Sea Hawk

[Sarah M – 07/17/2017 – M/V Seahawk – 01:00pm Charter]

Today we had another great encounter with transient killer whales for the books on the M/V Seahawk. We had a lovely group of conservationists from all over the world on a private charter cruising through the islands. We had beautiful weather and great reports of whales in range of our boat.

Leaving Roche Harbor we headed out to the east towards the mainland, cruising past Spieden, Flattop, and Waldron Islands as...

[Naturalist Erick D., M/V Seahawk, 7/16/17, 2:00PM]

Captain Joe and I left from Roche Harbor yesterday with a smaller group to go search for some super wildlife and whales. We took an interisland route. This means for most of the voyage we stayed in the smaller passes and in the midst of most of the islands instead of traveling in the larger bodies of water that surround them. If you look at a map of the San Juan Islands, they are surrounded by four larger bodies of...

[Sarah M – 07/14/2017 – M/V Seahawk – 02:00pm]

With such spread-out sightings geographically this year, we are often “forced” to go the extra mile to show our whale watch guests orcas here in the Salish Sea. Yesterday was a perfect illustration of this new whale watching, and the distance, as well as patience, that it can sometimes take to see orcas in their natural habitat.

A Shifting Ecosystem

This year we have seen historically low salmon runs here in the inland...

[Sarah M - 07/13/2017 – M/V Seahawk – 02:00pm]

Yesterday, Captain Pete and I took guests on the M/V Seahawk on a grand adventure from Roche Harbor in search of killer whales. As we left the harbor, the gray morning skies broke into beautiful San Juan Island blue. We cruised southeast through Spieden Channel towards San Juan Channel to cruise through the islands.

As a member of the Pacific Whale Watch Association, we are a part of and extensive whale and wildlife...

Lauren Fritz, M/V Seahawk, 07/12/2017, 2:00 pm Tour

What an exciting day on the water! M/V Seahawk pulled off the docks of Roche Harbor on San Juan Island at 2:00 pm, excited to explore the surrounding waters and bask in the sunshine. Once we pulled out of the harbor, Captain Pete let us know that there was a report of a humpback whale nearby! We cruised through John's Pass, one of my favorite passes in the San Juans because of its incredibly scenery and views of Stuart...

The San Juan Islands are becoming more and more known for their humpbacks whales every day. What was a non-existent population a mere 14 years ago, the Salish Sea now has a stable population of over 45 humpback whales every summer. And today, we saw one such whale!
The Sea Hawk charted its course eastward from Roche Harbor today, taking a charming inter-island tour on our way to a humpback whale report in Rosario Strait. We drove past Orcas Island in full, getting...

Summer is finally here, in every aspect! It’s 85 degrees today, sunny, and flat calm on the water. Weddings are booked every weekend in Roche Harbor now, gracing us with beautiful dresses and snappy suits on our way to the docks. Yachts are flocking to our beautiful island, and their owners sit out on the deck or walk their dogs around the docks. Patio drinks, iced coffee, and art fairs abound! Most importantly, though, the residents are back!

Resident killer whales...