Olivia Ellman | M/V Kestrel | Saturday, June 14th, 2025 | 2:00 PM

During our afternoon trip on Kestrel, we got to cruise around the Canadian Gulf Islands and spend time with two different families of Bigg’s Killer Whales! We left Friday Harbor and headed north up San Juan Channel. Shortly after crossing the Canadian border, we stopped near Saturna Island to view a group of harbor seals resting on a small island. We then continued northwest to catch up with a group of whales that had been reported...

Olivia Ellman | M/V Kestrel | Thursday, June 12th 2025 | 2:00 PM

Today's afternoon trip took our breath away, especially if you're a porpoise…

When we left Friday Harbor, we were excited to begin searching for wildlife along San Juan Channel. We made our way to Spieden Island and got to see a number of bald eagles and harbor seals. We circled around Spieden and soon reached a group of Bigg’s Killer Whales! This was one of my favorite families the T123s, and we could see Stanley’s large dorsal fin...

Lauren | M/V Kestrel | Monday, June 11th, 2025 | 2:00 PM

We were spoiled today. There were whale reports galore, and the Salish Sea was booming with wildlife! Our Adventure Whale Watch & Wildlife tour ended up seeing three different Bigg’s Killer Whale families in three different bodies of water! 

We began our tour by heading east on an inter-island cruise. Our destination was to Rosario Strait to catch up with a family of Bigg’s Killer Whales known as the T123’s. This family of four was taking...

Lauren | M/V Osprey | Monday, June 9th, 2025 | 2:00 PM

We started our Classic Whale Watch & Wildlife tour by taking an inter-island cruise. We headed east across San Juan Channel and made our way into Upright Channel. Our first stop was to take a look at an active bald eagle's nest on the northeast side of Shaw Island. After getting great looks at this eagle in its impressive nest, we continued towards a whale report near Orcas Island. I’m not sure if it’s just a coincidence, or maybe the whales...

Lauren | M/V Osprey | Saturday, June 7th, 2025 | 12:30 PM

Today I had one of the most rewarding days of my career. I got to finally meet one of the whales I got to nickname! Each whale in the Coastal Biggs population gets an alphanumeric designation, along with a nickname. For the alphanumeric designation, each family gets a number and then it goes back-and-forth between letter and number based on lineage. For example, in this family of whales, the matriarch's designation is T036B. Which means...

Lauren | M/V Kestrel | Friday, June 6th, 2025 | 2:00 PM

Our Adventure Whale Watch & Wildlife Tour began with the M/V Kestrel heading south in San Juan Channel. We slowly cruised by Goose Island getting looks at the Double-Crested Cormorant nests with Cattle Point lighthouse as the backdrop. We made our way into the Strait of Juan De Fuca admiring the beautiful Olympic Peninsula in the distance. We then headed Southwest towards an exciting whale report! We got word that at least two families of...

Kelly | M/V Kestrel | Monday, June 9th 2025 | 2:00 PM

Whales were reported not too far away from us at the mouth of East Sound on Orcas Island. We quickly made our way in that direction, stopping for looks at a bald eagle. We watched as the powerful bird of prey pulled his talons out, dived toward the water and scooped up a small fish. A successful hunt! A rare sight, bald eagles are known for mostly scavenging here in the San Juan's. We made our way on scene with a group of 4 killer whales known...

Kelly | M/V Kestrel | Sunday, June 8th 2025 | 2:00 PM

Our first truly HOT day of the season! A perfect day to be on our high speed vessel the M/V Kestrel. We quickly made our way interisland, following the ferry route past the mouth of East Sound and eventually into the open Rosario Straight. Our first stop was for harbor seals scattered about Peapod Rocks, lounging in the hot sun. Next, we continued North East investigating a report of 7 Killer whales identified as the T124B's. When first...

Olivia Ellman | M/V Kestrel | June 7th, 2025 | 2:00 PM 

Kestrel departed Friday Harbor this afternoon in search of wildlife, and we certainly got what we hoped for! Today’s trip had the most species of marine mammals I have seen in a single trip, all under the most perfect weather conditions. We began by traveling south in San Juan Channel, stopping at Goose Island to see cormorants and admire Cattle Point Lighthouse. The skies were so clear today that we could also see Mt. Rainier in the...

Olivia Ellman | M/V Osprey | June 6th, 2025 | 12:30 PM 

Today was another beautiful day on the water for our afternoon Classic Whale Watch. We left Friday Harbor and began traveling east between Lopez and Shaw Islands in search of wildlife. We had some reports of killer whales further east, so we cruised interisland, through Peavine Pass and towards Lummi Island. As we got into Rosario Strait, we got to see a cool marine layer of fog over the water, but luckily this didn’t impede our visibility...