Welcome to the Whale Report Blog

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | May 6th, 2022 | 12:30pm

Leaving the dock at the start of a trip is not only normal for the shoulder season, but for peak season as well. With no whales tagged in these waters, everything is found on visual sight. Today we left the dock and decided to take a chance heading north while other vessels in the Pacific Whale Watch Association were searching down south. This worked in our favor because about 20 minutes into our trip, another vessel spotted not one...

Maxx K | M/V Sea Lion | 05/05/2022 | 12:30pm

    It was a cold and dreary Cinco de Mayo! Skies were gray and absolutely everything was sopping wet yet there were whales to be seen so Sea Lion moseyed out of Friday Harbor and off towards a report of whales inter island. 

    We didn't make many pit stops on our journey there, instead opting to wrap Sea Lion down and around the northern tip of Lopez and into Orcas’s Eastsound. At this point the rain was horizontal. No one shall be dry...

Lauren | M/V Sea Lion | 5.3.2022 | 12:30 PM

M/V Sea Lion had a small group today, only 9 passengers were aboard as we puttered out of Friday Harbor. I was beyond delighted to hear that the infamous “Big Mama” was back in the Salish Sea, and that we may see her out on our trip today. Seeing “Big Mama” is a treat in itself, but we got some exciting news yesterday… “Big Mama” was not only back in town, but she had a new calf with her!

Once we got word that “Big Mama” and calf were...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 05/01/2022 | 1:30pm

    Today was kinda perfect. Before we even began suiting up a group of Killer Whales had been picked up in the Juan de Fuca and were angled straight up towards the San Juans. We hadn’t even touched water and it was already shaping up to be a great day!

    We stopped first at Goose Island and scoped out the Glaucus Gulls, Double Crested and Pelagic Cormorants that rested on the rocks steep sides. 

    We continued onward and it didn’t take...

Lauren | M/V Sea Lion | 5.1.2022 | 12:30 PM 

It was a magnificent May morning, filled with a warm breeze and sunny skies. It was my first trip of the year where I really felt like spring was upon us. None of the crew even wore jackets out there today!

We left the dock with word that there was a group of Bigg’s killer whales south near Hein Bank. We made a stop at Whale Rocks to view some noisy Steller’s Sea Lions and went on our way.

Once on scene, there wasn’t a single dull moment...

Maxx K. | M/V Sea Lion | 04/30/2022 | 12:30pm

    Friday harbor was spooky at 12:30- it softly rained throughout the morning and was gray everywhere you looked. It was a pretty cliche Washington morning but we weren’t disheartened- it can be so much easier to spot whales without the glare of the sun bouncing off the water. A jet black dorsal fin stands out so much sharper against a white gray foggy sky too- haha perhaps this is me trying my best to make lemonade from lemons but hey! ...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | April 28th, 2022 | 12:30pm

Leaving the dock today, we were elated with the weeklong streak of sunny weather. Cool winds and warm skies guided us inner island towards Rosario Strait, passing heaps of bait balls and feeding Rhinoceros Auklets. Kissing the southern end of Lummi Island, we spotted black dorsal fins seemingly hugging the shoreline.

In my opinion, Lummi Island is one of the most breathtaking islands within the San Juan’s. The lush green, cliffy...

Maxx K. | M/V Sea Lion| 04/25/2022 | 1:30pm

    The day began with sun! 

Sea Lion took a left out of Friday Harbor today, up and around towards rumors of Bigg’s Killer Whales that had been spotted earlier in the morning traveling up San Juan Islands western shores. Now of course, these whales were going to remain rumors until we saw them ourselves. As we know, whales are crazy and they are absolutely wild. If they wanted to disappear, they absolutely could! 

    We were not...

Maxx K. | M/V Kestrel | 04/24/2022 | 1:30pm

    Today was crazy. Now, every day is of course, special out here- you never really know what you’re gonna get, much like a box of chocolates. But something truly wild happened on our journey today. 

    Kestrel rounded itself up and over the north side of San Juan Island and into the Haro Strait. We continued across the strait and over the US/Canadian border towards a Gray Whale that foraged off Sydney Island. This massive 45 foot whale...

Olivia | M/V Sea Lion | April 24th, 2022 | 12:30pm

Continuing our weekend stretch of beautiful weather, it made our decision to travel towards Vancouver Island that much easier. Shortly after leaving the dock, we received word that there was a Gray Whale over by D’Arcy Island. This excited us and off we went!

Scanning the islands and the waters along the way, we stopped at Spieden Island to check out the world’s largest sea lions! These Steller’s Sea Lions were not only snoozing and...