Generated by All in One SEO Pro v5.0.1.1, this is an llms-full.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # San Juan Cruises Seattle | Bellingham ## Posts ### [Blog](https://whales.com/more-info/blog/) **Published:** February 25, 2016 **Author:** patrik --- ### [T49's and Many More Including Whale Watching Dogs](https://whales.com/whale-watching-dogs/) **Published:** August 27, 2026 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00134-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-watching-dogs/dsc00134/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00156-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-watching-dogs/dsc00156/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00167-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-watching-dogs/dsc00167/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00183-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-watching-dogs/dsc00183/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00128-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-watching-dogs/dsc00128/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00120-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-watching-dogs/dsc00120/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00244-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-watching-dogs/dsc00244/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00066-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-watching-dogs/dsc00066/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00229-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-watching-dogs/dsc00229/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00127-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-watching-dogs/dsc00127/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00109-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-watching-dogs/dsc00109/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00213-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-watching-dogs/dsc00213/) The T109A’s along Frost Island and vicinity on 8/21/26 by Lincoln Humphry Aug 17 – Naturalist Elliot Such a great day! We left the dock and headed straight into the fog. We went through the middle punching through several fog banks before catching up with the T49A’s in the Strait of Juan De Fuca near Hein Bank. They were a little squirrely and travelling in a wide spread with long downtimes, but Nat T49C (the largest bull currently travelling with the group) kept surfacing close to us until the very end when they all surfaced near the boat after a long downtime. On the way home we went on a minke search near Salmon Bank to no avail, but saw lots of Heerman’s gulls and a pile of sea lions on whale rocks. Aug 18 – Naturalist Lauren What a gorgeous day on the water. Beautiful conditions, flat calm waters, and orca whales. We caught up with the T49A’s heading north up the southwest side of Stuart Island. They traveled closely together, giving us fun views of all the different dorsal fin heights. Super fun to see this pod as Nimbus, Nan’s newest calf, was born this year! They gave us quite the goodbye with a peduncle throw from one of the older kiddos, a spy hop and lots of splashing and direction changes. All under the Turn Point lighthouse. incredible displays of their strength and power. We saw harbor seals at Skipjack Island and Clements Reef. Clement’s was also populated with 7 Steller sea lions. Fascinating perspective of the smallest and largest pinnipeds we see in these waters. We also saw 7 common loons in Hale Passage on our way back to the bay. A rich wildlife day indeed. Aug 19th – Naturalist Kara A fellow PWWA member sent out a radio call invite to a T-Party happening in the Strait of Georgia! We took ourselves on the long journey up into Canada to join a 5 pod, 25 individual orca whale social gathering. These whales were quite spread out, but busy with all sorts of fun behaviours, tail slapping, head standing, porpoising and a few breaches! We also saw some potential for mating, so we’ll have to wait 18 months and see what happens. Our large group of whales today were members of the T35s, T36As, T49As, T63 and T65 (Whidbey and Chainsaw) and the T100’s. Overall, a lovely and lucky day on the water. Aug 21st- Naturalist Kara What a lovely day on the water! We made our way through Obstruction Pass to find our first whales of the day. The T109As (the Runaways) were found this morning in the middle of the ferry lanes, napping, and slowly traveling the Lopez shoreline. We watched their behavior change from deep dives and a slow journey to a quick hunt and finding something to eat. The orcas were circling, with high back arches and some upside down swimming as they caught their lunch. On our journey around the islands to look for other wildlife, we actually came on another pod of orcas. We were first on scene with these whales, so we spent some time working on identification and pictures for this group. These Biggs orcas were a bit more elusive, with big direction changes and long dives. It was fun to watch an entirely different family, and we finally got an ID on T36A, T36A1 and T65A5 (Indy). Cool to see two pods in one day, and get to ID one! August 23rd- Naturalist Elliot Incredible day on the water, After a great thunderstorm yesterday evening we left the dock in cloudy weather. We went to see the sea lions on the Sinclair buoys and saw 3 males, the smallest one get knocked off and the largest of the three displaying the final step in his digestive process. We caught up with an interesting group of orcas at Point Lawrence (The T99’s and T37A4) and stayed with them as they crossed Rosario Strait eastbound, and hugged the Lummi Island shoreline for almost 2 whole hours. After a long downtime during the crossing we were surprised with a surfacing right off the bow! Just incredible to see those animals so close. We closed out the day with Harbor Seals at Eliza Rock and headed for home. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Lots of Time with the T18's and a couple of T-Parties](https://whales.com/lots-of-time-with-the-t18s-and-a-couple-of-t-parties/) **Published:** August 20, 2026 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![Back and dorsal fin of a large whale surfacing in calm blue ocean water](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00029-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-time-with-the-t18s-and-a-couple-of-t-parties/dsc00029/) [![Whale's tail (fluke) rising above the ocean as it dives.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00007-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-time-with-the-t18s-and-a-couple-of-t-parties/dsc00007/) [![Whale surfacing in the blue ocean, blowing a tall spout of water into the air.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC09941-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-time-with-the-t18s-and-a-couple-of-t-parties/dsc09941/) [![Two whale tails rising above the blue ocean surface as they dive.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC09993-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-time-with-the-t18s-and-a-couple-of-t-parties/dsc09993/) [![Whale's tail fluke rises from the ocean as it dives.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC09972-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-time-with-the-t18s-and-a-couple-of-t-parties/dsc09972/) [![Whale's tail fluke lifting from the blue ocean as it dives, with water droplets cascading from the fluke edges.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC09981-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-time-with-the-t18s-and-a-couple-of-t-parties/dsc09981/) Dreamer’s 2021 Calf near Active Pass fluking and cruising on its side on 8/14/26, by Lincoln Humphry August 11 – Naturalist Elliot T18’s are back! We started off strong with some sea lions on the red cans at Sinclair Island, then went through the middle and caught up with the T18s (T19, T19B, T19C) near Jones Island. They are called the T18s because during the initial orca survey, T18 Esperanza and T19 Nootka were documented separately and it was later discovered that they are mother and daughter. T19 is now estimated to be over 70 yrs old, and her two sons T19B Galiano and T19C Spouter are both full grown and VERY large bulls. We watched them do laps around Jones while spyhopping, foraging, tail slapping and blowing bubbles. So much fun! A little bittersweet thinking about how all of these whales range from middle aged to elderly, and with no surviving female calves in this generation, these three will be the last of the T19 matriline. August 12 – Naturalist Elliot T party! We got word in the morning of some Biggs orcas southbound from Victoria, which is a stretch for us anyway, and if they’re headed that way, there is a good chance they are headed to open ocean. As the morning passed, more and more boats were joining the group of whales, and with the changing tide going against them to slow them down towards us, we decided to roll the dice and go for it. By the time we caught up to them they were west of Hein Bank. Among the group were the T19s, T36 & T36B’s, T46B’s & T49A’s. 21 whales in total. We watched them breaching, cartwheeling and tail-slapping up a storm for almost an hour, and even got an up close breach from T19B Galliano. We had a long run home without much spare time, but were lucky enough to see a lone humpback in San Juan Channel in the distance as we passed by. Quickly stopped for some sleepy Steller sea lions on the way home, and rounded out an epic day with a full on T-Party! August 13 – Naturalist Elliot Today we went west to a report of three killer whales near Spieden Island. We punched through the fog in Rosario Strait and made it to clear skies in the inner Islands. We made it to where another boat had picked up the T19s near Roche Harbor and they were pretty sleepy to begin with, but once we got into the Wasp Islands (harbor seal territory) they got pretty active! Foraging and feeding throughout the islands for the next hour gave us quite the show. However, there was lots of personal boat traffic transiting fast through the area, and it was time for us and our PWWA boats to exercise our “sentinel actions” as we call it: basically taking proactive measures to protect whales. We were waving our whale flags and laying on the horns to alert other boaters to the presence of the whales. We needed to get home and head the same way we left, but were able to make time for harbor seals at Peapod Rocks and a bald eagle lurking too. August 14 – Naturalist Elliot Shortly after we left the dock with sunny, calm conditions and stopped at Viti Rocks for harbor seals. There were lots of moms and pups, and we observed a mom nursing two pups at the same time. I’d never seen that before! After that we saw a male and female Steller napping on a navigational marker near Sinclair Island, then a report came in that there were orcas in Cross Sound pointed into Eastsound at Orcas Island. By the time we got there, they had been identified as the T18’s. It’s been nice to have these epic historical individuals around this week. They were spread far, and each of the boys were hugging the shoreline on either side of the sound with mom in the middle. We got to follow them all the way up to town at the north end of Eastsound before they ran out of water and had to turn around. August 14 – Naturalist Quincy & Lincoln We started the day with no reliable reports, other than a few orcas getting lost in the heavy fog layer down south, so we headed for Viti Rocks to check out some harbor seals to get started on our search for whales up north. As we made our way around the northeast side of Orcas Island, a report came in of a humpback in Active Pass, decently fair into Canadian waters, and the boat couldn’t stay on scene with it, so it was a bit of a gamble. Being the only report in the area that had good visibility, we went for it. As we closed in on the pass, we saw distinct spouts and fluking! No issue of tracking down this whale. Relieved after B-lining for Active Pass, we dialed in with this individual to try and identify it and get some nice sights. It was close to the BC ferry channel, big boats, so we made sure they knew where the whale was, and gave it and the boat some berth. We then lucked out with close surfacings and consistent tail flukes that let us snag good shots of the fluke markings that are easiest for identifying humpbacks. It was Dreamer’s 2021 calf with the current designation of CRC-20243. We don’t get a lot of chances to ID whales so this was a fun first for us! We saw this whale go on its side once! Fairly rare for a humpback. It wasn’t long before we had to head home to complete our 75 nautical mile round trip adventure. August 16 – Naturalist Kara We found a T-party at Saturna Island this morning! We were heading toward a humpback whale report up toward Active Pass in the Strait of Georgia, when we saw orcas riding the wake of a tanker ship in the traffic lanes! As we slowed down to approach and come on scene, we could really see how playful these whales were! Lots of breaching and tail slapping, just having a good time. As the first boat with the whales, we worked on some identification to make sure we were seeing Biggs orcas, since we were with a pretty large group. A large male helped us get that ID really quick, because his fin is pretty iconic out here: T19B Galiano. His fin is very wide at the base, has a pretty large notch in the middle and flops a bit at the top! We saw him with his brother T19C Spouter as our closer set of whales, and knew then that we had at least 2 pods of orcas! Our incredible group today ended up with nine whales: three from the T18’s (Nootka, Galiano and Spouter) and 6 from the T49A’s (Nan, Nat, Neptune, Nebula, Charlie 2 and Nimbus). There was a lot of breaching, peduncle throws, tail slaps and spyhops as well as some upside down swimming! There was a possibility of some mating behaviour, so we’ll have to keep our eye on the T49A’s 18 months from now. It doesn’t get much better than a whale watch like this! **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [More orcas all week including "Jumping" Jack](https://whales.com/more-orcas-all-week-including-jumping-jack/) **Published:** August 19, 2026 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![Orca whale's tail fluke rising above the water near a rocky shoreline.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08696-1024x674.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-orcas-all-week-including-jumping-jack/dsc08696/) [![Orcas swimming near a rocky coastline with trees on the cliff above the water surface.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08715-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-orcas-all-week-including-jumping-jack/dsc08715/) [![Two whale flukes lifting above the water near a rocky shoreline.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08699-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-orcas-all-week-including-jumping-jack/dsc08699/) [![Whale tails breach the water near a dark, rocky shoreline with spray in the foreground.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08663-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-orcas-all-week-including-jumping-jack/dsc08663/) [![Rugged rocky cliff over dark blue water with a white seabird sweeping toward the sea surface below.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08628-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-orcas-all-week-including-jumping-jack/dsc08628/) [![Two orcas surfacing near a dark rocky shoreline with spray on the water surface at night.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08562-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-orcas-all-week-including-jumping-jack/dsc08562/) T77 C&E siblings being playful along the shore of Blakely Island by Lincoln Humphry August 3rd – Naturalist Elliot T100’s & T101 & T101B’s It’s rare seeing the T100’s traveling with any other groups, but with T101 theorized to be the mother of T100 Hutchins, it made more sense. In any event it was cool seeing them together. Seas were glassy calm today, and the whales were in a typical travel pattern, but all surfacing together which is always impressive, and helpful for viewing and photos. August 4th- Naturalist Kara A bit hazy with the wildfire smoke in the air today, but perfect conditions on the water to start our whale trip. We cruised through the center of the San Juan Islands, tucking in through all the fun, narrow passageways before coming on scene with the Biggs orca whales of the day. Our sibling group, T77C and T77E (Neftali and Misneach) were back in our range. These two siblings have been separate from their matriarch quite a bit this season, roaming the waterways and finding food on their own. Neftali, a fully grown adult male, spending time with their still maturing, and still unknown gender sibling. They took us up the west side of the Lopez Island shoreline, where we watched them hug the shore on the hunt for food. They were super successful! They managed to find a harbor seal and make quick work of it, with lots of tail slaps at the surface to stun it. This led to a pretty large celebration from 10 year old Misneach, with spyhops, cartwheels and a little bit of a moonwalk! We ended our trip today seeking out harbor seal haulouts, and Stellar sea lions, and managed to find a fully mature bald eagle snacking on something at Peapod Rocks. August 5th – Naturalist Kara Very smooth seas on our journey, even with the hazy skies again today. We made our way out to the west side of San Juan Island for an earlier report of a humpback whale. We were the only eyes in the area looking, and one of our awesome passengers spotted a spout! Its super important that we all keep an eye out for wildlife. It is a whale watch after all, and today was a great example. As we got a handle on what this humpback’s activity was looking like, we were surprised by a second humpback! These 2 were travelling very close together, which made some great surface looks, with just one whale fluking. Longer dives had these whales down for 8-10 minutes at a time, but each surfacing was a lot of breaths as well. BCX1920 Octo, BCY1274 Seltzer August 6th – Naturalist Elliot We had a great day watching T36 Flapjack, and the T36B crew: 36B Tattertip, 36B1 Bhotia & new calf 36B1A Maple, 36B2 Greenfelder, and B3 Auk) so cool seeing four generations of whales together! We got mobbed by lots of whales we couldn’t even identify as well. We also got time seeing T137A Jack cruise off the south coast of Spieden and then Stuart Islands. We were in whale soup today! August 7th – Naturalist Elliot After heading north to see what we could find, hearing no reports today: we got a late report of orcas down Rosario Straight so we made a U-turn and headed for it. We caught up with T77 C & T77 E (brother and younger sibling) travelling together. It grew into a fairly active enounter with one of the individuals swimming upside down for a minute, and a nice long spy hop, and a few other tail and fin waves, as well as a rare “sea snake’ glimpse. They were definitely excited. August 9th – Naturalist Emily We had heard an early morning report of whales in Canada, so we made no stops on the way north and made some headway. We were worried that they might turn around and head away from us, so we got there fast. We got on scene with members of the T36As and T137s. They continued south and were on the surface a lot. At one point they were circling a small rock with harbor seals on it. They kept going and we got some neat behavior like tail slapping. After a while, another boat called us saying another group was heading south and we went and found the T100s. They eventually met up with that first group and we had 10 whales at once! There was breaching, rolling, upside down whales, tail slaps, all of the activity. They all seemed so happy to be together! We even saw a small breach from T137A “Jumping Jack.” When the whales turned the corner at East Point, we decided to head back home. We tried to find a baleen whale but they weren’t hanging around today. On our way home we stopped and saw some funny sea lions on a marker. Of course they were cuddling and making their silly vocalizations. It was a great day on the water! **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [T36's & T37's in the Bay!](https://whales.com/t36t37s-in-the-bay/) **Published:** August 6, 2026 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![Dorsal fins of dolphins surfacing in blue ocean water](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08425-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/t36t37s-in-the-bay/dsc08425/) [![Whale's tail fluke rises from the sea near the foreground, with a distant shoreline town and forested hills across the water.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08436-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/t36t37s-in-the-bay/dsc08436/) [![Whale tail lifting above blue water near a rocky shoreline with graffiti on a wall in the background](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08402-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/t36t37s-in-the-bay/dsc08402/) [![Orca tail fin surfacing near a rocky shoreline with a crowded marina of moored boats in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08322-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/t36t37s-in-the-bay/dsc08322/) [![Dolphins swimming near the surface of the choppy ocean water, their dorsal fins just above the waves](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08368-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/t36t37s-in-the-bay/dsc08368/) [![Dorsal fin cutting the water near the foreground with a coastal town and forested hills across the bay in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08435-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/t36t37s-in-the-bay/dsc08435/) Members of T36 & T37 Biggs orca pod in Bellingham Bay on the evening of 7/30/26 by Lincoln Humphry July 27 – Naturalist Lauren It was the perfect WA day, just warm enough with some interesting cloud coverage and whales close to home!! We had a great sea lion cuddle puddle of 5 lions on the Sinclair marker, some fun looks at harbor seals, eagles and turkey vultures at Peapod rocks, and 2 humpback whales in Rosario! We spent a good chunk of time with Bandit (BCX2081), a 6 year old, and Monsoon (BCY1289), a 5 year old. These unrelated individuals enjoy vacationing in Baja, Mexico during the winter breeding season. We are very fortunate they enjoy the Salish sea during their feeding season. Monsoon was fluking all over the place, Bandit was a bit more shy, only showing their fluke near the end of our encounter. Just enough to get the ID! After departing those two gentle giants, we headed north and caught up with the T100’s; Hutchins, Laurel and Estrella. This pod was swimming southeast towards Matia. We got some beautiful looks at the size difference between Laurel and his mom/younger sibling and a great pass before a deep dive. They are always a fun pod to encounter. July 28 – Naturalist Lauren What an epic day! We had a double header with humpback whale Billiard (BCY1335). We caught up with them north of the Anacortes heading towards Bellingham channel. They were fluking almost every surfacing which may indicate they were feeding. It’s always fun to see humpbacks. This individual has been seen since 2022, but only in the Salish sea, we don’t know where they migrate to. We headed back south and caught up with a proper T party just south of Anacortes. 11 whales were present. Members of 36/36B’s(all), 69E, 137A, 135, 135C, 135F. The 135s are most commonly seen in California which is super cool to see this pod. They made quite the journey north. The T-party headed east on Guemes Channel, definitely finding some food. They grouped together and were participating in a behavior called moon walking, when a whale comes up backwards with dorsal first and spout second. This is a behavior specific to the Bigg’s when hunting. They pushed east and we headed back west to find some smaller marine mammals. We checked out the Cone island, Peapod rocks and the Sinclair channel marker. On the way home, no one had seen the HB we saw earlier in the day for roughly 1.5 hrs, surprise to us, they ventured into the bay! We got to encounter Billiard for a few more surfacings before heading into the dock. July 29 – Naturalist Lauren Orcas in the bay! It was flat calm, perfect conditions to find the T36/36B’s and T137A hunting and playing swimming south in Bellingham Bay. We spent a good chunk of time with them this morning seeing a few spy hops, some proposing behavior, a baby breach, and some orca belly. We departed for lunch and found some sea lions on the Sinclair Channel marker. Three large sleepy sea lions were having a snooze while one in the water decided it was not worth the effort to join the cuddle puddle. We heard all the boats had left the orcas so we went in search of them again. We caught up to them north of Huckleberry and Saddlebag island. They were pretty surface active when we first got on scene with some tail and dorsal lobs, a cartwheel from Jack T137A, and some plafyful behaviors form the kiddos AukT 36B4 and Maple T36B1A. It was a glorious day on the water with so much time spent with orca whales, a perfect Salish Sea adventure. T36/36Bs: Flapjack, Tattertip, Bhotia, Greenfelder, Auk, Maple T137A: Jack July 30- Naturalist Kara Early whale reports this morning for close by Orcas! We meandered casually throughout the bay looking at all the highlight species, stopping for harbor seals, cormorants and other marine birds. After eating our lovely lasagna lunch, we came upon the Bigg’s orca whales that had been casually riding the ebb tide just outside of Anacortes. This group consisted of the T36’s (Flapjack and family) and T37A Volker with T37A2 Inky. The Bigg’s were casually moving through the current line, busy surfacing very tight together and all at once. This behaviour can often mean resting, but with the strong current for the low tide, it’s possible they were just in slow travel mode. The T36’s have two tiny little babies, that are 1 year old Maple and 2 year old Auk. With this family socializing with the T37A’s today, we got to compare the itty bitty babies to 17 year old Inky with his mature dorsal fin! The size comparison is so impressive, and we especially got a close look today as they changed up direction and went under our boat! Moving on from our time with the orcas, another PWWA boat found a Gray whale just 15 minutes south of us, so we went to go check out this different kind of whale! The gray was very consistent, and the water was just the right conditions where it was swimming, allowing us to see it underneath the water a good amount of time before it surfaced. It was interesting to follow it along its journey even while it was under water! We finished our day meeting back up with the same group of orcas, because they went right back toward home base! July 31- Naturalist Kara What a spectacular day! The Biggs orca family, T36’s, stayed in the bay overnight and were found this morning near Eliza Island, so our whale watch started just 15 minutes off the dock! This family was having playtime with their two littlest, Auk and Maple, constantly breaching out of the water. We saw jump after little jump while the adults circled around and played with them by tail slapping, rolling around on their bellies and nudging their juveniles around at the surface. It was so much fun to watch these whales today, and they still hadn’t left the bay by time our trip was over! We took a break from whales to eat lunch, and found Stellar Sea Lions on the buoy by Sinclair Island. The buoy was busy today too, with 2 sea lions in the water trying to gain some space for rest on the nautical marker. There was a really large sea lion holding his ground and kept kicking them off the buoy. So much jumping action today. After spending some time in a few different waterways looking for other wildlife, we headed back into Bellingham Bay to meet back up with the T36s. Our second time with them, the orcas were taking a well deserved break and were quite relaxed and spread out over a half mile. We saw the whole range of orca behavior today from Flapjack, Tattertip, Bhotia, Greenfelder, Auk and Maple. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Sequoia & Salix are a Rare Sight](https://whales.com/sequoia-salix/) **Published:** July 30, 2026 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![White lighthouse with a red roof on a rocky coast, trees behind, and blue water in the foreground; a dark dorsal fin is visible near the bottom edge.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08222-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/sequoia-salix/dsc08222/) [![Whale tail fluke rising from the ocean with a forested island in the distance.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08293-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/sequoia-salix/dsc08293/) [![Two orcas swimming in open blue ocean with their tall dorsal fins visible above the waterline.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08204-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/sequoia-salix/dsc08204/) [![Orca dorsal fin emerging from the blue water with a distant landmass on the horizon.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/T6A1219-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/sequoia-salix/_t6a1219/) [![Orca (killer whale) dorsal fin breaking the surface of the blue ocean water, with gentle waves nearby.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/T6A1264-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/sequoia-salix/_t6a1264/) [![Two orcas surfacing with tall dorsal fins in calm blue water near a rocky coastline.