July 7, 2018

Whale Hunt

Captain Mike, Naturalist Alexandria and I were excited to be on the water on this VERY hot summer day. We had not heard of any reports in our area yet this morning, so we were a little anxious leaving the harbor with a full boat of hopeful guests. Some other boats had found a humpback on the West...Read more
Bigg's killer whales feasts on sea lion

September 19, 2017

Eulogy of a Sea Lion, Another One Bites The Dust

Another one of our brother’s lives was cut all too short today via the jaws of our arch nemesis: Bigg’s killer whales. One moment onlookers were peacefully watching Phil gleefully dining upon a fish, and the next moment a froth of white water and maelstrom of orca bodies dulled his bulging eyes for...Read more

May 5, 2014

Rare Encounter with 20+ Biggs Killer Whales!

We left our Friday Harbor location today and headed north with hopes of intercepting some killer whales that we had heard were traveling through the area. The weather definitely wasn’t cooperating- it was cold, windy, and rainy! However, a little weather never stops us when killer whales are...Read more

May 3, 2014

Transients in the Strait of Georgia

The M/V Sea Lion departed Friday Harbor yesterday in search of the killer whales that inhabit the Salish Sea. When we got underway Captain Mike got a report of Biggs Killer Whales, or Transients, off the Southeast side of Galiano Island. Even though that was far into the Strait of Georgia, and into...Read more

July 8, 2013

Superpod At Last

The endangered population of Southern Resident Killer Whales that frequent the salmon-rich waters of the Salish Sea form “superpod” only a handful of times during the summer season. Three extended families (known as J, K, and L pod) join together and travel as one unit, making up only 82 remaining...Read more

May 14, 2013

The Mouse Escapes

Our guests have been lucking out lately! Bigg’s Killer Whales, with their erratic diving behavior and extended dives, can be a challenge to view at times. However, observers who are lucky enough to see orcas locate prey and witness the gritty details of a kill easily get their fill of whale...Read more

May 13, 2013

It's Raining Transients!

The same group of marine mammal-eating Transients (the T49Bs and T65As) that "wowed" us yesterday demonstrated their hunting prowess again today outside of Sidney, British Columbia. Just before coming upon the gang we witnessed several Harbor Porpoise in the area. The orcas began to breach and...Read more

October 6, 2012

Steller’s Sea Lions Perform Full Breaches

Another busy day on the water with all the familiar faces of the Salish Sea. In addition to watching Transient Killer Whales south of D’arcy Island, British Columbia (48°30.86N, 123°16.48W), we also came across a lone California Sea Lion (a rarity in the Salish Sea). He was floating with just his...Read more

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