Welcome to the Whale Report Blog

[Friday, 5/4/18 - M/V Sea Lion - 12:00 - Naturalist Erick]

May the Fourth Be with you!

Today, Captain Pete and I headed north to ply the waters of the Salish Sea and look for incredible wildlife. Yesterday, we heard of some Humpback Whales hanging out in Birch Bay so we headed in that direction. On the way there just as we exited Presidents Channel we saw a fairly large group of Harbor Porpoises hunting in a prominent current line. These little ones are the area’s smallest...

[M/V Sea Lion- 5/5- Naturalist Alexandria]

Aboard M/V Sea Lion guests were treated to a gorgeous sunny Spring day.  Captain Mike, Naturalists Piper and myself, Naturalist Alexandria, all boarded for an exciting trip on the water as the sun shined down on us for one of the first of our perfect spring days of the year. 

We were lucky enough to be treated to some amazing Transient Sightings while on our trip!  We saw a family of three orcas hanging out north off the shore of Waldron...

color:black">Hello sunny days , blooming flowers, and warmer weather… and hello baby animals!  Spring is one of the most exciting times on the island, and the time of year we here in the islands get to welcome all the brand new baby animals that have all just been born!

color:black">This time of year we have the awesome opportunity to see hundreds of different kinds of animals that just had pups, calves, kits, and many more!  The islands happily boast an incredibly diverse...

[Sunday, 4/29/18 – M/V Sea Lion – 12:00 – Naturalist Erick]

This Sunday we Captain Mike and myself journeyed into the spring mist covering the San Juans. With us, we brought along a great group of folks aboard the M/V Sea Lion. We headed north through San Juan Channel and made our first stop at Green Point on Spieden Island. Here there is a colony of mostly adult, male Steller Sea Lions. Every day they take up different positions on this rocky point, I assume, mostly due to the...

[Sarah – 04/26/2018 – M/V Sea Lion – 12:00pm]

M/V Sea Lion left Friday Harbor on a late April day that felt more like the middle of July! The sun was shining, the temperature was warm, and we had a rumor of whales in the area to start our day!

Captain Brian and I decided to head north towards Patos and Sucia Islands, weaving around Jones Island, and then northeast through Presidents Channel between Waldron and Orcas Islands. There were beautiful views of Mt. Baker and the Canadian...

[Sarah – 04/25/2018 – M/V Sea Lion – 12:00pm]

Yesterday’s noon whale watch was perfection: full of tons of wildlife, b-e-a-utiful blue skies with sunshine, and of course, whales! Captain Brian, Erick, and I were excited to explore the Salish Sea with our group of intrepid guests.

Heading north around San Juan Island we decided to cut straight to the chase, and ducked into Haro Strait on the west side of San Juan to follow up on an early report of killer whales traveling north. We met...

[Sarah – 04/22/2018 – Earth Day – M/V Kestrel – 12:00pm]

Sunny Spring days were made for M/V Kestrel! Speeding through rocky islands at water level under beautiful clear blue skies after a long grey winter is near to the top of my list of favorite things in the whole wide world. Captain Brian and I were so excited for Sunday’s cruise, and to share the Salish Sea’s wildlife with all of our guests!

We left Friday Harbor and headed north, opting to weave through the Wasp Islands as we...

[Sarah – 04/21/2018 – M/V Sea Lion – 12:00pm]

We had a classic Pacific Northwest spring trip on the M/V Sea Lion on Saturday! With a little bit of every weather condition, and lovely wildlife everywhere, it is a trip I will not soon forget.

M/V Sea Lion left Friday Harbor and headed north cruising towards Spieden Island, and other wildlife hotspots. We checked out harbor seals, Steller’s sea lions, and bald eagles before pressing further north. After talking with the other members of...

[Sarah – 04/20/2018 – M/V Sea Lion – 12:00pm]

Friday's whale and wildlife tour was OFF THE HOOK! We saw a little bit of everything!

We started the day by heading north out of Friday Harbor towards Spieden Island. Before even reaching its grassy slopes and rocky shores, we encountered harbor porpoise and Steller’s sea lions feeding in the rich upwelling water. We checked out some sea lions hauled out Green Point before heading across the island to see what we could find. There were ba...

[Sunday, 4/22/18 – Sunday – M/V Sea Lion – Naturalist Erick]

This Sunday, we were again blessed with another high-pressure system bringing cool, blue skies, and a sunny day. There was only on teeny cloud that traveled its way across the islands. Captain Mike, myself, and great group of humans hopped onboard the M/V Sea Lion and headed out to do what we do every day…to find some amazing things! We headed north towards the outer islands and the Canadian border. Since it was a nice...