[7/29/30- M/V Sea Lion- Kelsey, Naturalist- 5:30PM]

The group of passengers on today’s M/V Sea Lion sunset trip were bumped up to Level Expert Whale Watchers, because they sighted their own whale that no one had seen all day! We do not use sonar or fancy equipment to find whales and other wildlife in the sea when we are on our trips, so we need everyone putting their eyes to the water and looking for cool animals. Today’s group did just that!

We were headed from Friday Harbor on San...

[7/28/17- M/V Sea Lion- Kelsey, Naturalist- 1:30PM and 5:30PM]

Sunny skies and whales in the forecast- it was turning out to be a beautiful July afternoon! Our first group departed on M/V Sea Lion from Friday Harbor on San Juan Island and headed north through San Juan Channel and President Channel. We reached Sucia Island and the top of Orcas Island, and lucky us, TWO family groups of transient, or mammal-eating, orca whales were around, just three miles apart!

We arrived on scene...

[Sarah M. – 07/26/2017 – M/V Sea Lion – 05:30pm]

Today’s sunset whale watch from Friday Harbor was one for the books. With glassy waters and beautiful islands, the night was already off to a great start. Add in a late afternoon report of killer whales and the night got even better!

We left Friday Harbor and headed north towards Boundary Pass, which separates the San Juan Islands in the United States from the Canadian Gulf Islands. There we found the T046 family group of Bigg’s...

(7/23/17- M/V Sea Lion- 5:30 PM)

This evening we departed from our Friday Harbor dock with reports of some of our Southern Resident Killer Whales heading up the west side of San Juan Island.  This is only my fourth time seeing these whales all season, so our guests today got a real treat. 

We headed up San Juan Channel where we stopped by some rocks and saw a few harbor seals hauled out while the tide was out.  Harbor seals haul out usually once a day in order to warm their body...

Lauren Fritz, M/V Sea Lion, 07/25/17, 1:30 pm & 5:30 pm Tours

There was lots of excitement this morning when we heard reports that J-pod, one of the Southern Resident Killer Whale pods in this area, was still hanging around in the Salish Sea. Earlier whale watching tours had spotted them cruising around out in Rosario Strait. We didn't know it at the start, but we would have the chance to see these amazing whales on both of our tours today! 

Naturalist Sarah and I made sure Sea Lion...

[7/22/17- M/V Sea Lion- Kelsey, Naturalist- 1:30PM]

To kick off the day, a drizzle of rain coated the island- some of the first rain in two months! Whoop! We were feeling refreshed as we departed Friday Harbor and San Juan Island in search of whales and other wildlife. Hopes were high and there was determination in our eyes. We were ready for whatever the day would bring us!

We turned south and went through Cattle Pass into the Haro Straight, and entering through the Straight of Juan...

[Sarah M. – 07/20/2017 – M/V Sea Lion – 05:30pm]

After a bit of a gray day in the San Juan Islands, we had a very welcome break in the clouds as we departed on our sunset whale watch from Friday Harbor. Out here in the Salish Sea your luck with wildlife sightings can change minute by minute, and yesterday was a great example of how the outcomes of previous trips can have no impact on sightings later in the day.

Captain Mike steered the M/V Sea Lion north out of the harbor towards...

[Naturalist Erick D., M/V Sea Lion, 7/19/17, 5:30PM]

We left from Friday Harbor on our evening tour with a whole great group aboard the M/V Sea Lion. Captain Mike, Sarah C., and I started our search south. We passed Lopez and San Juan Islands through Cattle Pass. As we motored along we passed many Harbor Seals, Rhinoceros Auklets, and Pelagic Cormorants swimming and playing in the dynamic waters in between the islands. We ended up motoring pretty far through Haro Strait and a...

*/

[7/18/17 1:30 SL]

Finally! After weeks of radio silence from our well-known resident orcas, L Pod has finally made a much-anticipated appearance. Historically found in the Salish Sea for the entirety of the summer, resident killer whales are now becoming a rarity in this area. Seeing them around San Juan Island during today's trip was such a treat, and...