Welcome to the Whale Report Blog

[7/4/17- M/V Kestrel- 2:00PM]

Happy Fourth of July, folks! The day started with a huge parade going down the main street of Friday Harbor, and then afterwards, a whale watch!

It was a scorcher today as M/V Kestrel darted out of the busy harbor in search of killer whales. Just to the north end of Lopez island, a short boat trek from San Juan Island, we immediately stopped for two bald eagles and their nest with a chick present. It was such an appropriate and patriotic way to start our...

[7/3/17 - M/V Kestrel - 2:00PM]  On July 3rd Captain Mike and I headed out with a full boat of great passengers aboard the M/V Kestrel to go look for some exciting wildlife! We headed south through San Juan Channel and first stopped at Shark Reef along the shore of Lopez Island to look at some hauled out Harbor Seals. Going in between Shark Reef and Lopez Island is going through a pretty skinny but ultimately pretty deep channel but it’s a cool experience seeing people hiking on...

07/02/17, Lauren Fritz, M/V Sea Lion, San Juan Safaris, 1:30 and 5:30 pm Tours

What a magical day of Bigg's Killer Whales! We encountered several different family pods on the east side of Orcas Island today, over in Rosario Strait. We enjoyed some breathtaking views of the T36's and a number of other Transients. My favorite part? Seeing the massive males rise up above the surface with their huge wavering dorsal fins. It's absolutely humbling. 

The whales were busy hunting and traveling on our...

[07/01/2017 – M/V Sea Lion – 1:30pm & 5:30pm]

We had a magical day on the M/V Sea Lion that again taught us about the importance of not worrying if there is no report of orcas as we leave the dock. Killer whales can travel 100 miles a day at speeds over 35 miles per hour. This means that reports literally change minute by minute and you can never write off a day based on the reports leaving the dock.

Since we had no reports we left Friday Harbor on our 1:30 trip with the...

[6/30/17- M/V Kestrel- 2:00PM]

It’s always nice to have options, particularly when whale watching. And today, we had several! With 3-4 groups of whales to choose from, we departed Friday Harbor on M/V Kestrel first in search of a group of transient killer whales in Garrison Bay, maybe a 5-10 minute boat ride from the harbor! We approached the scene to see about 5 orcas travelling and being a bit playful with tail-splashes, spyhopping, and cartwheeling, not very common behavior for...

The San Juans are already starting to swell with its annual influx of patriotic patrons. Festivities are held across the island, and include events such as a blind-folded dingy race, a community BBQ, beach cook-outs, cocktail hour, and, of course, fireworks! Whatever your speed, San Juan Island has the perfect 4th of July celebration for you.

Reuben Tarte County Park

For those seeking a quieter, star-gazing type of evening, decorated by far-off fireworks, Reuben Tarte is the place...

(6/29/17 - Sea Lion 1:30 PM Departure)

You couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day to be out on the water here in the San Juan’s.  We left the dock with reports of Southern Resident Killer Whales on the south side of San Juan Island, near False Bay.  We headed straight toward that report of whales and decided to look for other wildlife on the way back.  After a nice leisurely ride we made it to the whales.  Our guests were very enthusiastic about seeing the whales and getting...

(6/28/17 - Kittiwake 12:00 PM Departure)
Today M/V Kittiwake went out for a private charter with Amy, Steve and their Evergreen guide Justin, and what a delightful group they were! We moseyed to Hein Bank, a common feeding ground for the larger baleen whales in the area, and looked at other wildlife along the way. We stopped to see some harbor seals hauled out. Those pups should start appearing on the rocks anytime now. After getting that load of cuteness we continued on towards...

    Yesterday, our little heat wave finally broke so we are back in the safety of 60˚-70˚F. Captain Pete, Kelsey, and I headed out south to go find some wildlife. The Salish Sea is a mix and a crossroads of some many different things constantly changing with the seasons so every day is so different. The Salish Sea is a intersection of the Pacific Ocean, large rivers running from snowcapped mountains, and the land. The ingredients along with seasonal weather changes mix differently...

[6/25/17 - M/V Sea Lion - 1:30PM] The Residents are back! Parts of J pod and L pod were both spotted and heard (on the hydrophones) this morning. This is exciting! The San Juan Islands are best known for the salmon eating Southern Residents and it’s great to hear that they are back at least if only for a little while. Captain Gabe, Rachel, and I set out with a great crew to go find them. When they are around they usually have a few distinct paths that they like as they search for the...