Welcome to the Whale Report Blog

Kelly | M/V Kestrel | 9/17/22 | 2:00pm

The wildfire smoke has officially cleared here in the San Juan’s! Today was the first day on the water since the smoke blew in that we were able to see Mount Baker in all its glory. Captain Gabe and I Left Friday Harbor on our Adventure Whale Watch and Wildlife tour prepping for a long run through deception Pass and into Skagit Bay. This was the only reported location of killer whales in the area.

As we transited south down San Juan channel and...

Elle | M/V Osprey | 9/17/2022 | 1:30PM

Today we headed out of the harbor with no whale sightings reported nearby. Because none of the whales in this area have tags that report their location, we rely on our own visiual sightings and our partners in the Pacific Whale Watch Association to find wildlife here in the Salish Sea. We know that small, schooling fish like to congregate on banks (underwater hills) like the ones just south of San Juan Island. We also know that seals, sea lions...

Elle | M/V Sea Lion | 9/16/2022 | 1:30PM

Today, Bigg's killer whales swam right past Friday Harbor as they hunted harbor seals. Three big males put on a show for the Washington State Ferry, Chelan. Some of the lucky passengers on that ferry joined us on our vessel, Sea Lion and got a second look at a different family of orcas later in the afternoon. By the time we left Friday Harbor, those big males had headed south into rough, windy seas. We headed north and caught up to a group of...

Elle | M/V Osprey | 9/14/2022 | 1:30PM

Today was a lucky day out here in the Salish Sea! Soon after departing from Friday Harbor, we stopped to see a majestic bald eagle perched above a group of harbor seals, hauled out on a rocky island. As we continued north through President's Channel towards Sucia Island, we encountered a humpback whale! We were able to identify him by his fluke as BCX1233 "Raccoon." We love seeing eagles and humpbacks out here because they both represent huge...

Elle | M/V Kestrel | 9/11/2022 | 2:00PM

Today's adventure tour headed south into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. On our journey towards the Olympic Peninsula, our passengers braved sea spray and choppy waters as we soared through the smoky haze. Just a few miles from Dungeness Spit, We witnessed a large group of Bigg's killer whales from the T34 family and the T37 family swimming quickly amidst the waves. We even got to see some porpoising, which is when a marine mammal launches itsself...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 09/06/2022 | 10:00am

    When Kestrel zoomed up towards Spieden Island, we had no idea where we’d be seeing whales, let alone if there were whales close enough around to see! A rumor of some Bigg’s Killer Whales south of Victoria was all we needed to begin making moves, speeding off through the Haro. We only made it a few miles before we screeched to a halt- three blows appeared along the San Juan shoreline, followed by another, and another! 

    The T049A...

Lauren | M/V Kestrel | 9/3/2022 | 2:00 PM

Labor Day weekend is upon us, and Friday Harbor is looking just as crazy and beautiful as ever! Our 2:00 pm Adventure Tour was totally sold out. With 20 guests aboard, Captain Eric and I zipped out of Friday Harbor and took a left into San Juan Channel. Our first stop was to Green Point, which is the southeastern tip of the infamous Spieden or “Safari” Island. We viewed several Mouflon Sheep grazing on grass before heading over to Flattop Island. Flattop...

Lauren | M/V Kestrel | 8/31/2022 | 2:00 PM

Today was the last day of August, which means our peak season for whale watching will soon be coming to an end. We see whales on 90% of our tours from June through August. Our “peak season” doesn’t actually refer to the peak of whale action, but the peak of eyes on the water. None of the whales in the area are tagged, and we don’t use any kind of sonar to find them. As members of the Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA), we work...

Elle | M/V Osprey | 8/26/2022 | 1:30 PM

Today was a wild day close to home! On Osprey, we often spend an hour or more searching for wildlife. Today was not one of those days! On the south side of Flattop Island, we encountered a majestic bald eagle and a haul out of harbor seals with a few new pups among them. On the northern side of Flattop, we found seven Bigg’s killer whales! As the wind whipped up two-foot waves, we watched these apex predators hunt a seal along the rocky edges...

Elle | M/V Osprey | 8/25/2022 | 1:30 PM

Today we headed north, following a report by a few other whale watching captains. On our journey we passed through President’s Channel where we saw harbor seals and harbor porpoises swimming in the water next to our vessel. Then we crossed Boundary Pass and the Canadian border into the Strait of Georgia. It was between Saturna Island and Mayne Island that we encountered two Bigg’s killer whales. These two mammal-eaters were a mother and son...