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/sequoia-and-salix-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/sequoia-salix/sequoia-and-salix/) The T100’s at Patos Island Lighthouse on 6/24/26 by Lincoln Humphry T30 A&C Sequoia and Salix on 6/22/26 In Rosario Strait by Leo Solomon July 20 -Naturalist Lauren We made a grand lap through a lot of the islands today. We started out going north over the top of Orcas Island, stopping to see some sleepy sea lions on a channel marker. We heard of some promising reports we wanted to check on near Stuart Island. As we approached the most northwest islands of the San Juans, 20 foot towering blows directed our attention to Zephyr (BCZ0414) and Scratchy (BCY1022), two unrelated, adult humpback whales traversing Haro Strait together. These two were in roughly 600ft of water which required flukes out for their deep dives. We had many beautiful sights of the underside of both flukes, beautiful looks at their unique dorsal fins and even a perfect line-up with Turn Point lighthouse in the background. Some harbor porpoises even showed their dorsals! Pretty unique encounter to see the largest and the smallest cetaceans in the Salish Sea. We circumnavigated Spieden island, seeing some Fallow deer, harbor seals and an immature bald eagle. Our way home took us through the middle of the islands getting a good idea how different island life is for some compared to life on the mainland. July 21 – Naturalist Lauren Reports in the Strait of Juan de Fuca took us south today. From the get-go, water conditions were perfect. Flat calm waters everywhere we went. Wanting as much time with whales as possible, we B-lined it south to catch up with the T100’s: Hutchins, Laurel and Estrella. They cruised north along the west side of San Juan Island. We had beautiful views of the three close together. Laurel’s dorsal fin towering over mom and sibling. We hung out with them for about an hour as they traveled side by side, split up occasionally and came back together. From the orcas, we scanned Spieden island for animals but with the heat, they were all hanging out on the north side in the trees and shade. We came across lots and lots of harbor seals hauled out on the rocks just east of Matia Island before heading to the top of Lummi Island. Three Steller sea lions were causing a ruckus in the water while one large male slept on the channel marker. It was quite the treat to see the three juveniles launch their bodies out of the water without awakening the slumbering male. Jul 22- Naturalist Kara We had close-by whales today that were new to me! Our journey through very glassy waters in Rosario Strait brought us on scene with T30A and T30C. This brother and sister duo, Sequoia and Salix were spending some long time under the water, but were very consistent! Their travel took them all the way up Rosario towards Sucia Island, and we ended up being the only boat on scene. After an 8 minute dive, they suddenly ended up pointing right at us and next to the boat! We quickly shut off and let them pass us on by, but got an amazing close pass. We love when these whales choose to come check us out too, as they turn to their side under the water to get an eye on us as they pass. Very fun to see all of those white markings under the water. After our solo visit with the T30 siblings, we continued around for a beautiful journey past the Patos Island lighthouse with a hazy, but full view of Mount Baker. We stopped for harbor seals and Stellar sea lions at Clements Reef, and cruised past a huge flock of Bonaparte’s Gulls as we meandered through the Sucia finger islands. It was a lovely day to beat the heat out on the water! July 24 – Naturalist Lauren Caught up with the T100s (Hutchins, Laurel and Estrella) near Skipjack Island and followed them north-northeast towards Patos Island. They gave us beautiful looks in line with the Patos island lighthouse. I can only assume they were hunting porpoise, but being mature and well versed in porpoise hunts, all that action occurred underwater. A lovely encounter with them nonetheless. We saw a raft of sea lions hanging out on Clements Reef, early for them to be hanging out on the east side of Sucia but super fun to see the big boys right next to the tiny harbor seals. July 26 – Naturalist Elliot What a nice relief to go all the way out to Active Pass, and be able to catch up with whales. We were honed in on a report of two orcas out there and we set our sights for the northwest. Thankfully the whales came north through the pass and we caught up to them on the Galiano Island coastline pointed north the whales were the T30’s A&C, an interesting duo for sure. Brother and sister traveling on without their matriarch T30 Elwha since she died in 2024. We followed them for a while and after a longer dive T30A Sequoia popped up on the other side of us sandwiching us in between them! Very cool encounter. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [A Very Exciting Week for Whales!](https://whales.com/freenettle/) **Published:** July 23, 2026 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![Choppy sea with a dark fin or back breaking the surface of the water near the lower edge of the image.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_6397-1024x768.jpg)](https://whales.com/freenettle/img_6397/) [![Dolphin resting on a sandy beach with a grassy strip, a calm sea in the background, and a tall metal pier with diamond-shaped warning signs at the top.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_6388-1024x768.jpg)](https://whales.com/freenettle/img_6388/) [![Two orcas surfacing in choppy ocean water, with dark bodies and white eye patches visible amid splashing waves.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_6398-1024x768.jpg)](https://whales.com/freenettle/img_6398/) [![Orcas swimming in rough gray ocean, dorsal fins sticking out of the water. Sonsor waves around them.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_6400-1024x768.jpg)](https://whales.com/freenettle/img_6400/) [![Orca surfacing in the open water, black-and-white body visible above the waves](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_6402-1024x768.jpg)](https://whales.com/freenettle/img_6402/) [![Orca (killer whale) surfacing in the ocean, showing its black-and-white body and dorsal fin.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_6404-1024x768.jpg)](https://whales.com/freenettle/img_6404/) [![Two orcas swimming side by side in the blue ocean, dorsal fins cutting the water surface.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08138-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/freenettle/dsc08138/) [![Two orcas swim near a pier with wooden pilings, calm water and a green shoreline in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08090-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/freenettle/dsc08090/) [![Two orcas surface-swimming with visible dorsal fins in a calm blue ocean, rocky shoreline in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08135-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/freenettle/dsc08135/) Members of T37’s, T37B’s and T123’s in top two rows, showing exciting behavior, and Nettle in top Center, where it got slightly beached before getting free. All on 7/16/26 by Lauren Rasmussen The T77’s by Cherry Point on the Friday sunset whale watch 7/17/26 on bottom row by Lincoln Humphry July 14 -Naturalist Lauren Reports took us south today, and what a day it was. Strait of Juan de Fuca was glassy calm with visibility off the charts. We headed south to catch up with T77C & E (Neftali and Misneach). Very unique to see two siblings swimming away from mom’s pod. They were in travel mode heading west. We got some beautiful views of this sibling duo, their saddle patches, dorsal fins and eye patches. As we headed back east, I spotted something strange, possibly a minke. Getting close to the south side of San Juan Island, views of two humpbacks became clear! These two were traversing Salmon Bank swimming in only 23 feet of water. Because they weren’t in deep water, they had no need to bring their flukes out of the water. We unfortunately did not get an ID shot for either, but we love seeing two different species in one day! Thankfully, other boats who hung out with these two in deeper waters and ID’d them as Honu (BCX1856) and 2025 calf of Smiley (BCY0995 calf 2025). What a lovely dual species calm day for Lauren’s birthday! July 15 – Naturalist Lauren Three orcas and three humpies! We set out north today, due to a dense layer of fog down south. Thankfully some friends found the T100s near Pender Island, part of the Canadian gulf islands. We got some beautiful looks at Hutchins 100, Laurel 100C and Estrella 100E. They had a pretty big split in the group but came closer together near the end of our encounter. They were possibly doing some feeding as there were plenty of harbor porpoise out and about. We heard some more reports south of us and went to check out three humpbacks swimming through San Juan Channel. Orion (BCX1251), Split Fin (BCZ0298) and Gibbous (BCY0770) were showing off their flukes on their deep dives. It was impressive to see three towering spouts break the surface. Fun to see a herd of humpbacks, we rarely see more than two at a time. July 16- Naturalist Kara / Lauren Early morning reports of whales nearby gave us a lucky day! The fog layer was pretty dense in surrounding waters, so we were happy to hear that Bigg’s orcas had been found off James Island. From a distance, we could see the orcas making some big splashes, as boats already with them told us they were chasing a sea lion! We came on scene just after the T37’s, T37B’s and T123’s had finished their unsuccessful Stellar sea lion hunt. It was discovered still breathing and making a slow exit, while the whales seemed utterly spent and were making a slow journey in a tight knit group to the north. Following the group of 10 for awhile, the baby of the group, Slice (4YO), started feeling spunky and was busy swimming on their back, flipping their little tail into the air and did a couple mini breaches! These jumps out of the water didn’t fully launch, but still made quite a splash. A few adults joined in with the tail lobs towards the end, but the overall activity was restful. A thunderstorm rolled in, as we left the whales behind, which was very cool to see light up the sky! Naturalist Lauren got to be apart of a wild unique whale encounter on the bird cruise! T65B2 (Nettle/Corvus) was stranded on a sandbar near Smith Island as the bird cruise approached looking for puffins. The boat was recruited to keep an eye on Nettle until the NOAA and other stranding network boats could make it on scene. Luckily Nettle was able to work themselves free as the tide rose, and he was seen swimming with his pod a few hours later! July 17- Naturalist Kara Our second sighting of the T77 siblings this week! T77C and T77E (Neftali and Misneach) were busy hunting near Boulder Reef off of Sinclair Island. This activity was super impressive with these 2 Bigg’s orca whales working hard to catch a harbor seal. They were busy with really high arches out of the water, tail slapping to stun the seal and the occasional spy hop to peek around and find it. Their hunt went on for quite some time, and it seemed that the seal might be able to escape, but Neftali and Misneach finally chased it down after going underneath our boat. We were able to stall our vessel and just watch these guys work on eating their lunch and then celebrate their success. During our watch today, we watched birds scoop down leftovers from the successful hunt, and then the T77’s playing in the bits they no longer wanted to eat. With spyhops, tail lobs, backwards and upside down swimming, it was quite the exciting day! July 18- Naturalist Elliot The whales were a bit further from home today. The longer run was welcome welcome, getting a full tour of the San Juans on the way to whales. Today we shot off the dock and past Carter Point, deciding to go all the way through the middle to reports of Orcas near Sidney Island. After much anticipation, we arrived on scene at Kelp Reef with the T109A’s (T109A with offspring T109A4, 5 ,6 ,7 & 8). When we did arrive they were in travel mode, but before long we saw a splash and then they just let ‘er rip! We saw breach after breach along with tail slapping, pec slapping, cartwheels, handstands and combinations of multiple behaviors that I don’t even have names for, for example, I believe it was 109A6 was mid-handstand and gave us a slow ballerina-esque twirl, with their entire peduncle region out of the water. They were right on top of Kelp Reef and we could see them both under and above the water. After about 30 minutes, they left the reef, and 3 minutes later surfaced right next to the boat. One whale tail slapped on our port side, before passing under the bow and another breached as soon as they passed under to starboard. For the first time I could check every box on the “orca behaviors” infographic we have at the naturalist station. Incredible day! July 19- Naturalist Elliot Well it was nice to have whales back in Rosario Strait again, after our long haul yesterday. We left home with credible reports of a humpback northbound at Williamson Rocks giving us time to go see three sleepy Stellers north of Sinclair and a pile of harbor seals (lots of moms and pups!) at Peapod Rocks. We made our way south through Rosario Strait and eventually caught up with a young humpback just off Washington Park. Things started out sleepy as the whale slowly made its way north to the southern end of Bellingham Channel, eventually we were the only boat on scene with this animal, such a cool experience. Eventually the whale went on a deep dive showing us an epic fluke, stayed down for 7 minutes and surfaced right next to the boat on the other side of us! Immediately the boat was out of gear and we watched the whale swimming under the surface of the water for about three more surfacings until it was a safe distance for us to maneuver away, but the whale stayed right by us! Just after we maneuvered back to traveling parallel about 300yds away, the whale fluked and went back down on a deep dive. Being as erratic in terms of travel direction as it was we stopped and wait for it to resurface, and after about 4 minutes there was a collective gasp as the humpback breached about 50 yards away from us! My first humpback breach ever! I was pumping my fist in the air and if it weren’t for my sunglasses, 93 passengers would’ve seen a grown man cry. Captain Casey took the boat out of gear again and we watched the whale swim away and breach twice more plus a chin slap before moving back alongside at a safe distance. After this the whale was back in travel mode, we followed them to the docks right outside of Anacortes where we pointed towards home and left our new friend. One of our PWWA partners was able to ID this whale as CRC-23519, a whale with only one other entry on happy whale from 2025, further north on the east side of Vancouver island. This little whale has definitely piqued my interested and I’ll be very excited to see where this guys goes and where her breeding grounds are this winter. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Plenty of Whales, and some Sheep!](https://whales.com/porposing-and-sheep/) **Published:** July 16, 2026 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![Group of whales surfacing and spouting in open sea near the horizon, with waves around them.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07877-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/porposing-and-sheep/dsc07877/) [![Two orcas surface in a choppy sea, with a distant forested shoreline in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07921-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/porposing-and-sheep/dsc07921/) [![Large container ship with numerous stacked colorful containers sailing at sea.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07870-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/porposing-and-sheep/dsc07870/) [![Group of gazelles grazing on a dry, grassy hillside under brownish light.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08071-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/porposing-and-sheep/dsc08071/) [![Two orcas surfacing in the ocean near a rocky, forested shoreline.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08039-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/porposing-and-sheep/dsc08039/) [![Two foals grazing on a brown grassy hillside with scattered rocks and patches of exposed earth in a rugged landscape on a hillside.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08063-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/porposing-and-sheep/dsc08063/) The T123 females porposing to catch up with Stanley in Presidents Channel, and Mouflon Sheep on Spieden Island on 7/11/26 by Lincoln Humphry July 7 – Naturalist Lauren We love whales close to home! The T49A’s made quite the journey from yesterday’s trip west bound near Victoria, BC. We caught up with this pod near Carter Point on the east side of Orcas Island. It was fun to see them swim through and around “the sisters”, the small set of islands south of Clark Island. Impressive to see them fit their massive bodies so close to the rocks We caught two spy hops and countless amazing views with Mount Baker in the background. We cruised through the Sucia Fingers seeing beautiful views of the Chuckanut sandstone there, before heading back to catch up with the same pod for a bit longer. Fun getting to visit the same pod twice. T49A’s: Nan, Nat, Neptune, Nebula, Charlie II, Nimbus July 8 – Naturalist Lauren It was a glorious baleen whale type of day in the San Juans. We made our way into the heart of the islands to catch up with BCX2473: Kiarra Kelly. A humpback I haven’t seen before in 10 years as a naturalist! This individual is about 4 years old and they gave us quite the fluke show. Kiarra Kelly fluked almost every surfacing, always impressive to see. She was quite consistent with her down times, and despite the quite vertical fluke, she didn’t dive very deep. I assume she was finding some good bait balls to feed on. We departed the scene and rounded Lopez Island ferry terminal, to head south into the beauty of Lopez Sound. Coming through Lopez Pass we watched CRC2702, the gray whale. This individual has been hanging out here for a few weeks and we saw evidence of them feeding. Lots of silt clouds appeared in the water indicating the bottom filter feeding strategies baleen whales utilize. Great to see a healthy gray whale, and experience the lovely smell of whale breath. A dual species day is always a good one. July 9 – Naturalist Elliot Left the dock and headed northwest fast, headed for reports of killer whales near Waldron Island. We came on scene around 12:45 and just as we arrived the whales sped off in the opposite direction! Great example of the second fastest marine mammal really showing its speed. We eventually got dialed in and we came on scene with the T46Bs, 3 generations of whales. Matriarch T46B/Racksha, T46B2 and her calf T46B2B, T46B4,B6,B7 and B8. T46B2B and T46B7 are the same age (born 2023) but are actually uncle and nephew! And got to see the new baby B8 born 2026. We were lucky enough to stick with them for a whole lap around Waldron. Very cool experience. On the way home we saw banana posing harbor seals at Peapod Rocks and Stellers on the red cans north of Sinclair Island. July 10 – Naturalist Elliot Started the day by heading straight north to join some other boats chasing a third party report of three orcas near East Point. Halfway there we found out that rather than joining the chase, we would be all by ourselves. Since we were already committed, it was too late to bail, so we set to scanning. Two hours behind the report the binoculars provided no sign of orcas. Luckily some other boats found orcas heading south towards Beaver Point on Salt Spring Island. We were then able to spend half an hour or so with the T49A’s and even got mugged! Very cool to see those six whales so close. And even up close to A7 the new 2026 calf.(T49A,A3-7). After our close pass we burned for home with a 10 minute stop at Skipjack Island for harbor seals, we are really starting to see quite a few pups out there at the haul outs! July 11 – Naturalist Kara With a full boat, we headed out into Haro Strait on the west side of San Juan Island to catch up with a Biggs report. This was technically a T-party, but they were spread out over 2 miles. Our old reliables, the T123 family (Sidney, Lucky and Darcy) were porpoising at over 10 knots to work on catching up with the male Stanley. While they closed that gap, the pod hadn’t managed to meet up with the T37As and T37Bs by the time we had to leave the scene. We spent some really great time with them, watching these whales almost fully come out of the water to really cruise at high speed. Our later portion of our trip, we came across the Mouflon sheep on the shores of Spieden Island. This was a neat treat later in the day, because these animals are usually seeking shade in the afternoon. There were a couple dozen of them along the shoreline, grazing amongst the big boulders. These bighorn sheep are native to Cyprus, and were originally brought to Spieden Island in the efforts to create a hunting reserve. While the business was denied and shut-down, the animals were already transported to Spieden Island and have been living and thriving here for the many decades since, with two species of deer. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Still Seeing Orcas Every Day](https://whales.com/still-seeing-orcas-every-day/) **Published:** July 8, 2026 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![Two orcas surfacing near a rocky shoreline with blue water and forested hills in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07645-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/still-seeing-orcas-every-day/dsc07645/) [![A brown hawk in flight with outstretched wings over a rocky cliff and green shrubs on the right.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07675-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/still-seeing-orcas-every-day/dsc07675/) [![Seals sunning on a rocky shore along a blue sea with a forested coastline in the distance.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07644-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/still-seeing-orcas-every-day/dsc07644/) [![Three orcas visible in the ocean, their tall dorsal fins breaking the water with a distant shoreline in the background](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/T6A9604-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/still-seeing-orcas-every-day/_t6a9604/) [![Whale fins protruding from blue ocean, tall dorsal fin breaking the surface amid gentle waves.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/T6A9626-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/still-seeing-orcas-every-day/_t6a9626/) [![Two orcas swimming near the surface in deep blue ocean, dorsal fins visible](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/T6A9633-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/still-seeing-orcas-every-day/_t6a9633/) First Row: T100’s spooking seals on White Rock on 6/5/26 by Lincoln Humphry Second Row: T46B’s and their months old calf “Pi” in the Strait of Juan De Fuca by Leo Solomon July 30 – Naturalist Lauren How can’t you love a gray day that turns into blue skies, as you arrive on scene with orca whales! Our journey took us into the heart of the San Juan’s going through Peavine Pass. Reports up north were too good to pass by. We caught up with the T65Bs: Chunk, Birdsall, Nettle and Rook in President’s Channel. It was impressive to see how close they were hugging the shore line of Waldron Island, although it does drop off to nearly 500ft very quickly. They definitely had their attention captured by prey as we saw many direction changes, quick bursts of speed and some excitement in the form of breaches! Rook T65B3, the youngest, was back flopping and breaching his little heart out. It always brings cheers of joy to see an orca whale leaping for the skies. This pod is mom and her three sons. The three boys range from 15 (T65B1), 7(T65B2) and 3(T65B3) years old, very different sizes of dorsal fins to compare. After the excitement of Rook’s aerial displays, the pod started zig zagging more and going on longer down times before they started heading west and we ventured back east. We saw tons of harbor porpoise out today, a couple bald eagles and many harbor seals hauled out on the exposed rocks at low tide. It was an extremely rich wildlife day. July 1 – Naturalist Lauren We saw three types of whales today! Our adventure took us south into the massive Strait of Juan de Fuca. We were gunning it west because of a massive T-party of Biggs orca whales as we stumbled upon a feeding Minke whale. We didn’t stay long but we got some good looks at their crescent moon shaped dorsal fin, slender body and quick speeds. When we got on scene with the T-party, there was a pretty big spread of whales in the area. We hung out with 10 individuals from the T46Bs, led by Raksha, and T49C Janet, a lone male. It was very fun to see T46B8 Pi, who was born this year! Their dorsal fin is so tiny and they’re still learning where the surface is so they would often time overshoot when coming up for a breath. Janet 49C, and Quiver 46B4, were hanging out together closest to the boat. A good size comparison between a fully grown male and a juvenile male. On our way home we stopped by Castle Rock to get some beautiful views of the tall cliff sides. We saw a turkey vulture roaming the skies as we made our way east. As we headed north we spotted CRC 2702 the gray that has been hanging out on the southeast side of Lopez. They were doing some feeding as we saw the side of their fluke come out of the water a few times. It was an excellent triple whale species sighting day. July 2 – Naturalist Lauren We had some early reports of whales near Eliza Island this morning. We spent a good amount of time scanning the bay before heading south to check out Viti Rocks. Lots of eagles on the island and harbor seals! Three Stellers were napping lazily on the Sinclair bouy when we got the call that another whale watching company found the whales from the morning report near Vendovi Island. We caught up with the T65B pod (Chunk, Birdsall, Nettle and Rook) as they headed south in Bellingham Channel. After spending some time with them we meandered further south in hopes of finding a baleen whale and that we did. BCX1800, Gretzky, was making some large circles and feeding just west of Deception Pass Bridge. It didn’t take long for the T65Bs to also make their way south. Pretty unique encounter seeing a mature humpback and 4 orca whales in the same area. It was a lovely cruise home when Captain Jeff found us even more orcas! We spent some time with the T46Bs (Raksha, Akela, Takaya, Quiver, Tala, Pi \[the youngster born this year\]) So special to see that new calf learning the ropes of the Bigg’s orca whales. A beautiful cherry on top of an already amazing wildlife day. Jul 4- Naturalist Kara An old report of orcas seen from shore from Clark and Barnes Islands, had us starting our day skipping all of our standard stops to try to find these whales out in Rosario Strait. We found them! These 5 Bigg’s orca whales were porpoising through some choppy water, cruising at 9 knots through the open space between Clark and Barnes and Matia Island. This group had 2 juveniles, bringing themselves very far out of the water, so we could see their tiny little bodies. We never had the chance to ID this group today, because they decided to leave us behind, traveling faster and further than we could go. We switched tactics and made our way south to go find the gray whale that’s been hanging around Shoal Bight off of Lopez Island. We had a great time in smoother waters down with the gray whale, to the point that we could see the silt trail it was leaving behind after scooping up food off of the muddy bottom. This gray whale, CRC2702, has been monitored by researchers pretty heavily and has been declared in good overall body condition. This gray whale is new to the area and when it was first spotted in May, it was assumed it would continue it’s journey north to the arctic waters. So far, it seems CRC2702 has found a great food source here in the Salish Sea, and we welcome them. July 5th- Naturalist Kara Off the dock this morning, we beelined for Flattop Island on the west side of the San Juans for early reports of the Bigg’s T100’s family. These whales were busy circling Flattop over and over at higher speeds while we approached the scene. When we arrived, they changed behavior and started on a leisurely stroll over to Waldron Island, sneaking a peak at some seals on some rocks, but no luck for a quick snack. T100C Laurel had a really high arched dive while we were watching, and we got to see just the tips of his curled tail flukes. Overall, our time with them was peaceful, but with plenty of surface activity. We did see them hug in close to White Rock (not the town but the rock outcropping) and scare some lounging seals. We left them behind and stopped at Skipjack Island where 6 bald eagles were working on their lunch on the shoreline. They would snatch a bit of food, fly off a bit and then make their way back. We couldn’t get a look at what they were eating, but it was fun to watch them all swooping in and taking turns on the rocks. It was a slightly bumpy at times, but beautiful weather day out toward the west side of the San Juan Islands. **Categories:** Blog, Recent Whale Sightings, Uncategorized, Whale Watching --- ### [One of the Coolest T-Parties We've Seen!](https://whales.com/coolest-t-party/) **Published:** July 1, 2026 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![Orca leaping from the water near a rocky shoreline with trees above.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_7968-1024x681.jpg)](https://whales.com/coolest-t-party/dsc_7968/) [![Two orcas (killer whales) with dorsal fins visible above the blue ocean, rocky shore in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_8009-1024x681.jpg)](https://whales.com/coolest-t-party/dsc_8009/) [![Two orcas breach the surface of dark-green water near a rocky shoreline, spraying water as their dorsal fins rise above the waves.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_7969-1024x681.jpg)](https://whales.com/coolest-t-party/dsc_7969/) [![Turquoise ocean water with gentle waves and sunlight reflections on the surface.