Abby | M/V Sea Lion | April 18th, 2026 | 12:30pm We traveled into Canadian waters today along the coast of Discovery Island and Chatham Islands. We had a longer journey today in a larger area of water, so we made sure to keep an eye out for anything that could have popped up along our route. We had a few quick looks of some Harbor Porpoise, as it is always a fun treat to find them. They come and go so quick! We also saw some beautiful birds today, like Pelagic Cormorants and Surf Scoter's. The...

Abby | M/V Sea Lion | April 17th, 2026 | 12:30pm Another sunny spring day here on San Juan Island and another great day to explore the Salish Sea. Today we took a right out of Friday Harbor and headed inter island. We crossed San Juan Channel and traveled along the ferry route! We cruised along the south shore of Shaw Island where we could see the shoreline of Lopez Island on our starboard, or right, side of the vessel. As we rounded the north tip of Lopez Island and passed along the Lopez...

Abby | M/V Sea Lion | April 16th, 2026 | 12:30pm

A truly unforgettable trip today! We had a long journey ahead of us as we headed south in San Juan Channel. The report was over an hour away in the Strait of Juan De Fuca, far southeast of Victoria, BC. The sun was out, so we pushed on! As we traveled closer to the location of the report, we began to see the dorsal fins and exhales of 13 Bigg’s Killer Whales! The individuals were already identified as, or belonging to the families of the T46B’s, T1...

Olivia Esqueda | April 12th, 2026 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:30pm

Navigating inner island was truly something special. With the gray skies, calm seas, and lush, green trees, the Salish Sea wildlife had a way of really “coming alive” today. We headed inner island, spotting many birds along the way including Rhinoceros Auklets, Pigeon Guillemots, adult and juvenile Bald Eagles, Common Murres, Marbled Murrelets, Pelagic Cormorants, and even a Great Blue Heron right as we entered Rosario Strait. With...

Abby | M/V Sea Lion | April 11th, 2026 | 12:30pm

Unlike our trips the past few days, we left our dock in Friday Harbor with gray skies and drizzling rain. We turned north into San Juan Channel and planned to head towards Spieden Island. After maybe 30 minutes of cruising north, the captain and I heard another one of our captains on the radio report a group of killer whales. We are in constant communication with other boats and captains to see what everyone is seeing out on the water. Luckily...

Abby | M/V Sea Lion | April 10th, 2026 | 12:30pm

Yet another sunny spring day here in Friday Harbor! We had gorgeous weather for the entirety of our trip. We headed south in San Juan Channel and made our first stop at Whale Rocks where we are often able to view Steller’s Sea Lions. There were quite a few hauled out on the rocky shore, and several swimming in the water as well. We turned east and cruised along the southern end of Lopez Island, known as Iceberg Point. As we neared Rosario Strait...

Kelly | M/V Sea Lion | April 9th, 2026 | 12:30pm

The sunny weather continues here in Friday Harbor! We pointed east across San Juan Channel and into the heart of the San Juan Islands, enjoying breathtaking looks at Mount Baker and the North Cascades along the way. After departing Obstruction Channel, we took a left and began to point north up the Rosario Strait, investigating the whale report up ahead. On our way up Orcas Island's southeast side, we made a quick pit stop at the Peapod Islands...

Olivia Esqueda | April 5th, 2026 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:30pm

Heading south down San Juan Channel, we were met with crisp mountain views, both Mount Baker AND Mount Rainier in sight, and calm, blue seas. The sunshine warming the Salish Sea was the best spring day we could have asked for. After briefly stopping to view Steller’s Sea Lions thermoregulating at Whale Rocks and rolling around in the current, we passed Harbor Porpoise and Bald Eagles as we turned into Salmon Bank started crossing west...

Kelly | M/V Sea Lion | April 3rd, 2026 | 12:30pm

We dipped over the top of San Juan Island in our search for whales and other wildlife. Slipping into the Haro Strait from Spieden Channel, we pointed west and kept our eyes peeled in the distance for any blows or dorsal fins. While searching, we were treated to stunning views of the Olympic mountain range and San Juan's historic Lime Kiln Lighthouse. Soon, exhales appeared in the distance! A group of 5 whales including:

• T065B/Chunk — female, born in...

Abby | M/V Sea Lion | March 29th, 2026 | 12:30pm

We had a wet trip this Sunday afternoon with rain drizzling down from the start. As we departed from Friday Harbor, we headed towards Lopez Island. We had a report of a group of Bigg’s Killer Whales traveling towards the Lopez Island Ferry Dock. It did not take us long to see some exhalations in the distance and those iconic black dorsal fins sticking out from the grey rainy background. We began viewing a group of 6 killer whales from the T049A...