Kelly | M/V Osprey | 8/1/22 | 12:30

It was a picture-perfect summer day as we left Friday harbor and headed north in San Juan Channel. After quickly cruising up the channel, we stopped at Flattop Island. This island was bustling with wildlife! Multiple bald eagles soared over head as harbor seals lounged along the shoreline. A solo bald eagle was perched along the shoreline with its talons dug into a carcass. We watched as the impressive raptor pulled apart the animal’s flesh with...

Haleigh | M/V Osprey | July 31, 2022 | 12:30pm

As we headed off the dock on a beautiful warm day, we received an early report of Bigg’s Orca Whales… but they were running away from us. The T37A’s were making a run for it out the Strait of Juan de fuca, towards the open ocean. The only question was, could we get to them before they escaped? Captain Gabe yelled, “Full speed ahead!”, cranked the accelerator and the quest was afoot. 

We made our way through the bottle-necked channel...

Elle | M/V Osprey | 7/29/2022 | 5:30 PM

This evening was full of baleen whales here in the Salish Sea! After travelling south past Cattle Point Lighthouse we settled our boat in shallow waters at the top of Salmon Bank. We were surrounded by birds at the surface, hunting the smaller fish below, in what’s known as a bait ball. These bait balls on top of Salmon Bank are a favorite hunting area for minke whales, a smaller baleen whale with a reputation for being elusive. After patiently...

Elle | M/V Osprey | 7/29/2022 | 12:30 PM

Today was a lucky day! Just about 15 minutes after leaving Friday Harbor and heading north, we encountered a group of Bigg’s killer whales, and turned around to accompany them south. We spent some time watching this majestic family, the T37As travelling through San Juan Channel. The whales followed a bait ball, a big group of fish under the surface which attracts tons of birds and smaller marine mammals like seals and porpoises which are prey...

7/26/22

MV Osprey

Helena

12:30pm 

The crew was anxious to get out into the cool breeze of the Salish Sea on this hot Tuesday afternoon. Our sweaty faces were met with the cool air of the San Juan Channel as Captain Gabe picked up speed. We headed north into Spieden Channel following reports of humpback whales entering the Haro Strait. Humpback whales are one of our migratory cetaceans we see in these waters. Traveling from the coasts of Maui and Baja Mexico, these humpbacks journey...

7/20/2022

MV Osprey

Helena

12:30

This Wednesday MV Osprey and the crew departed the harbor around 12:30pm hungry for adventure! We journeyed south down San Juan Channel into Cattle Pass. Our fantastic mountain ranges gave spectacular backdrops as we took in Cattle Point Lighthouse. In the mid-1800s, cattle off-loaded from ships by Hudson Bay Company gave Cattle Point and Cattle Pass its name. Beneath the vessel we began to feel the colliding currents of the Haro Strait, The Strait...

Maxx K. | M/V Osprey | 07/19/2022 | 12:30pm

    Me oh my it was a beauty out there! There wasn't a gust of wind out on the water today and you could see blue sky clear down until the bold and beautiful Olympic Mountains. 

    Osprey absolutely flew today, zooming up through the San Juan Channel and rounding over the north side towards rumors of a couple of Bigg’s Killer Whales we’ve come to lovingly know as the “butcher boys (T049A2 and T065A3).” *These maturing males have been...

Elle | M/V Osprey | July 18, 2022 |12:30PM

Today we followed reports of Bigg's killer whales up into Canada. We departed Friday Harbor and sped up to Saturna Island, hoping to find them before they left the area. Luckily, these whales got caught up with a hunt between Saturna Island, North Pender Island, and Mayne Island. When we arrived onto the scene, we saw two five-foot-tall black fins. This indicated to us that we were looking at two teenage male orca whales. They have been...

MV Osprey

Helena

7/17/2022

I can’t think of a better Sunday afternoon spent than on MV Osprey here in the Salish Sea! Our adventure began east through Upright Channel, the breeze was light and the sun was poking through the puffy white clouds -- perfect conditions for a day on the water. 

We stopped first to observe some Harbor Seals hauled out on a rocky reef in Lopez Sound. It is pupping season for these pinnipeds so we also had the pleasure of getting looks at some adorable pups...

Elle | M/V Osprey | July 16, 2022 |12:30PM

We set out on a cool, cloudy day from Friday Harbor in search of wildlife. We headed down south past Cattle Point on San Juan Island and pulled up to Whale Rocks, off the western tip of Lopez Island. Here we saw a haul out of harbor seals as well as Steller's sea lions. While harbor seals are here year-round, sea lions migrate out of the Salish Sea. It's pretty rare to see them here this late in the summer so we were grateful for the chance...