It is now late spring, and the resident birds of the Salish Sea are primarily focused on one activity now: nesting. Glaucous-winged Gulls have decorated many of the smaller islands and rocks with their twiggy cups. Pelagic Cormorants cram their nests into the narrowest of crannies and crevices on steep and inaccessible (to those lacking… Continue reading Bird Watching Cruise Report – June 8, 2013
Category: General
Bird Watching Cruise Report – May 25, 2013
Harlequin Ducks were certainly one of the star birds this week, with no fewer than thirty-six spotted at three different sites, far more than we have typically been encountering on our bird cruises, although we have seen at least a few on every trip so far. The largest concentration was in the vicinity of Chuckanut… Continue reading Bird Watching Cruise Report – May 25, 2013
Had a great look at 4 Minke Whales!
We just left the Salmon Bank area after some incredible viewing of 4 Minke Whales! They were feeding all around the boat and surfaced right next to us several times. Best of all, the seas were flat and it wasn’t raining.
Whales & Wildlife Report – May 23 & 24, 2013
The past two days we have taken school groups from throughout Western Washington on whale watching field trips aboard the Victoria Star 2. We were thrilled to find a Humpback whale (BCY-0324) on Thursday off Lime Kiln Park, on the west side of San Juan Island. Then on Friday we spotted a group of 6… Continue reading Whales & Wildlife Report – May 23 & 24, 2013
San Juan Explorer 3-Day San Juan Islands Cruise June 10-12
Are you looking for a fun, scenic, multi-day trip exploring the San Juan Islands? If so, we’d love to have you aboard for our 3-day, 2-night San Juan Explorer tour, happening June 10-12. Cruise the pristine waters and narrow passageways aboard the Viking Star, view Orca whales and other wildlife, talk with our knowledgeable captain… Continue reading San Juan Explorer 3-Day San Juan Islands Cruise June 10-12
Bird Watching Cruise Report – May 18, 2013
The early morning weather seemed a little ominous, but luck was on our side and the rain stopped shortly before our departure, and (mostly) stayed away for the duration of the cruise. Birds were plentiful as usual, with all the “core” breeding and resident species of the Salish Sea observed in plentiful numbers. Pigeon Guillemots… Continue reading Bird Watching Cruise Report – May 18, 2013
Whales & Wildlife Report – May 19, 2013
We’re still underway on today’s Whale Watching Adventure cruise, but we were able to find a group of Orca whales (J-pod) out on the west side of San Juan Island. We’re now making our way towards Friday Harbor for today’s 2 hour shore visit. We’re still running weekends only, so hopefully you can join us… Continue reading Whales & Wildlife Report – May 19, 2013
Whales & Wildlife Report – May 18, 2013
We were one of the first boats out in the islands yesterday, so without any early whale sightings from our spotting network, we decided to head north to the most likely place to find them. We cruised out between the San Juan and Canadian Gulf Islands, finding groups of Steller sea lions, Dall’s porpoises and… Continue reading Whales & Wildlife Report – May 18, 2013
Whales & Wildlife Report – May 16 & 17, 2013
We had a couple of school field trips this week, on Thursday and Friday, and we saw lots of whales both days. On Wednesday it started out cool and overcast, with a few sprinkles of rain. By noon, it had turned into a warm and perfect sunshine day. After a 70 day absence, J Pod (one… Continue reading Whales & Wildlife Report – May 16 & 17, 2013
Whales & Wildlife Report – May 12, 2013
What better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than a cruise in the San Juan Islands? It may have been raining a bit in town, but the San Juans, being in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, were dry, and we even got a bit of sunshine in the afternoon. The highlight though was the… Continue reading Whales & Wildlife Report – May 12, 2013