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_8046-1024x681.jpg)](https://whales.com/coolest-t-party/dsc_8046/) [![Rocky shoreline with twisted driftwood and a penguin diving into the dark blue water in the foreground](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_7977-1024x681.jpg)](https://whales.com/coolest-t-party/dsc_7977/) [![Close-up view of a large dark whale with a dorsal fin slicing through turquoise water, creating small waves and splashes.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_8049-1024x681.jpg)](https://whales.com/coolest-t-party/dsc_8049/) [![Pod of dolphins surfacing in a harbor, with a city waterfront and piers in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07576-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/coolest-t-party/dsc07576/) [![Four orcas swimming near the surface in open water, with a sailboat and forested shoreline in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07503-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/coolest-t-party/dsc07503/) [![Orcas surfacing near a rocky shoreline with trees and houses in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07553-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/coolest-t-party/dsc07553/) [![Calm coastal scene with blue water, a rocky shoreline, and green trees in the distance on a hazy day.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07343-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/coolest-t-party/dsc07343/) [![Rocky shoreline with evergreen trees on a forested hillside meeting calm blue-green water.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07432-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/coolest-t-party/dsc07432/) [![Whale surfacing and blowing a spout near a rocky shoreline with dense green forest in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07356-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/coolest-t-party/dsc07356/) Top two rows – The epic T-Party meet up of 12 orcas on 6/28 by John Wargowski 3rd row – some individuals from the T-Party in Bellingham Bay during the dinner cruise by Lincoln Humphry 4th row – the gray whale in Lopez Sound on 6/27 by Lincoln Humphry June 23 – Naturalist Elliot T100s at Clements Reef & 123s+124A4s at Pea Pod Rocks This day flew by! The weather was beautiful and as soon as we were off the dock we were headed for whales, no time to even find seals or sea lions. We caught up with the T100s near Sucia Island around 12:30. This was only my second time ever seeing Hutchins and Laurel and Estrella (T100,100C,100E). Before long they were on the hunt, and it took them in between Clement’s Reef and Sucia. It soon became difficult to keep up with them. It was around this time that we were made aware of seven Biggs’ eastbound at Matia Island, not far off. Meaning on our way north, we passed right by em and didn’t see em! We left the 100s to their hunt and went to go catch up with the group who eluded us earlier. By the time we caught up with them the group (t123’s and 65Bs) they were killing harbor seals at Pea Pod Rocks. From the boat it looked like they were right up on the rocks to catch their prey! All in all a very good day. June 24 – Naturalist Elliot T123s in the Strait of Georgia near Vancouver Long haul today! Nothing close to home so yet again we had no time to search for our pinniped friends. We left the dock and went straight north to catch up with the 123’s off Vancouver in the Strait of Georgia. When we finally got on scene they seemed very sleepy, long downtimes, and consistent direction. Once we were on scene all the other boats left so we were charged with the task of keeping track of four whales spread out over half a mile with long down times. By the end my eyes were sore. We followed them north for nearly an hour. Being so far from home we knew we needed to turn around and head home soon, and right as Captain Cassidy gave the five minute warning, out of nowhere Lucky breached! Then Stanley and Sidney turned 90° straight towards him. Then the hunt was on, we got to watch them kill a harbor porpoise for the next 15 minutes and then turned and burned back home, and hit the dock with 5 minutes to spare. June 25 – Naturalist Elliot 65Bs+124A4s at Waldron Island We stopped by the Sinclair navigation cans and saw some of our summer resident Stellers first. Then we were off to Waldron to find killer whales! This was my first time seeing the 65Bs and I was excited. We caught up with them by Waldron off Cowlitz Bay, and our biggest struggle was keeping track of them. There was moderate chop and a fierce breeze, and these whales didn’t surface in the same direction twice for an hour and a half straight. They certainly kept us on our toes. Still always a gift to see a new matriline. June 26 – Naturalist Lauren A dramatic change in the weather from 80° and sunny to 60° and cloudy, but good thing the whales don’t mind. Our day took us into the heart of the San Juan’s. We caught up with the T49A pod led by T49A Nan, and 5 of her 7 kiddos. This pod is very special to see as Nan’s youngest was born this year. We got great views of that little one, 49A7 Nimbus, right next to mom. Their small dorsal fin is absolutely precious. This pod gave us a good idea of just how tricky tracking the direction of whales can be as they flipped a 180° on us. They demonstrated a unique behavior called logging, floating just under the surface, dorsal fins out of the water. This behavior usually indicates a meal being shared between the family. Lucky for us, another pod of orcas were spotted to the north. We ventured that way and said hello to the T65B’s led by Chunk. Chunk had her three sons with her today. We got an idea of how different dorsal fins can look, from the scars/nicks taken out to the curvature of the fin. Super fun to hang out with two different pods today. We saw bobbing harbor seal heads on our way out and a mature bald eagle on our way home at Spindle rocks. Backtracking is always fun because new critters come around even to the places we have already been. June 27 – Naturalist Lauren What a beautiful day. The sun was out with some meandering clouds that gave a true sense of PNW weather. We had a beautiful cruise along the inner islands and into Lopez Sound which we don’t usually get down to. And we were fortunate to find a gray whale down there, It is always optimistic seeing healthy gray whales feeding close to shore. This whale, CRC-2702, is a new whale to the Salish Sea, not considered to be a “sounder”, a group of grays who have found a yummy feast of ghost shrimp here. This gray spent a lot of time at the surface for us, showing us a great display of their powerful exhalations, mottled coloration of their back and their dorsal knuckles. This individual had a very unique white spot on their back right side, a good identification marker. As well as see lice visible on its back. This whale has been hanging out in this bay for the past few weeks, we were lucky to see them cruise into Lopez Pass. No other boats have reported this whale circling in this pass. We saw the great power it takes for whales to beat upstream as the flood currents were rushing in hard. A cool unique encounter with this gray whale. June 28 – Naturalist Kara I don’t believe there are words eloquent enough to describe the whale show we experienced today! Today was probably one of Naturalist Kara’s top five whale watches of all time. We spent time with five different pods throughout our 5 hour trip on this gloriously sunny June day. We started our day with the Alaska brothers, T125A and T128, (Flotsam and Jetsam) while they were spread out looking for food by Blakely Island. These two brothers have some really distinctive dorsal fins, with some pretty large notches out of the middle of them. We don’t often see them in our range, so this already started off the day right. We left the brothers behind for a new report of orcas. As we were making our way over, the T123s suddenly popped up into view unexpectedly. We slowed on down and changed our plan to watch these guys as they started heading toward the 2 whales that another captain had picked up. They formed up in a little social gathering and started doing some tail slapping, when we noticed a group of 6 whales in the far distance start porpoising to come join the group. We suddenly had a T-party of 12 whales from 4 different pods! The activity today was unbelievable, with tail slapping, peduncle throws (back half cartwheel) chin slaps and breach after breach! It was pretty much non-stop action. We ended the day with what we thought would be a bit of a cool-down, watching some Stellar sea lions off the Sinclair buoy, but these big guys were busy fighting over space, and jumping in and out of the water as well. All the wildlife out there seemed to be having the Sunday of their lives! T-Party: T123s (Sidney, Stanley, Lucky, Darcy) T75Bs (Pebbles, Jasper, Rubble, Petra) T46B3s (Sedna and Munro-2025 calf) T77D- (Alcyon) Separately- T125A and T128 (Flotsam and Jetsam) **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Orcas Everyday, Including a Special Pod, the T2C's](https://whales.com/orcas-everyday-including-a-special-pod-the-t2cs/) **Published:** June 25, 2026 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![Two orcas with tall dorsal fins surfacing in a blue ocean near the horizon.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07176-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-everyday-including-a-special-pod-the-t2cs/dsc07176/) [![Dolphin's dorsal fin rising from blue-green ocean water as it surfaces.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07155-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-everyday-including-a-special-pod-the-t2cs/dsc07155/) [![Two orcas rise near the surface of a blue ocean with a snow‑capped mountain in the background, hazy and distant.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07201-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-everyday-including-a-special-pod-the-t2cs/dsc07201/) [![Dorsal fins of several dolphins surfacing in a calm blue sea with a distant coastline in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07225-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-everyday-including-a-special-pod-the-t2cs/dsc07225/) [![Group of dark seabirds perched along a weathered log on a rocky shoreline with blue water below.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07081-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-everyday-including-a-special-pod-the-t2cs/dsc07081/) [![Several killer whales with tall dorsal fins glide at the surface of a calm blue sea, with a distant shoreline in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07223-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-everyday-including-a-special-pod-the-t2cs/dsc07223/) Jetsam and Flotsam meeting up with the T65A’s in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, by Lincoln Humphry June 16th- Naturalist Kara Started the trip today with a blank slate: no reports for whales anywhere. We were vigilant in our journey today through the center of the islands while the crew scanned with binoculars and passengers on board helped look. Friends on the water found some humpbacks after lunch, so we headed their way into Canadian waters. We watched a duo of humpbacks, Monarch and Yakima do lots of deep dives, showing off their tail flukes. This pair really emphasized fluke differences in both shape and coloring. On our way home, we came across Biggs orcas in Presidents channel. The T100s gave us a few close passes before we needed to continue our journey back to the dock. The T 100s: Hutchins, Laurel and Estrella. We always like a multi-species day. June 17th- Naturalist Kara Whales almost in our backyard today! A lovely passenger noticed some splashing next to the shoreline, and we were able to confirm she’d found orcas. We were the first boat on scene near James Island, where we watched the T124A2s (Elkugu, Agafia and Litton) celebrate some lunch, with a little head stand. The orcas then were riding and fighting the current near Blakely Island and didn’t travel very far. We left this group behind after some good time with them, and continued for our original report to watch the T123s. This is another pod of orcas that have been frequenting Bellingham Bay, but were found this morning just outside of Burrows Island and Anacortes. The T123s have an adult male in the family, which gave us a good contrast in size compared to our T124A2s that only have young whales and females. The whales gave us a very quintessential Washington experience, with the ferry and Mount Baker in the background for a lovely group surfacing. Great day of two groups of orcas with different backdrops. June 18 – Naturalist Lauren. It’s always a good day when you spot orca whales while tied up to the dock, which has been surprisingly common this year. The T123s made another guest appearance in Bellingham Bay this morning. They took us way up north in the bay into super shallow waters. This particular pod likes to hunt off the Nooksack River delta where schools of fish attract harbor seals. Today the delta also attracted some white pelicans; super cool to see this far north. We had some incredible passes by Lucky T123C, and beautiful views of the city of Bellingham with Mount Baker in the background. We stopped to see some Steller sea lions and they put on a show for us! One large male and two juveniles were flopping and splashing and squishing their way into a cozy cuddle puddle on top of the Sinclair channel marker. Fortunately for us, the T123’s pushed south into the bay so we were able to catch up with them for a few more surfacings before they totally disappeared! They kept us on our toes all day. June 19 – Naturalist Lauren Always excited when the captain says we are going south, so many open beautiful backdrops in each direction. We stopped to see some harbor seals at Eliza Rocks and let the ebb tide push us south into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We had an amazing encounter with the “Alaska Brothers”, T125A and T128, Jetsam and Flotsam. These two mature males caught a harbor seal and brought their lunch to the surface, giving us a quick peak. Lots of red kool-aid in the water. Their party was crashed by the T65A’s, led by Artemis. She had all five of her kiddos with her today! Eight whales in one spot! I’ve never had whales approach us so quickly. Four members of the 65A’s were much further north, the two further south gave us beautiful examples of how fast orcas can travel via porpoising, a behavior where they get the majority of their body out of the water as air is easier to travel through than water. We got amazing passes by the brothers and the Artemis pod. The 65As hit the brakes while the brothers continued northwest. We came back home through the middle of the islands, stopping at Whale Rocks for sea lions stretching out. We saw two bald eagles flying about on our way home to the dock and had a beautiful rest of our cruise with perfectly still waters the whole way. June 20 – Naturalist Lauren We went north, today and it was so worth it. We had a beautiful run towards the outer islands today. Our adventure took us to Waldron where we caught up with the T100s. They took us east for quite some time. Laurel 100C, is an impressively large whale compared to mom and sibling. We got beautiful looks at this family, they demonstrated how easy it is to pull a 180° turn as they were traversing the wicked current lines. After the orcas flipped back west, we ventured on and headed to Skipjack Island. We saw three bald eagles and lots of harbor seals hauled out, basking in the sun. We cruised the east side of Orcas Island, hoping to find some more animals. While we weren’t the ones to find the whales, we did spend the end of our trip with the T65As and T64Bs as they were heading south in Hale Passage, where we started our trip! The 65As made a big journey the past 24 hrs because we saw them in the Strait of Juan de Fuca yesterday. Very cool to catch up with them again. Seeing more orcas at the end of our trip was definitely a sweet cherry on top of a wonderful day. June 21st- Naturalist Kara Father’s Day today felt like all the wildlife was out to celebrate as well. Almost immediately off the dock, we saw a lovely bald eagle posing on the Post Point buoy, which allowed us a very close look. We usually see bald eagles from a distance, so we were able to appreciate this fully mature bald eagle and the impressive size from an eye level view. Whales were also cooperative, with the T46Bs( Rakaha with fam and new 2026 calf) and T49C (Nielson) on the south end of Bellingham Bay. These Biggs orca whales were porpoising and zig zagging all over the place. The two youngsters in the group, one born in 2023 and the newest calf from Feb of this year were rolling around showing us their little bellies and tails slapping the water. Watching them was so much fun! One even lunged out of the water with repeated chin slaps, followed up by a spyhop! We left these orcas behind to seek out harbor seals, stellar sea lions and other wildlife while we ate lunch. Our day allowed us to return later to the same orcas, where they had changed their activity to be travel focused. It was a lovely day, with this group of 10 whales! We got surprised on our way back to the dock by the T123s sleeping. These whales have been very Bellingham Bay focused lately, and were found at rest in the last 15 minutes of our trip. It was a very successful day, and a happy Father’s Day to all who celebrate! June 22- Naturalist Kara It was whale soup out there today! Leaving the dock, we had very favorable reports of orcas close to home, so we started our journey casually, knowing we had time to spare. Stops were made at Eliza Rocks for some sleepy harbor seals, and then the Sinclair buoy where we watched six Stellar sea lions battle for space to rest. These stellars were incredibly vocal, with so many little ones making bitey faces at a single large male who was pretty nonchalant about their shenanigans. We continued up to Sucia where the whales were reported. We spent an amazing time with the T123s (Sidney, Stanley, Lucky and Darcy) who were travelling with the T124A2s (Elkugu, Agafia and Litton). They were zig zagging and doing circles near Parker Reef, and startled us after a deep dive by popping up right next to the boat! After six minutes of down time, they blessed us with a whale breath shower, and we were able to see their white markings under the water. While we were with this set of orcas, another boat found the T2Cs just 15 minutes further north! We decided to go check these whales out, because this specific family is rare this far south, and they are descendant of a famous whale that was caught and escaped in 1970. The T2Cs, (Tasu, Rocky, Lucy, Guardian and Yukon) usually spend their time in the Campbell River region of Vancouver Island. This was a pod this crew had never seen before! The youngster of the group, Yukon, was all over the place, causing us to shut off the engines and just hangout with this pod. Yukon got curious and came over to the boat, spinning upside down to give us a peek! Mom and the rest of the family followed, so we tried our hydrophone in the water with no luck for sounds, but some pretty awe inspiring curiosity as we were the only boat on scene. This day felt wildly abnormal and incredibly special. I’m still stunned! **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Big Mama Breach!](https://whales.com/big-mama-breach/) **Published:** June 18, 2026 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![Whale tail fluke emerging from calm blue ocean, with a rocky shoreline in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07022-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/big-mama-breach/dsc07022/) [![Whale tail fluke arches above the water as spray flies around, with a forested coastline in the distance.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07003-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/big-mama-breach/dsc07003/) [![Whale's tail flukes lifted above the blue ocean as it dives, water droplets spraying from the fluke]](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07065-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/big-mama-breach/dsc07065/) [![A dark whale surfaces in the blue ocean with its dorsal fin visible above the water surface.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07040-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/big-mama-breach/dsc07040/) [![Two orcas breaking the surface of a calm blue ocean, with black bodies and white markings visible near a rocky shore in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC07034-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/big-mama-breach/dsc07034/) [![Orca whale surfacing in turquoise sea, dorsal fin visible above the waterline at the shore.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06959-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/big-mama-breach/dsc06959/) [![Dolphins swimming just below the water’s surface in a calm blue sea, dorsal fins visible.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06894-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/big-mama-breach/dsc06894/) [![Orca with tall dorsal fin emerging from calm blue ocean surface.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06830-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/big-mama-breach/dsc06830/) [![Two orcas surfacing in a blue-green sea, dorsal fins visible above the water surface.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06920-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/big-mama-breach/dsc06920/) First Five: Post-breach activity with Big Mama the humpback: tail and pectoral slaps, and fluking Last Four: T36s and T36B orcas: resting, logging, and some of the juveniles lightly porpoising Between Lummi and Sucia Island area by Lincoln Humphry on 6/11/26 June 10th- Naturalist Kara Kara didn’t even manage to finish the morning introduction before Orcas were found in the bay! The T123’s were spread out across the bay, searching for food over a half mile spread. We stuck close to the matriarch, Sidney and later left them behind to go search for more further afield. We found some sleepy stellar sea lions, and watched a bald eagle scatter some double crested cormorants off their nests. After lunch, we received some info from friends that a grey whale was nearby and changed course to go give it a look. The grey whale was combing the shallows off of Guemes Island and gave us a tail fluke wave goodbye. We met up with the T123’s again off of Lummi island, busy zig zagging, porpoising, and they finally decided to ride the wake of our boat! As we stalled out to allow for their surprise closeness, they went under the boat, and a little rainbow formed from their exhalations. Cool interaction! Overall busy day on the water, with lots to see. June 11th- Naturalist Kara It felt like we spot any potential wildlife on the water today, just because the surface was so glass smooth. Harbor porpoise were abundant, with their little fins not being overshadowed by any surf. Common murres and rhinoceros auklets were diving and we could still see them under the water for a tiny bit, and jellyfish were everywhere. The visibility was good even into the shipping lanes of the big open water of the Strait of Georgia, where we spent some lovely alone time with the T36s and T36Bs. The Bigg’s orcas were spread out from each other for close to a mile, with very calm and slow sleepy surfacings. We spent time with different whales in the group, and especially the two sets of mom and their juveniles. This group has a 2024 calf, Auk, and a 2025 calf, Maple. All members were very leisurely traveling and snoozing through the strait, with a bit of logging at the surface, where the orca doesn’t move for a bit, and just stays for some steady breathing. Since the orcas were all in some pretty calm waters, we were able to shut the engines and off and try out our hydrophone. We were hoping the juveniles would be a bit chatty, but the pod was quiet. It was a long shot! We left the orcas in search of a humpback we briefly saw as we got on seen with the orcas. We found Big Mama the humpback by Sucia and Patos, where the water was doing a lot more churning due to tidal effect. She was combing the waters, scooping up food, and showing us her tail for some deeper dives, but then Big Mama surprised us all with a full breach out of nowhere! Followed quickly by a chin slap, peduncle (tail) throw and then turned on her side and slapped the water with her big pectoral fins over and over. The crew and customers were giddy and shocked! This whale is such an icon in these parts due to her influence on the Humpback comeback to the area, and every time we see her it feels like a true celebrity interaction. We love her and hope she keeps doing well! June 12 – Naturalist Lauren Sometimes we search far for whales, today was not one of those days. From a 4 hour old Reddit post, we had a clue that there might be whales in Bellingham Bay. We headed north straight off the dock doing a wide scan and it all paid off. We found the T123’s hanging out, once again right in the bay! It’s always a good day to be the boat that finds the whales. We spent a good hour with them as they were searching for a meal near the Nooksack Delta. The pod had moments of coming close together and very spread out in their food search. It is always impressive to see how these large marine mammals can get into waters as shallow as 15ft. We pushed away from the whales once we handed them off to other boats, and headed north up Hale’s Passage in hopes of finding a baleen whale. We gave the Strait of Georgia a good scan, turned south and cruised down the west side of Lummi. We had an entertaining steller sea lion encounter with five sea lions on the marker at one point. Two large males were battling for a spot in the cuddle puddle displaying their incredible strength hoping out, and ungraciously falling into, the waters below. Thankfully the whales we found didn’t go too far. We caught back up with them again near Vendovi Island. We had an amazing pass off the stern, passengers got a real sense of how large these animals truly are. A whale watch where we start and end our adventure with orca whales is always a great day. Especially when they’re so nearby home. June 13 – Naturalist Lauren. “We looked fucking everywhere and then went to Morsby” -Casey It was a long one, but a good one. Our search took us into Canadian waters this afternoon after thoroughly searching the south end of the Strait of Georgia. We had a beautiful cruise by the outer islands and into some turbulent waters, but alas, no whales to be seen. Lots of harbor porpoise feeding in those current lines. We pushed further west with hopes that reported orcas whales continued northward. We caught up with three members of the T86A’s: Eider, Akai and Siku, along with the T124A’s: Kittiwake, Kasuun and Kite. These two pods were up to something as we got on scene with lots of direction changes, quick bursts of speed, some “hand stands” with flukes sticking vertically out of the water, tail slaps and even two breaches! We ended our gorgeous day on the water with a highly entertaining stellar sea lion show. Three immature lions and one mature male were jumping/falling/being pushed off and causing a ruckus. They all displayed how gracefully these massive animals can launch their bodies out of the water and onto channel markers. They were extremely vocal too, and of course, we wished them well in their language as they departed. June 14 – Naturalist Lauren It was a hot one out there today. We ended up doing an almost complete circumnavigation of Orcas Island. We began by heading through the middle of the islands with beautiful views of Mount Baker all day. The T100’s: Hutchins, Laurel and Estrella, were perusing around Waldron Island when we caught up with them. A beautiful group of three. They kept close to each other. Laurel being a full grown male, allowed for a true idea of how impressively large his dorsal fin is compared to mom and sister. They kept us on our toes, zig-and-zagging for the first few sets of surfacings before they straightened out their direction. We cruised south with them for a while admiring their powerful exhalations and the lake-like conditions on the water. We saw pigeon guillemots and a bald eagle going through some of the Finger Islands of Sucia Island before we headed east and back home to Bellingham bay. June 15- Naturalist Elliot We saw stellers fighting on the the navigational markers north of Sinclair and turned south into Rosario Strait and eventually caught up with a humpback off James Island who turned out to be Scuttle. Scuttle is known from prominent rake marks on his flukes from an attempted predation by orcas as a calf and has since taken to harassing orcas as an adult. He travelled down Rosario with us fluking up a storm. We then turned west into Shoal Bight where we found a gray whale feeding! Lots of back and forth passes and some great looks at its rostrum. We stopped on the way home and saw a big ole pile of harbor seals and pups on Eliza Rock and got to watch them thrashing a couple fish. **Categories:** Blog, Recent Whale Sightings, Whale Watching --- ### [Attack Right off the Dock!](https://whales.com/attack-right-off-the-dock/) **Published:** June 11, 2026 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![Orca whale swimming beside barnacle-covered pier pilings in blue water.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Image_20260604_181254_083-1024x683.jpeg)](https://whales.com/attack-right-off-the-dock/image_20260604_181254_083/) [![Orca whale surfacing near wooden pilings in a blue-green ocean](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Image_20260604_181255_723-1024x683.jpeg)](https://whales.com/attack-right-off-the-dock/image_20260604_181255_723/) [![Whale tail fluke rises out of the blue ocean with a seal nearby and pilings in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Image_20260604_181256_763-1024x683.jpeg)](https://whales.com/attack-right-off-the-dock/image_20260604_181256_763/) [![Whale's tail fluke rises from blue ocean, with a seal nearby](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Image_20260604_181257_353-1024x683.jpeg)](https://whales.com/attack-right-off-the-dock/image_20260604_181257_353/) [![A weathered pier extends over blue water with a yellow ladder; a whale tail splashes near the surface ahead. A seagull sits on the dock above the water.