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MV Osprey- 5:30- Naturalist Alexandria 

What a beautiful day we had onboard MV Osprey. This evening we departed Friday harbor and headed north up San Juan Channel. We had a report of a Humpback whale pretty far north but Captain Gabe and the crew decided it was worth it to her up there in hopes of getting some great looks! 

The trip up was gorgeous and when we got on scene we joined a few of our other friends- boats apart of the PWWA as well. They informed us this humpback was...

What a beautiful day out on the water today! With the sun out shining and the warmth igniting our excitement, we set out for adventure.

Captain Brian and I and our guests headed out of Friday Harbor on our speediest vessel and booked it up north towards the promise of potential whales. We sped past Orcas Island and towards the Canadian border. Hoping the wildlife would stay over within American territory, we approached the scene.

As we slowed, we saw some blows! It was two orca...

MV Osprey- Naturalist Alexandria- Monday, June 21st, 2021- 5:30

We had a wonderful time today onboard MV Osprey. As we boarded onto this vessel we knew it was going to be a gorgeous evening. The sun was shining and as far as Washington standards go it had been a warm toasty day, and the thought of being cooling off out on the water was the perfect plan for the evening. As we boarded onto the vessel we left the dock with naturalists Laura, Maxx and Alexandria. 

As we headed up San...

Abby | Sea Lion | 6/21/2021

It was a sunny day, weather forecasted to be 75 degrees, although it felt like a blistering 90. We boarded Sea Lion in Friday Harbor, 28 smiling faces awaiting a trip through the islands. After Captain Pete and I left the dock, we cruised north through San Juan Channel, on route to meet a matriline of Bigg’s killer whales that were headed south around Henry Island in our direction.

When we arrived on scene with the T046B matriline, we watched in awe as the...

MV Osprey- Naturalist Alexandria- Monday, June 21st, 202- 12:30

We had a wonderful time today onboard MV Osprey. As we boarded onto this vessel we knew it was going to be a gorgeous day. The sun was shining and as far as Washington standards go it was a warm toasty day, and the thought of being out on the water was the perfect plan for the day. As we boarded onto the vessel we left the dock with naturalists Laura, Maxx and Alexandria. 

As we headed down San Juan channel we were...

Maxx K. | M/V Osprey | 06/20/2021 | 5:30pm

    This was a spectacular evening. From the moment Osprey left Friday Harbor you could see whales. A family known as the T049A’s had worked their way up the San Juan Channel and were now aimed at Friday harbor as we exited. 

These Bigg’s Killer whales were members of the T049A family and consisted of Mom, Nan (T049A), her oldest son, Noah (T049A1), and three additional children, Nat, Neptune, and Nebula. 

The family rose to the surface for...

Jordan Higgins | M/V Sea lion | 06/20/21 |2:00pm

Today was one of my favorite trips of the season! Thank you so much to all my guests for being wonderful human beings with inquisitive minds and great questions.

The day began with sunshine and a wonderful, warm summer’s breeze. We gathered on the boat and were all so excited to begin our adventure. We headed out of Friday Harbor and boated down south. It only took a few minutes before we found orcas! Just past Mitchell Bay, we found a...

Abby | Kestrel | 6/20/2021

Captain Brian, Captain Eric, and I left Friday Harbor looking for the same matriline that we saw this morning. On the way, we saw some new harbor seal pups off Turn Island. Somehow, we had amazing luck right after this viewing, because some Bigg’s killer whales were right next to Jackle’s Lagoon on San Juan Island! We drifted in the water with the engine off for some time while we listened to the exhales of the T049A matriline:

• T049A (Female, 1986)
  
  • T049A1...

Abby | Kestrel | 6/20/2021

Once again, we had the A/B team, Abby (me!) and Captain Brian. We had already been out on the water prior to our trip, and rumors of orcas rang in our ears. Apparently, there were three Bigg’s killer whales near the Orcas Island ferry terminal dock, so we zoomed over in that direction. After a large scan of the area, nothing turned up, so we went towards another loose rumor of a family of Bigg’s killer whales.

We made our way north through San Juan Channel...

Haleigh | M/V Osprey | June 20, 2021 | 5:30pm

Every time we leave the harbor in search of wildlife, we combine our scientific knowledge of the Salish Sea with previous visual sightings to pinpoint the best routes. That being said, it takes time to actually get on scene with wildlife. On a sunset trip like today, I feel fortunate that within 10 minutes of departure we had our eyes on a Humpback Whale! This humpback was found in San Juan Channel between San Juan island and Orcas...