Kelly | M/V Osprey | April 15th, 2026 | 1:30pm The weather was moody as we exited Friday Harbor and took a left into San Juan Channel. Depending on which direction you looked the sky varied from overcast, heavy rain and bright sunshine. We slipped over the top of San Juan Island and very quickly slowed our speed as we approached a pair of killer whales from a half mile. These whales were identified as: T65 Whidbey II (before) 1968 F T63 Chainsaw 1978 M This mother and son duo had just departed...

Abby | M/V Osprey | April 8th, 2026 | 1:30pm

Another beautiful day on San Juan Island! Today we had a report of Bigg’s Killer Whales before we even left the dock. Luckily, they were staying in the same general area, so as we left the harbor we headed south towards Cattle Point. When we took the first turn out of the harbor we were greeted with a pair of Steller’s Sea Lions swimming. Wildlife can be found in so many places out here and we never know what we are going to find! We kept heading south...

Abby | M/V Osprey | April 6th, 2026 | 1:30pm

We departed Friday Harbor and traveled along the ferry route towards the eastern side of Orcas Island. As we rounded the southeastern point of Orcas Island, we saw a number of Steller’s Sea Lions swimming off the shore. The waters were so clear and calm that we had incredible looks at their big brown bodies below the water’s surface. Not far away was a report of 18 Bigg’s Killer Whales! When this many individuals are together, we call it a T-Party. The...

Abby | M/V Osprey | March 30th, 2026 | 1:30pm

Our trip on Monday was filled with sun rays and calm waters. We traveled south in San Juan Channel out of Friday Harbor. We always keep our heads on a swivel traveling around the Salish Sea as we never know what we are going to come across. In the treetops we saw Bald Eagles watching everyone pass by below. As we continued south, we passed Goose Island where we saw some Pelagic and Double Crested Cormorants. It is always neat to view the Double...

Lauren | M/V Osprey | Thursday, August 14th, 2025 | 12:30 PM

Today we went the distance! The M/V Osprey made the 30 mile trek from Friday Harbor  to Cowichen Bay on the east coast of Vancouver Island. We got a report that whales were picked up in Saanich Inlet heading north. These whales heading north was a good sign, but if they headed northwest we would be in a predicament. We left the dock and headed for these whales, hoping for the best. With no time for stops, we left Friday Harbor and...

Lauren | M/V Osprey | Sunday, August 10th, 2025 | 12:30 PM

Each killer whale in the Coastal Bigg’s Population is given an alphanumeric designation and they are also given a nickname. The industry professionals in this region are in charge of nicknaming these whales. We put forth ideas and then all vote to determine the winning name. Many of the nicknames are random, while others have a more intentional theme. For the T109A’s there are two main themes that were considered when giving names. Many...

Lauren | M/V Osprey | Friday, August 8th, 2025 | 12:30 PM

Our Classic Whale Watch & Wildlife Tour departed Friday Harbor and headed north towards an exciting whale report. The fan favorites the T018’s have been out and about and we were stoked to hear they were back in our range today! There has been much debate on what to call this family of three, as industry professionals refer to them as both the T018’s and T019’s. The T018s is (or was) made up of three generations of orcas. 

T018/Esperanza is...

Lauren | M/V Osprey | Sunday, August 3rd, 2025 | 12:30 PM

Today we went the distance. We ventured just about as far as we can during a 4 hour Classic Whale Watch and Wildlife tour. The T065A’s had been picked up in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and they were trending southeast, which was not great news for us. If they continued on that trend they would’ve been out of rour each. We were pretty convinced we weren’t gonna see them as the T065A’s have been spending most of their summer down in Puget...

Olivia Ellman | M/V Osprey | Wednesday August 6th, 2025 | 12:30 pm

There were multiple reports of whales when we left the harbor, but all of them were equally far away so we weren’t quite sure if we would be able to make it if they decided to travel the opposite direction. Captain Vaun decided to go for Victoria, BC for our best chance at finding killer whales, so we began heading south. As we passed by Cattle Point, we got to see some harbor seals and many cormorants on Goose Island before...

Kelly | M/V Osprey | Monday, August 4th 2025 | 2 PM

We made our way swiftly across San Juan Channel and into Presidents Channel aboard the M/V Osprey. We had a confirmed whale sighting reported by a member of the Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) toward the east. As we made our way past the Lopez ferry terminal and into the heart of the San Juan's, we spotted many jumping pink salmon! We know that pink salmon runs here every other year, but this is a particularly abundant season. Nearly...