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Image_20260604_181257_535-1024x683.jpeg)](https://whales.com/attack-right-off-the-dock/image_20260604_181257_535/) [![Orca with tall dorsal fin surfacing near weathered pilings by a pier in blue water.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Image_20260604_181257_644-1024x683.jpeg)](https://whales.com/attack-right-off-the-dock/image_20260604_181257_644/) The T123’s Bigg’s orcas hunting a seal named Betsy right at our dock at the start of our trip on 6/4/26 by Elliot Shaughnessey-Lively June 3 – Naturalist Lauren A gorgeous overcast day exploring the heart of the San Juan’s. We saw so many critters today from lounging harbor seals, sunbathing cormorants, sneaky sea lions and so many orca whales!! Our adventure took us way west, tracking about 75 nautical miles in total. Getting out into Haro strait is always exciting, you never quite know what kind of conditions will meet you. Today it was quite calm. Calm enough to attract many orca whales. We had a small T-party to hang out with for the afternoon. Members of the T36A’s, T49A’s, T69D’s took us north along Moresby Island. An international whale watch! These pods gave us great looks at how much larger males are than females, a characteristic called sexual dimorphism. Very cool experience to see physically mature males. An even greater comparison to the fresh 2026 new calf of T49A, Nan. T49A7 makes hearts drop with their tiny body swimming right next to mom. Our venture home led us on the north side of Orcas Island, a full circumnavigation of the largest island in the San Juan archipelago. A lovely day to spend on the water. June 4 – Naturalist Elliot Plans have a way of falling apart when you lean on them. Everything went out the window first thing in the trip, when 10 minutes before boarding the T123’s showed up a weak stone’s throw off the bow of the boat, and made brunch of Betsy the harbor seal. Right in front of us and our patiently waiting passengers. They made short work of the seal that has been hanging out on our dock, and made their way south across the bay where we watched them kill two more harbor seals in the shallows. We couldn’t see the carnage as clearly but the murky red splotches in the surf spoke for themselves. We left our friends and headed south and saw harbor seals and nesting cormorants at Viti rocks, Stellars on the Sinclair cans, and then eventually met back up with the 123’s west of Samish Island. Bittersweet, but incredible day. June 6- Naturalist Kara Started off the morning with a bit of a sprinkle, but whales also in the forecast! Orcas, the T99’s were spotted by the ferry terminal in Anacortes, so it was quick work across the bay to be on scene with them. The T99’s were the only Bigg’s picked up in the region today, and they kept us all on our toes. Their direction was a bit zig-zaggy and they had drastically different down times throughout our watch today. Due to finding the orcas so soon in our journey, we were able to switch gears and watch a Grey whale in the area as well! We love a double header. T99’s- Bella, Holly, Barakat, Puck, Qwiin qwiin oo qwi laa June 7th – Naturalist Kara Bellingham Bay was a bit spicy this morning for our morning crossing, but the ride smoothed out by Bellingham Channel. Today’s whale report has us traveling the same waters as yesterday, but new whales! We watched the T124a2s and T124A4s have a sisterly meet up, zig zagging by Burrows Island lighthouse. The journey home took us by Peapod Rocks, with harbor seals, bald eagles and lots of bat balls throughout the strait. Just before we turned into Hale pass, we found 2 humpbacks! One gave us a cartwheel, but then lumpy water and shallow surfacing had us cut the visit a bit short to head to dock! I love a surprise double header day. June 8 – Naturalist Lauren What a way to start out the day with the T123’s crossing our bow while still tied up to the dock. Granted, this pod came by our dock an hour before our trip. Thankfully they were not far from the dock. They were picked up near Eliza Island and we got to spend a good chunk of time hanging out with them! Sidney, T123, was accompanied by her three offspring. They gave us great looks at dorsal fins and eye patches, hunting strategies and even one full breach! They were definitely hunting. A fellow whale watching boat got a good look at what used to be a rib cage of either a harbor seal or harbor porpoise. We were incredibly lucky to have these orcas so close to home. We ventured onward and took a scenic cruise between Clark and Barnes seeing harbor porpoise on the north side and harbor seals on the south side! Then we headed south in Rosario where we caught up with Gretzky the humpback whale! They gave us beautiful looks at their towering spout and massive fluke. Gretzky had two very distinct white scars on either side of their fluke, making them very easy to ID. As they ventured further south we turned and headed back north. We came across a steller sea lion actively hunting in a current line as a cherry on top of a spectacular day in the Salish sea. **Categories:** Blog, Recent Whale Sightings --- ### [Fun Humpback Action](https://whales.com/fun-humpback-action/) **Published:** June 4, 2026 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![Whale at the surface spraying water from its blowhole as it exhales.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06109-1024x730.jpg)](https://whales.com/fun-humpback-action/dsc06109/) [![Whale fluke rising above the blue ocean surface as it dives.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06183-1024x651.jpg)](https://whales.com/fun-humpback-action/dsc06183/) [![Two dark whales surfacing in a calm blue ocean with white spray around them.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06122-1-1024x684.jpg)](https://whales.com/fun-humpback-action/dsc06122-2/) Galaxia and Allusion surfacing together by Stuart Island, by Elliot Shaughenessy-Lively May 29th – Naturalist Kara Windy reports and an unknown destination had us sailing for smooth waters today, sticking to the interior of the San Juan Islands. We enjoyed some sleepy stellar sea lions and a nesting pair of pelagic cormorants before getting a report of Humpbacks by Stuart Island! The pair of humpbacks were providing great fluking shots, allowing us to identify these individuals as Galaxia BCX1301 and Allusion BCY1300 . Both whales are young humpbacks, with their first sightings in 2022! They seemed curious, and kept surfacing together coming to check out our boat. The lighting was perfect to be able to see those pectoral fins under the water! May 30 – Naturalist Lauren Lunge master humpback whale captured our attention today!! Crew member Elliot had eagle eyes spotting a juvenile humpback on the south side of Vendovi Island. We slowly approached, dialing in this animal. They took us in loop-da-loops, changing directions almost every surfacing. Being relatively shallow on the west side of Vendovi and lunge feeding, we saw lots of fluke action. We hypothesize this whale is not in the most recently updated ID guide which is exciting. We had amazing passes off the stern. Guests were able to see the barnacles growing on their fluke, we got to hear just how powerful their exhalations are and we got to see some chin slaps while they fed in the current lines. This individual must have been hungry. We disembarked from this whale to see what else we could find. Eagles perched high in the trees scouting for food, harbor seals taking a sun nap, and steller sea lions fighting for real estate were out and about. The sea lions were jumping up and off and back onto the Sinclair channel marker giving us a good show. As we started heading back east, some other whale watching boats had just left the humpback we found earlier, we re-acquired this animal quickly getting in some more whale time. They moved north to Carter point on the south side of Lummi island and the feeding frenzy continued!! Even more lunge feeding on the surface, coming out of the water with their head, mouth open, baleen exposed. What an incredible thing to see this whale hugging the west coast line of Lummi. I always love starting and ending the day with a humpback whale so close to home. May 31 – Naturalist Lauren What a perfect way to end May with sunshine and a double header! We ventured out into the heart of the San Juan’s after hearing some early morning reports in Cayou channel. With perfect weather, we had a smooth cruise through Peavine pass. It’s always fun going through the middle to see all the smaller islands not accessible by the WA state ferries. We made our way towards Jones island and caught up with two pods of Bigg’s orca whales, the T123’s, led by Sydney, and the T124A4’s, led by Sabio. These two pods have been traveling together recently, it was a treat to see them all together today. They gave us great looks at the dorsal fins, eye patches and saddle patches. Stanley (T123A), the largest male of the group, caused some wide eyes because of his massive dorsal fin. The pods traveled closely together the entire encounter, giving us an idea of how tactile these animals are staying within a pectoral flipper distance away from each other. They continued westward through Spieden Channel while we ventured eastward towards Sucia island. Early afternoon reports of two humpbacks near Sucia piqued our interest. Without coverage, we had to re-acquire the animals. They had about a one mile split between them. We were fortunate enough to see the towering blow of BCX1800, Gretzky’s, blow from a few miles away. Gretzky found an awesome feeding spot on the northeast side of Sucia doing massive circles. They were quite consistent with their surfacings intervals but kept us on our toes as to what direction they would be heading. The highlight of our encounter were the orangey clouds Gretzky left in their wake. Whale poop, otherwise known as a fecal plume!! Truly an honor to see a humpback whale fertilizing the Salish sea! June 1 – Naturalist Lauren What a day to be a baby humpback whale!! With some morning reports of two humpbacks on the northwest side of Lummi, we ventured north to start the day. It’s always fun to spot a whale because they choose to be airborne. From at least 2 nautical miles away, we saw lots and lots of big splashes so we kept cruising north to investigate. Conditions were a bit choppy with wind coming from the north, but it was whale worth it. We encountered Smoke (BCY0778) and her 2026 calf! What an absolute treat to see humpback whale mama’s bringing their claves into the Salish sea, teaching them about all the good foraging spots. This little calf was learning a lot more than where to forage today though. We had an incredible aerial display from mom and baby! Mom would do a cartwheel, baby would do a cartwheel, mom would chin slap then baby would chin slap!! Breach after breach after breach from baby had the crowd and crew squealing with joy getting to observe a teaching moment unfold right before our eyes. Smoke and her calf had a synchronized breach leaving us speechless. The size comparison is always fun to experience with your own eyes. These gentle giants surely put on a show for us. Once mom was tired, she corralled her calf and they went into a much more mellow travel mode. As we departed, we found the sheltered waters of Echo Bay on Sucia Island. A beautiful pit stop to admire 4 bald eagles soaring high above the trees, pigeon guillemots crash landing in the water and the chuckanut formation sandstone. We checked out harbor seals and 5 more bald eagles on Peapod rocks before cruising on back to Bellingham bay. It was a wonderfully packed, wildlife rich type of day on the water. **Categories:** Blog, Recent Whale Sightings --- ### [T123's in the Bay!](https://whales.com/t123s-in-the-bay/) **Published:** May 27, 2026 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![Orca's tall dorsal fin rising above the dark blue ocean surface.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/cf7ab5b2-3c60-4a18-bf9c-fb94f7fb5ea8-1-1024x646.jpeg)](https://whales.com/t123s-in-the-bay/cf7ab5b2-3c60-4a18-bf9c-fb94f7fb5ea8-2/) [![Snow-capped mountain rising behind a forested hillside over a blue lake; a lone dark bird flies near the water foreground.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/ae4d1b65-3273-4714-a528-1acf5e8222fb-1024x712.jpeg)](https://whales.com/t123s-in-the-bay/ae4d1b65-3273-4714-a528-1acf5e8222fb/) [![Orca tail flukes emerging from blue ocean near a rocky, forested coastline.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/e0fd5f15-6282-477a-b495-03ffed0e7603-1024x750.jpeg)](https://whales.com/t123s-in-the-bay/e0fd5f15-6282-477a-b495-03ffed0e7603/) [![Two orcas with prominent dorsal fins swim near a rocky shoreline as a forested coast rises in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06714-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/t123s-in-the-bay/dsc06714/) [![Two orcas surfacing near the water's surface with a forested coastline in the distance.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06695-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/t123s-in-the-bay/dsc06695/) [![Orcas swimming near a rocky shore with a dense pine forest on a hillside in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06663-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/t123s-in-the-bay/dsc06663/) Top Row: T123’s on 5/23/26 in Bellingham Bay by Kurt Leipold Bottom Row: T60’s and T69D2 on 5/22/26 near Sidney Island by Lincoln Humphry Naturalist Kara all week May 22nd We had to make a far run today. Orcas were reported heading west into Canadian waters around Sidney Island. We had many sightings of harbor porpoise on our journey, before coming on scene with the T60s: Panthera, Yelnats, Tigris, Uncia, joined by T69D2. They were slowly traveling south, but surfacing all together in a fairly tight cluster. We found some sleepy Stellars and a few swimming harbor seals on our voyage home. May 23rd The weather was so choppy today, but Captain Michael was able to get us into some stable waters by Lummi and south into Padilla Bay. We were very lucky to avoid the three foot chop crossing Rosario, because we had two types of whales right here at home base! The T123 orcas (Sidney, Stanley, Lucky, Darcy) were sleepy surfacing, but with the whole family together, and right in Bellingham Bay. We also spent some time with a gray whale down in Padilla Bay in 12-15 foot waters. It’s cool watching them in shallow waters and get to see interesting action we don’t see in deeper waters, like some side rolling, and a little wave from the tail flukes as they scooped mud. May 24 Sunny day for Ski to Sea and whales in the bay! An iconic early summer whale watch, with the T123s again hanging out in the south of Bellingham Bay. We came on scene just as they had a successful hunt! Lots of headstands, tail slaps and rolling. They moved into a slow and spread out travel pattern soon after. A close look at Stanley ended our show! May 25th Stormy weather had us tacking (pointing the bow with the wind) across the bay, with lots of spray over the bow! It was a fun and adventurous, but very bumpy journey on our way to see some Stellar sea lions on the Sinclair buoy. We were able to watch the sea lions for just a little bit before we headed for calmer water in the center islands. Lunch was in smooth seas, and we heard from PWWA friends that they found our whales from the weekend, over by Moresby Island in Canada. We headed off to watch the T123s again in a new space, but doing the same fun activities! Slow travel but super close knit. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Double Days & Double Headers](https://whales.com/double-days-2/) **Published:** May 21, 2026 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![Rough ocean waves crash over dark rocks, spray filling the frame in grayscale.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06424-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/double-days-2/dsc06424/) [![Two whale tails rise above the water, spraying as they dive near a distant rocky shoreline.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06408-1024x628.jpg)](https://whales.com/double-days-2/dsc06408/) [![Tall, dark dorsal fin protruding from rough ocean water with white spray at the base. (Whale or large marine mammal fin)](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06433-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/double-days-2/dsc06433/) [![Group of orcas swimming near a rocky shoreline, with visible dorsal fins breaking the water’s surface in calm sea](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06454-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/double-days-2/dsc06454/) [![Rocky coastline with dark cliff and green vegetation, mist rising from a spray near the rocks, turquoise water in the foreground.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06575-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/double-days-2/dsc06575/) [![Orca near the surface of blue water with a forested shoreline and houses in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06523-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/double-days-2/dsc06523/) T-124A1 + T90 (tail slapping) and offspring, as well as T49A’s, and a loan humpback on the way home on 5/16/26. 5/15 – Naturalist Elliot Wow, quite the rainy start at the dock, so loud we couldn’t hear each other talk! Folks boarded in ponchos and rain hats, preparing for a wet whale watch. We lucked out that the dry island weather persisted and cleared up as we departed the bay. Making our way out into the islands towards a report of transient orcas near Shaw Island. We caught up with T-124A1, T124A1A, T124A4, T90, & T90B,C,D northwest of Shaw. Interesting about T124A1 is that she travels as a loaner, but had a calf (T124A1A) and then left it with her sister T124A4 to foster! While watching them, we spotted a humpback within spitting distance name Scuttle. It had orca teeth rake marks on its flukes, making us wonder if any conflict had gone down. Steller sea lions piled at the red navigation cans north off Sinclair Island on our way home. 5/16 – Naturalist Elliot We had a nice early call for killer whales in West Sound off Orcas Island, and headed out that way early. These were the same killer whales as yesterday, but with a super cool close pass approach and tail slap from T90 Piglet right by us! Later one of the babies breached! And a lot of us missed it of course. The babies did a few extra little fun actions porposing and showing some pecs. The toddler of the group did a cartwheel and a few tail slaps. They were zig zagging all around East Sound. We departed toward a call for another group of killer whales: the T49A’s West of Shaw, not far from Orcas and us once again. These were traveling in a pretty straight path at 6 knots. Less active than the other group, but with some decent surfacings from the young ones. We saw a flock of bald eagles fly off from the tops of trees as we approached narrow unique Pole Pass. We happened to catch a humpback spout right off Matia Island on our way home circumnavigating Orcas Island. The whale fluked once, with a good amount of surfacing. It was great lighting against the island to make the spouts pop. There was a arbor seal with its pups at Eliza rocks. Always cute seeing the young ones. Excellent diverse wildlife day today. 5/17- Naturalist Kara Beautiful, flat calm day. Headed immediately south down Bellingham Channel. Saw birds and lots of flies at Bird Rocks. Found a gray whale in Shoal Bight off of Lopez Island. Lots of shallow dives, where we could see the muddy water the whale was churning up at the surface, a grays method of hunting. Easy to tell where it would come up next due to bubbles, which was nice to have the sign of where to look. Saw a few roll overs and the flukes on it’s side since the water was so shallow too! Very unique gray watch. Stellars everywhere! In the water, on the navigation markers, and on Whale Rocks. Lots of arguments, growling and posturing. They were a fun watch. 5/18 – Lauren A beautiful and sunny day in the Salish Sea! Views of the Olympics and Cascades popped out at us from behind cloud coverage all day, a beautiful orca whale encounter and, with our luck, a humpback whale! We ventured out of Bellingham Bay and headed north giving the south end of the Strait of Georgia a good scan. Seeing a lot of water, we continued west with hopes the reported killer whales would start pushing east giving us enough time to catch up with them. That they did. The T49A’s were happily transiting south into Haro Strait. We got beautiful looks at spouts and dorsal fins. Nan, T49A, the matriarch of this pod, born in 1986, was traveling with 5 of her kiddos. Nat, T49A3, being the oldest at 15 years old to Nimbus, T49A7, who was born just this year. Extremely exciting to see a new calf swimming along with this pod. Just after we departed our lovely orca encounter, another whale watching boat spotted a humpback whale. We love a double-header! We spent enough time to see this whale fluke twice. Surprisingly, this is not a whale catalogued in HappyWhale meaning they may be a new visitor to the Salish sea. We hope this friend sticks around so we can learn more about them as the season progresses. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [An Epic Weekend of More Whales](https://whales.com/an-epic-weekend-of-more-whales/) **Published:** May 14, 2026 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![Large whale surfaces near the camera with a small motorboat to the right and a huge cargo ship in the distance.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06230-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/an-epic-weekend-of-more-whales/dsc06230/) [![Green buoy floating in the sea with a large iceberg in the foreground and a hazy blue horizon in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06240-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/an-epic-weekend-of-more-whales/dsc06240/) [![Green navigation buoy floating on rough sea with a distant horizon and pale sky.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06249-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/an-epic-weekend-of-more-whales/dsc06249/) [![Orca (killer whale) leaping from the blue ocean, spray rising as it breaches the surface.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_0465-1024x732.jpg)](https://whales.com/an-epic-weekend-of-more-whales/dsc_0465/) [![Group of dolphins surfacing in a blue ocean, dorsal fins cutting the water near the horizon.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_0489-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/an-epic-weekend-of-more-whales/dsc_0489/) [![Sailboat on the blue ocean with a pod of dolphins surfacing near the foreground and a flock of birds flying over distant hills.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_0472-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/an-epic-weekend-of-more-whales/dsc_0472/) A pair of humpbacks on 5/8/26 near Sinclair Island by Lincoln Humphry Epic T-Party action from T90s, T86A1’s and T86A3’s on 5/11/26 by Tami Jean W May 8th Today’s schedule was a little thrown off because we got reports of two humpback whales on the east side of Sinclair Island, not very far off for us. So our day started off with a great encounter with two fouling humpbacks. Whales early in the day is always welcome. They were being a little unpredictable in their movements, but their deep dives were short so there was a ton of surface time! Humpbacks are usually solo travelers, so it isn’t too often that we see more than one traveling together. Pea Pod Rocks had a little harbor seal party happening, and we saw some black oyster catchers and a mature bald eagle hanging around. On our way back into the bay, we found a young gray whale feeding! It was fluking on every single deep dive, which is rare for grays. A decent day and we didn’t have to go far! May 9th Viti Rocks had lots of harbor seals hauled out and we got to see some little itty bitty pups! The pups only stay with mom for about a month, so it’s fun to see them together hauled out sleeping. Of course we saw lots of bird activity as always, with some mature and juvenile bald eagles, cormorants, gulls, and pigeon guillemots. On one of the markers close to Viti Rocks we saw some awesome Steller sea lions competing for space. They were a little restless on this encounter with them jumping onto the marker and some falling off into the water. After that Casey spotted a tall spout off in the distance near point Lawrence. The spout turned out to be a large humpback whale that was fluking with every dive. We got some good pictures of the tail, and through photo ID we had a pretty good idea that this whale was the legendary Big Mama. Later another boat came along and confirmed our suspicions. My first time seeing the humpback icon this season, and it made my day, I love her! After spending time with her, we went north to try and find some killer whales from an old report but turned out to be a cold trail. We got to see the beautiful Patos lighthouse though. Heading home through Hale Pass we got a call from some old crew that they saw a whale tale from their kayaks and decided to go check it out. It was our same Gray whale from yesterday, which was nice to add on our way home. May 10th Happy Mother’s Day!! How fitting is it that we saw orcas today? Orcas live in a matriarchal society where the eldest female is in charge. We were lucky enough to see two family groups and one lone traveler on our cruise today. It was the T123s, T46B1s, and T46C2. It was a great day and we got to see lots of eye patches and saddle patches. They were at the surface a lot, but a little unpredictable in their movements. They decided to come up to us and we powered off to let them swim by. It was an amazing experience! We also saw sea lions and harbor seals on our way to and from the orca pods. May 11th Could not have asked for a more perfect day on the water! Left Bellingham Bay with blue skies and calm seas. Favorable morning reports took us north in Rosario, cruising along the east side of Orcas Island getting beautiful looks at the outer islands. We took a turn to head southwest in President’s channel and we were not disappointed. Coming on scene, the pod of Bigg’s orca were lively! First reports mentioned 8 whales; T90s, T86A1’s and T86A3’s. A whole range of ages from juveniles to mature bulls in on the action. We saw tail slapping, chin slaps, dorsal lobs, backflops, cartwheels, and breach after breach after breach. They did not stop! We cruised along with this pod along the entire north side of Orcas, cheering them along as they continued their aerial acrobatic show. The highlight of this encounter was the audible vocalizations at the surface. We could actually loudly hear them chatting as they were hunting. An incredibly unique experience Captain Cassidy and Naturalist Lauren have only heard via hydrophone. As it came close to our departure time this pod was still putting on a show, I am sure they were feeding their bellies and celebrating accordingly the entire time. Absolutely astonishing to witness their endurance, speed, strength and teamwork first hand. We circumnavigated Orcas, going back home through the heart of the San Juan’s, checking out three sleepy steller sea lions on the Sinclair Island navigational channel marker. What an epic day. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Let the Season Begin!](https://whales.com/let-the-season-begin/) **Published:** May 7, 2026 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![Whale tail fin breaches the water near a small boat at sea, with waves around.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06203-1024x695.jpg)](https://whales.com/let-the-season-begin/dsc06203/) [![Bird of prey perched on a metal post beside a red-and-white diamond warning sign with snow-capped mountains in the background.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06134-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/let-the-season-begin/dsc06134/) [![Whale tail fluke lifting from calm ocean, with a distant hazy shoreline and mountains on the horizon]](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06096-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/let-the-season-begin/dsc06096/) [![Bald eagle perched on a bare branch in a tall tree against a clear blue sky.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06120-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/let-the-season-begin/dsc06120/) [![Rocky coastline with a small plume of steam rising from a vent, trees behind, blue water in the foreground.