 5:00 o’clock and Captain Pete, our guests and I jump onto the boat and head out to semi-open sea. We turn right and head towards adventure.

We arrive at these rocks jutting out of the water in the middle of the channel and find that they’re covered with Steller sea lions! These males were massive creatures that threw their body weight around and practiced being as macho as possible. They clearly have been feeding well in...

Jordan | M/V Sea Lion | 04/24/2021 |1:00pm

What a wonderful day!

As our wonderful guests hopped on our boat, Captain Pete and I headed out of Friday Harbor and south down the San Juan Channel. We boated until we reached the Southern point of San Juan Island where there was a gorgeous lighthouse called Cattle Point Lighthouse!

Around this area, there were huge rocks jutting out of the water that were completely covered with Sea Lions! These huge animals barked at each other, splashed...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | April 23rd, 2021 | 13:00

Kicking off the weekend, Captain Pete decided to start the trip by heading inner island through Upright Passage, eventually turning south into Lopez Sound. Just off Coleville Island, we spotted a large spout as it shot above the surface of the water. This spout belonged to a Gray Whale that was feeding in about 80 feet of water. This baleen whale feeds on about 2,400 pounds of food every day during the summer feeding months here in the...

Laura | M/V Sea Lion | 4/21/2021 | 1:00PM

It was a typical Tuesday in April as we headed out of Friday Harbor without a known whale report.  This is very common as most vessels head out of the marina around the same time and we all start communicating our charted plan for the day.  As soon as M/V Sea Lion headed out of Friday Harbor, there was a bald eagle resting perfectly perched near the Friday Harbor Marine Lab trails.  We took a quick look and then headed through Upright Channel...

Olivia | April 18th, 2021 | M/V Kestrel | 14:00

It felt great to get back out on my first M/V Kestrel trip of the season with Captain Brian, especially since it was warm, calm, AND sunny around the islands. We started the trip with a great group of people excited to get out and see what the Salish Sea had to offer. We departed the dock by heading south towards Cattle Point, stopping mid channel to view a giant bait ball with lots of bird action including a variety of gulls...

Jordan | M/V Sea Lion | 04/18/2021 |1:00pm

Today was one of the most incredible trips of the season! I felt so grateful that all my guests got to experience such a lucky tour.

It began as a normal day as we enjoyed the Sunday sunshine in Friday Harbor. Everyone felt excited but a little nervous about what we may see during the trip. Captain Pete and I hopped on our boat, the Sea Lion, and headed down south towards the southern tip of San Juan.

As we approached Cattle Point lighthouse...