Levi Vandebunte | M/V Osprey | September 11th, 2026 | 12:30pm
This tour left the dock with the gift of beautiful weather and water conditions which is always a great start. We turned right out of Friday Harbor and pointed South in San Juan Channel. We began by checking a nearby kelp bed that is sometimes frequented by a Sea Otter. This is a rare species to encounter in the inland waters of the Salish Sea, but luckily this little one has taken a liking to this specific spot. It ususually can be found somewhere within the kelp, often grooming itself or resting. Today however we were surprised to spot it out in the open water just North of the kelp! We turned our engines off and watched it roll around for a few minutes, then got amazing views as it swam back towards the kelp. We then continued moving South towards the bottom of San Juan Island. As we left San Juan Channel and were about to enter the Strait of Juan de Fuca, we made a stop at nearby Goose Island. We enjoyed looks at so many Harbor Seals and Nesting Cormorants here before continuing South. We made our way to Salmon Bank which is a bit South of San Juan Island. This is a great place to find several different species of baleen whales, as it is an ideal location for them to feed on small schooling fish. It did not take long for us to spot a Minke Whale off the right side of our boat! These whales are quite tricky to view sometimes since they surface in several different directions and locations while foraging. We got two quick looks before this whale decided to go on a longer dive. We waited for a bit but eventually decided to move further Southwest and continue searching. We checked out many different large groups of birds on the surface of the water. This can sometimes indicate a bait ball of small fish underneith, and that can sometimes mean that a whale is nearby feeding on them. We also found several Harbor Porpoise swimming in the calm waters down there. We circled back and decided to try to get some more looks at the Minke that we found earlier. We did indeed spot it again, and got many more good looks this time. It was surfacing more often, swimming back and forth along the edge of Salmon Bank. We eventually said goodbye to this whale and travelled back up into San Juan Channel. We made one more stop at Whale Rocks to observe the huge group of Steller Sea Lions that reside on these rocks. There were several dozen there today! Some were resting on the rocks, while others were socializing and foraging in the water. I always enjoy viewing these massive pinnipeds, as they are the largest Sea Lion species in the world! We then made our way back up San Juan Channel and returned home to Friday Harbor.
Marine Mammal Highlights:
Minke Whale
Sea Otter
Steller Sea Lions
Harbor Seals
Harbor Porpoise
This group of passengers was a joy to be out on the water with. We thank them for joining us this afternoon!
Wanting to see more photos from our trips? Visit our SmugMug page at: https://sanjuansafaris.smugmug.com/
More information about the Pacific Whale Watch Association: https://www.pacificwhalewatchassociation.com/