Laura | M/V Sea Lion | 7/13/2020 | 1:30 PM

M/V Sea Lion rocked it today in the Rosario Strait!  We left the dock with reports of a humpback whale south of San Juan Island and a potential orca whale sighting near Point Roberts in the Strait of Georgia from this morning.  Our captain and I discussed our tactic and decided to steam north in hopes of getting to see something black and white today.  Passengers were fully behind this notion and eagerly scanned with their binoculars across...

M/V Sea Lion

Friday, July 12th | Naturalist Alexandria

Today was a gorgeous day out on the water!  We had a boat full of excited people ready to go see some whales.  It was actually kind of a windy day out on the water, which made for an adventurous trip through Cattle Pass, but as soon as we got to see whales it made it worth it!

As we got on scene we were able to confirm that these were indeed Resident Orcas from J Pod.  Anytime we get to see whales is an exciting day but when...

Laura | M/V Sea Lion | 7/11/2020 | 5:30PM

The sunset trip this evening was certainly a wildlife encounter to remember!  Passengers were decked out in rain gear from the afternoon, but luckily the skies were in our favor and we avoided getting rained on!  This overcast weather is some of the best conditions to scan for whales as their exhalations seem to linger in the air a little longer and create a nice contrast to the surrounding backdrop.  There was also minimal wind out there so...

Laura | M/V Sea Lion | 7/11/2020 | 1:30 PM

Waking up this morning with rainy skies was no deterrent to visitors of San Juan Island to come on a whale watch, as marine mammals obviously love the water!  Passengers were happy as clams to board M/V Sea Lion with high hopes for the day and I was thrilled to hear reports of whales booming on the radio in our bridge!  We headed south through San Juan Channel and curved over towards Salmon Bank.  Captain Pete was in communication with other...

M/V Sea Lion

Friday, July 10th | Naturalist Alexandria

What a fantastic day we had today!  Some trips everything aligns, and this was one of those trips!  The weather has been nice the last few days, but today shined.  The sunshine was shining bright, and the wind and seas were nice and calm. 

We boarded our boat and met with Captain Pete, but before we even left the dock we were greeted by a harbor seal that was playing off our stern.  After leaving the dock within minutes of...

It rained again today… That’s okay though even though it feels like our summer here sometimes is constantly loading, the rain means that there is plenty of water for the salmon, and snow that falls high up in the mountains will last longer as reserves for the rivers that run through the northwest. And anyway, the rain must end sometime! Today it cleared up around noon right in time for our 1:30PM Whale watch trip aboard M/V Sea Lion! Capt. Pete was driving, and we took a great group...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | July 8th, 2020 | 13:30

The most fin-tastic trip yet! It was such a great day out on the water, I am still shaking with excitement! We headed towards the western side of Cypress Island to follow rumors of Bigg’s Killer Whales milling in the area. When we arrived on scene, sure enough, there were TWO families of transient orcas swimming around together, comprising of around 11 individuals! These were the T36’s and T37’s, happily reuniting for the day. They were...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | July 7, 2020 | 13:30

What a special day on the water with Captain Sarah and all our guests. We were able to leave the dock with rumors of Orcas on the west side of San Juan Island, which is always extra heart racing. The reason this particular trip felt special, was because these were not just any orcas; they happen to be J Pod of the Southern Resident Killer Whales. This critically endangered ecotype of orca was labeled the name ‘resident’ by their history of...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | July 5, 2020 | 17:30

They stayed! We received word that the family group of transient orcas we saw on our 1:30pm trip had started to porpoise south- fast! This made us nervous that we would not be able to have the same look at our favorite T65’s as we did previously. With our luck, they decided to stop and start milling around just south of Turn Island. Once we got on scene, we were the only boat viewing at that hour. This felt extra tranquil with the golden...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | July 5, 2020 | 13:30

It was such a gorgeous day out on the water; by far one of my favorites this season. We left the dock with whale rumors in the area which is always a great way to start our trips. We kicked off our adventure by heading north through the San Juan Channel towards Spieden Island.  As soon as we arrived at the Cactus Islands, we had great black and white views of the T65A’s- one of our favorite family groups of transient orcas. We had such...