[8/14/17- M/V Sea Hawk- Kelsey, Naturalist- 2:00PM]

M/V Sea Hawk meandered out of Roche Harbor on San Juan Island in search of whales and other cool wildlife, and we had the best of days!

The smoke has finally cleared out from the San Juan Islands, giving us a beautiful view of the islands and the surrounding mountain ranges as we cruised through perfect waters. We passed numerous sea birds, including a bait-ball filled with Glaucous gulls, Rhinocerous auklets, Common...

[Naturalist Erick D., M/V Seahawk, 8/7/17, 2:00PM]

Some days are amazing whale days, and other days are amazing other wildlife days. The past few days have been super hazy here with a mix of smoke from Canadian wildfires and the normal fog that appears in August. It has made all the islands appear otherworldly as they slip in and out of view as the smoggy clouds traverse across the glassy waters. Yesterday, Captain Joe and I took a group of great people through this...

[8/4/17- M/V Sea Hawk- Kelsey, Naturalist- 2:00PM]

Roche Harbor is a summer’s day dream. There are children playing, dogs frolicking, brunches being leisurely enjoyed on restaurant patios overlooking the water, aaaaand there’s the option to go whale watching! So today, we did just that!

M/V Sea Hawk meandered out of Roche Harbor from San Juan Island in search of whales and other cool wildlife. And lucky us, we came across a humpback whale in the bay between Pender Island...

[7/30/17 2pm SH]

Summer brings excitement here in the San Juans. All sorts of wildlife can be seen both along shorelines and in the sea, enjoying the sunshine just as much as we do. Today we got a little peek into the true abundance of wildlife here in the San Juans. We took the Sea Hawk out for one of the warmest days yet, with beaming sunshine and breezes just cool enough to warrant a light sweater. Our little tour took us all throughout the islands just north of Roche...

[7/20/17- M/V Sea Hawk- Kelsey, Naturalist- 2:00PM]

To start, it should be noted that San Juan Outfitters is part of the Pacific Whale Watch Association, and that means we receive information at any point when out on the water regarding whale and other wildlife locations and behaviors. This can create some exciting trips that are unpredictable, and today was one of those days!

We started the trip leaving beautiful Roche Harbor with no whale reports, but we were hopeful...

Lauren Fritz, M/V Seahawk, 07/12/2017, 2:00 pm Tour

What an exciting day on the water! M/V Seahawk pulled off the docks of Roche Harbor on San Juan Island at 2:00 pm, excited to explore the surrounding waters and bask in the sunshine. Once we pulled out of the harbor, Captain Pete let us know that there was a report of a humpback whale nearby! We cruised through John's Pass, one of my favorite passes in the San Juans because of its incredibly scenery and views of Stuart...

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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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 we got geared up and headed out on a 5 hour kayaking trip out of Roche Harbor.  We started out by seeing lot's of harbor seals once we paddled to the Haro Strait.  Continuing south we had the opportunity to see a juvenile bald eagle as well as an adult hanging out in a 5 foot wide nest.  Not long after we were surprised by orcas appearing off our right hand side.  We got to spend about 15 minutes with the whales before they swam off and got looks as close as 50...