roche harbor

Today was simply a beautiful day out here at Roche Harbor, WA. The sun was shining, skies were blue, and even a brisk breeze didn't deter my guests, Harris and Ruby, who were used to much warmer weather down in Miami. We were lucky in that we saw half a dozen or more Bald Eagles soaring, perching, whistling and watching above us. Most of the harbor seals were busy snoozing on the rocks, but one quietly came much closer and examined us much to our delight. All in...

Roche Harbor was gorgeous today with bright blue skies and that perfect warm spring breeze that marks the beginning of a new season. I paddled out into the sunshine with Yvette and Matt and we were pretty pleased with what we found.

The animals were out in full force today-- we got a close up look at a bald eagle hopping on the rocks nearby, a river otter repeatedly surfaced chewing something tasty and seals popped up all around our kayaks looking at us curiously.

Well what a day! Noelle and Captain Nancy headed out for a whale watch tour yesterday with sunny skies ahead. Transients were in the area, and Noelle was pleased to report back great views of some extremely active orcas. "Transient" means these killer whales (orcas) have a large home range and often pass through the Puget Sound. These whales have been spotted as far south as Monterey Bay, CA where they prey on gray whales resuming their long migration north. When...

Today I paddled out for a 5-hour tour with a lovely couple from Oklahoma. It's always a great feeling to be able to showcase the marine environment to folks who don't often see it. Plus, they loved seeing so many harbor seals up close! We hung out in the kelp beds with a few seals who kept surfacing nearby and checking us out. It's still early in the season, so they're just getting used to kayakers again!

The highlight of the day for me was paddling by the Pelagic...

Down at the Roche Harbor docks the whale watch and sea kayak staff are getting ready for the busy season ahead--painting, sanding, staining and waxing just about everything in sight. We've been taking advantage of the good weather this week to get our 'office' in top shape, and today was no different. Although the To-Do list was mounting I kept getting distracted by the Belted Kingfishers noisily splashing by the banks on the other side.

These blue and white birds...

San Juan Island Sea Kayak Report from April 13th:

Today we paddled out to the west side looking for critters, and took a closer look at the Pigeon Guillemot. These glossy black and white birds, chunky in stature, are easily recognizable by their bright red legs and feet. I like these birds as they are especially easy to spot on open bays, and often swim quite close to the docks. When diving underwater looking for bottom fish, the Guillemot propels itself with its...

San Juan Island Whale Watching report for Friday, April 10th:

Well, it's early in April and we've had great success spotting wildlife the past few days. On Friday Captain Nancy and I left Roche Harbor with gray skies overhead. There were reports of Transient Orcas near Fulford Harbor, and we crossed our fingers we'd make it across the Haro Strait before they disappeared. Luck was with us as we drew close to the southern tip of Salt Spring Island, and we watched as...

San Juan Island Whale Watch report from Saturday, April 11th:

The predicted rain held off for us, and Captain Brian P. and I headed out into the sunshine as we left San Juan Island in hopes of whales. Reports of whales off the Saanich area of Vancouver Island held true for us, and as we came close to shore we sighted them. At first it looked like a small group of two individuals, but as we drew closer we could identify two adult whales and one small calf! The...