Welcome to the Whale Report Blog

[Naturalist Sarah M. – 09/20/2017 – M/V Kestrel – 02:00pm]

Today was the embodiment of a perfect September day in the San Juan Islands. The clouds were high and we had periodic sun with some of the smoothest water I’ve ever seen in Haro Strait and in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Sea Lions

Captain Mike and I were lucky to have a group of 16 wonderful guests out for our Adventure Whale Watch. Mike steered the boat south out of Friday Harbor, and we headed down San Juan Channel through...

Saturday, September 16 – M/V Sea Lion – 1:30 PM Charter

The Sea Lion motored up to Roche Harbor to pick up today’s charter guests—a wedding party! And a party it was. After everyone was loaded up Captain Gabe gave the Coast Guard-mandated safety talk and we were off! We headed north, cruising between Sentinel and Spieden Islands, and spotted a group of harbor seals hauled out on Sentinel! The little rock sausages were sprawled out, taking in the heat from the sun. Continuing past...

09/18/17 – M/V Sea Lion – 12 PM

We left Friday Harbor with reports of whales North of Orcas Island.  We headed in that direction and along the way we got some great looks at a number of different harbor porpoise pods.  Harbors porpoises usually travel in groups of around four or five individuals but occasionally you will see larger congregations of them together in good feeding areas. 

We reached the whale sighting and found the T101’s headed North towards Canada.  The T101’s are a...

09/17/17- M/V Kestrel- 2PM

Today was a wet one!  We had a rainy day on our hands, but thankfully whales area already wet so the rain doesn’t bother them. 

We left Friday Harbor and made a cruise around Spieden Island where we saw three Steller’s sea lions swimming in the water.  We also saw some of the exotic terrestrial animals that reside on the island as well as we cruised by.  We then headed to the North side of Orcas Island, where we spotted the T100’s and the T101’s.  The T101...

09/16/17- M/V Kestrel- 10AM & 2PM

We had two trips on M/V Kestrel and both were fantastic!  One of the many benefits of the zodiac vessel is its speediness, so it will allow you to cover more ground in a shorter period of time.   

On our first trip we were the first boat to find a group of Bigg’s killer whales, which is always very exciting!  We got reports for whales around Stuart Island so we headed in that direction and actively looked as we traveled around.  We found the T123’s...

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 eternity.  Although hopelessly outnumber and with no chance of escape, Phil battled the intimidating band for an impressive twenty-minutes before disappearing below the surface.  He was...

 M/V Sea Lion: Sunday 9/17 @ 12pm

An Early Autumn Afternoon

We started our whale watching trip on a gorgeous, cool and crisp early autumn afternoon.  Our enthusiastic group wasn’t going to let a few sprinkles of rain put a damper on our excitement for what was to come!  We loaded onto M/V Sea Lion- our trusty vessel for the trip- and departed on our adventure.  The crew offered fashionable rain slickers and blankets to anyone who wanted to ensure they keep dry, but mother nature...

09/14/17 – M/V Sea Lion – 12 PM

M/V Sea Lion left Friday Harbor today with a group of bright-eyed guests and reports of two humpback whales just beyond San Juan Island in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Heading south down San Juan Channel, several shy harbor porpoises quickly surfaced just beyond our wake. These cute little cetaceans get 5 to 6 feet long and only weigh up to 200 pounds. So tiny!

As we made our way past Cattle Point, the southern-most point of San Juan Island, and into...

09/13/17- M/V Kestrel- 2PM

Our resident whales still seem to be sticking around!  We haven’t seen much of our resident whales this summer because of our record low salmon run, but today our guests were treated with the opportunity to see L pod. 

We headed down San Juan Channel and found the whales in Cattle pass.  When we first arrived we saw a few breaches and some other displays of social behavior.  The whales then shifted to a fast travel pattern while heading towards the...

09/11/17- M/V Sea Lion- 12PM

Today we left Friday Harbor with reports that our resident whales were still in the area.  We headed towards salmon bank, a common feeding place for the whales, to take a look. 

We came across the five females and juveniles that make up the L12’s.  The male of the family L41, was a little further South from the reset of the group.  It is not uncommon for the whales to spread out long distances for feeding in order to cover more surface area.   The...