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06145-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/let-the-season-begin/dsc06145/) [![Snow-covered mountain peak across a calm blue lake, with a forested shoreline and white sailboats in the foreground.](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06147-1-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/let-the-season-begin/dsc06147-2/) Gray whale in Bellingham Bay, Big Mama and an unidentified fellow humpback, bald eagles, and the Schooner Zodiac with Mt Baker on our first whale watch of 2026. By Lincoln Humphry May 1st What a day to start off our first trip of the season! Beautifully warm sunny weather and calm waters. In what may be a record, we spotted a gray whale 16 minutes after pushing off the dock! The whale was taking long 10 minute down times, but a surprise change in direction gave us excellent views right by us! We went on to explore some smaller islands, cruising by the Cone Islands spotting a few bald eagles perched in the tree tops. Rosario Strait had quite a few large bait balls of fish attracting hundreds of sea birds. Lots of diving activity, and a stellar sea lion showed up to join in the feast. After exploring the harbor seal haulout at Peapod Rocks, Captain Casey gave us the call to head towards Matia for a pair of humpback whales he spotted while heading out to fish on his day off. We got to watch the humpback whales surface together multiple times, but only one whale was showing their tail flukes. We submitted a photo to the happywhale.com database, and later ID’d this whale as Big Mama! The first sighting this year! The other one wasn’t identifiable, which can be exciting too. New whales keep coming to the Salish Sea, and we see more and more every year. We’re excited to be back on the water. May 2nd A bit breezy on the water today, but we were again graced with a quick sighting of the gray whale off the dock! It was the same gray whale from the day before, so it seems to be hanging out in the Bay for the time being. The whale spent a while feeding off the Eliza Island embankment. We saw some quite high arches from this gray today, with lots of fluking too showing us it’s beautiful tail. We headed further south today, where there were reports of several different species! We were happy to join the scene with the Barnes Lake male duo, T49A2 Jude and T51 Roswell, 2 adult male Bigg’s orcas that are unrelated to each other but often travel together. The whales were split by about a half mile from each other, so we were watching Jude until he quickly changed direction and sped off toward Roswell. They met back up and then slowed way down, surfacing together and giving us that great iconic look of their 6ft dorsals. Harbor porpoise were out in great numbers today as well. Our journey back home through Bellingham Channel had them on every side of the boat. We even saw some harbor porpoise breaches! Excellent multi species whale watch. May 3rd Naturalist Emily’s first public whale watching trip of the season! It was so good to be back at our wildlife spots again. It was a gorgeous day and we saw a bald eagle at Viti Rocks with our favorite harbor seals and cormorant friends. From there we trended south towards Anacortes to early reports of humpback whales. As we arrived we realized there were three of them! This is pretty irregular for traveling humpbacks, as they tend to be solo or pair travelers. It was so so good to see some familiar whales! We got to hangout with Olympus, who is a descendent of Big Mama. She was with Kelpie and another young humpback who was born in 2024. We saw so many tail flukes, with some being directly under Mt Baker on a gorgeous clear day. At one point, one of the three HBs stuck their pectoral fin straight into the air. We eventually departed and traveled north to Peapod Rocks, then through Clark and Barnes over the top of Lummi Island. It was such a good first whale watching trip! **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [The 5 Coolest Islands in the San Juans](https://whales.com/the-5-coolest-islands-in-the-san-juans/) **Published:** March 7, 2026 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** ### Orcas ![Orcas Island aerial view - Wikimedia Commons](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Orcas_Island_aerial_view_EPA_photo.jpg) In an area famous for orca whales, one might assume this island is named for them. However it is a total coincidence. The name “Orcas” is a nickname derived from the full name: Juan Vicente de Güemes Padilla Horcasitas y Aguayo, the Viceroy of New Spain (pre Mexico) who sent Francisco de Eliza to the area, discovering it in 1791. It is uniquely upside-down U shaped, separated in the middle by East Sound. This sound brings ends at the island’s village of Eastsound, the largest population center on Orcas and the second largest in San Juan County. Mount Constitution, elevation 2,409 feet (734 meters), is the highest point in the San Juan Islands. The mountain is the centerpiece of Moran State Park, the largest recreation area in the San Juans, and the largest State Park in Washington. The state supports island access through the Washington State Ferries system. Although the ferry docks do not provide direct access to the town of Eastsound, so driving on is usually recommended. While we don’t run trips to Orcas ourselves, we often end up circumnavigating it as we search for whales, because of its location in the middle of the islands, and east of Bellingham. It often makes for a stunning backdrop for wildlife sightings. Our whale watching trips being in May, and go daily all summer. [Check out our whale watching tours here!](https://whales.com/whale-watching/) ### San Juan ![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC08226-300x200.jpg)San Juan Island is appropriately named as the population and tourism center of the San Juan Islands, as well as the San Juan County seat, and hosting the only incorporated town in the islands, Friday Harbor. It is the second-largest, only slightly behind Orcas Island, and most populous of the San Juan Island archipelago with a population of 8,632 as of 2020. After Francisco de Eliza discovered the area for New Spain in 1791, both the British and Americans asserted control of the island over the course of the 1800’s. The dispute reached a climax when an American settler shot a Hudson Bay Company pig, starting the “Pig War” in 1859. By 1861 though, the HBC decided to give up their farm due to reduced morale by soldiers and a lack of British government support. The island was finally fully declared as belonging to the US in 1872 by Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany who was chosen as an outsider to divide up the area between the British and the Americans. The quaint, fun town of Friday Harbor is our quintessential shore stop, going frequently each summer for day trips, with 3 hours to explore the town. There are plenty of interesting places to check out, including restaurants, breweries, museums and more. [Learn about our trips to Friday Harbor here.](https://whales.com/cruises/cruises-from-bellingham/friday-harbor-cruise/) ### Sucia ![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DJI_0503-1-300x200.jpg)Sucia Island is the largest of the Sucia archipelago of ten islands, within the San Juan archipelago of 175 islands. (Over 700 small islands and reefs can appear at low tide.) The name comes from Spanish Captain Francisco de Eliza, including it on his 1791 map. Sucia is Spanish for “dirty”, a name chosen, because the shore was deemed dangerous for it’s many hidden rocks and reefs. The group of islands is also designated as a Washington state park. These many reefs and rugged shores come from folding of the Earth’s crust over millions of years, and so many marine fossils were brought to the surface. Some good examples can be found on the southeast arm of Sucia Island, along aptly named Fossil Bay. In 2012, paleontologists collected the first dinosaur bone ever found in Washington state, on Sucia Island. They purport it to be in the tyrannosaurid family, making it a close cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex. The fossil is now in storage at the Burke Museum in Seattle. We host a few day trips a week every summer to Sucia Island, including an optional guided tour of the fossils on Sucia. [Check out and book a Sucia Island Picnic Day Cruise.](https://whales.com/cruises/cruises-from-bellingham/sucia-island-picnic-cruise/) ### Spieden ![Spieden Island San Juan Archipelago Stock Image - Image of spieden, northwest: 31787781](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/spieden-island-san-juan-archipelago-aerial-view-deserted-located-state-washington-islands-once-used-31787781.jpg)Spieden Island is a privately owned island in the northwest of the San Juans. It has a land area of just 500 acres, and no permanent resident population. The island was purchased by James Jannard, founder of Oakley, Inc. in 1997. In the 1970s & 80s, the island was used for big game hunting; importing non-native game animals such as Mouflon sheep from Corsica, Fallow deer from Europe, and Sika deer from Asia – along with approximately 2,000 exotic birds. A hunting lodge, airstrip, and small hangar were built. The venture was short-lived, due to environmental concerns and risk of stray gunshots reaching populated areas of nearby San Juan Island. The imported species continue to survive on the island. We often catch up with whales and other wildlife near Spieden. It makes for an nteresting backdrop with its stark rise to 375 feet elevation on an only two mile island, and the north side being fully forested, contrasting with the south side being mostly barren and featuring glacial erratics, boulders deposited by glacial activity. [Check out our Friday evening whale watches, new this year.](https://whales.com/cruises/cruises-from-bellingham/sunset-whale-watch/) ### Shaw ![File:Shaw Island locator map.svg - Wikimedia Commons](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Shaw_Island_locator_map.svg)Shaw Island is the smallest (less than 8 sq mi or 20 sq km) of the four San Juan Islands served by the Washington State Ferries, with a small year-round population of less than 200. Although, during the summer time, weekends bring temporary residents and an occasional tourist. The island has the longest-running school in Washington since 1891. Three institutes of nuns have made Shaw their home: Benedictine nuns established a monastery in the 1970s, the Sisters of Mercy have owned an unofficial retreat on the island since the 80s, and Franciscan Nuns ran the island’s only store and the ferry terminal for almost three decades until 2004, when they relocated. Despite it’s small size and popularity, it is in the geographic center of the archipelago, and therefore we end up sailing around it fairly often on our whale watching excursions. This of course depends on where the whales that day. We stay in touch with our fellow whale watch outfits of the Pacific Whale Watch Association each day, to share reports of whale sightings, so everyone can share time with the animals. We pride ourselves on sustainable whale watching, following all regulations, and notifying recreation boaters of the presence of wildlife. [All the info on our daily summer whale watch tours.](https://whales.com/whale-watching/) Come explore these and many other fun summer cruises, including shorter evening beer and wine tastings, crab lunch and dinner cruises, bird watching and more at [whales.com](http://whales.com) **Categories:** Blog, San Juan Islands --- ### [The Two Most Epic Whale Species in the Northwest](https://whales.com/two-most-epic-whales/) **Published:** November 26, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** We asked our naturalists to choose their favorite species in the San Juans, and tell us a little about their connection to them. They chose these whales, and who can blame them. They’re incredible animals. #### West Coast Bigg’s Killer Whales Orcas, or killer whales, are a toothed whale in the oceanic dolphin family. Which means they’re technically both whales and dolphins. These 3-6 ton creatures are fascinating, with their own dialects, and apex predator hunting habits specific to matrilineal pods, that are passed down for generations. Orcas are found in every ocean worldwide. However, the most well researched orcas are the ones in our backyard of the Salish Sea. These killer whales are divided into three main subspecies : Offshore, Resident (Southern and Northern), and Transient (Bigg’s). ![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC05614-1-300x212.jpg)T60 Bigg’s Killer Whale celebrating a hunt In Cattle Pass, Washington**Where does the name Bigg’s come from?** After the capture of almost 50 killer whales from the region of British Columbia and Washington between 1962-73, marine biologist Michael Bigg on behalf of the Canadian government, determined via a revolutionary questionnaire system that there were no more than 350 individuals in the Salish Sea. Much smaller than previously thought. He recommended the population was much too low for any harvesting or hunting. The US government followed up with their own survey, and soon public sentiment changed from fear of the animal to fascination, and no killer whale has been taken from BC or WA waters since 1976. ![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/michael-bigg-300x198.jpg)Michael Bigg, namesake researcher of killer whalesExperts are now encouraging the term “Bigg’s killer whales” over “Transient orcas”, obviously in honor of Bigg, but also because the species is growing less and less transient. Bigg’s orcas feed on marine mammals, which are plentiful here, and therefore they tend to stick around the area more than their sister Salish Sea species, the Southern Resident Killer Whales who are now the more transient species, as the salmon they feed on are dwindling in the region, and are much less often seen here. We do not watch them. The SRKW’s and the Bigg’s have not interbred for 100s of thousands of years. The SRKW’s are endangered with less than 75 individuals as of 2023, but the Bigg’s population is around 400 individuals and thriving. ![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00870-300x200.jpg)Kara Drovdhal showing off fossils at Sucia IslandOrcas have a special place in the heart of our long-time naturalist Kara Drovdahl. She first saw them at age 4 on a whale watch, and loved drawing them in school notebooks. Kara took a summer course at Oregon Coast Aquarium where she was able to witness preparation of “Keiko”, the star of Free Willy, for an unprecedented attempt at release back into the wild via a flight back to Iceland. After moving to Bellingham and joining San Juan Cruises, Kara has enjoyed many interesting encounters with resident and Biggs orcas. Kara said, “People give them nicknames and can tell stories of the orcas’ families and life, and I just think that gives them such a connection to us as people, out on the water.” #### Humpback Whales ![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04936-300x200.jpg)Humpback lunge feeding in the Strait of Juan De FucaAnother whale found worldwide, and frequently in the Salish Sea, is the humpback. This baleen whale (baleen is a filtering system alternative to teeth), is over twice the size, and five times the weight of an orca at 40 tons, sporting pectorals that are some of the longest appendages in the whole animal kingdom. Males can produce a unique song from 4-30 minutes long. The whales that come to the Salish Sea to feed and wander, will travel over 2000 nautical miles between Alaska in the summer to feed, and Maui and Mexico in the winter to breed; humpbacks are the snowbirds of the ocean. After being hunted to almost extinction in the Pacific Northwest region in the early 1900’s, the now famous individual, Big Mama has helped repopulate the area over the last few decades, to over 5,000 individuals having visited the area since. ![](https://live.staticflickr.com/432/32236842921_199ddb69fc.jpg) Emily, one of our naturalists for the last three years, chose humpbacks as a favorite species. She said, “I am constantly amazed by their sheer size and life history. They are the acrobats of the sea, and there is nothing more jaw dropping than seeing a fully grown humpback whale breach. They are so beautiful and unique, with their long pectoral fins and massive flukes.” We were able to see a humpback lunge feed this season, and it was quite breathtaking seeing their massive mouth burst out of the water. [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_6263-300x225.jpg)](https://whales.com/two-most-epic-whales/img_6263/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04046-copy-2-300x187.jpg)](https://whales.com/two-most-epic-whales/dsc04046-copy-3/) Emily Lekburg and Lauren Rasmussen, naturalists on the Victoria Star 2 Lauren, our new-to-us but highly experienced naturalist, said her favorite species is the humpback too. She says their pleated underbelly has interesting textures that are fun to recreate in her art. She also remarked on their capacity for empathy and altruism. She shared a wild story: “Nan Hauser, a whale researcher, was working on a conservation film in Rarotonga when a humpback approached her, gently pushing her through the water. What Nan hadn’t yet realized was the 18 ft tiger shark nearby. The humpback got her on top of his head, nudging her back towards her boat and to safety.” They are also impressive simply for their sheer size, Lauren and Emily agree. Truly fascinating creatures orcas and humpbacks. We’re deeply lucky to be able to see them only a few dozen miles away from our home base in Bellingham, Washington. We pride ourselves in sustainable, responsible whale watching. We adore these whales, and strive to see them thrive for decades to come. **Categories:** Blog, Whale Watching --- ### [A Steller Finale Week for 2025 Whale Watching](https://whales.com/steller-finale/) **Published:** September 30, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC05615-1024x667.jpg)](https://whales.com/steller-finale/dsc05615/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC05598-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/steller-finale/dsc05598/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC05614-1-1024x725.jpg)](https://whales.com/steller-finale/dsc05614-2/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC05557-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/steller-finale/dsc05557/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC05639-1024x621.jpg)](https://whales.com/steller-finale/dsc05639/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC05628-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/steller-finale/dsc05628/) T60 D & E (Onca and Lynx) celebrating a porpoise hunt in Cattle Pass on 9/26 Sea lions at Whale Rocks, and an eagle by Eagle Bluff on 9/26 by Lincoln Humphry Sept 22nd An incredible day of multi-species. Our crew today were the lucky finders of both a minke and humpback whale down in the Strait of Juan de Fuca! We first came across the minke whale near Cattle Point lighthouse, and got to see it lunge feeding on little forage fish. The whale was pretty consistently circling and tipping its chin out of the water for some close views, which was very unusual and special for the “slinky minke”. As we were preparing to leave, our captain saw a splash very far in the distance, so we decided to go check it out. Turned out to be Victory, a humpback that’s been spending its time in the big strait south of Lopez. Victory never fluked today, but was identified later by another vessel. Our journey home has us stopping at Bird Rocks, where the sea lions were busy grumbling at each other and splashing around in the water. \*We surprisingly stumbled on the T99 orcas right at the dock, just as I’d thought I’d finished this write up! We were preparing to dock, with fenders down when one of our crew spotted fins at Taylor dock, just around the corner from our dock point. We delayed docking so that we could watch Bella, Barakat, Puck, and the newly native named Qwiin qwiin oo quii la, who were killing dinner and rolling around in the water for their hunt. So much surface activity for our last minute triple species day. Sept 23rd This morning we enjoyed a flat, calm Bellingham Bay, where we were able to see lots of bird activity earlier than usual, including common murres, rhinoceros auklets, all sorts of gulls, and lots more. We then made our normal stop at Viti Rocks to see the thermoregulating harbor seals, and the cormorant nests on the south end of the rock. From there we went south towards Bellingham channel. We were lucky to see lots of harbor porpoise foraging in the tidal currents at the top of Guemes Island. Great looks at these elusive critters. We kept venturing south, with some nice views of the beautiful Burrows Island lighthouse. We eventually were on scene with two baleen whales south of Lopez Island. We saw both a humpback whale and a minke whale! The minke whale was going the same direction as the humpback, and then made a drastic turn across our bow. We saw the rostrum from the close pass. We kept parallel with the humpback and got a tail fluke. We could have guessed that this was our dear friend Victory, based on her circles, location, and mostly shallow dives. We got one more tail fluke from her, and were able to track her movement from her footprints in the calm water. We eventually departed and headed through Cattle Pass, not before stopping at Whale Rocks. This is a great spot to see giant Steller sea lions hauled out on land. In the evening, there was a T-party reported (multiple family groups of Biggs killer whales socializing) in northern Rosario Strait, with 33 individuals. We were hoping that they slowly traveled south so we would get the chance to see a few of them again today, so we got a spontaneous crew trip together on our smaller boat, and boy did we luck out. Countless breaches, spy hops, tail slaps and much more in every direction. An epic treat to begin to wind down our 2025 season. Sept 24th The T90s and the T101s were reported near Deception pass today, trending north, which works out great for us. We got to watch them in beautiful Burrows Bay. Within the T90s there was one large male who was traveling close to mom, and then the T101 brothers were following behind the rest. The lighting and weather was absolutely perfect today, backlighting their spouts against the rocky bluffs of Burrows Island. After one of their deep dives, the group popped up at our 3 o’clock, and we were able to see these giant animals up close. We shut off our engines and just watched them swim by. We could see them swimming underwater, their white patches very apparent. We decided to leave the whales for a while and take a detour to Bird Rocks. As you can imagine we saw lots of common marine birds, harbor seals, and lots of Steller sea lions swimming along the shorelines and in patches of kelp. We watched these pinnipeds for a while and then headed to spend a bit more time with our orca friends outside of Thatcher Pass before heading home. Sept 26th We had early reports this morning for orca brothers cruising the San Juan Island shoreline headed for some very choppy water, so we skipped our typical morning warm up stops to make some ground. When we arrived on scene, T60 D & E (Onca and Lynx) were travelling pretty quickly through Griffin Bay. We were tracking them well until they went for a deep dive behind a rock outcropping, and we lost sight of them for a few minutes. Turns out they had stopped for lunch, and were about to get really interesting. We turned the boat around and watched these two big orca males work on killing a harbor porpoise, then they celebrated their meal with some awesome moves. There were so many tail slaps and lobs, and a few spectacular breaches! The weather was starting to really pick up where they were journeying, so we left them behind to continue our day. Steller sea lions were abundant on Whale Rocks, lounging in the sunshine and we saw some more of them off the Sinclair buoy on our journey back to the dock. We had a few brief stops for harbor porpoise, harbor seals and a lovely bald eagle off of Peapod Rocks for our home route. Sept 27th Kara’s last whale watch of the season was spectacular! We got to see some really rare behaviour from the T49B1’s, as they were busy training their 3 year old calf how to hunt. This pod had a brand new baby in the group as well, which we got to see up close as the calf swam right under the boat! Training for hunting happens from birth with orcas, but today’s hunt was pretty intense. The older siblings managed to immobilize a harbor seal and then were teaching the younger one multiple approach maneuvers. It was a stunning display of porpoising lunges, corralling and herding, as well as launching that seal into the air with tail lobs. The practice went on for nearly an hour before the group finally ate their catch. This was all finished off with a few spy hops for celebration. An already amazing day turned brighter as we made our journey home and found two humpbacks on a journey out to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The whales turned out to be Divot and Two Spot and were doing some deep fluking dives with a steady travel pace. They gave us a great double-header day with two species of whales. **Categories:** Blog, Recent Whale Sightings, Whale Watching --- ### [Victory Lunges & Surprise Orcas](https://whales.com/lunges-surprises/) **Published:** September 23, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04901-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lunges-surprises/dsc04901/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04914-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lunges-surprises/dsc04914/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04926-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lunges-surprises/dsc04926/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04936-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lunges-surprises/dsc04936/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04938-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lunges-surprises/dsc04938/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04941-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lunges-surprises/dsc04941/) Three lunge feedings from a humpback, presumed Victory, at McCarthur Bank on 9/16 by Lincoln Humphry Sept 15th Today was a wildly successful day, watching three different species of whale! Early reports of orcas allowed us to make a leisurely stop at the Sinclair buoy, where we watched five Steller sea lions vying for space on the navigational marker. There were many attempts to jump up, with the two sea lions already resting on the buoy, until one very large Steller made his way up and knocked the sleepers into the water! It was a pretty comical time, while passengers were busy rooting for the smaller animals still trying to find space. We moved on, and after lunch arrived on scene with a group of three orca whales just outside of Friday harbor. T36A1 (Tierna), her calf T36A1A (Drift), and T99B (Holly) were busy looking for lunch, travelling very slowly and creating lots of splashes at the surface. They spy hopped twice and Drift did a slow head stand with their little tail waving in the air. A fun show. Our next destination brought us out to Victory, the humpback staying off of MacArthur Bank for the last week or so, busy with feeding circles and we got to see some lunge feeding! The bird and bait fish activity was really high today and made for some excitement when we thought we saw another fin in the distance. That fin we initially thought was a minke whale but looked so much bigger than a minke dorsal would. We went out to investigate and found a Fin Whale! These animals are the second largest whale in the world, nearly 80 feet long and are usually open ocean whales. There has been the occasional spotting of these elusive critters in the Salish sea with the last sighting in 2022, and then another in 2015. The crew today were ecstatic, with lots of cheering. A fin whale is such a huge bucket list item for many of us, with their rarity to the area and overall size. It was a fantastic multi species whale day! Sept 16th Weather reports of choppy and windy conditions up north made our decision for our journey easy today. We headed south back into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, for calm waters and baleen whale potential! The day was sunny and warm, with great views or harbor seals and stellar sea lions warming themselves up on the rocks. As we entered into the strait, we started scanning hard for spouts. There were so many bait balls of little forage fish forming. This fish activity at the surface attracts all of the marine birds out looking for a meal, and the baleen whales will come scoop up the fish as well. Thanks to the birds and their bait balls, we pretty quickly found two humpback whales and a minke whale. We picked one humpback to stick with, tracking it from one bait ball to the next. The lunge feeding was so impressive to see. We lucked out by seeing three lunges! One was very close to us, showing us their fascinating ventricles. Sept 17th This morning there were no reports in our range. We decided to make our direction call once we got out into Rosario. We stopped at Viti Rocks to look at our harbor seals and marine nesting birds. We decided to go check the can for some Steller sea lions, and there were four sleepy guys hanging out. After we got done with our first wildlife stops, we headed north. While traveling over the top of Orcas Island, we discussed with the Captain how to go about the day while we were scanning the waters. We were talking about where to look and where they have been recently. I was in the middle of a sentence when Cptn Casey looked over my shoulder at the Orcas Island shoreline and yelled “WHALE!” It turned out to be a lone male orca, T49A1- Noah. He was traveling east so we flipped around. We followed him to Pea Pods where he started playing in the kelp, looking for lunch. We saw kelp draped across his dorsal fin, and he even did a half breach! Noah has a pretty significant notch close to the bottom of his dorsal fin. We watched him eye some steller sea lions for about 15 minutes, until he made his way back towards the Orcas shoreline. We departed and went north to Matia Island where we saw some harbor seals and then turned back to go home through Hale Pass. Sept 18 Today was a double species day! When we were between Lummi and Eliza Islands, we spotted a large splash directly in front of us. We waited for a while to see if anything reappeared, and it turned out to be a humpback! It was early in the day, so we stuck around with this young humpback for only about 30-40 minutes. The down times were around 10 minutes and the whale would pop up in the opposite direction. Every time it went on a deeper dive, it would give us an excellent tail fluke. We left the little humpback and made our way down Rosario to a report of killer whale brothers. 