July 7, 2013

Identity Crisis and Good Luck Charms

What an amazing trip we had today! The wind was minimal, the water was like glass, and the guests were fabulous. The wildlife was simply “steller” as well. In fact, we actually saw a male and female Steller Sea Lion on Whale Rocks at the south end of San Juan Island right off of Cattle Pass!...Read more

August 2, 2012

Minkes and a Humpback!!!

Tons of whale action today; three Minke Whales and even a Humpback!!! (Salmon Bank, 48°25.01N 122°59.19W) Humpbacks typically don’t come this far inland, to San Juan Island, so it was a great treat! These whales couldn’t be more graceful raising their fluke entirely out of the water and slowly...Read more

July 24, 2012

Minke Whales!

Today we got to experience something a little different, but fun! It appeared as though the Southern Resident Killer Whales had left the Salish Sea for the day, so we went out looking for our other year-round residents, the Minke Whales. We headed south of Salmon Bank, eyeing each bait ball we...Read more

June 3, 2012

A Marine Mammal Thanksgiving!

Unfortunately there were no reports or sightings of Orcas whales in the region today, but we did get to see an amazing amount of other marine and terrestrial wildlife! We traveled approximately 50 miles round trip visiting Spieden Island, Mandarte, Turn Point (Stewart Island), and Patos Island. On...Read more

May 5, 2012

Going the Distance

The sun was shining high in the sky as we left Friday Harbor this afternoon. We headed south, far south, enjoying the natural beauty of the islands along the way. At 48o 10.80’N 122 o 59.70’W, off shore between Dungeness Spit and Port Angeles, we spotted our first blow. It was the Southern Resident...Read more

September 2, 2011

Slight chance of wind with heavy marine mammals predicted

The sun may have been shining today, but it was raining marine mammals!!! Shortly after leaving Friday Harbor and heading south we saw a large group of Harbor porpoise. We cut the engine and the miniature Cetaceans that are famously shy were all around the boat and even porpoising out of the water...Read more

August 16, 2011

West Side Whales

As we headed south through Cattle Pass a grizzly-like head broke the surface with a large fish dangling from its mouth. The snorting and huffing creature was a male Steller sea lion, the largest of all the sea lions and the third largest species within the Pinnipedia suborder. The silhouette of...Read more

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