Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | May 23rd, 2022 | 12:30pm

The Pacific Northwest decided to pull one of her most cliché moves by raining on a day that didn’t call for it; but off we went with happy faces ready for whatever the day brought. Heading north, we stopped at Flattop Island admiring heaps of Pigeon Guillemots with their red feet bold against the green water. Nearby we found several Harbor Seals swimming along the basalt rock as well as an adult Bald Eagle stoically looking across the...

Haleigh | M/V Kestrel | May 22, 2022 | 2:00 pm

After a long winter away from the Salish Sea, I was extremely excited to depart on my first tour of the season! With no expectations, I was thrilled to be back on the water with a group of giddy guests for our Adventure tour. We departed from Friday Harbor heading South through San Juan Channel towards Cattle Pass. Along the starboard side of the vessel, we stopped to check out a haul out of Harbor Seals basking in the sun. Continuing...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 05/21/2022 | 2:00pm

    Today was pretty perfect! The sun was out, the sea was glass and guests were stoked. We swiftly left Friday Harbor and rounded up north through the San Juan Channel where we then stopped at Flattop Island. We sat there spinning for several minutes in the upwelling, admiring the island that poked itself out of the water. 

    Suddenly a blow! A Humpback whale appeared off our bow surfacing every few minutes to take a deep, fresh breath...

Laura / M/V Sea Lion / 5/20/2022 / 12:30PM

This afternoon was the first hint of summer in the Salish Sea!  We headed northbound on M/V Sea Lion and had our first bald eagle encounter of the day near the Cactus Islands.  We slowly cruised through this area soaking up the blue skies and sunshine and calm green water.  The channels were all combining in this area, creating a whirlpool effect.  Our harbor seals moved in and out of the kelp beds and hoisted their bodies on nearby rocks to...

Maxx K. | M/V Osprey | 05/19/2022 | 1:00pm

    We had a full boat of guests today on our 1:00 departure out of Friday Harbor, and let me tell you, it was a BEAUTIFUL day. I might even go so far as to say it was almost warm. Summer is officially on its wayspie and today was the perfect sampling. 

    We started up north through the San Juan Channel where we then rounded up and over the north side of Spieden Island. I’m obsessed with Spieden Island, not only because the non-native...

Laura / M/V Kestrel / 5/17/2022 / 2:00PM

Today was an outstanding whale day on M/V Kestrel!  We left the dock headed north with a rumor of Bigg’s killer whales near South Pender Island.  The seas were beautiful, and we had a fun ride past Boundary Pass and into Canadian waters.  On the way to these orcas a passenger spotted a distant blow in the area northwest of Gooch and Comet Island!  We immediately went over to check it out and arrived just in time to find Big Mama and her...

Lauren | M/V Sea Lion | 5.3.2022 | 12:30 PM

M/V Sea Lion had a small group today, only 9 passengers were aboard as we puttered out of Friday Harbor. I was beyond delighted to hear that the infamous “Big Mama” was back in the Salish Sea, and that we may see her out on our trip today. Seeing “Big Mama” is a treat in itself, but we got some exciting news yesterday… “Big Mama” was not only back in town, but she had a new calf with her!

Once we got word that “Big Mama” and calf were...

Olivia | April 12th, 2022 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:30pm

But wait, did we just witness history in the Salish Sea?

Captain Brian and I caught word of three families of Bigg’s Killer Whales north in the Strait of Georgia. Leaving the harbor, we debated if we could make it there and back in our allotted tour time, with how far away they were moving. It didn’t take us long to decide to go there once we heard there was a Humpback Whale not too far away. To Georgeson Pass we went!

Coming out of...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | March 16th, 2022 | 12:30pm

If I would have known leaving the dock today what I know now, there is no way I would believe it. We headed out just like any other spring day; a cold breeze guiding us towards the flirting sun in search of any Salish Sea wildlife. On M/V Sea Lion, we often start our trips with a tutorial on how to spot wildlife with each season and tips on what to look for. I prefaced with the fact that these shoulder seasons are often the most...