roche harbor

Started off as a potentially very wet whale watch, but that was quickly about to change. Soon after leaving the docks of Roche Harbor, the M/V Sea Hawk could see clear skies in front of her. This wasn't the only good news for passengers on board, but there were also reports of Southern Resident Killer whales on the westside of San Juan Island. As we motored past Lime Kiln Whale Watching Park we started to see puffs of air in the far distance. Upon closer inspection it was...

TRANNNNNNSIIIIENTSS! Hide your seals, Hide your porpoises, the transients are here. The T-65A's were spotted along the Eastside of Waldron, moving up island, and they were on the hunt! When M/V Sea Hawk came on scene the orcas were porpoising and flinging themselves out of the water to keep potential prey from getting a breathe. They settled for a bit as they headed north, but then quickly picked up the pace as they corralled potential prey into a bay. It looked as if...

M/V Sea Hawk motored north to the Canadian Gulf Islands to meet up with J-Pod. When we reached our destination, J-Pod was grouped together and were resting. When first arriving on scene, I typically tell our guests the differences between males and females. Males have the tall dorsal fin that can get to six feet tall, whereas females have a curved back dorsal fin and that can reach three feet tall. With saying this, all our guests today were able to see the difference...

Today Captain Chris and I went on a whirlwind of a tour! With a report in hand of whales traveling south near the Anacortes ferry terminal we set out for a very determined tour. We left Roche Harbor heading south through both Spieden and San Juan Channels. We realized that we would not be able to see the orcas and make it back to Roche Harbor in the regular three hour window, so we consulted our group and they were very excited to go for a longer trip. Through Cattle Pass...

Another great day here in Roche Harbor.  We had some up close seal encounters with plenty of sunshine today!  We also got to hold some purple ochre seastars!

Kayak Guide Chris, 3 hour kayak tours, San Juan Island Outfitters Whale Watch and Kayak Tours

You stay classy Roche Harbor

It was an interesting day out on the water today!  Today started pretty breezy with gusts around 10 mph.  This created an exciting paddle out to Open Bay with some choppy waves and plenty of wave splash.  Lots of fun! After lunch the wind died down and it was a perfect day out on the water!

Kayak Guide Chris, 5 hour kayak tour, San Juan Island Outfitters Whale Watch & Kayak Tours

You stay classy Roche Harbor.

Another blue sky day here in Roche Harbor.  Today on our paddle we saw plenty of harbor seals, eagles, and even some harbor porpoise! We also found a lot of sea glass during our lunch break!

Kayak Guide Chris, 5 hour kayak tour, San Juan Island Outfitters Whale Watch and Kayak Tours

You stay classy Roche Harbor

Yesterday we had an amazing day on the M/V Seahawk. For our morning trip we had a report of Residents to the north of Roche Harbor in Boundary Pass. I love trips into Boundary Pass, especially on clear days when you can see Mt. Baker in its entirety. We met up with K and J pods right off of the coast of Saturna and South Pender Islands in Canada. Oftentimes our trips cross into Canadian waters, but don't fret... you do not need a passport! We got to watch the Js and Ks...

Today was one of those real special paddles.  We started our 5-hour trip heading north and viewing a pair of bald eagles and getting some up close looks at some harbor seals.  We continued our paddle by heading south down the west side of Henry Island.  As we continued heading south I noticed many boats in the same area gradually coming closer and closer.   By the time we made to a place called Kellet Bluff the whales were right behind us.  Jackpot.  We found a nice...

Today I had the pleasure of accompanying an amazing family on a pretty beautiful paddle. This morning we paddled out to the bull kelp forest near Battleship Island, just off of Henry Island. Bull kelp is an important species in the Salish Sea, creating critical habitat for crabs, small fish, and even harbor seals! We enjoyed the antics of a particularly friendly seal dipping and diving through the currents. On our way back into Roche Harbor we stopped on Posey Island the...