roche harbor

Our Captain Brian returned from our 11am Whale Watch out of Roche Harbor with a report an uncommon sighting of Transient whales. They saw the very large male T-102, as well as T-100 and T-90. Transient are the marine mammal eating whales that you see on the Discovery Channel. Although they do frequent the San Juan Islands, their sporadic movements and elusive behavior make them a rare sighting. They were spotted near Halibut Island near Kelp Reef on the...

This afternoon Noelle and I paddled out with a private tour from the Institute of Journalism and Natural Resources (IJNR). It was an absolutely gorgeous day out on the west side, and the temperature was hot enough to convince a few hardy souls to go swimming! While in a bed of bull kelp we saw a young harbor seal pup hauled out on top of a few stipes. The pup was totally relaxed, often yawning and lying turned away from us. This summer's pups have been making quite...

Today our 1:00pm Whale Watch boat out of Roche Harbor caught up with Killer Whales (Orca Whales) coming from the Straits of Juan De Fuca. We felt lucky considering earlier in the morning the whales were far away. It was a great showing and all on board had a wonderful time.

It was another beautiful day on the west side, and my 3 hour sea kayak tour was pleased to see all sorts of wildlife out and about! Not only did I get my first glimpse of the year of an eaglet in a nest, but we also saw killer whales off in the distance! The whales were spread out in the Haro Strait, headed north. Although they were so far off that we could only just make out some dorsal fins and their exhalations, it was still awesome to see.

Last Tuesday morning we set out from Roche Harbor with 14 people aboard our boat the Sea Hawk. It was a drizzly morning but the wildlife was still fantastic. On our way out we motored over to a large group of Harbor Seals hauled out on shallow rocks. They craned their necks to look at us but then went back to doing what they do best, napping! We also viewed several Bald Eagles perched majestically in the tree tops. After motoring down the west side of San Juan...

On a sunny Saturday afternoon our group of 10 kayakers left Roche Harbor. We paddled in calm waters past Pearl Island and around to the western side of Henry Island where we saw everything from Bald Eagles to brilliant purple Ochre Sea Stars. We even ate Bull Kelp! Sitting in the Bull Kelp bed we sat quietly munching on our Kelp snack as curious Harbor Seal heads popped up around us. As we continued south on the west side of Henry Island we heard the screeching of...

Today I paddled out on a 3 hour sea kayak tour departing from Roche Harbor, San Juan Island. Despite the dreary weather, we all managed to have a great time! There were harbor seals and harbor seal pups to see, bald eagles to look for, tasty bull kelp to eat, crabs to find, jellies to scoop up and more!

At San Juan Outfitters we paddle rain or shine, so it's important that everyone bring the gear necessary to ensure comfort and safety regardless of the weather....

This week's bout of rain couldn't dampen the spirits of some intrepid sea kayakers, and good thing too! The rain really changes the atmosphere and overall look of our local paddling route. As long as everyone is adequately prepared and geared up, paddling in the rain can be absolutely fantastic. The rain seems to dampen the neighboring sounds and low clouds obscure the farther islands, allowing us to really concentrate much more on our immediate scenery. On a day...

Noelle paddled out with three guests this morning for a 3 hour sea kayak tour, and reported back that there were sunny skies and smooth, glassy waters to greet them out on the west side. Once there they had quite a few wildlife sightings-- from harbor seals to bald eagles-- but what was most exciting was the porpoises that were spotted foraging around just off the western shore of Henry Island. Noelle identified them as Dall's porpoises, making them the first Dall...

Today Carin, Nick and I paddled out of Roche Harbor for a 5 hour sea kayak tour. While we were indeed hoping to see some mega fauna like orcas or sea lions, we had to be content with the curious harbor seals, frequent bald eagle sighting and absolutely gorgeous weather. It looks as though the rain clouds from this week have been banished, and I hope those blue skies are here to stay!

My favorite part of the trip occurred as we were paddling down the west side of...