Resident Orca Whales

We pulled out of beautiful, sunny Roche Harbor in hopes of finding killer whales (orcas) in the thick fog that surrounded the southern half of San Juan Island. We began heading south and had to turn on our radar and use a fog horn to communicate with surrounding vessels, it was a unique way to travel but also very safe. As we began slowing in the fog - we spotted two black dorsal fins cutting through the water. We had spotted K-Pod (southern resident killer whales)! We...

Calf surfaces just behind mother. This is often called eschelon swimming, when the baby is just being pulled in adults slip stream.

Aboard the M/V Sea Hawk, guests were excited about reports of transient killer whales off of the shore of county park. However, as we departed Roche Harbor and out of mosquito pass, guests were treated with a surprise! We ran into granny the 105 year old killer whale female and a member of J-Pod! With Oynx shortly behind her, a member of L...

We started off our 5 hour tour by heading South through Mosquito Pass, sighting harbor seals, sea stars, jellies and eagles along the way. After lunch, we began our paddle along the West side of Henry Island, and just before reaching Half Moon Bay, we spotted Resident Orca Whales surfacing several hundred yards offshore! We rafted up and gently drifted as we watched them play and feed as they headed South through the Haro Strait. Thinking most of them had passed, we...

Another beautiful June day on San Juan Island. After pouring rain early morning, the storm blew off and temperatures got near 70 degrees again!

Our whale watch boat, the Seahawk, went out on the water today and encountered both J-Pod and L-Pod near the Lime Kiln Lighthouse! J-pod was showing some impressive feeding behavior with spy-hops and breaches all around. One whale even soared through the air with a salmon in its mouth!

Guides Nick and Brenden just got off the...