bald eagle

Today we paddled out hoping to see some wildlife, and were rewarded with bald eagle sighting after bald eagle sighting! Stretching from Roche Harbor over to Pearl and Posey Islands, and over the western side of Henry Island were eagles along every few points. It was great to see bald eagles in all life stages from eaglets in the nest, to immatures flying solo, to a mature mated pair standing guard.

Each day we'll be able to see those eaglets develop a little more...

As our morning 3 hour sea kayak tour pushed off from the dock there was a slight drizzle but as they continued on their tour the sky cleared and they were treated to a wildlife extravaganza. They spotted two bald eagles on a beach, a mink scurrying along the shoreline, a raccoon lurking in the grass and two red foxes resting under a madrona tree. The guide, Joe, said that today shaped out to be one of his best days of paddling so far.

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 morning I paddled out with two couples for a 3 hour sea kayak tour from Roche Harbor. While we paddled down the west side of Henry Island we saw a large number of whale watch boats out in the Haro Strait. As we drew closer we could make out small black dorsal fins surfacing out there, and could even see some of the larger splashes from these southern resident killer whales tail slapping and breaching. As my guests didn't have to rush back to the docks, we...

Yesterday started off gray and rainy, so I was pleased that my guests were not deterred by the cool weather. We made sure to dress appropriately with warm layers and raincoats, and headed out. It's absolutely essential that everyone who intends to go out on the water always brings clothing to stay warm and dry-- even in summer that means a fleece or other non-cotton layers, and a windbreaker or raincoat. It's always better to be prepared than caught unawares!

I...

Yesterday Joe, Nick and I along with new guides Megan and Tim returned from a little overnight kayak trip of our own. We paddled out to Stuart Island for the night, and then returned to Friday Harbor the second day. The gorgeous blue skies and calm waters let us take advantage of the area and explore some new routes. We saw lots of eagles and sea birds, and even found a small pod of harbor porpoises foraging off the western point of Speiden Island.

Joe returned from his 3 hour tour in high spirits today. Not only did he have fantastic guests that were ready to encounter anything that came their way, but they had a great time looking at the animals out there. Although they worked against strong winds to fast moving currents, their upbeat attitudes ensured that everyone had a good time.

They were rewarded with up close wildlife encounters including sea birds, bald eagles and of course, our local harbor seals...

This afternoon I paddled out with Doug & Debra from Idaho, and they brought luck with them. We saw a ton of wildlife, and the weather was fantastic to boot. All throughout the 5 hour paddle we saw and heard male harbor seals slapping the surface of the water, but it was in the bull kelp bed off of McCracken Point that we could see them up close. These seals were launching almost their whole bodies out of the water and coming down with a resounding splash. It was...

One one hand I can't believe it's already June 1rst and on the other, the absolutely stunning weather of the past week makes it feel like it should be August already.

This afternoon I paddled out on a special tour with two lovely ladies from Colorado. The water was as smooth as glass all around us, so we were able to see the antics of some seals from far off. A few males were out and about practicing their mating displays, so we got to hear the double flipper slap...

Well I've just returned from our first overnight sea kayak trip of the season and have to report back a wonderful success. The weather was absolutely perfect and the wildlife certainly put on a great show, so that coupled with delicious snacks and good company made for a great weekend.

Steve and Robin were Washingtonians with an appetite for adventure, and I'm glad I could deliver. We met in Friday Harbor and walked down to our exclusive launching docks where we...