Welcome to the Whale Report Blog

Kelly | M/V Sea Lion | March 16th, 2024 | 12:30pm

     Rare for the start of a season, we had not one…but two different whale reports as we left the harbor. We opted to first head north up San Juan Channel, investigating a solo male killer whale report around Crane Island. This killer whale was identified as:

• T49C Nielson 1998 M

As we arrived on scene, the bull was nowhere to be found. After a long 15 minutes of listening and anticipation, that massive 6ft tall dorsal fin appeared! We watched this...

Olivia Esqueda | Friday, March 14th, 2025 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:30pm

This was the first tour of the year for both me and Captain Gabe, and it was definitely an exciting one! We started off the trip by heading north through San Juan Channel, where there has been an increase of whale activity over the past few days. Right away we were spotting many different birds including Pelagic Cormorants, Common Murres, Harlequin Ducks, Rhinoceros Auklets, and many, many more! Most notably, we saw at least a...

Kelly | M/V Sea Lion | March 10th, 2024 | 12:30pm
 

Excitement was in the air as we left the harbor on our first tour of the 2025 season! The sky was an overcast grey but at least the forecasted rain was holding off. No whale reports just yet…so we were fully in scanning mode. Our first wildlife encounter was almost instantaneous. A bald eagle soaring overhead suddenly took a nosedive entrapping an unlucky fish in its talons. Gulls swarmed around the commotion as the massive raptor flew off and...

Lauren | M/V Sea Lion | October 26, 2024 | 12:30 pm

With only two trips left in our 2024 season, I could not have been more delighted when I woke up to an alert that one of my favorite Bigg’s Killer Whale families was in the region. The T049A’s were picked up near Victoria and were trending northeast across the Haro Strait. The T049A’s are local legends and one of the families we’ve encountered most this season, so I was excited to get the chance to wish them a safe and prosperous winter. 

By the...

Lauren | M/V Sea Lion | October 25, 2024 | 12:30 pm

One of my favorite things about San Juan Island at this time of year is the crisp fall air and the occasional crystal-clear skies. Yesterday was one of those days, where even Mount Rainer was shining as far as the eye could see. The morning whale reports were abundant… everywhere BUT in the inland waters around Friday Harbor. Captain Eric and I prepared the M/V Sea Lion for our long voyage ahead and set sail. We took a right out of Friday Harbor...

Lauren | M/V Sea Lion | October 13, 2024 | 12:30 pm

October weather can be tricky out here in the Salish Sea. Luckily for our Classic Whale Watch & Wildlife Tour last Sunday, we were granted calm seas and sunny skies. Although the elements can sometimes prove tricky, Fall is a spectacular time to come whale watching in the San Juan Islands. Not only do we still regularly see killer whales, but we start to get a massive influx of migrating humpbacks as well. By October, most of the humpback whales...

Kelly | M/V Sea Lion | October 12th, 2024 | 12:30pm

We had a full boat of guests on this gorgeous fall afternoon. The sky was clear and the weather was especially temperate for this time of year. After quickly investigating a bait ball (tight concentration of small schooling fish) we took a sharp right turn and motored down san Juan channel past Cattle Point. We were heading toward a reported location of 5 Biggs Killer whales identified as the T35a's made up of:

• T35A "Lester" 1998 F
• T35A1 "Opal"...

Kelly | M/V Sea Lion | October 11th, 2024 | 12:30pm

Nothing was reported in our range as we left Friday Harbor on this lovely fall afternoon. After exiting the harbor and entering San Juan Channel, captain Eric and I had fully prepared to go into search mode. Luckily, a report came in! A group of whales found in Lopez Sound, a very easy transit for us. We turned left into Upright Channel and rounded the northern tip of Lopez Island. This particular spot offers an amazing view of Mt. Baker. In the...

Olivia Esqueda | M/V Sea Lion | September 28th, 2024| 12:30pm

Saturday out on the water was SO fun! We headed south through San Juan Channel making a brief stop at Goose Island where we saw Harbor Seals, Double Crested Cormorants and Pelagic Cormorants before passing Cattle Point Lighthouse and exploring the Strait of Juan de Fuca. After transiting past heaps of Surf Scoters, we came across a large bait ball where we were able to see one of the few Minke Whales in the Salish Sea. However, we...

Olivia Esqueda | M/V Sea Lion | September 25th, 2024 | 12:30pm

We are loving these fall days out on the water. Not only can we see the wildlife that spend the summer months here still hanging around, but we are also starting to see a return of the wildlife that will spend the winter months in these waters. These transitional phases bring in a broader biodiversity within the Salish Sea, making the shoulder seasons some of our favorite times of year to get out on the water. 

Today we felt lucky to...