Welcome to the Whale Report Blog

Laura / M/V Sea Lion / 3/12/2022 / 12:30 PM

Today was an adventurous day out on the water!  The spring air was quite chilly, but the overcast skies made excellent viewing conditions to seek out exhalations.  M/V Sea Lion headed northbound out of Friday Harbor and spotted a bald eagle right around Pt. Caution at the harbor’s entrance.  We continued to Spieden Island and had an awesome sea lion encounter by Green Point!  Steller sea lions were diving near the kelp beds, and we saw five...

Laura / M/V Sea Lion / 3/11/2022 / 12:30PM

What a way to kick off the season!  As it was my first day out on the water this year, I was thrilled to leave the dock with a Bigg’s killer whale report near McArthur Bank!  M/V Sea Lion had 11 enthusiastic and hopeful passengers on board, and Captain Eric made sure we left the dock in a hurry to give us all as much whale time as possible. 

We headed south in San Juan Channel and rounded the south side of Lopez Island towards Whidbey Island...

Haleigh | M/V Sea Lion | October 11, 2021 | 12:00 pm

Humpback whales have been sighted almost every day somewhere in the Salish Sea this fall. As we made our way south today, we were scanning for the large blows out in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Continuing in a southwest direction, we were hoping to follow up on some reported Humpbacks. Sure enough, we made it far enough to see the blows in the distance, just southeast of Victoria, BC. Multiple blows caught our passengers' eyes...

Haleigh | M/V Sea Lion | October 10, 2021 | 12:00 pm

For our Sunday afternoon departure, we departed from Friday Harbor following up on a report of two Humpback Whales along the West side of San Juan Island. We arrived on scene with these whales traveling north very close together. As they made their way, we got beautiful looks during each surfacing of their humps, notched dorsal fins, and white-marked flukes. One of these whales was ID’d as Vivaldi (MMX0128) for their fair white...

Haleigh | M/V Sea Lion | October 9, 2021 | 12:00 pm

For today’s whale sightings, we didn’t have to go too far! We left Friday Harbor pointed North through San Juan Channel where we were united with a family of Bigg’s Killer Whales. Within the group was T60 (Panthera) and three of her five living offspring. T60C (Yelnats) is her oldest living calf born in 2001. T60F (Tigris) and T60G (Unnamed) are her two youngest calves, born in 2012 and 2019. Two of her middle children, T60D and...

Haleigh | M/V Sea Lion | October 7, 2021 | 12:00 pm

Today’s weather was spectacular. The water was glassy and calm everywhere we ventured, and the sun was shining with the blue sky and puffy clouds above. We began our tour southbound to scan the shallow banks within the Strait of Juan de Fuca. As we made our way through Cattle Pass, Steller’s Sea Lions bobbed up and down in the water. We saw even more of these blubberous beasts lying on Whale Rocks, some roaring while others...

Haleigh | M/V Sea Lion | October 6, 2021 | 12:00 pm

There is a plethora of wildlife that can be seen in the Salish Sea. Today’s trip highlighted the many animals that can be seen, especially if we give the trip the time and space to fully develop. We left the dock in search of a reported group of whales traveling. In our pursuit to find them, one of our guests spotted a Humpback Whale traveling across the stern of our boat. It was an incredible find as this whale was barely...

Haleigh | M/V Sea Lion | October 5, 2021 | 12:00 pm

It’s peak Humpback Whale watching season in the Salish Sea! Our Humpbacks are incredibly special because in the 1900’s, they were entirely whaled out of the area. Due to the increase in bait fish over the last couple of decades, more Humpbacks are returning each summer season. Females that return occasionally bring their calves back with them, teaching those young cetaceans that the Salish Sea is a viable feeding ground. With this...

Haleigh | M/V Kestrel | October 3, 2021 | 2:00 pm

Through the summer in the Salish Sea, we have the opportunity to spend time with Humpback Whales. Humpback Whales migrate to colder, nutrient-rich waters to take advantage of the abundance of food -- Sand Lances, Herring, and Krill. It’s important for these animals to stock up during these summer months before they begin their migration towards Hawaii. As we are entering our fall season, more Humpbacks are making their way through...

Haleigh | M/V Sea Lion | October 1, 2021 | 12:00 pm

It’s not super common to find whales right outside of the harbor, but when it happens it is incredibly special! Today was that day. We found two Humpback Whales traveling South through the San Juan Channel. Each surfacing was powerful, with a 15 foot exhalation releasing a plume of misty water into the air. The two humpbacks were traveling close alongside one another. At one point as they dove, one tail fluked while the other half...