The orcas decided to swim out west past Victoria, B.C., so we went hunting for other wildlife.  A valiant, although

Steller's Sea Lion. Photo courtesy of NeteBini

flawed, attempt was made by several boats, ours included, to find minke whales at the south end of Lopez Island.  They should have been there and Capt. Mike and I both saw one, but they seemed to be going on forever dives and we never saw them come back up.  It hardly qualifies as a viable sighting if all of our...

San Juan Islands and Mount Baker. Photos courtesy of planetware.com

I am envious of those people that can sit down and power out a blog entry everyday and have it be different, interesting and engaging.  I am finding that as the season grows colder, quieter and slower, I am having difficulty finding the necessary inspiration.  Now, I do not want to give the impression that I am bored or that I in some way am not excited to continue to see the orcas every day.  What a gift it is...

Wow! That is pretty much the only way to describe our tour today. Dream up your perfect vision of a whale watching trip and we pretty much had it. We started the whale watching portion of the trip at Turn Point on Stuart Island. Captain Craig parked the boat with the perfect view a Turn Point lighthouse and the tippy-top of Mount Baker peeking out above giant fluffy distant clouds. The sun was shining down on us and the waters were calm. The warm land breeze from Stuart Island blew...

Today was my last day on the water.  I'm heading back to a place where there are no breaching orcas or island dotted waters- the Utah desert.   It was as if all the marine wildlife came out to say goodbye!  We left the harbor with reports of orcas along the southern tip of San Juan.  As we headed towards Salmon Bank, Captain Craig skillfully navigated through the fog.  Along the way, we saw harbor and dall's porpoises. Cattle Point Lighthouse stood illuminated in a sun patch, wisps...

When you cover as much water as we do in a week, it is easy to feel proprietary about the islands and creatures found therein. We all feel like we know and own the orcas, trees and birds. We even feel a fondness for the slimy spineless creatures, and who wouldn't when they make up most of the biomass (living bulk) of the ocean? So, the orcas are fabulous and I could not be happier that we have been continuing to see them everyday, but I think that the invertebrates need some love too. This is my...

The naming of an orca calf is a sensitive and involved process.  By the means of soliciting suggestions, sifting through the offerings and choosing the best options, and then serving up the prime choices for heated voting, orcas are endowed with monikers that help elevate them to the most regal of heights within the marine mammal community.  These chiefly labels will help the orcas define and express their personalities, strengths and values.  Because of this, orca calves must...

A day of boating on crystal calm, sun-sparkled waters with the very slightest breeze caressing our smiling faces as we stared out at the beautiful San Juan archipelago. What more could a boatload of people ask for? How about every member of the Southern Resident community gracing this scenery? Well, ask or not, that's what we got!

The flat waters allowed guests to watch as large clusters of orcas crossed Boundary Pass, heading towards Turn Point. The whales traveled in tight groups...

We left the harbor without any orca reports.  For about 20 minutes we wondered whether or not we would see our black and white friends today.  As we neared Spieden Island, Captain Craig started to receive reports of whales on the west side of San Juan heading north.  Surprise! This is my first season with San Juan Safaris, and I am almost convinced that I'm the lucky charm.  Either that, or it's the fact that the Fraser River is experiencing one of its biggest salmon runs in almost a...

Lately I've been appreciating the mysterious, blanketing fog. It wraps itself around the trees and the land, clinging like spider webs.We left Friday Harbor slowly and headed north, towards the orcas. Luckily for us, the fog cleared as we turned out of the harbor, but for those on the ferry headed west, the fog quieted their hearts and minds, while the sun shone on ours.

We headed north through San Juan Channel, past Flattop into President's Channel and then finally into Canadian...

Another great day on the west side of San Juan Island!  To start the trip off right we almost immediately spotted a bald eagle perched on Turn Island.  This must have been a good omen because today's trip was spectacular.  Little did we know it at the time, but there were about 20 orcas on the west side.  We traveled towards False Bay, stopping to watch the Steller's sea lions on Whale Rocks.  They were roaring loud today!  Our crew was so entertained with these charismatic creatures...