Wednesday, May 16 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:00 Noon

The M/V Sea Lion left Friday Harbor today and headed south into the glorious San Juan sunshine towards a report of two humpback whales near Salmon Bank, just off Cattle Point. Captain Pete, naturalist Rachel, myself, and our guests arrived on scene to find a giant humpback whale pectoral fin waving in the air! Humpback pectoral fins are up to 15 feet in length and we watched as this animal showed us its left pec, then its right pec, then...

[Friday, 5/4/18 - M/V Sea Lion - 12:00 - Naturalist Erick]

May the Fourth Be with you!

Today, Captain Pete and I headed north to ply the waters of the Salish Sea and look for incredible wildlife. Yesterday, we heard of some Humpback Whales hanging out in Birch Bay so we headed in that direction. On the way there just as we exited Presidents Channel we saw a fairly large group of Harbor Porpoises hunting in a prominent current line. These little ones are the area’s smallest...

[Sarah – 04/21/2018 – M/V Sea Lion – 12:00pm]

We had a classic Pacific Northwest spring trip on the M/V Sea Lion on Saturday! With a little bit of every weather condition, and lovely wildlife everywhere, it is a trip I will not soon forget.

M/V Sea Lion left Friday Harbor and headed north cruising towards Spieden Island, and other wildlife hotspots. We checked out harbor seals, Steller’s sea lions, and bald eagles before pressing further north. After talking with the other members of...

[Saturday, 4/21/18 – M/V Kestrel – 1:00PM – Naturalist Erick]

The past few weeks we have started running trips on our adventure vessel, M/V Kestrel. This craft is a RIB, a Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat, and can go pretty fast, around 30 – 40 knots. We suit up in these dope red and black exposure suits and head off. Captain Brian and I took a full group of folks northward to go search for somefun and exciting wildlife. This Saturday was sunny with a little breeze. We made our first...

[Naturalist Erick, Friday 10/27/17, M/V Sea Lion, 12:00]

All of western Washington’s coastline has jumped headlong into fall this week. We have been basking in the warm autumn sunshine and cool fall breezes that mark some of the best days for wildlife watching in San Juan Islands.

Migration Station

On Friday, we started our adventure by traveling north. Autumn means southward migration for both birds and some whale species. The past few weeks we have been seeing Humpback Whales...

(October 28, 2017)  Autumn is the best season to experience the San Juan Islands.  The crowds of visitors have thinned dramatically, weather is often epic, and wildlife is more abundant than in the summer.  This fall has been exceptional.  Bobbing out upon the Salish Sea under crystal clear skies, my eyes have been busy drinking in the vibrant golds and rusty hues of maple, oak, willow, and cherry burrowed into the deep green canvas of Pacific Northwest firs.  Competing for my...

[Naturalist Sarah – 10/26/2017 – M/V Sea Lion – 12:00pm]

Today was a great example of why we never stop scanning the water as we travel through the Salish Sea. After a whirlwind adventure north into the Canadian Gulf Islands, our persistence was rewarded by an encounter with a pair of humpback whales.

The Plan

Leaving Friday Harbor we headed north on the M/V Sea Lion. Captain Mike and I decided to head up into waters that hadn’t been covered by any whale watchers today. There had...

[Naturalist Sarah – 10/22/2017 – M/V Sea Lion – 12:00pm]

Yesterday, we had a beautiful day avoiding the raindrops in the Salish Sea. Leaving Friday Harbor we elected to head north on a possible rumor of a humpback whale in the Canadian Gulf Islands. This time of year our reports often start as sightings from the public reaching out to company offices, or even from the commercial fishing fleet!

Bald Eagles

As we left Friday Harbor we found a pair of bald eagles up in the trees along...

A Look Back At Our Fantastic Trip

[Naturalist Alexandria – 09/20/2017 – M/V Sea Lion – 12:00pm]

Our energetic group boarded Sea Lion on a crisp September afternoon, ready to explore the water surrounding San Juan Island to see what wildlife we could find!   We ventured north and began our search for some awesome wild life! 

Not long after leaving the harbor we were treated to some quick glances of a playful harbor porpoise frolicking in the waves as well as a harbor seal creating a...

(6/28/17 - Kittiwake 12:00 PM Departure)
Today M/V Kittiwake went out for a private charter with Amy, Steve and their Evergreen guide Justin, and what a delightful group they were! We moseyed to Hein Bank, a common feeding ground for the larger baleen whales in the area, and looked at other wildlife along the way. We stopped to see some harbor seals hauled out. Those pups should start appearing on the rocks anytime now. After getting that load of cuteness we continued on towards...