Olivia Ellman | M/V Osprey | July 21st, 2026 | 12:30 pm

After two days of no killer whales sighted in the region, today was our lucky day! We set out of Friday Harbor in search mode, scanning for any signs of whales and wildlife along San Juan Channel, peering up President’s Channel and among the Wasp Islands before turning west into Spieden Channel. We continued into the Haro Strait and made our way south towards a report of whales heading north. After a quick stop to see a bald eagle, we kept...

Olivia Ellman | M/V Osprey | July 20th, 2026 | 1:30 pm

Today’s classic tour took us through many different channels and pathways in our search for whales, including into Canada! We began by heading north and searching along Spieden Channel and the upper Haro. Our first seal stop was along Sentinel Rock, where we saw some seal pups resting with their mothers on the shoreline. These pups only stay with mom for about 6 weeks, so this is a critical time for them to learn and put on weight. We...

Aly Liu | M/V Osprey | Sunday, July 19, 2026 | 12:30 pm 

On today’s classic tour aboard M/V Osprey, we received reports of a rather uncommon scene here in the Salish Sea; four humpback whales were spotted in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, widely known as a “whale highway” connecting the greater Pacific Ocean and the Salish Sea. The San Juans are primarily a summer snacking ground for these baleen whales amidst a nearly 3000 mile migration, so social aggregations are quite rare. We headed south down...

Aly Liu | M/V Osprey | Thursday, July 16, 2026 | 12:30 pm 

M/V Osprey departed the hazy fog swallowing Friday Harbor on July 16 with heavy hearts; between Smith Island and Minor Island in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, a member of the Pacific Whale Watch Association reported the stranding of a killer whale that morning, raising concerns across our team. The individual was identified as T065B2, a seven-year old male Bigg’s killer whale known as Nettle.

We were soon distracted by a sea otter just...

Levi Vandebunte | M/V Osprey | July 18th, 2026 | 12:30pm

On this day we turned North out of Friday Harbor and wrapped around the top of San Juan Island. We crossed Haro Strait and entered Canadian waters near Sidney Island and D'Arcy Island. Not long after we slowed down, we spotted black dorsal fins cutting through the water. It was the T109As! This family of six Bigg's Killer Whales is led by the mother/matriarch "Runaway" and five of her kiddos. Her eldest son "Garrett" is of the age where his...

Kelly | M/V Osprey | July 17th, 2026 | 12:30 pm 

The overcast sky cleared as we departed Friday Harbor and took a left into San Juan Channel. Cruising up the channel we were treated to scenic looks at Turtleback mountain on Orcas island. Our first stop of the tour being a harbor seal hotspot known as White Rock. We watched as this cluster of seals clung to the rocky shoreline on the left side of the formation. So many newborn pups visible next to mom! We next slipped over the border into Canada...

Lauren Tschirhart | July 15th, 2026 | M/V Osprey | 12:30 pm

In the interislands of the Salish Sea, it is not often that we get the opportunity to see multiple humpbacks traveling together. Therefore, our encounter today was quite special. We got word that three humpback whales were seen swimming together in Presidents Channel. We departed Friday Harbor and wasted no time getting to that report. We zoomed north through San Juan Channel and Spring Passage and made our way on scene. These three...

Olivia Ellman | M/V Osprey | July 14th, 2026 | 12:30 pm

What a gorgeous day on the water, full of so many different species in our incredible ecosystem. There were some whale reports in Canadian waters when we departed the dock, so we began our travels south towards Victoria. We were immediately greeted by stunning views of Mt. Baker as we entered San Juan Channel, and saw many sea birds and seals as we neared Cattle Pass. We continued our cetacean scanning as we entered Salmon Bank and the...

Lauren Tschirhart | July 13th, 2026 | M/V Osprey | 1:30 pm

Today’s tour was filled with tons of spectacular sightings. We got to observe three different orcas and our tour ended with an unexpected humpback whale sighting. Who doesn’t love surprise whales? The M/V Osprey departed Friday Harbor and headed north in San Juan Channel. Our first wildlife sighting was of several harbor porpoise surfacing to the port side of our vessel. These porpoise surfaced several times, giving most of our guests the...

Lauren Tschirhart | July 12th, 2026 | M/V Osprey | 12:30 pm

Our guests aboard the M/V Osprey got to spend the day observing a group of 6 “Bigg’s” or Transient Orcas. We got to hangout with members of the T046B’s, the specific individuals present during today’s encounter were: 

• T046B/Raksha — female, born in 1988
  • T046B2/Akela — female, born in 2008
    • T046B2B/Takaya — female, born in 2023
  • T046B4/Quiver — male, born in 2014
  • T046B7/Tala — (?) in 2023
  • T046B8/Pi — female, born in 2026

We watched as these whales...