Welcome to the Whale Report Blog

What a great show we got from the transient Orcas today! It's not everyday that we get to see these whales since they visit our area less frequently than the resident Orcas. The transient orcas dine on marine mammals like the harbor seals, harbor and dalls porpoise, sea lions and minke whales...Read more

Some days defy description. They so far exceed one's expectations or beliefs that they become entrenched in the realm of fantasy. I had the distinct honor of witnessing one of those days today. As part of the crew of the M/V Sea Lion I got to assist a guest in surprising his girlfriend with a...Read more

This summer I really can't get orcas off my mind. We have had whale sightings pretty much every day. I even dream about orcas! It must mean something when your dreams reflect reality. Life is good. Especially on a sunny day in the San Juans. Today we encountered the orcas on the north end of San...Read more

Victoria, B.C. with orca and ship. Photo courtesy of Jeanne Hyde What is the measure of a whale watching adventure? Well, today it was distance. Capt. Mike decided that our options were to go big or stay home and staying home was not actually an option. So, venturing further than prudence...Read more

I know a fellow naturalist named JB, short for John Boyd, who likes to tease his niece; also an avid whale watch fan and naturalist. After a big day he says to her, "You should have been there." It's a way of saying, 'Boy did you ever miss out." And today was one of those days. I work 45 hours a...Read more

[caption id="attachment_1415" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="MV Kittiwake with Breaching Whale by Ernie Westle"] [/caption] The Kittiwake is our 32 foot boat. It is a plain boat, named after a plain seabird in the gull family. Accordingly, its values are often underestimated. The...Read more

Yesterdays afternoon trip saw a little seen baleen whale - a minke. There are only about 18 minke whales in and around the islands. Our guests got very good looks at this whale in the afternoon both from the MV Sea Lion and the smaller MV Kittiwake. Last evening on the 5;30 tour the resident orca...Read more

When is a baby orca not a baby? When it has not been seen by the Center For Whale Research, that is when. They are the research body officially in charge of monitoring the population of the Southern Resident Killer Whales that are found in the Pacific Northwest. They maintain the matriarchal family...Read more