Welcome to the Whale Report Blog

After what appeared to be the start of fall and winter, we are now back to the September weather that we are all so fond of. September really is the best month to see the islands and today was a perfect example of that. I welcomed a lovely group of guests onto the M/V Kittiwake this afternoon and...Read more

Leave it to wild animals to continually throw our conventional predictions about their behavior for a loop. Often I've heard myself and other naturalist speak of how the orcas "rarely pass through the San Juan Channel and prefer to travel and fish in the straits, like the Haro Strait." Well, the...Read more

I found myself remarking today, "well, I guess it is autumn now," only to have someone respond "oh, it's fall already?" Perhaps I was jumping the gun a bit, but with such a sunny hot summer the slightest bit of rain and wind getting me dreaming of fall. Today fit right in with my illusions and...Read more

Abundant wildlife in the area....but where are the whales? A question we were all asking today. With captains scouting the seas around the San Juans near and far and no sign of our Resident Orcas , we decided to give it a try to the south. Dozens of Harbor Seals and around 10 male Stellar Sea Lions...Read more

Well well well...today is more like the weather we expect for this time of year! After that little stormy spell the last 2 days we are back to calm seas and clearing skies . On our 1pm tour today we saw a nice group of big, golden, Stellar Sea Lions both hauled out and swimming in the water just...Read more

Not quite as lucky as yesterday, mother nature's 1st big storm of the fall season came through with strong winds, amazing clouds, and a few sprinkles. The wind kicked up some 5-8 foot seas in the Straits off the south end of San Juan Island...members of J & K pods of Orcas were in this area......Read more

J pod surprised us today...those speed demons! The skies were clearing, the seas were calming and the Orcas were moving fast towards San Juan Island! A little positive thinking can go a long way (well maybe it was luck)....despite earlier morning reports of some 6 foot waves in the Straits and...Read more

Some days are just not like the others and sometimes the orcas do things that we just can not predict. Yesterday, members of K and L pods swam up San Juan Channel between San Juan and Lopez Islands. That was only the second time this season that they have done that, and we were there to see it...Read more