Welcome to the Whale Report Blog

There have been some subtle changes in the Salish Sea of late. Common murres have been flooding in, little phalaropes are again congregating at current lines, and it seems that another Steller’s sea lion adds itself to the slumberfest at Whale Rocks each day. In the coming days and weeks other migratory waterfowl like loons, grebes, and scoters will arrive from northern breeding and feeding sites. We’ve recently ended our sunset tours because darkness was beating us to the docks. All...

Today The M/V Kittiwake wasn't going to let a little thing like distance get in the way of seeing killer whales! Reports had Transient Orcas heading west near Discovery Island off the coast of Victoria, Canada. It was going to be quite the trek to get to these whales, but Captain Jim is never one to pass up on a challenge. On our way to the scene, we were able to spot some Harbor Seals, Harbor Porpoises, and even two Minke Whales. All this wildlife along the way would have made for...

M/V Sea Lion, Captain Craig, Naturalist Andrew and myself had a busy day out on the water! With a full boat on our 1:30 trip we ventured north to avoid the fog down south. Heading north turned out well because we were able to see some Harbor Porpoises along the way! We ran into a small group but in this group were little ones. Andrew and I believe that we were looking at some juvenile porpoises. On the way down to the Orcas it started to rain, but that didn't stop our guests from...

The other day, our guests on M/V Kittiwake settled in for a long boat ride up north into Canada. There were reports of six Transient Orcas, but they were far North and moving away from us. Captain Jim and I decided to go for it though, there's no stopping us when there's Orcas involved! The best part about it was that the "long ride" didn't actually feel long at all since going north comes with some of the best scenery and aesthetically pleasing views I have ever seen. Great people...

What an amazing evening we all had yesterday. As you've probably heard, our Resident Orcas are back in town! As the M/V Sea Lion headed back out for its evening trip, all I could think was 'I can't wait to get back out there'! When we got on seen with the 80+ Killer Whales, it was just incredible to look out at the water and see dorsal fins and breaches everywhere. I've never been surrounded by so many whales before. The feeling was one of sheer awe, excitement, and gratitude. Â...

Alright so not only our are Southern Resident male orcas in town, but our females too! On both our afternoon and evening trip, guests aboard M/V Sea Lion were swarmed with J, K, and L Pod! Captain Mike had his hands full trying to maintain the designated 200 yds away from the resident orcas when all 82 whales were out and about foraging over Hein Bank. You would think aboard the boat it would be filled with "ooohs and ahhhs" from guests, but infact, it was filled with "Nooo and...

M/V Kittiwake, Captain Jim, and myself had a busy day! We had early morning reports of our Resident Orcas moving south in Haro Strait. Our guests were very excited to hear the news and begin our trip.
Along the way to the Orcas, we were lucky to see Harbor Seals and Steller Sea Lions! On Whale Rocks there were two large male Stellers that jumped into the water and another that was laying on the rocks! Since these guys are known as Grizzly Bears of the ocean, it was awesome to see...

With the grey clouds clearing Captain Mike, Tyler, the guests, and I left Friday Harbor heading north towards Speiden Channel. Just off the south west end of Speiden Island, we encountered a Humpback Whale mother and her calf! Humpbacks are sometimes spotted in the Salish Sea during their migration north. The San Juans provide a nice protected area for these huge travelers to pass though.

A short way a way, in the Haro Straight off of Sydney Island in Canada, we ran into two...

Every day in the San Juans is an amazing day, but some days everything aligns for the perfect whale watching extravaganza! Today just so happened to be one of those days. It started off raining in the morning, but when it came time to get on the boat there wasn't a cloud in the sky. This was just the first good omen for the day. Reports of Humpbacks and Transients near Sidney Island on the Canadian side of Haro Strait proved to be fruitful as well. Captain Jim, passengers aboard the...

As soon as the radio in the wheel house was turned on, there was all sorts of chatter about Orcas milling at False Bay! Captain Mike took Caitlin, the guests, and I around the south end of the island through San Juan Channel and into the Haro Strait in order to see the Orcas. On the way, we encountered Harbor Seals playing in the currents and a Stellar Sea Lion perched majestically on Whale Rocks. While in transit to the Orcas, we also received rumors of a Minke Whale at Salmon Bank...