Thursday, June 28th

We sure had a good time today. Naturalist Kendall and I went up north near Turn Point on Stuart Island. We saw J-Pod as well as members of L-Pod. We especially had a nice look at Slick and her new calf J-42 and J-42's sibling Alki. We saw several breaches, a spyhop, and many tail slaps. After we left the whales we had dall's porpoise riding our bow waves which was a lot of fun as well. We also saw bald eagles, harbor porpoise, eagles nests, and harbor seals.

Eagles and Seals Galore!

On Friday I led a group of kayakers out of Roche Harbor for a three-hour tour. The wildlife was certainly out and about that day, as we saw about eight eagles all together on shore, where a presumably tasty meal was washed up. I've often seen a few pairs around the area, but never this many at the same time. It was magnificent to see so many eagles in different life stages, and my guests captured some wonderful pictures. As if that wasn't enough, when we were paddling around the west side of Henry Island, we encountered a mother seal giving her new pup a ride on her back. Despite our precautions --we had been sure to paddle back and away from her to give her space--she was completely unconcerned about our boats and even swam right between them! All in all it was a wonderful day! Aileen

Whale Watching Crew The Best

Dear Sirs,

I just wanted to send a quick note concerning the whale watching excursion my girlfriend and I took at 1:30 last Saturday (June 23), from Friday Harbor. First of all, the boat was in immaculate condition. From the railings, to the deck, to the seats, to the restroom area… inside and outside, it was organized and spotless. Your crew that accompanied us was also outstanding. They were informative, attentive without being overbearing, ready to answer questions and help, and worked together to insure that everyone on the boat had a pleasurable and memorable experience. Our Captain guided us to an incredible viewing experience; a minke whale, assorted orcas, various birds and a pair of bald eagles were a few of the highlights. Your crew supplying us with binoculars and blankets was an unexpected service. I would like to thank your company, especially the crew of that boat, for giving us an experience that far exceeded any expectations we may have had!
Thank you ALL!

Regards,

Tom B


This was our new 'exclusive to adults' tour, $79 per person, limited to 12 guests.

Kayaking with Seals

Hi Guys,

Rebeca asked me to send these pics over from our trip this past weekend.
She mentioned something about a photo contest??
Anyway, it was a great trip and she was really cool.
Also send my regards to Noelle, she rocks.

Thanks for the trip! It was great!

Yours truly,

Pedro Villa and Maria Orejuela

Megan Young Loves Orcas

This photo and email was just sent to us by Megan Young. She went Kayaking & Whale Watching with us.

I have loved the Southern Resident Whales since the first time I saw them in the summer of 1994. I always had an interest in marine life, especially whales, and want to pursue a law career to continue making progress to protect the whales in the area.

Friday, June 8th

Today we went to the west side of San Juan Island to view J-Pod. Along the way we say harbor seals and a cormorant rookery. While viewing J-Pod, we had some very nice looks at J-26 who is a 16 year old male named Mike. We also saw a few other members of J-Pod. It was a great day, very calm and gorgeous weather!

Monday June 4th...

After an incredible stretch of sunny weather, the pacific northwest finally decided to mist us with some of its characteristic rain today. A little drizzle didn't stop us from having a wonderful trips this afternoon and evening; the wildlife was undeterred by the shift in weather and we were able to see everything from cormorants and common murres to feeding harbor porpoise and lounging seals. The orcas weren't too bad either. J Pod was out in force- feeding, playing, travelling great distances and engaging in pretty regular surface displays. A beautiful sunset at the end of the evening was a great way to finish off another fabulous day in the beautiful San Juans.

Friday, June 1st...

Conditions were spectacular today. We had beautiful weather, flat water and nearby whales. We saw J-Pod today traveling northbound in Haro Strait. When we arrived they were on the west side of Henry Island and we were able to spend time with them up until they were off Turn Point on Stuart Island. We had amazing views of the Olympic Mountains as well as Mt. Baker. We were also able to view harbor seals, pigeon guillemonts, pelagic cormorants and bald eagles. Wonderful Day!

Kayak Guides Rock (and roll)

Here's most of the crew. We practice rescue training at least twice in the season. The gang is in wet suits from Island Dive Shop. Brian Goodremont was the trainer. Pictured left to right. Back row: Debbie, Sammie, Brent, Brian, Trevor. Front: Noelle, Nancy, Becca, Margo, Deborah (aka Freddie) Phong & Kate.

During these practice session, lasting 2 - 3 hours, kayak guides practice self and assisted rescues. Then with the remaining energy, they practice rolls!

Dan and Ella took this while whale watching from the M/V Sea Lion. This is a very good shot of a mature bald eagle. Not easy to get from, let alone from a moving boat. What a beautiful day it was.

Whale Watching Tour Orcas in the Wild

Comments about Tour from Roche Harbor

On Saturday, May 26th my girlfriend and I boarded the Sea Hawk from Roche Harbor for the 3 hour tour that began at 3pm. I would like to say that I have never been whale watching before in my life and this experience was very exciting and adventurous. The captain was really polite and hysterical. As for Margo, the naturalist, she made the experience worth every penny!!! We had a lot of fun talking about the pods, pointing at them when they surfaced, and seeing the bald eagles from a distance. She had a real good sense of humor that we found very pleasing!

When I first read about the safari on the website, I figured a 3 hour tour would be boring especially on the water, but when we were there, 3 hours passed by like nothing! In fact, we were a little disappointed to get off the boat because we had such a blast. There are many things that I would only consider doing once in my life, but whale watching with these two hosts are definitely what would make it worth going again and again!

Please pass our regards to Margo and the captain. Tell them IT Admin from Lynnwood and Teacher from Puyallup say thanks for a wonderful experience.