It’s that time of year again! Fall is beginning to creep up on us, and here in the Salish Sea, we are looking forward to seeing some old friends of ours- migrating birds! We have over 200 species of birds here in the San Juan Islands, and some bird species are here during the summer months specifically for feeding and breeding, such as the Rhinoceros auklets, Rufous hummingbirds, Brown-headed cowbirds, Violet-green swallows, White-crowned sparrows, and others. Some...

[Sarah M - 08/17/2017 - M/V Seahawk - 02:00pm]

M/V Seahawk has had an excellent season of whale watching here in the San Juan Islands. We have had the chance to explore some waters that we do not usually get to check out due to the abundance of the very tricky transient killer whales in our waters. On August 17th we got to meet up with the T030s as they travelled inter-island. This was the first time I had ever encountered this family! Please enjoy some shots from the day...

Here are photos from your whale watching trip from Roche Harbor, WA! We spotted Transient killer whales, who are marine mammal eaters! Please enjoy these images from the day!

[9/2/17 M/V Sea Hawk 2pm Naturalist Sarah C.]

The last long weekend of summer brings tourists, guests, and visitors flocking to the San Juan Islands, and for good reason. With historically temperate and dry weather and what many outdoor professionals consider the most intrigueing month for wildlife, September just may be the best time of year to finally take that sea plane over from Seattle and see what all the fuss is about. The shifting of seasons bring new critters...

[Lauren Fritz, M/V Seahawk, 09/01/2017, 2:00 pm Tour]

Today was another glorious day in Roche Harbor, and for Captain Joe and me, it was made even better by the chance to take our wonderful guests out to the Haro Strait to view some Transient killer whales! The water was as calm as glass, and there was hardly a breeze. It was a perfect day for whale watching. We were delighted to see a few different family pods all traveling together, some with big adult males, several...

[8/31/17 M/V Sea Hawk and Kittiwake 4pm Charter]

We welcomed a wedding party charter onboard the Sea Hawk and Kittiwake today in a buddy-boat style whale watch around the Salish Sea. Our two vessels departed Roche Harbor with high spirits and perfect weather, and a positive whale report to boot! We aimed south towards Cattle Pass in the hopes of intercepting a group of five transient killer whales reported to be heading our way not long ago.

When we reached the T60 family...

[Naturalist Erick D., M/V Seahawk, 8/29/17, 2:00PM]

            The other day Captain Joe and I took a small lovely group aboard the M/V Seahawk. We went far but we got to a group of Transient Orcas swimming south in Rosario Strait. Today was pretty interesting because there were three different Transient Orca groups that had traveled almost the same exact route just at different times throughout the day. We saw one of the three groups just south of Lydia Reef in...

Have you ever heard of the Marbled Murrelet? No? Well sit back and enjoy this quick little read about one of the endangered species native to the Salish Sea and Pacific Northwest!

The Marbled Murrelet is an endangered species of seabird. It is related to the puffin, and it has a stocky, pudgy body about 10 inches long. It has a short pointy beak with a short pointy tail to match. It’s a diving bird, propelling itself with its wings by “flying” into the sea depths to catch...

[Lauren Fritz, M/V Seahawk, 08/24/17, 2:00 pm Tour]

Today was a beautiful day in Roche Harbor, Washington, but what day isn't gorgeous out here in the San Juans? This particular day was sunny, with a light breeze and calm waters. The perfect day to go out on a whale watch. Captain Joe and I were so excited to see what animals were waiting for us out of the harbor, so we gave our introductions and briefings to our wonderful guests, cast the lines, and motored out of Roche...

[08/21/17- M/V Sea Hawk- Kelsey, Naturalist- 2:00PM]

 Happy Eclipse Day! The day felt like a holiday with people taking time from their daily activities to take a step outside and view nature doin’ its thing. We took it a step further and spent not just the morning viewing the eclipse, we also spent our afternoon watchin’ some whales!

We headed out of Roche Harbor from San Juan Island and headed just slightly northwest, and just a few minutes into the trip, we were with...