Bigg's Killer Whales playing in the Strait

July 19, 2021

23 Bigg’s Killer Whales in the Strait of Juan de Fuca

Haleigh | M/V Sea Lion | July 19, 2021 | 10:00am Our Monday morning classic whale watch trip was an experience to beat. Reports of Bigg’s Killer Whales in the Strait of Juan de Fuca guided our plans to head southbound through San Juan Channel. We traveled through Cattle Pass and east around Lopez...Read more
Humpback Whale surfacing for air

July 17, 2021

2 Humpback Whales near Stewart Island

Haleigh | M/V Sea Lion | July 17, 2021 | 2:00pm Today’s conditions were pretty perfect. We set out on the water traveling northbound through San Juan Channel. Earlier reports of two unidentified Humpback Whales heading along the west side of San Juan Island through Haro Strait meant it was a race...Read more
Transient Orcas traveling near Lopez Island

July 7, 2021

Bigg’s Killer Whales, T37A's, Avoiding Wind in Lopez Sound

Haleigh | M/V Kestrel | July 7, 2021 | 2:00pm All whale watching trips begin the same way: checking for reported visual sightings in the area, predicting the paths those cetaceans are headed, and determing if it’s viable for us to make it there given the distance and weather reports. We take into...Read more
Humpback Whale showing tail before diving for food

July 6, 2021

Humpback Whale, Divot, and her calf splashing around!

Haleigh | M/V Kestrel | July 6, 2021 | 2:00pm Our adventure tour took off as a slow ride. Cattle pass, the southernmost part of San Juan Channel squished between San Juan Island and Lopez Island, was full of fog. We drifted through at a snail's pace, eyeing from left to right for any oncoming boats...Read more
Transient Orcas traveling near Orcas Island

June 24, 2021

The Best Kind of Mugging by 2 Bigg’s Killer Whales

Haleigh | M/V Osprey | June 24, 2021 | 5:30pm I’ll likely say this throughout the summer -- sunsets are the absolute best time to be on the water. As we leave the dock and pass in and around the islands, everything around us is either sparkling or glowing. Tonight’s excursion lived up to the magic...Read more

June 20, 2021

Bigg's Killer Whales on the West Side

Abby | Kestrel | 6/20/2021 Once again, we had the A/B team, Abby (me!) and Captain Brian. We had already been out on the water prior to our trip, and rumors of orcas rang in our ears. Apparently, there were three Bigg’s killer whales near the Orcas Island ferry terminal dock, so we zoomed over in...Read more

June 17, 2021

21 Bigg's Killer Whales Traveling Together!

Abby | Kestrel | 6/17/2021 We zoomed north through San Juan Channel with whale reports looming on the west side of the island. Once we arrived just north of Lime Kiln State Park, there they were. 21 Bigg’s killer whales! Neither myself nor our captain Gabe have ever seen this many Bigg’s killer...Read more

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