[Sarah M | 08/15/2018 | M/V Seahawk | 02:00pm]

Yesterday the M/V Seahawk had another great trip in the Salish Sea. Even though we are still experiencing smoky conditions, the wildlife sightings have been off the charts amazing and unaffected by the atmospheric conditions.

On our 02:00pm afternoon trip we left Roche Harbor and headed southwest through Mosquito Pass towards Sidney Island. As we reached the south end of Sidney Island, near Hughes Pass we found a family...

Captain & Naturalist Sarah | 06/23/2018 | M/V Seahawk

AHHHHH… Days don’t get much better than this on M/V Seahawk… bright blue skies and whales nearby. Owner/Operator Brian and I decided to leave Roche Harbor and head north to a report of killer whales just off of Waldron Island. As we Rounded Green Point on Spieden Island we quickly realized that the reported group had split up… two famlies heading north towards Boundary Pass, and another heading south through...

(7/27/17- M/V Seahawk- 2PM)

Today we left Roche Harbor with reports right inside our viewing area.  At times like these it is really up to the orcas as to whether or not we will see them, if they travel away from us then we are out of their range but if they travel towards us then we get the opportunity to see them.  Thankfully, the coin flipped in our favor today and we got the chance the hang out with a family of transient orcas. 

This specific family of orcas was the...

[Naturalist Erick. D., M/V Seahawk, 7/18/17 2:00PM]

            For the whole summer we have been seeing almost all Transient (Bigg’s) Orcas. Those are the mammal-eating ones, and despite their old common name we see them in the Salish Sea just as much as the Southern Residents we just tend to see them more in the winter and spring when the residents are absent and there is an increase in the marine mammal population including Steller Sea Lions, California Sea Lions...

A Guide to Wildlife in the San Juan Islands

Did you know the San Juan Islands are home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the entire world? It’s true!

Every time we set out on a whale watching tour by boat, our number one goal is to see whales. Most days we do, but we also see a huge variety of other wildlife, including animals many of our guests have never seen up close before! Our kayak tours encounter a variety of diverse wildlife, and sometimes whales, too!

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Tomorrow is the Autumnal Equinox! And even though this signals the true end to summer, this doesn’t mean that all the whales leave as all the humans have started to do. Whales actually travel through these waters all year round! Yesterday, though, still felt a little bit like summer. Captain Brian, myself and some wonderful guests took the M/V Seahawk south to search for the Southern Resident Orcas. They have been in the inland waters the past few days foraging for salmon...

Spyhopping Southern Resident Killer Whale off of Henry Island, WA

Sunday mornings, especially on holiday weekends, are my favorite times to be at Roche Harbor. The excitement in the air is palpable, usually the sun is shining in a bright blue sky, and we have the chance to welcome and host a group of very enthusiastic people.

This Labor Day weekend was no different. On our 11am departure we had a group of our Southern Resident Killer Whales reported off the Westside of...

Today, Captain Gabe and I took a super enthusiastic group out on the M/V Seahawk! We headed south along the west side of San Juan Island to look for the Southern Resident Killer Whales. These are the salmon eating ones that live in the north pacific and usually spend much of the summer inside the Salish Sea since salmon have to make their way through to find the rivers that they were born in. This year is a historically low salmon year so we have not seen the residents...

Of all the creatures spotted on our wildlife tours this summer, K pod resident killer whales have been the most elusive. They spent the majority of the summer in their wintering grounds in the Pacific Ocean, making us wonder if we were ever going to spot them again! Finally, a few days ago, J pod returned to the Salish Sea and brought K pod swimming along with them.

We headed out of Mosquito pass to follow up on a report of residents milling around False Bay on the...

Fall is approaching, but there is still a lot of summer here. Yesterday (Friday) Captain Gabe and I headed south along the west side of San Juan Island to search for the Southern Resident Killer Whales. They often are seen on this west side because their main food source, Chinook Salmon, travel along this coast as they make their way north to large river systems so they can spawn there and complete their life cycles. As we exited Mosquito Pass we saw some splashes and it...