Isn't it amazing how family-oriented killer whales are? They wouldn't be very successful out there in the big wide ocean without their moms and sisters and brothers! Once a female orca gives birth to a calf, that calf is going to stick by her side for life. Family pods are the core unit of orca society, and they are headed by the female matriarch. She's generally a wealth of information since she's been around the longest, and she can show her family the ropes as far as where to...

On Sunday, Captain Mike, myself, and Hannah set out on yet another sunny adventurous day in the Salish Sea. It was a wee bit windy down south, so we headed north to search within and on the northern edge of our little archipelago here. We skimmed past Orcas Island and Waldron Island two of our taller islands and definitely the ones with enormous coniferous trees hanging on desperately onto the rocky cliffs that rise from the dark blue waters. We approached the Patos Island lighthouse...

Some days are just simply spectacular. Today combined flat water, good company, and amazing killer whale sightings for magic on the M/V Sea Lion.

Naturalist Erick, Captain Mike and I set out on our 1:30 pm tour with reports of some of our Southern Resident Killer Whales on the west side of San Juan Island in Haro Strait. We work together with a spotting network, known as the Pacific Whale Watch Association, which is comprised of other whale watch companies spread out all over the...

Whoa, Friday Harbor! Are we getting a heat wave or what? Nothing beats summer here in the Pacific Northwest. Dry heat, and out here on the San Juan Islands, it typically doesn't rise above 72 degrees during the day. But the winds have shifted for a few days, and we've been getting some beautiful warm air blowing down from the north, bringing the temps up to about 85! Needless to say, it was beautiful out on the water, with barely a need to put on a jacket out on the water! While we...

So Hot, well it’s hot for us. It got all the way up to 80F on land here today, but still pretty cool over the water as we headed towards the west side of San Juan Island again today. We made it to Eagle Cove and started to see those telltale blows over the water. We got closer and it was a very spread out group of K pod and J pod milling and catching fish off the western coast of San Juan Island. Soon though they finished fishing and started to group up a little bit off shore, and it...

Yesterday was probably one of the hottest of the summer here in the San Juan Islands. It got to around 80˚F on land, but once we were on the water it cooled down to a nice pleasant temperature. Today was one of those rare days as well that we did not really go that far. Friday Harbor is on the east side of San Juan Island and usually we make a few stops to see wildlife and eventually make our way to one of the larger straits to see the whales but today we went about a minute outside...

What an absolutely breathtaking day out on the M/V Sea Lion! We had two whale watch tours today, and a chance to hang out with several members of the J-Pod. These Southern Resident Killer Whales were happily foraging and traveling along the west side of San Juan Island today, a treat for both boat- and land-based whale watchers. The best part? We had two excited calves showing off their tail slapping abilities! This is such a fun behavior to not only see, but to hear as well. So what's up with...

You know those moments in life that absolutely take your breath away? We certainly experienced some of those today on our two whale watch tours on the M/V Sea Lion. Transient killer whales, the mammal-eaters who we encounter frequently in the Salish Sea, were spotted near East Point in the Strait of Georgia, and we were lucky enought to witness three families meeting up and socializing. It was breathtaking, as they seemed to be moving in tight formations, greeting each other while...

Today was a classic resident killer whale watching day. When we headed out of Friday Harbor we had reports of orcas all up and down the west side of San Juan Island, from Pile Point to the south end of Henry Island.

After heading south past Griffin Bay and moving through Cattle Pass, we noticed some Steller's sea lions laying out on a rocky island. These sea lions migrate every spring from California to Alaska and back in the fall, often stopping by our area on their way there and...

Whales, whales, whales...we have a marvelously diverse marine ecosystem out here, but of course, sometimes we get to encounter the biggest marine mammals of all. Humpbacks, minkes, killer whales, gray whales...each day brings new sightings and new experiences! Sea Lion was up and running, ready for her two trips on this wonderful Saturday afternoon. Pulling out of Friday Harbor with the breeze tugging at our hair and sleeves, there was a feeling of anticipation and the taste of...