[Sarah – 05/26/2018 – M/V Kestrel – 10:00am]

I love starting my mornings with a piping hot cup of coffee and looking at early whale reports. Sipping on my stiff mug of black coffee, I knew we were in for a treat on our morning trip on M/V Kestrel from Friday Harbor. One of my very favorite families of killer whales was in the area, and pretty close!

Captain Mike and I loaded up our group of enthusiastic guests and headed south out of the mouth of the harbor, looking for wildlife. We...

[Naturalist Sarah – 06/11/2018 – M/V Sea Lion – 12:00pm]

Monday was just another day that put a smile on my face that stayed through dinner. After a long absence from the inland waters we enjoyed a delightful encounter with members of our Southern Resident killer whale population.

Today Captain Pete, Naturalist Jordan, and I departed Friday Harbor with a boatful of curious and excited guests! Right off the bat, as we turned left and headed north out of the harbor, we got some...

[Sarah – 05/18/2018 – M/V Kestrel – 2:00pm]

Welcome home Captain Gabe! On Captain Gabe’s first trip of the season we had an amazing day! M/V Kestrel never fails to impress me with her range on a 3-4 hour trip. Friday’s afternoon Adventure Tour was a great example, just of what that boat can do.

We left the dock with no firm reports of whales in our area, by the time we were in the mouth of Friday Harbor a boat had called in… Orcas! We left the harbor cruising north through San Juan...

[Naturalist Sarah –  10/25/2017 –  M/V Sea Lion –  12:00pm]

Is this July? Is this the summer? Well, the weather didn’t seem right today, but the sighting sure did… more orcas! Usually we expect to see most of our orcas May-September, with a 90% success rate. In the spring and fall, our orca sightings are usually fifty, fifty, as most of the Chinook salmon that our Southern Resident killer whales feed on has diminished in the inland waters. This fall we have been seeing a lot of our...

[Naturalist Sarah – 09/28/2017 – M/V Sea Lion – 12:00pm]

What a beautiful July… errr, September day? What beautiful weather we have been treated to over the last few days! It has felt more like peak summer with eighty degree temperatures, blue skies, and whales sighted throughout the Salish Sea! As we close out September here at San Juan Safaris, we have had consistent reminders of why September is our favorite month to cruise the Islands.

San Juan Islands Wildlife

Yesterday was...

[Naturalist Sarah – 09/22/2017 – M/V Sea Lion – 12:00pm]

September, September, September! There is a reason that this month is a staff favorite out on the water. Today was just another day that puts a smile on your face that stays through dinner. This afternoon we had a delightful encounter with members of our Southern Resident killer whales.

Today Captain Gabe, Naturalist Courtney, and I departed Friday Harbor with a boatful of curious and excited guests! Right off the bat, as we...

09/13/17- M/V Kestrel- 2PM

Our resident whales still seem to be sticking around!  We haven’t seen much of our resident whales this summer because of our record low salmon run, but today our guests were treated with the opportunity to see L pod. 

We headed down San Juan Channel and found the whales in Cattle pass.  When we first arrived we saw a few breaches and some other displays of social behavior.  The whales then shifted to a fast travel pattern while heading towards the...

[Sarah M – 08/03/2017 – M/V Sea Lion – 01:30pm & 05:30pm]

Yesterday the M/V Sea Lion had another pair of great trips in the Salish Sea. Even though we are still experiencing smoky conditions, the wildlife sightings have been off the charts amazing and unaffected by the atmospheric conditions.

01:30pm Afternoon Classic Whale Watch

Wildlife

On our afternoon trip we left Friday Harbor and headed south towards Cattle Pass, encountering harbor porpoise and harbor seals as we cruised...

[7/21/17- M/V Kestrel- 10AM & 2PM]

 J pod is still here!  We left Friday Harbor and headed East towards Rosario Strait, where the whales were hanging out pretty much all day.  On our way we stopped at a beautiful eagle’s nest on the northern tip of Lopez Island.  Eagle’s nests can get about 6 feet deep and ten wide wide and can weigh over 2,000 pounds. 

Once we got some good eagle looks we continued East towards Anacortes were we encounter J pod!  Most of our viewing was of the J38...

[6/25/17 - M/V Sea Lion - 1:30PM] The Residents are back! Parts of J pod and L pod were both spotted and heard (on the hydrophones) this morning. This is exciting! The San Juan Islands are best known for the salmon eating Southern Residents and it’s great to hear that they are back at least if only for a little while. Captain Gabe, Rachel, and I set out with a great crew to go find them. When they are around they usually have a few distinct paths that they like as they search for the...