60D and 60E were traveling down the east side of Decatur Island. They were giving us amazing views of their saddle patches and eye patches, and the conditions could not have been better. These two are normally seen together, separate from mom and the rest of their family. They are four years apart, and easily distinguished as T60E has notches in his dorsal fin. They decided to enter Lopez Pass and we left them to their sibling shenanigans. After leaving the brothers, we were close to Bird Rocks so we made a quick wildlife stop there. We saw Steller sea lions swimming in the water, snorting and rafting together. We also saw sleepy harbor seals, cormorants in their nests, Heerman gulls, and a view of other common marine bird species! Sept 19 This morning was pretty foggy in the bay. Cptn Michael took us on the east side of Eliza, and we broke through the fog as we entered Rosario Strait. We stopped for four sleepy Stellers on the Sinclair navigation markers. Steller sea lions are able to stay in the water longer than harbor seals can, and they are able to use USWS, where they can turn off one half of their brain and rest the other half. When they are on land, they can use REM sleep. We left those sea lions to sleep peacefully. Next we traveled through Peavine Pass to San Juan Channel. There were reports of a couple of humpback whales near a bank close to Lopez Island. We went to check out the reports and came across a single humpback. This humpback was tail fluking and pretty consistent. We spent a good deal of time out here in the perfectly calm water. After a while, I spotted another humpback in the distance! We decided to go look at the other whale, and this one was feeding in circles. Very shallow dives that we were able to track due to foot prints. We have a theory that this whale was Victory, as the behavior seemed very similar! On our way home we went through castle rock and saw 6 pairs of marbled murrelets and some harbor seals hauled out. Sept 20 It was going to be a long trip today in hopes of catching up with the reports from this morning, so we went north through Hale Passage and then West towards Stuart Island for two orcas, T60D and T60E. The water was a bit choppy, but the lighting and coloring was beautiful. These brothers were surfacing so consistently, showing off their eyepatches and saddle patches almost every time. These brothers have three other siblings and a living mother that they choose not to travel with. This is an interesting case because typically male orcas stay with mom their entire life. But these two brothers are a bit more independent. These two have been traveling around the area for a few weeks, seen all over the place in the Gulf Islands, Lopez Sound, Victoria, and a few other spots. After departing the two orcas, we went south to Spieden Island to look at the exotic animals that were left from the old game farm there. We saw lots of Mouflon sheep. We crept back east and saw the orcas pass up a few sea lions hauled out on the shoreline. These Stellers were massive! Once the orcas swam past, we got up to the sea lions and it was great to see the large males. On our way back we made a quick stop to Viti Rocks and saw harbor seals and many bird species. Sept 21 We had a double whale day today! We started off our day with an interesting show from some Steller sea lions off the Sinclair buoy, jumping in and out of the water, before making our way through the middle islands. No fog today, so we got clear views for the entire trip along the Orcas shoreline. Cptn Casey was following an early morning report of an orca that no one had been able to find by the time trips were out. Scanning hard, we got a call from a fellow PWWA boat that they’d found Indy-T65A5, only about five minutes from us! With that, we made out way over to Deer Harbor, where we started watching this lone male cruising the shoreline. Our time with Indy was in some glassy water, where we could easily see him creating ripples across the surface. Just before we finished our time with him, he started milling, doing circles around a shallow beach with some pretty long deep dives with a high arch of his back. We moved on to head over the top of Orcas Island towards Patos, to look for a potential humpback whale, where we came across Bump -BCY0771. This humpback was busy doing circles around our boat, to the point that it felt like he was almost stalking us. He almost always surfaced just barely behind us, so we’d turn the vessel and he’d end up on the other side again. We ended up just floating there and letting him do his thing, seeing several closer passes and some lovely views of his tail flukes. Our journey home was filled with harbor porpoises and more seals and seal lions. It was a chock full wildlife day. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Orcas in Deception Pass & The Quest for the Fin Whale](https://whales.com/fin-whale-orcas-in-deception/) **Published:** September 17, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/fb38bfa0-79b0-43c6-8055-eaa095c55dd3-1024x507.jpeg)](https://whales.com/fin-whale-orcas-in-deception/fb38bfa0-79b0-43c6-8055-eaa095c55dd3/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/b3f79c85-09fc-44bf-a1dd-8e851afa1ed3-1024x462.jpeg)](https://whales.com/fin-whale-orcas-in-deception/b3f79c85-09fc-44bf-a1dd-8e851afa1ed3/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/8d39ecc6-59d9-4465-a2bc-fccb636cf2ec-1024x549.jpeg)](https://whales.com/fin-whale-orcas-in-deception/8d39ecc6-59d9-4465-a2bc-fccb636cf2ec/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/46639569-31b8-450f-b61f-97475c31827f-878x1024.jpeg)](https://whales.com/fin-whale-orcas-in-deception/46639569-31b8-450f-b61f-97475c31827f/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/9d15d251-302d-401e-ac6e-ccaf28780e38-473x1024.jpeg)](https://whales.com/fin-whale-orcas-in-deception/9d15d251-302d-401e-ac6e-ccaf28780e38/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/cd7f220e-51ae-42e9-9f46-ffa0f6e8f2d7-1024x795.jpeg)](https://whales.com/fin-whale-orcas-in-deception/cd7f220e-51ae-42e9-9f46-ffa0f6e8f2d7/) Biggs orcas T60D&E – Onca and Lynx, Vocal Stellers, and a Cooper’s Hawk on 9/13/25 by Kurt Leipold Sept 8th The overcast morning started with no reports, so we decided to wait to plan our route once we got to Viti Rocks in Rosario Strait, our go-to first stop for wildlife. As we arrived there was a report about a humpback whale path south of Lopez Island. We traveled down Bellingham Channel and saw lots of harbor porpoise. The small dark cetaceans that are notoriously boat shy, so it’s moot to look for them. We got to McArthur bank out in the main straight, searching for the humpback. and we eventually found Victory! This whale has been hanging around and feeding in this particular spot for a couple weeks now. We are so glad she’s finding enough food here. Humpbacks need to eat 2000-3000 pounds of food a day, whether that’s krill or bait fish, so its an ongoing battle for them. When we departed scene, we quickly came across a minke whale, turning our Monday adventure into a double species day! This minke was quite surface active and consistent, which is rare for the notoriously “slinky minke”. It seemed like it was lunge feeding, as we got to see the rostrum. Minke whales are the smallest of the rorqual whales, as they all have expanding throat pleats. On the way back we went up Rosario to the Sinclair markers where sea lions were hauled out taking a nap and cuddling. Multiple whale species days are always welcome. Sept 10 What a day! Starting with reports of the T137 pod of orca whales making their way north through Saratoga Pass, on the east side of Whidbey Island, we headed south with a goal: to see this pod come under Deception Pass Bridge, a fun unique backdrop for watching whales. While waiting for this pod to swim under the bridge, we saw a massive lion’s main jelly. It was at least 3ft in diameter. We witnessed Jack (T137A) make his way under the 180ft high bridge. Loon (T137), Tempest (T137B) and Wright (T137D) had pushed a bit further ahead of Jack making their first appearance around the corner from the bridge. We got beautiful looks at Jack to start. He took to his own course: heading west while his mom and sisters headed north. Jack was definitely in travel mode for the first 30 minutes with him, but as soon as we tried to depart, he put on a show for us. Jack is a well-known energetic, show-off type of whale, and he did not hold back today. He gave us amazing looks at his powerful spout, eye patch, and wobbly dorsal fin. Then he tail slapped, pec slapped, dorsal fin slapped, and finally chucked his body out of the water flopping down onto his back, his side, his belly. It was quite the aerial show. All in efforts of getting back to his mom and sisters who I assume communicated with him that they had caught some food When Jack caught back up with his family, the ladies were also putting on a show, tail slapping and splashing. They definitely took down some prey as there were scraps visible on the surface. It is incredible to see how surgical these massive animals can be when dismantling prey. We witnessed a singular lung, still inflated, floating on the surface. The family continued north and then headed into the inner islands as we started to make our way back towards Bellingham. What a unique and magical day in Deception Pass today. Sept 11 It started off with a foggy morning, watching sea lions on the Sinclair can. We decided to head through Obstruction Pass. Fog started to lift as we got into the inner islands, with the cloud layer lifting to 100ft off the water, and it only continued to clear. Passing through Pole Pass into San Juan Channel we caught up with T60D-Onca, and T60E-Lynx, on the south side of Spieden island. Two brothers that travel solo from their traditional matriarchal pod. After circling around seeing both sides of Spieden: south side blown and barren and the north side being full forest, we encountered two eagles, with one flying across the bow, hearing excellent vocalizations from the eagles. Cruised with the T60 brothers weaving around the Cactus Islands. We watched as they played in the kelp, probably hunting seals. Saw a lot of seals on the rocks as the brothers swam by. They wer probably spooked seeing those massive dorsals pop out of the water. We saw the infamous SnotBot in action! A drone used by the PWWA for collecting samples from spouts. Departed the T60 brothers and came across BCY1463 -Malachite the humpback whale. He’s a 2021 calf. We enjoyed good spouts sightings, and close passes, we could even track their pectoral flippers under the water. We headed home quickly over the top of Orcas Island, because as we got on scene with the brothers, more killer whales were spotted right in Bellingham Bay. No one had been with them for three hours, but we found them just south of Eliza Rocks. Identified as the T99s, with four of the 5 of the family members. They spent the day in the bay, giving us great looks at their eye patches, dorsal and saddles. A few close encounters too, showing us their true size. What an epic Oreo sandwich treat of orcas, humpback and more orcas! Sept 12 Another interesting day. Heading out from the dock, we got a shore based report of orcas in the bay. This report was about 20 minutes old and indicated the whales were traveling south. We enlisted the help of our passengers to scan as far as we could see. We did our due diligence scanning from the Chuckanut Mountains to Eliza and Lummi Island. With no luck of whales found in the bay, and four other boats helping on the search, we cruised up the west side of Lummi to see if they swam north through Hales Passage. With no luck north with whales, we made a few pit stops to Point Migley, the north point of Lummi, to check out some harbor seals hauled out and a sleepy Steller sea lion on the navigation marker. We headed back down south making a direct shot to Point Lawrence on the east side of Orcas Island as a humpback whale had been seen! This whale gave us plenty of flashes of their fluke so we were able to ID this animal as HW-MN0510839. They did not seem like a yearling in size, but [happywhale.com](http://happywhale.com) suggests that this was the first year this individual has been documented in the Salish sea! Being a part of the PWWA really pays off on days like today. We got a call from another captain who luckily found the whales no one could find earlier in the bay. The T99’s were moving south. We hypothesize this pod went north instead of south this morning. Deltas attract fish, and fish attract seals, so we think they were feeding all afternoon around the Nooksack river delta. We were fortunate to spend a good amount of time with this pod. Getting on scene, they were definitely in hunt mode making some intentional direction changes, splashing, tail slapping, rolling around with each other at the surface, and some chin slaps. The lighting was incredible: back-lit spouts make for great visualizations of those powerful breaths. They rounded the corner of Carter Point and headed north up the west side of Lummi. Their behaviors changed from active to more restful as they kept cruising north. Happy to have found the elusive orcas from this morning’s report, we all went home happy with a solid double species day for Naturalist Lauren’s last day of the season. Sept 13th While yesterday had Bigg’s orcas right here in the bay, today was a journey into Canada for whales. Case in point, that we really never know where the day will take us. During our routine stops at Viti Rocks and the Sinclair buoy to see both harbor seals and Steller Sea Lions, we made sure to scan for whales before deciding on our destination today. We had no luck with whales close to home, but the activity level for harbor porpoise was really high all throughout our journey. The small dolphin-like critters were very busy foraging, with huge lunges out of the water, uncharacteristic for them. We were able to see them in Rosario Strait, San Juan Channel and Boundary Pass. While our destination was far, our travel was in flat, lake-like water with overcast skies, which made for excellent wildlife spotting conditions. There were rafts of birds on some bait balls, some red-necked phalaropes and a few terns that we spotted off Moresby. The T60’s brothers were our find again today, as they were busy combing the reef by Portland Island looking for lunch. T60D&E (Onca and Lynx) are bachelor brothers, and It’s unknown why these middle children travel separately from their mom, but these fully mature males are 21 and 17 years old, busy finding their own food and social connections. It was fun to see them again. Sept. 14 Starting with the classic Viti Rocks visit, we watched our harbor seal regulars. We saw the cormorants in their big stick nests as well. Next we moved between Towhead and Cypress Islands, learning about the bald eagles nest smack dab in the middle of small Towhead Island. Passing through Peavine Pass we saw a big cluster of bull kelp glistening, then we made our way through Cross Sound and the Wasp Islands, eventually trending south towards Cattle Pass. We saw huge cormorant stick nests and sea lions in the distance. At this point we were hearing reports of a fin whale in the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Many of us had never seen a fin whale including this naturalist, so it was an exciting special report! Unfortunately when we got on scene it had slipped away, but we continued to look for it for a long time. Fin whales are the second largest whale in the world, and we rarely see them here. The last reports were from 2022. This particular fin whale was going on very long, 18 minute down times in a big open space, so it was hard to keep track of. We eventually had to turn for home, but luckily we were informed of a humpback whale on our way back. We got to spend lots of time with this traveling humpback. Based on its activity, we believe that this humpback was Victory! A little unpredictable, short down times, no fluke. She has been a bit of a local these past few weeks, feeding around McArthur bank. **Categories:** Blog, Recent Whale Sightings, Uncategorized --- ### [Lots of Our Best Wildlife in the Salish sea](https://whales.com/lots-of-our-best/) **Published:** September 10, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/6010e1af-149d-4aaa-a55c-f4d3c17fe76e-1024x483.jpeg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-our-best/6010e1af-149d-4aaa-a55c-f4d3c17fe76e/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/041f5e39-018f-4a6b-97f0-fc2565b821d8-1024x513.jpeg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-our-best/041f5e39-018f-4a6b-97f0-fc2565b821d8/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/c0eed127-bd67-4872-b9b2-652982cfdbc3-1024x556.jpeg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-our-best/c0eed127-bd67-4872-b9b2-652982cfdbc3/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04831-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-our-best/dsc04831/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04875-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-our-best/dsc04875/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04862-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-our-best/dsc04862/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/2T6A5544-1024x683.jpeg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-our-best/2t6a5544/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/2T6A4696-1024x683.jpeg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-our-best/2t6a4696/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/2T6A5811-1024x683.jpeg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-our-best/2t6a5811/) Top Row: T100 Biggs pod porpoising right off the Chuckanut Coast on 9/1 by Kurt Leipold Middle Row: Humpback Aerie and Stellers in the Straight of Juan de Fuca on 9/3 by Lincoln Humphry Bottom Row: T100’s with T124D’s in a T-Party by Deception Pass on a foggy 9/6 by Leo Solomon Sept 1st Today was a wild day with captain and naturalist a bit nervous that we might end up with no whales. Our morning started off with reports of whales moving away from us, already at the extent of our reach, so the crew was busy searching the route with binoculars in hopes of coming across a whale closer. We lucked out! A passenger spotted blows by South Pender Island in Canada that ended up being a humpback whale! This was a great spot for us to be, and allowed us about an hour with a very friendly humpback. We got several close passes and some excellent tail fluke looks as the whale headed northwest up the Pender Islands coastline. It was a long journey today, at about 87 nautical miles, but on our journey home, one of our crew picked up orcas right in Bellingham Bay! With a few extra minutes to spare, we got to make it a double species day, watching the T100’s (Hutchins, Laurel and Estrella) work the Chuckanut coastline on a kill. The activity was awesome to watch, because the orcas kept porpoising high out of the water, lunging after a harbor porpoise that they were hunting. We saw some pretty inspiring acrobatics and speed out of this family of three today.. It was super special to be able to add these orcas to our already successful humpback day. Sep 2 What a beautifully calm day in the Salish Sea. We got into the heart of the islands with no reports so we tested our luck heading south. We stopped at Whale Rocks to visit with our sea lion friends. They gave us a great display at their agility in the water, splashing and rolling through the waterway and their mobility on land as some were hauling out and finding a comfy spot for a rest. The Strait of Juan de Fuca was glassy which is not always the case. When we got into the strait, there was a layer of fog which made spotting a little tricky, but as we continued to cruise west, the fog dissipated and visibility opened up. We did some big loops around McArthur Bank and Hein Bank scanning for some baleen whales. We came across a lot of common murres and gulls sitting patiently for bait-balls to come to them. A fellow whale watcher found two humpbacks circling west of Hein Bank. We got to spend a good chunk of time hanging out with one of these gentle giants. This whale gave us excellent looks as it moved around us. We got a great look at the blow hole as they came up for a breath. We had some lovely surface time with this animal as they were not diving down very deep. They had a bit of white on their dorsal fin which was a unique marking. As we were departing, they finally fluked giving us a solid look at their easiest identifier. We were not able to see the underside, but the shape of this individual’s fluke is extremely unique, being more round in shape than pointed, and two notches out of the top and bottom of the right side of the fluke. The whale was CRC 20227 who hasn’t been documented in the Salish Sea before! Super fun to see these two humpbacks circling around feeding out there. We cruised home via Bellingham Channel which was harbor porpoise central! Sep 3 With the only reports coming from way out west and north, we booked it through the middle of the San Juan’s and then south into the strait of Juan de Fuca. The flood tide was whirling through Cattle Pass as we got out into bigger waters. The smoke and haze completely blocked out the Olympics giving the strait a surreal feeling. We caught up with a feeding humpback whale, BCY0983 – Aerie, who gave us amazing looks at their spout, their dorsal fin and even a rare display of lunge feeding. The top of their mouth sticking vertically out of the water as they gobbled down a big mouthful of bait fish. It was quite a treat getting to spend time with this gentle giant making big circles around the south side of Haro Strait. The amount of birds out there today were impressive too! Hundreds of common murres, Heermans, glaucous and mew gulls, we even saw a sooty shearwater which I have never seen out in the strait before. We even saw a flock of red neck phalaropes who have an insane migration from the arctic circle to southern central America. After we left the Strait of Juan de Fuca we stopped at Whale rocks, a wildlife refuge hosting a steller sea lion rookery. We got a great look at many sea lions hauled out; some swimming, some fighting, we got great smells of their stank and we even got to hear their guttural growl. We were even fortunate to see the rare sea otter rolling around in the bull kelp. We made our way back through the inner islands and made our last pit stop to Spindle Rocks to check out some harbor seals. It was a diverse wildlife day in the Salish Sea. Sept 4 We ventured out into some thick fog this morning coming across the bay. With hopes of the fog lifting, we went north and our wishful thinking paid off. The fog bank rolled back and visibility increased 10-fold! We cruised north for a while and then headed west making this trip an international one. We caught up with the T49A’s on the west side of Pender Island, BC. Led by Nan T49A, we got amazing views of 4 of her 6 children; 49A3, A4, A5 and A6. As we got on scene, this pod gave us some awesome looks at their hunting behaviors. We saw fluke slapping, big splashes, a little bit of orca belly and lots of direction changes. We hypothesize they took down a harbor porpoise as we saw so many of them along our entire route including when we got on scene with our orca whales. It is always astounding to watch a pod work together to catch a meal. We even got to witness some members of the pod moonwalking, instead of the head coming up first then dorsal, the dorsal comes up first and the head comes up last and the whale’s momentum is going backwards instead of forwards. This behavior is specific to Bigg’s and it is a passed down practice of sharing a meal. Essentially the whale with the prey will hold it in its mouth while the other members will take chunks off to eat. An exciting view while arriving on scene. As they kept moving north, we ventured back south in the direction of home. We cruised between the outer islands, specifically Sucia & Matia heading towards Hales Passage to make our way back into Bellingham bay. Sep 5th We started off with a bit of a foggy crossing out of Bellingham Bay into Rosario Strait. We stopped at Viti Rocks, a national wildlife refuge. It was low tide so there were lots of birds, some ochre starfish, a great blue heron, and plenty of hauled out harbor seals. Harbor seals need to haul out every 4-6 hours and this is definitely a favorite spot. We trended north to avoid the thick fog down south, and went over the top of Orcas Island. We got a call from a fellow whale watching boat that there were whales in San Juan Channel, so we made our way back down south. The whales turned out to be the T75Bs with the new calf! We met up with them at the south end of Shaw Island, but then they decided to turn north which gave us a very close pass! It is always so lucky to be in the right place at the right time. We saw their blow holes SO clearly along with saddle patches and scarring. What a wild reminder of how big these animals are. Then they followed the east side of San Juan Island northward. This group has been hanging around a lot lately, and we’re glad to have them. After spending an hour with them, we went home through the “middle sound” as we call it, seeing severeal state ferries in action. We ducked through Obstruction Pass and in between Toe head and Cypress. We made a last stop at Eliza Rocks where we saw a lot more harbor seals snoozing. Sept 6th This morning was socked in with fog and haze in all directions from the dock, so we were nervous that wildlife could be quite difficult to come by. We lucked out, as another member of the PWWA picked up some orcas by Deception Pass and Burrows Island! After a brief stop at Viti Rocks to watch some harbor seals, we made our way south down Bellingham Channel to make it to the T100s and T124Ds grouped up in a T-Party! The journey had a uniquely serene feel, with all the fog barely hanging above the surface of the water. As we came on scene with the orcas, we saw them through a unique dusky glow, watching them surface and breathe together as they zig-zagged up the shoreline. After one long deep breath, they surfaced right off of our bow! We of course quickly went neutral, as we drifted into some dense fog while the orcas moved north away from us. The fog makes everything much more dramatic, giving us quite the unique experience. The whale watch boats on scene actually lost the group of orcas for about 20 minutes, when we couldn’t find where they’d disappeared to in the fog. Passengers spread out all over the boat to be on the lookout for them, and one of our passengers actually re-spotted them for all of us! It’s incredibly helpful to have everyone willing to help the crew look, and allowed us to finish out our hour on scene with these orcas. Our journey home had us looking for more wildlife on the west side of Cypress Island, but as we came over the top of Cypress, we actually came back on scene with the same orcas busy on a hunt! This look was no longer in fog so we got a nice clear view of some spyhops, tail lobs, a back half-breach from baby Dune and lots of porpoising! It turned out to be a lovely whale watch, despite the fog, and because of the fog. Sep 7 Viti Rocks was absolutely rockin’ with wildlife at low tide today. We saw a great blue heron, black turnstones, a steller in the water, and our other classic Viti residents. We even saw some of those beautiful purple ochre starfish too. We ventured west to another early stop at the Sinclair marker, where two steller sea lions were lounging about. They were yawning and scratching and cuddling. Harbor seals and steller sea lions need to haul out to thermoregulate, warming up from the cool water, so we see them fairly often. We went through Peavine Pass and spotted three turkey vultures circling above Blakely Island. They are scavengers with a keen sense of smell. After arriving in San Juan channel, we went northwest to Waldron Island where the T75Bs were frolicking. When we got on scene they were immediately killing what looked like a pinniped. There was one quick movement and shortly after we saw blood in the water. They did some feeding behavior like milling and moon walking! One of the whales did a HUGE spy hop after the feeding was over! A little bit of celebrating with some tails also. We went between Sucia and Patos Islands on our way home to get a glance at Clements Reef, where we saw seals and sea lions, and black oyster catchers. It was another exciting week in the Salish Sea. