roche harbor

It was a long journey for M/V Sea Hawk- reports had our resident killer whales all the way at the very southern most point of Victoria. Most captains might be concerned that was too far a trek, but not Captain Chris, he was ready to traverse the channels to get to those whales! All was calm within the Haro Strait for M/V Sea Hawk's passengers and crew, and it looked like it was going to be a rather peaceful jaunt. It wasn't until we reach the Strait of Juan De Fuca that...

It was a little foggy as we left Roche harbor this morning at 11am but as we made our way to Stuart Island to where the resident whales of L pod were last spotted, the fog cleared and it was a beautiful day. Before we made it out to the orcas we spotted about 10 pacific white sided dolphins!!!! They are rarely seen in this location and we were so excited to see them! They were moving fast and were creating a large splash of what behind them, something that is known as a...

Today was another beautiful day here in the San Juan's.  Clear skies with great temperatures made for a pleasurable paddle.  The water chop did alter our route a little bit but did not impair on the fun and sight seeing.  We ended up paddling by English Camp and spotting several bald eagles.  We also had a seal decide to follow right behind our kayaks for about one hundred yards.  Also, we paddle by a mother seal with her pup that couldn't have been more than a couple...

Today's trip was full of perfect weather as well as great photo ops for a diverse range of wildlife! From a bald eagle perched atop a a nearby tree to the awesome view of a mother harbor seal playing with her pup, we had great wildlife encounters all day! The jellyfish sure were out today as we were able to identify two common species. The moon jelly and water jelly (not very creatively named, i will say) were all over the place! It was another great day of paddling.

Kaya...

Starting off with low tide of -1.2 vertical ft, our morning tour had amazing access to a colorful display of red, green and brown seaweeds, purple Ochre sea stars and bright orange anemones. We also got to see lots of fuzzy harbor seals hauled out on high rocks in the kelp forest, and a juvenile bald eagle greeted us from a snag on our way back into Roche Harbor. Later, we saw two adult bald eagles holding high posts on the west side of Henry Island, accompanied by more...

We were caught by surprise after a mellow paddle through Mosquito pass to find a large pod of Orcas swimming North just off Henry Island. Foregoing an early lunch,  and bracing ourselves for rough waters, our group pushed forward toward Kellet Bluff, keeping  a generous distance between us and the whales, as well as getting the ultimate panorama view of the traveling Orcas. With our hearts racing, the screams at every whale breach, and the pace we had set for ourselves...

Today was a spectacular trip around Henry Island. My guests were blessed with many sightings of multiple types of marine life. Around McCracken Point we saw some Harbor Seals relaxing and sunning in the Bull Kelp. As we continued down the west side of Henry Island I was able to point out the many types of sea-stars nestled in the rocks as well as the huge Bald Eagle nest perched above the water. It was really cool to hear the baby Bald Eaglets squawk about 60 feet above...

Today was sweet! It literally only took us 10 minutes to be on scene with whales. It was awesome, and had to be a record encounter. And even better it was a super pod! All 3 resident pods were in the area, that gave us a chance to see 80 whales. They were pretty active as well with many surfacings, spy hops, and breaches.

We also did a tour around some other San Juan Islands; Stuart, John, Cactus, and Spieden and saw countless bald eagles and harbor seals. Overall it was...

Kayak guides Jesse and Ami enjoyed a sun and fun filled 5 hour tour today around Henry Island! With a stripped sun star, urchins, and a close encounter with a flying bald eagle it was a wonderful trip! Ami, Jesse, and their guest also spotted some raccoons scavenging in the intertidal zone for crabs and other good eats. After a calm paddle, an excellent lunch, and a lot of wildlife, everyone walked away with a smile!

Kayak guides Michael and Tyler had two great 3 hour...

Friday and Saturday the Sea Hawk went out with reports of our resident orcas. Friday Captain Brian and Naturalist Aimee motored out of Roche Harbor and headed south toward False Bay. False Bay is on the west side of San Juan Island. We caught up with a female and a calf swimming. Brian and Aimee identified the calf and J-49 who was born last summer. Newborns are usually six to eight feet and around 400lbs! After seeing those two, two more mother and calf pairs swam by...