Left Friday Harbor around 1:30 with reports of Southern Residents in the Strait of Juan De Fuca heading our way.  We cruised down San Juan Channel and out towards the reports hoping to come across them.  The trip out was beautiful with clear views of the Olympic Mountains and glassy, flat water.  It took us well over an hour to reach the area of the last reported whales, but it was well worth the trip.

J-pod was cruising steadily east.  Our passengers were very excited to see...

Leaving Friday harbor we had reports of transients around Hein Bank moving southwest.  We cruised in to the area of Hein Bank about an hour and a half later and realized that the whales had made some distance towards Port Angeles.  Finally the whales came in to site.  Our passengers couldn't have been happier.  We got a few good looks at the group of about 6 whales.  There was a very identifiable male with a tall dorsal that kind of curved at the top.  There was also a very...

For the second day in a row we found ourselves in Haro Straight.  It was another beautiful, glassy day on the water and as we rounded the northwestern corner of San Juan Island we could see blows to the south.  There were 4 Transient Orca whales.  There was one big male with a huge, notched dorsal that was bent over slightly to the left at the very top.  There were also two smaller whales (one presumably a female/mother) and a calf in the pod.  We stopped and watched to see where the...

First things first...

Happy Mother's Day to all of the wonderful mothers out there who raise us to love and appreciate the ocean and all of the amazing things living in it.

We left the harbor as if on a sheet of glass.  It was calm enough to see a ripple a mile away.  We headed north and around toward Battleship Island in search of giants.  The calm seas and lack of wind afforded us a quick and comfortable ride out into Haro Straight.  As soon as we got past Battleship one of our...

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As seen on a Birding Tour Charter May 2011

Happy Birders on the Birding Charter. Guests are from the Tri Cities.

Mature Bald Eagle in its nest

A Bald Eagle Makes A Kill in Mid-Air- Victum is a Glaucous Winged Gull

Palagic Cormorants with Glacous Winged Gulls

Birder with camera closing in on "THE shot"

A Bald Eagle Makes A Kill in Mid-Air- Victum is a Glaucous Winged Gull

Two Bald Eagle with their Glaucous Winged Gull meal

The Tri Cities Birding Group May 7, 2011

Birders and Bird Leader Barb Jensen

Mike Oster, Lead Naturalist and also a Captain.

Today we had a charter for a group of birders which departed at 9:00. Heading south out of Friday Harbor we almost immediately saw: Pelagic Cormorants,  Brandts Cormorants, Double Crested Cormorants.
There were Black Oyster Catchers on Goose Island and also a HARLEQUIN Duck there.
Out at whale rocks we saw a large group of Stellar Sea Lions basking.
There were several Rhinoceros Aucklets and Pigeon Guillemots.
MARBLED MURLETS!!!! Yes, but had it not been for Barb Jensen I dont know if the rest of of us would have spotted them.

Bald eagles were in trees and nest. But the best was when a bald eagle snatched a Glacous Winged Gull out of the air, BAM! and brought it to shore where its mate was waiting. The eagle that caught is, then began cleaning it - feathers flying.

We also saw a pair of Peregrine Falcons - Up in the rock and trees - another Barb spotting. Someone in the group spotted a Harlequin Duck. What a beauty!

About 3 hours later we pulled back in to Friday Harbor. The day was beautiful - blue skies. Not the rain predicted.

Over and out for now,

Colleen, Naturalist

Another beautiful day.  That makes wo in a row!

It was calm enough to head south through Cattle Pass and do an entire circumnavigation of San Juan Island.  Whale rocks was packed with Steller Seal Lions,  Harbor Seals, and Cormorants and as we headed out toward the straight, with the wind at our backs, we decided it would be the perfect day to just keep on going.  We made it all the way around to Henry Island and turned out toward Speiden to try to sneak a peek at some land mammals. ...

Heading south through cattle pass we encountered some Harbor Seals as well as a lone Steller Sea Lion swimming south and playing in the current.  Whale rocks also provided us with some very large male Stellers' maneuvering awkwardly on shore.

We then headed into the middle of Haro strait to try and confirm the rumors of J-pod.  Sure enough, in glassy water with very light wind, we saw two orca cruising at the surface.  They were heading west at a pretty steady pace.  After scanning...

Tuesday brought sunny skies and calm water.  We headed north from Friday Harbor with reports of whales in active pass as well as faint vocalizations around Lime Kiln.  We were trying to decide which way to start our search when we heard confirmed reports of J-Pod off Moresby Island.  As we slowly approached the area the whales came in to view.  The passengers on board were ecstatic!  The pod was spread out into smaller groups.  Some were in way close to shore, while another group of...

We left Friday Harbor with reports of a Minke Whale in Canadian waters.  Under sunny skies and over glassy water we headed west.  As we approached the area of the last sighting we slowed to a stop and shut down the engines.  The passengers spread out along the rails and kept their eyes on the water.  After fifteen minutes of scanning we saw the small whale surface about a quarter of a mile from the boat.

We watched it surface and saw that it was moving east.  We idled parallel at...