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [T49A's, T75B's, and More Daily Sightings](https://whales.com/orcas-sucia/) **Published:** September 5, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/c2dc4258-9dfc-45f7-804e-37210b2d7857-1024x345.jpeg)](https://whales.com/orcas-sucia/c2dc4258-9dfc-45f7-804e-37210b2d7857/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/9e029044-015c-4c89-986e-d630962a730f-1024x497.jpeg)](https://whales.com/orcas-sucia/9e029044-015c-4c89-986e-d630962a730f/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/a62f7593-b3dd-474a-a812-63007316728d-1024x504.jpeg)](https://whales.com/orcas-sucia/a62f7593-b3dd-474a-a812-63007316728d/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/6aacbde0-5d8c-4ad4-854d-5ecdf6041125-1024x608.jpeg)](https://whales.com/orcas-sucia/6aacbde0-5d8c-4ad4-854d-5ecdf6041125/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/49a37f16-8cf7-40be-acca-2e82c02039ed-1024x622.jpeg)](https://whales.com/orcas-sucia/49a37f16-8cf7-40be-acca-2e82c02039ed/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/8162dfff-35f1-4861-976c-e0e7441fa4e3-1024x746.jpeg)](https://whales.com/orcas-sucia/8162dfff-35f1-4861-976c-e0e7441fa4e3/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04762-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-sucia/dsc04762/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04692-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-sucia/dsc04692/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04779-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-sucia/dsc04779/) Top two rows: T124D’s and T65A5 west of San Juan Island on 8/30 by Kurt Leipold Bottom Row: T75B’s off of Sucia Island on 8/31 by Lincoln Humphry Aug 25 We hauled all the way to meet up with the T49A’s on the west side of Samuel Island, losing cell service as we arrived. The pod went through Georgeson Passage, which is too small for the 100 foot Victoria Star, so we turned around and headed north to Active Pass to catch them. We got waked by a couple of ferries, then headed south to catch up with them by the Bell Chain Islands. We stayed with them for about 30 minutes, and got to see them catch a harbor seal, before we had to head back, since we’d gone so far. Aug 26 We found the 75Bs off of Waldron Island, followed them around White Rock (the small outcropping near Waldron, not the city in Canada), and into President’s Channel. The Center for Whale Research was out that day flying a drone, taking pictures to try and determine the sex and parentage of their brand new calf which was still orange (newborn orcas’ white patches are orange because they don’t have enough blubber and the color of their blood vessels shows through). The CWR figured out that the newborn calf was the matriarch T-75B’s, Pebbles’s 5th calf rather than T75B2 Jasper’s 1st, which was a running theory. They found out the calf is a female. Aug 27 Wow, what a day! We had a beautiful cruise across the bay seeing lots of harbor porpoise. We ventured towards the south side of Lummi and then headed north from there hugging the eastern side of Orcas Island. It was absolutely beautiful out today going north. Little wind, blue skies, sunshine and orca whales! We made our first wildlife stop to Skipjack Island and saw lots of harbor seals hauled out and just around the corner we came on scene with the beautiful T49A pod of orca whales. They slowly started pushing northeast from the east side of Waldron island. We got accustomed to their zig-zagging behaviors and dialed in watching them. Nan (49A) was accompanied by 4 of her 6 children, Nat (49A3), Neptune (49A4), Nebula (49A5) and Charlie II (49A6). Charlie is a well recognized whale in this population as they have a very dramatic underbite which the Orca Behavior Institute believes came from a rostrum injury when Charlie II was young. Obviously, this injury did not have any major impacts on the health of this young whale as they are thriving out here in the Salish Sea. We got great looks at this pod and they even came to check us out giving us incredible perspectives on just how large these mammals are. A day to remember for sure. As they continued NE, we slipped off scene and continued onwards. We came around Sucia Island to Clements Reef where we were happily surprised with 4 massive sea lions! We haven’t been seeing many sea lions in the past few weeks as they are moving out west towards rookeries so seeing these four hauled out with their flippers to the skies was quite a treat. We cruised home via Hales Passage back into the bay. Aug 28 We started our long journey today at Peapod Rocks to find some wildlife. We were not disappointed to find harbor seals, cormorants, vultures, eagles, and a few more species! It was a great start to a beautiful day. We kept trending west by going through Obstruction Pass and Pole Pass, which both have a unique history. After we left the inner islands we headed north by Stuart Island where we met up with a pod of killer whales directly in front of the lighthouse! It is always fun to see whales in lineups with the numerous lighthouses in the Salish Sea. The orcas were identified to be the T49As, a fun group who were a little squirrelly today. They decided to not keep a direct path and popped up close to our boat, allowing us to see all of their features closely! On our way back Casey spotted a humpback blow in the distance and we had just enough time to go see a couple surfacing events. We were all pretty stoked about scoring a double species day. We were a little late, but we had to go check out the big stellar sea lions on Clement’s Reef on the way home. I love this spot because both the sea lions and harbor seals haul out here. On the final bird watching cruise of the season we were lucky enough to spot a horned puffin! It’s presumed to be mating with a tufted puffin, so we’re excited to see the mixed breed baby next year. Aug 29th T75Bs with a two week old baby off of Sucia Island. We got to see some breaching activity as the whales circumnavigated the island. This was super lucky for today’s Sucia picnic passengers, who got to see the whales up close from land at Johnson Point! Aug 30th We caught up with the he T49A orcas, and a humpback on the west side of San Juan Island toward Spieden Island and the T124Ds off of Sucia: T124D/Field — female, born in 1996, T124D1/Salish II — born in 2014, T124D3/Lupine — female, born in 2021, T124D4/Dune — born in 2024, plus Indy-T65A5. It’s been a busy week at Sucia, with whales spending a lot of time combing the Clements Reef area for a harbor seal lunch. Aug 31st The T75Bs were Sucia again with that brand new baby. **Categories:** bird watching cruise, Recent Whale Sightings, Uncategorized --- ### [Excellent Sightings All Week, Including a Double Species Breach Day!](https://whales.com/double-speices-breach/) **Published:** August 28, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/0e3ba9a1-084c-4bc5-a271-fac7ea6b4193-1024x732.jpg)](https://whales.com/double-speices-breach/0e3ba9a1-084c-4bc5-a271-fac7ea6b4193/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/85c7beb9-2ece-4077-bc44-f6a8b4befdd5-1-1024x731.jpg)](https://whales.com/double-speices-breach/85c7beb9-2ece-4077-bc44-f6a8b4befdd5-2/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/06765c9d-9dca-4287-bbb4-edc1da518c9c-1024x732.jpg)](https://whales.com/double-speices-breach/06765c9d-9dca-4287-bbb4-edc1da518c9c/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/9f627f8d-745a-41ba-88a6-00130e4b91b0-1024x731.jpg)](https://whales.com/double-speices-breach/9f627f8d-745a-41ba-88a6-00130e4b91b0/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/c66e6021-3ec3-49d2-8087-480bb3cc5ddc-1024x732.jpg)](https://whales.com/double-speices-breach/c66e6021-3ec3-49d2-8087-480bb3cc5ddc/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/6f7e9e9c-e208-4978-8dee-ebd029aacefa-1024x732.jpg)](https://whales.com/double-speices-breach/6f7e9e9c-e208-4978-8dee-ebd029aacefa/) An epic double species, double breach day of the T75B Biggs orcas and a humpback on 8/24 by Kurt Leipold Aug 18 A lovely day on the water:, harbor seals, and porpoises extremely close to whales, and saving the Salish Sea one abandoned bucket at a time. We started our cruise at Viti Rocks taking a peak at who was home. Lots of harbor seals hauled out, glaucous winged gulls and double crested cormorants. We love to see these critters utilizing their dedicated wildlife refuge. We cruised south side of Sinclair giving Bellingham channel a good scan and cruised by the Cone Islands towards Peavine Pass. Cpt Cassidy spotted a bucket adrift, so we went and grabbed it. Our good luck karma for the litter retrieval came fast, because orca whales were heading our way. We got to spend a good chunk of our afternoon with the T100’s, specifically T100, Hutchins, T100C, Laurel, and T100F, Estrella. This pod definitely took down a harbor porpoise as they were heading into the mouth of Eastsound of Orcas island. We saw great splashing, a spy hop and some very fast and intentional direction changes. After their meal, they cruised north into the sound. This is a special place to see whales, and not the most common. After we departed this beautiful pod, we went back towards home through Obstruction Pass, stopping at Peapod Rocks. Lots of seals and gulls were hanging out, as well as four turkey vultures on North Peapod. Such cool birds, though you definitely want to keep your distance, as they can projectile vomit up to 12ft if spooked. A splendid day of wildlife and great passengers on the boat. Aug 19th Today we went south of Eliza to Eliza Rock. We saw harbor seals, oystercatchers, and cormorants hanging out. Then we watched the legendary T18s in Thatcher Pass. They went between the spit and Frost Island, in water only about 20 feet deep. There were people on shore, giving us amazing size comparisons especially between the two males and the people. They split up and we got some close looks at Spouter. He has a thinner fin than his brother and a bit pointier. Galiano has a thicker fin with a lean to the left. Mom is very small compared to these males. After our encounter we took Obstruction pass over to Peapod Rocks where we saw an eagle! Overall a wonderful day. Aug 20 What a glorious day on the water. Nearly no wind, beautiful conditions and a friendly humpback whale near Iceberg Point. We made an intentional B-line to where this whale had been spotted earlier in the morning, as no other boats had been with them for hours. The cruise down Rosario Strait was magnificent. Conditions in the strait of Juan de Fuca are not always as pleasant as they were today so it was a treat to get down south in calm conditions. We got to hang out with a fluking, circling, feeding humpback whale known as BCZ0345 – Victory. She was first spotted back in 2015, she is at least 10 years old, but we don’t know where she migrates to as her only sightings have been in the Salish Sea. A passenger was able to get a great ID photo which helped in figuring out this particular individual. She was making big circles around Iceberg Point into the strait, which was fun to track her direction changes. Passengers were stoked to be the first to spot her when she popped back up from her deeper dives. Aug 21 I have been waiting for this day all season!!! We got to spend time with the T18’s including Nootka (T19), Galiano (19B) and Spouter (19C). We cruised down south into the Strait of Juan de Fuca hopeful this pod would put on the brakes from traveling south and they sure did. We got to spend time with them near Smith and Minor Islands, a spot we usually don’t get down to on a whale watch. Getting on scene we encountered some splashing behavior indicating they may have taken down some prey. The T18’s are a well recognized pod within the Salish sea. Galiano’s massively wide dorsal fin is easy to recognize and is so large it’s started to lean to the left. We got great looks at Galiano and Nootka today. We cruised west with them for a while until we peeled off wishing them great success with the rest of their day. Traveling back north we looked around Castle Island on the south side of Lopez, made a pit stop at bird rocks seeing a few harbor seals, gulls and cormorants and headed back home through Bellingham Channel. Aug 22nd We had an amazing double species day today! Both orcas and a humpback were spotted early this morning in a close proximity, allowing us to plan our day for time with each species. This is not common, so the whole crew were excited for the day. Due to the potential for lots of time with whales, we skipped all of our normal stops for other wildlife, and headed through the center of the islands and get lunch going. We turned south to head out towards the Strait of Juan de Fuca, but made a quick stop at Whale Rocks to watch some stellar sea lions fighting for dominance along the shallows. The noise from these pinnipeds was very loud today, as there was lots of posturing and splashing in the water from several pairs. This kind of activity is completely normal for those male Stellar sea lions as they practice for adulthood and finding mates. Our arrival on scene with the T37As had the orcas travelling our direction. The orcas were very busy travelling, and cruising at a decent pace heading towards the east, so we got a lot of surface time with the family of three. We got to enjoy them surfacing with the beautiful backdrop of San Juan Island and Mt Baker. After around an hour with the orcas, we ended up in the area that a humpback was busy circling on eating dives, so we left the orcas behind and switched gears to watching the humpback whale. We got a few great deep dive looks at the whale’s tail, ID as Victory. This particular humpback is a female that has brought a calf back to the Salish Sea with her, but it is unknown where her favored breeding grounds are located. We finished our trip coming back up Bellingham Channel, with a quick pitstop at Eliza Island to view some harbor seals lounging on Eliza Rocks. Aug 23rd This morning was a lucky day, with early reports of orcas close to Bellingham. We skipped all our morning stops to be able to go watch the T65Bs before lunch. On the west side of Cypress, this family was busy taking some longer down times tucked into the shoreline, heading south towards Strawberry Island. We got a few great profile looks of the family coming up together, and the lighting was perfect to see the mist vapor from the exhalations. We watched them for a shorter amount of time than usual, since we knew we’d be able to see them again on our way home, and went in search of other wildlife during lunch. Heading south out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, we stopped at Bird and Castle Rocks to look at several species of our marine birds, and to be on the lookout for baleen whales. We unfortunately didn’t spot any spouts in some of our favorite areas to look, so we headed back toward the T65Bs. On our journey back up Bellingham channel, we stumbled upon T65A5, Indy! He’s a much beloved whale in the Salish Sea, a very young and independent male who roams the seas on his own getting into weird adventures, and today was no exception. He was busy doing very fast circles around one of the Cone Islands off of Cypress, circumnavigating it several times at over 10 knots! We stopped to watch him make his loops before he suddenly disappeared on us. We continued back towards the T65Bs that had slowly journeyed north, but were only about one mile away from Indy. We were able to watch them make a close pass, with a lovely view of Mount Baker, before Indy popped right up ahead of them! He was consistently doing zigs and zags and travelling pretty quickly. It was such a lovely, hot day on the water, and unique that we saw orcas at three different locations. Aug 24th Today was a one of a kind whale show day! Early this morning, as we rounded Carter Point on Lummi Island, Naturalist Kara spotted a humpback whale! Two tall spouts were in the perfect lighting to allow us the chance to watch our first whale of the day. The humpback was busy travelling and had some pretty low profile surfaces, so as lunch time approached, we left this whale behind to see what else we could find. Very shortly into our continued search, Cpt Matt on our Sucia trip found killer whales and was able to keep track of them for us to come join him outside of Echo Bay on Sucia Island. This group was identified as the T75Bs. It took the whale watchers collaborating to identify these whales today, because the pod had a brand new calf, most likely born between June and August this year. This was really exciting, because the pod seemed to be taking the day very easy, with slow travel and showing the baby some new tricks. We saw mom and older sister tail lob in sync, and then the little baby copied them! It was adorable behaviour, as the calf was zipping around all of the adults. We even saw one of the older whales breach! It was a full twist out of the water, with a huge splash landing. It was quite the joyful group of orcas today. We spent our hour with the orcas, but the original humpback was still close by and we had plenty of time left in our trip, so we made our way back to watch our first whale friend just off Clark and Barnes Islands. As we came on scene, the humpback breached! I was flabbergasted; it’s such a rare occurrence for us to see two species of whale, and even more so to see them both so playful and active. The humpback was breaching and pectoral slapping for about 10 minutes and then continued on its journey north. It was a spectacular day, and my cheeks still hurt from smiling so much. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Interesting T109A's and T18/19's All Week](https://whales.com/t109-t18/) **Published:** August 14, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04358-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/t109-t18/dsc04358/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04330-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/t109-t18/dsc04330/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04306-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/t109-t18/dsc04306/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04511-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/t109-t18/dsc04511/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04570-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/t109-t18/dsc04570/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04504-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/t109-t18/dsc04504/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04452-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/t109-t18/dsc04452/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04457-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/t109-t18/dsc04457/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04545-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/t109-t18/dsc04545/) Top Row: The T18’s with T19 with Galiano’s unique dorsal, on 8/4/25 by Lincoln Humphry Next Tow Rows: The T109A’s with active calf on 8/8/25 by Lincoln Humphry Aug 4th We were out a naturalist today with a lot of sickness going around. A visit with the T18s in the heart of the islands today, with Galiano, T19B doing a few tail lobs. We saw 3 generations with the T18’s with the matriarch Esperanza being 70 years old. T19 Nootka was also traveling with them. Galiano has a unique left leaning dorsal and moves very circular during surfacings, looking like a tooth in a cog rotating out of the water. Cool to watch. Aug 5th We were down our usual naturalist today again. Captain Matt went to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and found Minke whales off Salmon Bank. Minkes are often illusive and we rarely watch them (slinky minkes), so it was lucky to see multiple and they were fairly active. Aug 6 Morning rain turned to afternoon shine, giving us a beautiful day on the water. We made our first stop at Viti Rocks seeing lots of harbor seals, many cormorants sitting on nests and the sweet songs of glaucous winged gulls providing a full sensory experience. We cruised on to see 4 steller sea lions being sleepily active, making lots of grunting noises at each other trying to get comfy. There was one very large male and three juvenile/females showing off their massive flippers and sensitive whiskers. Pushing west the skies slowly started to clear and the rain stopped. We made our way through Peavine Pass getting into the heart of the San Juans. Continuing west through Upright Channel we got some great reports out of Victoria of some Biggs killer whales moving east! The currents were moving like a river through Cattle Pass which was fun to see and listen to. Moving south from Cattle, the strait of Juan de Fuca was glassy today. Absolutely beautiful conditions. We kept hauling west until we got into the area where the Biggs were last seen and finally got eyes on them! We got to witness an epic hunt by the T109A’s. Some of the members of the pod, including the sprouted phase male T109A4, Garret, got so close to Fiddle Rreef, skillfully maneuvering his body in waters as shallow as 5ft deep. The newest member of the pod, T109A8, Weiss, born in 2025 stayed close to mom, Frio/Runaway helped in the hunt which was fun to watch the learning process. Even though it was a short encounter due to the distance we had to cover to get to them, it was one to remember. Aug 7 We made our way straight out west for early reports of orcas. It was a bit iffy if we would be able to see them, but the stars aligned for us and we saw the T18s and the T109As. We went through the middle of the islands and south through Cattle Pass. We caught them in Haro Straight and followed them north with the flood. The T18s are an interesting group with two very large males who are easy to identify. We were with 9 whales total today, and may have seen some mating behavior. One of the younger calves was showing off their white underside and chin! It was very precious. We ended up going north on our way back home and saw sea lions on the marker north of Lummi. Aug 8 What a day! Strong reports of Biggs in the heart of the San Juan made us eager to get off the dock this morning. We cruised out of the bay to Viti rocks seeing all the glaucous winged gulls, double crested cormorants, pigeon guillemots and harbor seals hauled out. Moving onwards to check out two sleep steller sea lions who were interrupted by a third sea lion trying to find refuge on the channel marker. Very cool demonstration of how these massive animals haul their bodies vertically out of the water and press their bodies up with their massive fore flippers We cruised through Peavine Pass into the heart of the San Juan’s and headed south towards Lopez Sound and that’s when things got exciting. We started our slow down coming on scene with the T109A’s led by T109A Frio/Runaway. She was traveling with 5 of her children, Garrett (A4), Argyle(A5), Riley(A6), Weiland(A7) and Weiss(A8). When we came on scene they were traveling east through Thatcher Pass along the north side of Decatur Island. Stunning backdrops and lighting really highlighted their impressive spouts as they hung in the air. We got some stunning looks at this pod, the littlest whale of the group, Weiss, was having a ball doing some porpoising behaviors, chin slaps, back flops, tail slaps and even a spy hop! It was truly an encounter to remember. But the show wasn’t over. They gave us an incredible finale. The pod started pushing off from the Decatur shoreline and made their way across towards Armitage Island off Blakely. Their path was heading between the island and other boats, so we had to navigate the narrow pass between the small island and Blakely. As we ventured out of the pass, the orcas pushed closer into Armitage, sort of cornering us between the islands and boats, giving Cptn Michael anxiety. But wow was it worth it. They made an incredible close pass, seeing us off. We then ventured up Rosario and headed to Peapod rocks to check out more seals, pigeon guillemots and gulls. What an epic day! Aug 9th It was a lovely day to make it toward Canada this morning, with some early reports of orcas up by Stuart Island, while the rest of the San Juans had a very foggy weather report! We managed to escape all of that fog, by heading north up Hale Passage this morning, with quick stops at Point Migley to look at both harbor seals and Steller sea lions. One sea lion on the buoy decided to go for a swim, and seemingly decided that that was a mistake, as he started immediately looking back for space. After a few quick circles around the navigation marker, he made his way easily back to join the other 3 and settled back in for a nap. Our journey took us all the way to Turn Point off of Stuart Island, where we came across the T18s again. This pod has been spending a lot of time along the Canadian and US border, which has been nice to have them around. Their behaviour was quite zig-zaggy today as they did a few circles throughout the pass before heading west toward Moresby and beyond. Galiano, T19B was kind enough to pop up out of nowhere, next to the vessel after being under the water for 10 minutes! We got to shut off the engines and watch him pass by with his slightly curved dorsal fin, and the giant knick he has as his identifying markings easily on display. The orcas were mostly milling and travelling today, and we got a lovely spyhop from Spouter, the other big brother! Harbor porpoise and some jumping salmon, practicing for their inland journey were incredibly abundant today, and we saw them all throughout our trip. It was a very active day in the northern reaches of our range today! Aug 10 Again to Canada! We were scouting for pinnipeds on the channel markers but didn’t end up seeing any on our way west. We went through the middle, taking Obstruction Pass and Pole Pass. These are two of my favorite spots, both are great areas to slow down and hang out outside. There we saw some harbor seals and many sea birds. We watched whales off of Sidney Island swimming along the sandy spit, the T109As again. Off the bat we saw one of the younger juvenile’s proposing towards the rest of the family. We think that maybe they could have been hunting, but we don’t know if they ended up successful. We stuck with them towards the Little Group Islands and saw a bald eagle on the shore line, where more hunting happened. We saw a tail of one at some point, but lots of milling and splashing towards the shallow rocks. There were lots of anxious harbor seals hauled out as well. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Longer Trips but Worth It for Whales](https://whales.com/lots-of-travel/) **Published:** August 6, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04133-2-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-travel/dsc04133-3/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04265-1-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-travel/dsc04265-2/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04213-2-1024x670.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-travel/dsc04213-3/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04240-2-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-travel/dsc04240-3/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04248-2-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-travel/dsc04248-3/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04251-2-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-travel/dsc04251-3/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04155-1024x677.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-travel/dsc04155/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04148-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-travel/dsc04148/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04149-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-travel/dsc04149/) The T109A’s with an active calf off of Dungeness Spit and the Olympics on 7/29/25 by Lincoln Humphry July 28th Today there were early reports of whales on the west side of San Juan Island so we quickly made our way through the middle. We traveled through Peavine pass, and saw some harbor seals west of Crane Island. From there we took Spieden Channel and headed south in Haro Strait. We caught up with the T65Bs near D’Arcy Island at the kelp reefs. It was a beautiful area, but we had to be unbelievably careful close to those rocks! When we got on scene the whales were surfacing in shallow water close to the rocks, but then decided to go South. They were giving us fantastic looks and I was so grateful to see them! We spent quite some time with them before we had to eventually break off and head south and back east. On our way home, Captain Michael found us a minke whale south of Salmon Bank. There were actually two of them! They were being very cooperative and were showing off their sickle shaped dorsal fin. It’s always fun seeing toothed whales and baleen whales in one day, comparing and contrasting them. From there we went into Castle Rock Pass and saw Marbled Murrelets, an endangered bird that nests in old growth. A nice way to wrap up our day with lots of species, several we see rarely. July 29th We were so lucky to show up today with early reports from Port Angeles area boats that Bigg’s orca whales were slowly traveling the shoreline. This would normally be out of reach for us, but with good conditions, we would have just enough time to get 30 minutes with them. We did some good scanning of Rosario Strait, just in case there were closer wildlife viewing opportunities, before heading over to the Cone Islands off of Cypress Island. We needed to stall as there was a new northern report, but we decided to continue south. At Cone we got a look at pigeon guillemots diving off the cliffs and a pair of bald eagles surveying the water from the middle Cone. The water was flat and calm today on our journey south, with some support from an ebb tide helping us get our way towards Dungeness quickly. There were many large groups of marine birds all throughout Bellingham Channel, eating forage fish, with a few sporadic moments of harbor porpoise cruising by. Our long journey south, finally brought us on scene with the T109As, Bigg’s orca whales just off Dungeness Spit! It was a lovely, and new background to be watching these whales, as we could see people on the beach enjoying the whales too. The T109As spent a lot of time at the surface, resting and barely travelling over 1 knot. But the baby of this group was another story! T109A8, a year old calf was feeling spunky and playful, continually porpoising out of the water, tossing some tail lobs and swimming on their back. The size difference of this younger sibling was quite evident, from surfacing and playing around their brother, T109A4 Garret, who has a dorsal fin that has grown so much in the last few years. A unique day today. July 31 A slightly smokey morning turned into a beautiful afternoon with blue skies, calm seas and humpback whales. We started our adventure off with three Stellers sea lions hanging out on the Sinclair buoy taking a little sun nap. So fun to see their massive flippers. They were all cuddled together so their heads were touching, giving us amazing looks at their vibrissae, the whiskers on their snouts. We continued north scanning the outer islands. We were hearing reports of a humpback heading towards the seclusion zone off of Pender island and that’s where we were heading already. Hoping the whale would slow down just a bit so we could get some good looks before they entered the no-go zone, another humpback was spotted near the northwest side of Stuart Island. We changed our route towards that whale which turned out to be a mom and calf pair. Unfortunately, neither of them gave us any identifying fluke shots but some other PWWA boats were able to get an ID on them. We got to spend time with Jagger (BCX1815) and her calf. Jagger was first seen in BC waters in 2017 making her at least 8 years old, so this may be her first calf! The babe gave us some great looks with more consistent surfacings, only staying under for about 5 minutes. Momma stayed down a bit longer. It was impressive to see the size difference of mom vs calf’s spout, moms towered over her calf’s reaching an impressive 20ft high. An absolutely magical encounter with these two! We cruised home stopping at Skipjack Island getting to see two mature bald eagles feasting on something and lots of harbor seals, including some pups. We kept pushing east heading down Hales passage to get us back to the dock. Aug 1st As soon as we left the dock this morning we knew we had to head north. The south was very breezy and would have been uncomfortable for everyone involved! The North was still a bit windy, but much more doable. We went through Hale Passage where we saw a harbor seal swimming, the Lummi Island Ferry, and lots of marine birds floating and flying by. We scanned Alden bank for a long while, but decided to keep heading North, and good thing we did! We got to spend an hour with a humpback, the largest cetacean in the area. And not just one, but two of them again! It was an amazing day with great looks. They were making very lazy tail flukes, but that made it so we could really check out their tail. I think they may have been resting. They were swimming very close to one another and were staying close to the surface, sometimes staying at the surface for 30 seconds. It is unusual to see more than one humpback together here in the Salish Sea, as they are mostly solitary unless there is great food around or at their breeding grounds much further south. So it was interesting to see pairs of them two days in a row. Next we went south to Clements Reef north of Sucia, where we saw three Stellers and a whole lot of harbor seals. It’s always great to see them hauled out in the same area to get a look at the size difference between those two pinnipeds. Aug 2nd There were reports of three humpbacks off the west side of San Juan Island. We made our way through the islands and caught up with them. While there was a lot of fluking, these humpbacks were in travel mode, and really making their way along the island. We got a good example of size comparison and fluke comparison, when the main mom/calf pair fluked together! solid black tail for one, wing tipped white for the other. No IDs on these today, with a little bit of rolling for weather. Aug 3rd The T65As were making their way inland from the Strait of Juan de Fuca this morning, and had the option to turn south out of our range, or north towards Bellingham, and we lucked out that they chose to be cooperative! They headed our direction. And we’re glad they did as the pod was pretty fascinating today. This family was busy hunting for lunch, but did a lot of playing with their food, smacking a seal around and generally splashing, so we got to see a decent show. