Transient killer whales exaggeratedly coming out of the water to breath, a behavior we often see when the whales are moving quickly.

Captain Gabe, Captain Jim and I made a quick 15-minute turn around between our first and second trip of the day. We were in a bit of a hurry due to a longer first tour, and we wanted to get out to the west side of the island so that on our second tour, we could spend as much time as possible with the orcas that were spotted there. When...

T46s in the Straight of Juan De Fuca

This morning, Captain Gabe, and Captain Jim, and Naturalist Erick, and I all took a Sierra Club charter on an M/V Sea Hawk cruise. This group was willing to do whatever it took to see whales, so they booked a 5 hour tour, as opposed to the usual 3-hour. This basically means that we're able to go farther. Whales that are "out-of-range" due to time constraints on a 3-hour, may be in range on a 5-hour because we have more time.

As...

The Sea Hawk took out an intimate tour in hopes of finding a few humpback whales; however, as we began our departure from Mosquito Pass we received reports of transient killer whales near Vancouver Island! In a sudden turn of events we headed north and began our wildlife tour. Once arriving on scene we were able to travel along side of the T’s (a pod of transient) for a considerable distance. We were able to get stunning views of the unique saddle patch on each whale and...

It’s always a special day when we get to observe humpback whales in the Salish Sea. Since whalers started targeting our humpback population in their breeding grounds around Hawaii, their numbers have plummeted. Despite the passing of the international ban on whaling in 1982, it took until 2003 for humpbacks to rediscover our waters and begin establishing a population here. Today we have an estimated four dozen adult humpbacks that return to our waters every summer, so...

Adult Bald Eagle

Today, Captain Gabe and I head out of Roche Harbor with a lovely family charter on board M/V Sea Hawk. We cruised north in the direction of a humpback whale report and caught up with it a few miles northwest of Turn Point. This lone adult was exhibiting typical humpback behavior, surfacing 3-5 times to breath between each 4-6 minute deep dive. For the majority of our time with this whale, we were the only boat on scene. I love when that happens...

Poop. Yeah that’s right I said it. It’s what makes the world go round. Not really that’s mostly done by gravity, but in the marine environment poop is very important. If you pass by sizable rocky islands you may notice that a lot of are the same shade of brownish-white. This is not because they were all formed by the same type of rocks, no it’s because a whole consortium of different types of animals love to sit on top of those rocks to rest, eat, and…poop. These islands...

One of the great things about working for a kayak and whale watch company is the opportunity to get out on the water a learn new things.  When I started here at San Juan Outfitters, I had never been in a true sea kayak and I was eager to test it out!  Now in my 5th summer I enjoy regularly going out for paddles and even got to attend our senior guide training at Deception Pass.  Kayak Guides attend trainings each season and continue to work on skills throughout the summer...

Our group boarded the Sea Hawk in hopes of finding all the types of wildlife that inhabit our diverse seas! Even though the resident killer whales swam so far north that we were unable to reach them, we were able to encounter some of the other jewels of the Salish Sea. We travelled to the infamous Spieden Island where guests spotted a whole host of harbor seals and bald eagles.

Friday Harbor is home to a famous harbor seal named Popeye; she is frequently found in the...

Yesterday we had a super fun wedding party charter the Seahawk for some fun in the sunny San Juan Islands. Captain Gabe and I set out south to go look for a Humpback Whale! On the way we saw a couple of Harbor Porpoises playing in the awesome rips as that days strong tide pushed in the opposite direction as an odd northerly wind. We went all the way down south past Friday Harbor and Turn Island in to calm Griffin Bay. We first spotted the Humpback close to shore, looking...

On this beautiful Wednesday the Sea Hawk headed north towards Haro Straight in pursuit of the T-124’s. We quickly arrived on scene, and were able to spend a full hour travelling with the killer whales.  We witnessed what appeared to the young pod hunting and then potentially engaging in some playful behavior. We interpreted hunting behavior originally when the orcas were moving cryptically through the water and making movements with purpose. Once they finished hunting...