san juan island

Today Captain Nancy and I had yet another magical trip on the M/V Seahawk. We left the dock at noon with reports of all three resident killer whale pods to the south. The Southern Resident population consists of 79 individuals spread across three pods (J, K & L) and when all of the pods are together we call that a SUPERPOD! On the way to the southern end of San Juan Island we located a humpback whale. We were the first boat in the whale watching fleet with the whale and...

Wondrous weather here in the San Juans, however it was a bit touch and go on whale reports at the beginning of the day. However, that was quickly going to change as the day progressed. With all the new baby hoopla it would have been quite a disappointment not to see members of L Pod around the area-luckily the whales aren't ones to disappoint! About halfway down San Juan Island we heard reports of L Pod moving up island from Whidbey Island! Once we arrived at False bay we...

Today M/V Sea Hawk traveled a long way to see Transient Orcas. Captain Pete took myself and guests over to James Island, by Anacortes. We traveled through San Juan Channel and around the south end of Lopez in order to get there. Along the way guests were able to see Northern Sea Lions and Harbor Seals. When we first arrived the small group of transients were hunting harbor seals and traveling quickly! This group was easy to identify because of one male, Mr. Floppy Fin...

M/V Sea Hawk and guests headed south toward Eagle Point on San Juan Island. Along the way we encountered Dall's Porpoise surfacing and creating rooster tails! This was a big treat for everyone, and for myself because I have not been able to see Dall's Porpoise do this action before. When watching the Dall's, guests were able to see the muscular build of the Dall's, see a the black and white coloring of them, and see a slow surfacing and a rooster tail spray surfacing...

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...

With a 1:30 departure out of Roche Harbor, M/V Sea Hawk and guests did not have to go far in order to encounter Orcas! Captain Jim took us outside the harbor and right away we were able to see the rest of the fleet with a group of Ks and Ls. Once on scene, we were able to see all the orcas in one big group! They were being playful with spyhops and breaches! This area is known to be a socializing area for these orcas and during the summer is when they are together most! It...

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 another beautiful day in the San Juans.  We ended seeing orcas on three separate occasions!  We sat and watched the whales for about 15 minutes total.  We also got to see some harbor seals and bald eagles up close as well.  The water was smooth and the winds were calm.  It was a picture perfect paddle.

Kayak Guide Chris, 5-hour Kayak Paddle, San Juan Island Outfitters Whale Watch And Kayak Tours

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...