sea kayak

Today I was able to paddle out with a lovely family new to the Northwest. Luckily for us we had gorgeous weather and could see clear to the Olympic, Cascade and Vancouver Island mountain ranges. The wildlife was visible as well, with a number of harbor seal sightings, various shorebirds seen and heard and even three harbor porpoise. I thoroughly enjoyed showing off a bit of the splendor of the islands, and the Pacific Northwest!

For me the highlight was spotting...

It's springtime here on the island-- which means the weather is likely to change at a moment's notice, the animals are all getting ready for courtship or mating, and it's simply gorgeous out. Today I saw an adult bald eagle fly by with a large stick in it's beak-- building a nest I presume. Although bald eagles are believed to mate for life, each year they will make 'improvements' to their nest by adding on more and more sticks until the tree can no longer support...

Happy March everyone! February was such a mild, gorgeous month (not quite usual) so we'll wait to see what kind of weather March brings!

This week there have been many reports of gray whales feeding off of Whidbey Island further east in the Salish Sea. Here is what the Orca Network has to say: "In Washington, Gray whales were once thought to be strictly seasonal travelers along the outer coast. We now know that these waters are more than just a stop on a...

The population of the Southern Resident Killer (Orca) Whales is still on the rise! Sunday was the first sighting of brand new calf L114, to first-time mom L77, Matia. This birth brings our current total to 89 whales!
Typically in the winter months the southern resident orca whales disperse and travel much more, so last week's SUPERPOD of all three resident orca pods (J, K, & L) together in the straits was cause for excitement!
Here at San Juan Outfitters we're...

It's technically winter here-- although all this sunshine would make anyone doubt it-- and although it's not prime whale season here in the Salish Sea, they've been popping up everywhere!

This week a humpback was spotted off the southern tip of Whidbey Island, a gray whale spotted near Camano Island and a small pod of four orcas were spotted in the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca (south of Vancouver Island).

Both resident (fish eating) and transient (mammal eating) killer whales, also known as orca whales, live in the waters surrounding the San Juan Islands. The Salish Sea is home to a huge amount of biodiversity, allowing animals large and small to thrive. There is a lot of research being conducted on the whales, and one way scientists gather information is by recording underwater acoustics using hydrophones. This allows data on whales to be collected even when they...

Six new births within the Southern Resident Orcas brings the total number to 88. That's quite a rise from the previous few years, and scientists are eagerly awaiting more research to determine whether this rise will continue, or if it is a fluke. More detailed information can be found at either www.orcanetwork.org or www.whalemuseum.org.

Meanwhile, here's a picture of the newest calf born right around New Year's Day!

Photo by Jeff Hogan - NOAA permit #781182400...

I paddled out for my first trip of the season today, and what a day! The weather was perfect and the wildlife certainly on display. There were so many different kinds of winter birds-- scoters, mergasers, buffleheads, cormorants, bald eagles, kingfishers, guillemots, auklets and more. The highlight of the trip for me was when two harbor porpoise surfaced behind our boats a few times. They seemed to be feeding, but moved off before we could get some really good...

Today I paddled out for a few hours with a lovely local couple who were celebrating their wedding anniversary. We started out under gray skies and were quickly paddling in the rain. Although it was November, and thus well after the tourist season was over, it was beautiful.

We identified all sorts of birds today, from the Harlequin duck's defined white markings to the soft gray spots of the Bonaparte's Gull in winter plumage. There were grebes, guilemots and...

I paddled out today amid strong winds, and was really surprised and pleased to see some resident orca whales! We saw some of J pod traveling down the Haro Strait (we were able to confirm the identity of the whales with the help of our whale watch boat). Although July and August are the best months to see the resident orca whales, they spend time in this area year round, and so can be seen at any time.