sea kayak

Today, during out 3 hour sea kayak tour, we were paddling on the south side of Posey Island and saw about six Black Oyster Catchers, beautiful birds with distinctive red and long beaks, chattering loudly and scouring the intertidal zone for food. Oyster Catchers are native to the San Juans and it is always exciting to see them in action.

Also due to the flood tide there were also a significant amount of Moon Jellies spotted near the shoreline of Henry Island. They...

Today was a pretty fantastic day all around-- gorgeous weather, active wildlife and calm water. As we rested in the bull kelp forest, we kept a sharp lookout for harbor seals, and were rewarded when a mother decided to haul herself out of the water and on top of the kelp just a few dozen feet from our boats. There she proceeded to get comfortable and nurse her pup!

Earlier that day we'd been resting in the same spot when an eagle flew down from its nest on...

It was another beautiful day on the west side, and my 3 hour sea kayak tour was pleased to see all sorts of wildlife out and about! Not only did I get my first glimpse of the year of an eaglet in a nest, but we also saw killer whales off in the distance! The whales were spread out in the Haro Strait, headed north. Although they were so far off that we could only just make out some dorsal fins and their exhalations, it was still awesome to see.

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...

Today Joe reported back spotting a Steller sea lion out on the west side of Henry Island. While observing harbor seals at rest and play, Joe and his guests spotted something that looked a little out of the ordinary. Upon further observation he concluded it must be a Steller sea lion. As these large marine mammals are more common in the spring, so it was a quite a surprise to see one at this time. We'll keep our eyes open for the next few weeks and hope to see 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.

After a few 3-hour sea kayak tours today, Noelle reported back having seen a group of orcas out in the Haro Strait. Although the whales were far off, it was still a treat to see them again after a day's absence. Her other highlight included seeing an adult female river otter with her young. To see a family with kits is always exciting as they are often elusive.

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....

Joe returned to Roche Harbor after a 5 hour orca search tour with his guests. As his paddlers were in great shape they paddled south down San Juan Island before heading west to loop up and around Henry Island. Their 12+ mile paddle brought them into the Haro Strait where they could see our resident killer whales heading south. Although the orcas were in the distance, Joe and his guests were excited to see them.
For San Juan Outfitters today makes the 5th straight...

Yesterday Deborah set off on a 5 hour "Orca Search By Kayak" sea kayak tour and boy did they find whales! Deborah reported that the southern resident killer whales were spread out across the Haro Strait, and her group was in the perfect position to see a lot of activity from the whales as they swam past. While normally the protocol (for kayaking when whales are present) is to paddle offshore, yesterday the currents were so strong that it would have been...