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Humpback action in Canada and T65B's on several outings](https://whales.com/stitch/) **Published:** July 30, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04083-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/stitch/dsc04083/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04098-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/stitch/dsc04098/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04085-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/stitch/dsc04085/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04091-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/stitch/dsc04091/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04100-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/stitch/dsc04100/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC04068-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/stitch/dsc04068/) BCX0519, Stitch off Patos Island, and some Steller sea lions on 7/26/25 by Lincoln Humphry July 21 A beautiful day on the water! It’s not everyday the Strait of Georgia seems like a lake, minus some of the current around Boiling Reef. We started our day strong at Viti Rocks. We saw pigeon guillemots flying around and crash landing into the waters, double crested cormorants sitting on their nests and drying their wings off, some glaucous winged gulls serenading us with their squawking calls. We found 3 stellar sea lions, 2 very large males, weighing down a channel marker taking a lovely little nap. Some good vocalizations as they were arranging themselves for a good cuddle puddle. Beautiful looks at their massive flippers and very sensitive whiskers which help them track the vibrations of their prey From the sea lions, we pushed north, encountering some light fog which cleared up very quickly. We scanned Alden bank, some bait balls forming under the surface, but not larger animals underneath. At this point we got some great radio calls about a humpback on the north side of Tumbo Island heading south. We made a sharp left and ventured our way to find Monarch (BCZ0180). They were cruising too, pushing hard against the flood tide going about three knots. They were very consistent with their surface times and showed us flukes a few times which is always exciting to be able to ID humpbacks. Their massive blow hung in the air so beautifully, a testimony to the calm weather. We made a slow cruise near Patos lighthouse, 1 of 40 automated lighthouses in the inner islands, then headed to Sucia Island to check out the North and South fingers. We saw some bald eagles flying overhead, great looks at the tafoni weathering patterns known on Sucia, and many pigeon guillemots chirping away! Always fun to cruise through Sucia. We headed east from Sucia making our way home through Hale Passage. July 22nd We started our day traveling through Bellingham Bay and between Lummi and Eliza Islands. Our first wildlife stop of the day was at Viti Rocks, where we saw cormorants, pigeon guillemots, and lots of resting harbor seals! We slowly made our way toward a navigational marker with 4 steller sea lions. The sea lions were so cuddly with each other, the complete opposite of the harbor seals. After spending some time with those stellers, Cpt Cassidy took us in between Pea Pod Rocks and Orcas Island to search for some more critters. Obstruction Pass was stunning as we made our way into Cross Sound where we met up with the T65Bs! We hung out with Chunk, Birdsall, Corvus, and Rook for quite some time and they took us into Upright Channel. The water was such a beautiful shade of blue, and the contrast of the black and white whales was breathtaking. The sun ended up coming out and saying hello by the time we were leaving the whales and making our way back home. We learned about Toehead Island north of Cypress, and then saw pigeon guillemots at the Cone Islands. July 23rd There was a report of humpbacks right out of the gate, close to Stuart Island this morning. We made our way straight there but as we were traveling, the T65Bs were also picked up! Going North this morning was lucky for us, the water was so beautiful and calm, while we heard that the South end was very foggy. We decided to go get a couple looks at the two humpbacks, which gave us some really nice tails and their spout was so clearly visible, shooting about 20 ft up in the air! After that we met up with the Biggs orcas and saw them for about an hour. We got some great looks and near the end of our time, the Biggs decided to come check us out a bit for a close pass! They actually took us into Canadian water today, so that was a fun little excursion. On our way back, we saw sea lions cuddling and there were two in the water trying to find space. I hope eventually they got their turn on the marker! Viti Rocks had a juvenile eagle and a few seal pups! July 24th No whales ☹️ We went through the middle and saw looks at some pigeon guillemots and a couple harbor seals that surfaced. Traveled north to Boiling Reef and saw harbor porpoise as the currents were mixing near Patos Island lighthouse. We headed back through Hale Passage and saw harbor seals and sea lions on our way home. July 25th The tour started out this morning with some windy weather and choppy seas throughout Bellingham Bay, so Cpt Jeff took us through some more protected areas to hide from the rolling water while we all ate lunch. We started the trip this morning looking at the harbor seals hauled out on Eliza Rocks. There was a pair of harbor seals that were resting far above the high tide line today. Since harbor seals have fused pelvic bones, it’s difficult for them to do a lot of maneuvering on land, so their position was curious but they looked pretty comfortable. We continued through Rosario Strait to get into the protected waters of the inner islands. With a stop at the Sinclair buoy for 3 sleepy stellars, and then onto Peapod Rocks for more harbor seals and a handful of active Bald eagles. Reports on the radio for wildlife were pretty scant, and the majority of weather reports coming in from both Northern and Southern waters were talking about 3 foot swells, not ideal. We kept scanning for more wildlife through Cross Sound and headed north up by Spieden Island in the hopes for humpbacks in Boundary Pass. We got a report from Canadian PWWA of a humpback deep into Canadian Gulf Islands, but technically possible for us to get to! Luckily already heading in the correct direction, we ended up further north than our captain today had ever been on the vessel! Trincomali Channel by Galiano Island was new waters for us today, but we found the humpback! The baleen whale was incredibly active at the surface, with lots of shallow dives, with just the little tips of its tail showing above water. This whale was identified as the calf of Fallen Knight, the humpback that the PWWA found entangled last weekend and helped keep track of the whale while Cascadia Research Institute prepared to free the tail from fishing gear. It was a success! The humpback has made it so far north since last week, and is looking more energetic. We had a lovely time watching it surface, with a few tail lobs tossed as we departed! Overall, our long journey had us back to the dock just a bit late with 98 miles travelled! July 26 What a day We ventured North right away with some reports of humpbacks at Monarch Head on Saturna Island. Our cruise north was beautiful. Minimal wind and the start of a flood tide made for some great viewing conditions. Since we wanted to find this whale, because there were only a few boats heading north, we started our scan early. Coming on scene we saw our humpback once before they disappeared for about two hours. It’s always impressive how whales can be so elusive. We did our due diligence making a big wide scan as we had no idea which direction this whale was going to come to the surface next. The Strait of Georgia was extremely calm with some major tide currents coming together. Always fun to see how many harbor porpoises are foraging in the tide lines. Thankfully another whale watching boat coming from the south helped us out in our search and we were able to relocate the humpback whale! They were much more consistent with their direction, but this whale, BCX0519, Stitch, had some long downtimes. We had beautiful looks at their spout, great vocalization of their spout as well. Stitch gave us a few flukes but they were diving deep in pretty shallow water off of Patos Island. Super excited to find this whale again after searching hard. The beauty of the backdrop of Patos was a treat too. Cruising home we stopped at the north side of Lummi to check out 4 steller sea lions taking a nap before cruising home. July 27th We made a quick pit stop at Viti Rocks to check out the neighborhood birds and harbor seals. There was a fully matured bald eagle and a juvenile on the rocks close to the water. After that we went to go see a steller sea lion hauled out on a navigation marker to thermoregulate. All of the critters seemed a little sleepy today. We went north to check out a report of some killer whales in the area, and what a great report it was! We saw the T65Bs in the Gulf Islands north west of Pender. The water was beautifully calm and the whales were doing lazy zig zags. They seemed to be resting and taking a break, and it was perfect for us. They were so fun to watch with consistent down times and they were showing us their saddle patches and eye patches. On our way back we stopped at Clements reef north of sucia and saw more of our pinnipeds, a steller sea lion and harbor seals. We traversed across the strait to go down Hale Passage home. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Biggs, Biggs, and More Biggs](https://whales.com/more-biggs/) **Published:** July 23, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03937-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-biggs/dsc03937/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03944-1-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-biggs/dsc03944-2/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03987-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-biggs/dsc03987/) The T36A’s on 7/17: led by T36A Leland with offspring: Kailas, Storm, & Squall; off Clark & Barns. by Lincoln Humphry July 14 We headed out on the water today for some reports of whales way up north into Canadian waters. We had a bit of a rough start with some big waves getting out of Rosario Strait, but once we made it into the leeward side of the islands, we had much better protection from the winds, and it became smooth sailing. It was a long journey up north, but got beautiful views into the Canadian mainland and Gulf Islands. Travelling through Plumper Sound by Saturn Island and into Active Pass, we got a close up look at a harbor seal haul-out, with a bunch of new little babies on the rocks! We passed by the BC ferries, and were keeping our eyes out for a humpback reported in the area, but came across 3 pods of orcas in a T-party instead! Our time watching orcas in Active Pass and the Strait of Georgia was full of lots of tail slaps and upside-down swimming. We saw the bellies of several of the orcas, just barely underneath the water, while they were busy splashing the surface with their tails. We got a great look at the difference between males and females, with the overall size and curl of the male tails being incredibly impressive. We were out with the T36As, T123s and T37As, with Stanley, and Inky being the big males. As we left the scene, we actually stumbled on a fourth group of orcas heading to join the rest of them, only about 10 minutes away! These whales were moving incredibly fast, going faster than we could in our boat. They were full body, porpoising out of the water, which again gave us such a great look at the body size difference, because this group had a huge male in it as well! The T65Bs were this group, with Birdsall the big, identifiable male. While we started out with some wind waves this morning, it turned into a beautiful day, with a super success, seeing 14 different whales! July 15th Early reports had us heading up North to find orcas that were reported off Point Migley on the North side of Lummi. Unfortunately, no one was able to find these elusive whales today, so we cruised further North, hoping they’d be out and about following the flood tide out towards the Strait of Georgia and Boundary Pass. As we made our way up there though, the weather and waves started to look a little spicy toward the Canadian side of the sea, so we turned our way down past Waldron and Spieden Islands to see what we could find in calmer waters. Spieden was lovely today, with several Japanese Sika deer sitting out resting in the sun. We also saw a Bald Eagle sitting close down to the waterline, possibly nibbling on a catch! Beautiful, calm waters on this side of the archipelago today, leading us to Middle Bank on the south side of San Juan Island. Here we came across a very beloved humpback, Yogi, out eating! We saw many profile views, and his exhalation was so clear across the skyline, we could see him from over a nautical mile away. Yogi gets his name from the birth mark on his tail fluke that looks like the profile of a cartoon bear wearing sunglasses! We got some pretty clear looks at that lovely tail fluke before making our way through the middle of the islands on our way home, where we stopped to look at sea lions fighting in the water off whale rocks. Overall, we travelled 85 nautical miles today, and it was worth it. July 16th There were no early reports for whales this morning, so we made our way off the dock with the intention to scan Rosario Strait and then make our way through the middle of the islands. By the afternoon, we were out by Spieden island and still scanning hard for wildlife. We saw many harbor porpoise and some bald eagles as we made our way further out into western waters. A report from BC ferries of potential killer whales had us making our way out towards Canadian waters in an effort to pick them up. We were successful! Crew were helping to look for wildlife around all sides of the boat today, and our deckhand spotted them off the shore of North Pender Island! We watched the T65Bs with T37A1, a total of 6 whales today with matriarch Chunk, and her son Birdsall leading the way. There were awesome views of them with Mount Baker in the background and the Turn Point lighthouse. The whales were busy resting while we were with them, so there was a lot of slow movement but plenty of surface time. On our way back home, we stopped at Skipjack to see some harbor seals hauled out on the rocks, and then weaved our ways through the Sucia fingers for some good looks at bonapartes gulls and pigeon guillemots. On the final leg of our journey, there were 3 sleepy steller sea lions on the point migley buoy to look at! After 80 nautical miles today, it was a lovely and calm trip. July 17 What a whale of a day! The sun was shining and the glisten of the water was mesmerizing. Nearly no wind and perfect conditions for an adventure. Not knowing where the wind (and whales) would take us, we opted to head through the heart of the San Juans. Lucky for us, some reports started coming in to the North. We ventured up towards Barnes and Clark islands to behold the beautiful pod of orca whales! Specifically the T36A’s led by T36A, Leland, and her three off spring T36A2, Kailas, T36A3, Storm otherwise known as Mike III, and T36A5, Squall. We caught up with them on the East side of Clark Island making some large circles indicating they were maybe looking for some food. We had a great close pass where the whales swam directly under our boat as we were in neutral and just drifting until they were the appropriate 200 yds away. This pod was very consistent with their directionality which made for great looks at their dorsals, saddle and eye patches. They nearly circumnavigated Barnes and Clark, but pushed off heading Northwest towards the east side of Orcas Island. As we departed this beautiful pod, we headed south in Rosario Strait. We checked out Peapod Rocks with some great looks at hundreds of harbor seals hauled out. So fun to see the differences in their fur colorations. Heading home we were lucky to see some Steller sea lions fighting for real estate up on a channel marker. One got pushed off a few times before settling in for a good nap. Hopefully all the passengers only got mildly sun-kissed today as the UV rays were intense, but nonetheless, a spectacular day in the Salish Sea. July 18 What a squeal worthy day! With some liquid sunshine coming down in the morning, it did not deter us from finding some whales today. And thankfully the weather let up a bit too as we got into our adventure. With only a few reports coming in as we were leaving the dock we ventured between Eliza and Lummi Islands. Coming around the south side of Lummi, some good news came in of orcas at Patos Island heading Southeast. We booked it north as wind was going to pick up in the afternoon. What a show we got. It did require some whale patience, but we got to spend so much time in one of my favorite spots out here, Sucia Island! As we got on scene, we managed to ID the T123’s and the T75B’s. The whales took us from the East side to the South side, and they even decided to do some hunting between the “fingers” (long thin peninsulas) at Sucia. In my 9 years on the water, I’ve never seen Biggs swim between the fingers! It was amazing to watch them swim in and out and back in and back out. While the two pods were swimming through the fingers, they split up and went their own ways. A little hard to keep track of them at times, but an amazing display of their mobility in the water. We took a small break taking a peak at Echo Bay for the T75B’s to follow us in! We quickly maneuvered to give the whales plenty of space. Unfortunately for some harbor seals hauled out, having a relaxing afternoon, they were about to upend their day. Two members of the pod got right up next to shore, splashing and causing a ruckus trying to get the seals to jump into the water. An interesting fact about seals, they are much more comfortable in the water than on land, so to the whales’ benefit, many of them did flee into the water, potentially to their doom. We saw direction changes, splashing, cartwheels, bellies, flukes, a spy-hop and even some porpoising behaviors from this pod. It was outstanding! While we didn’t see any water change colors, it’s safe to assume they caught at least one seal, if not more. We were so fortunate to be able to spend so much time with these whales, so close to home on a beautiful day. July 20 What a beautiful day on the water! We headed out with high hopes with some good reports coming from the heart of the San Juans. We made our way into the bay making our first pit stop at Viti Rocks. Many harbor seals hauled out, thermoregulating. Lots of pigeon guillemots, double crested cormorants and gulls. From there we cruised by one of the Sinclair Island buoys, and we saw the largest male Stellar sea lion I have seen in a long time. At first I thought it was two, nope just one hunk of a lion taking a sweet sun nap, so relaxed he even had his tongue sticking out. We made our way through Obstruction Pass which is always a fun slow down. As we had the time, we cruised into Eastsound to check out the Rosario Mansion built by Robert Moran in 1906. Heading back south through Eastsound we caught up with the T36A’s. We saw this pod on July 17, but T36A1(Tierna) and T36A1A (Drift) were not present. Today they were! We got to see all six members of this pod today. First getting on scene, they were showing great fluke and belly looks! So cool to see the stark white of their undersides. From there they took us back through Obstruction, which in the 9 years I’ve been on the water I’ve only seen twice. They definitely got into travel/rest mode, and were very consistent with their down times. We took a small break to check out Peapod Rocks seeing lots of harbor seals, some small ones in the mix, black oystercatchers, gulls and even a mature bald eagle. We had time to catch back up with the T36A’s for some final looks. They continued north in Rosario as we pulled off-scene and headed south through Hale passage. Thanks to the T36A’s for the escort home. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [A Double T-Party Day & A Double Species Day](https://whales.com/double-days/) **Published:** July 16, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03900-1024x690.jpg)](https://whales.com/double-days/dsc03900/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03881-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/double-days/dsc03881/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03871-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/double-days/dsc03871/) The T77’s in San Juan Channel on 7/11 by Lincoln Humphry July 7th No early reports today, so Captain Michael spread out to cover different ground from the rest of the PWWA and our sister boats. We started off at Eliza Rocks, where there were quite a few mom and baby pairs resting at the tide line. We continued on around the south side of Sinclair and past Towhead Island to give Rosario Strait a good scan. When we reached obstruction Pass, we got a call from Captain Jeff that he had found a humpback whale up by Point Roberts! We changed direction to start heading north. The trip was glass calm, and very sunny today, with plenty of busy harbor porpoise surfing the tidal exchange from Point Lawrence on Orcas all the way up to Point Roberts. We even saw the harbor porpoise and humpback fishing for the same bait ball. While we saw many tail flukes from our humpback today, the angle was unfortunately never quite right to see the full underside for an ID. The whale was being pretty interesting with many shallow dives, allowing us to see it just under the water as it created footprints at the surface. As we left the whale behind, we still saw a lot more harbor porpoise all throughout the journey home. We stopped at the Point Migley buoy to watch 3 stellar sea lions taking a nap. One poor little guy was being used as a flipper rest and kept almost getting knocked off. He readjusted and found almost stable space before we departed. Overall, a beautiful day on the water. July 8th We had an awesome day on the water today, with early reports of whales very close by. With a full boat, we took our time looking at harbor seals and their pups on Viti Rocks, as well as an eagle getting chased off the refuge marker by a massive flock of gulls. We made our standard stop to the Sinclair buoy, where two sleepy juvenile Steller sea lions looked like they had been having a very long, comfortable rest. The sea lions were incredibly dry and fluffy looking, really showing off their golden coats. After a wide trip and barnes and clark islands to be able to look at the scenery and get everyone through the lunch line before whales, we circled back to Pt Lawrence and the Peapod Rocks off the south side of Orcas Island. We met up with the T46Bs cruising through the massive amount of current at the Peapod Rocks. With slow speeds, they turned north up to Clark and Barnes Islands where they had a change in behavior and started to hunt for their own lunch! We were able to watch them lunge and catch a harbor porpoise, coming up behind our boat with a chunk in one of their mouths. The pod was busy tail slapping to stun their prey, doing headstands and spy hops for looking around, as well as few full body barrel rolls at the surface. The whales stayed in the overall same location for quite a long time, having lunch and some fun! July 9 We did our due diligence today scanning as much water as we could today! Our day started off a bit wet, but the weather took a turn for the best as our day continued. We started our day off with three eagles at Viti Rocks causing a ruckus with all the gulls and cormorants. So beautiful to see their massive 6ft wingspan. We kept cruising west into Rosario Strait, first making a pit stop to some sleepy sea lions on the Sinclair buoy. They gave us great looks at those massive fore and hind flippers of theirs as they napped in the mist. Heading into Peavine Pass we got a great look at another eagle perched in a tree, the perfect grounds to spot fish down below. It’s always fun going through the heart of the San Juan Islands as you get to see so many smaller islands usually not visible by the ferry. We headed into Harney Channel and then north through San Juan Channel. We headed west to give Spiden Island a good look. There were some larger birds of prey circling high above the trees, most likely turkey vultures. We scanned south into Harro Strait for any critters but continued north hearing some reports of humpbacks whales in Swanson Channel. We finally made it on scene for some amazing looks at Olympus and her first calf Stromboli!! Olympus is one of Big Mamas grandkids, making Stromboli a great grandbaby. It’s always great to be able to hang out with part of Big Mamas lineage. Olympus and Stromboli gave us great looks at their flukes, their powerful spouts and the closeness of their mom and calf bond, surfacing near each other and swimming alongside one another the entire time. July 10 As we left the dock we got reports this morning of whales south of Salmon Bank near Cattle Pass. It was beautiful the entire way there, and we got sneak peeks of harbor seals, sea lions, etc. on our journey. We went through the middle, then headed south down San Juan Channel. We intercepted our orca friends on the west side of San Juan, and hung out with the T75s for quite some time. T75A has a massive dorsal fin, so he was really easy to see and identify. We were with four whales total, T75, T75A, T75C, and T75C3. It’s always fun when there is a mix of sizes in the group, because comparing the male to the younger juvenile is so impressive. They ventured pass Lime Kiln on the West side of San Juan, and at the end they were giving us great looks. We decided to go over the top to go home and actually came across a humpback whale! Always so so lucky to have two species in one day, and 5 whales total! July 11th We diverted in our normal route today and instead went to a different marker north of Sinclair, and I’m glad we did! There were many Stellers hauled out, and one trying to fight for space from the water. The current was running so hard that it made it difficult to pop up there, but he eventually tried and took another one down with him. So fun to watch. Those sea lions have a lot of personality. They kept sticking their heads up out of the water and peering at us as the current was messing with their swimming. We then took a turn and ventured to the North Peapod rock where we saw two bald eagles, an adult and an adolescent. On the middle pea pod rock, there were probably 100 harbor seals out and about! There were pups mixed up in the group and there were many on the shore and in the water. We went through Peavine Pass where we saw pigeon guillemots and lots of bull kelp, and slowly made our way to San Juan Channel. There, we met up with the T77s. We were lucky enough to spend an hour and a half with them, and watched what we thought might have been hunting. Great looks at the eye patches and saddle patches. On our way back from over the top of Orcas Island, we saw quite a few harbor porpoise and also more Stellers at the marker north of Lummi Island. July 12th We started out the day with very favorable reports of a T-party of Bigg’s orca whales close by! Captain Casey chose to go up Hale Pass to meet up with them, so we started off the morning looking at harbor porpoise and Steller sea lions off the Point Migley buoy. The stellers were very busy playing keep away from one particular sea lion, and kept shifting around the buoy to keep him off. The sea lion in the water was not giving up, and kept circling the buoy until he managed to hop up and secure some space! Very entertaining to watch. When we made it up to our T-Party, we were on the north side of Sucia and got to watch the T46Bs, T77s and T99s. The group kept changing up activity, traveling with some deep dives until they decided it was social time. The orcas were busy with lots of surface activity and were even tail slapping in sync! We watched some of the youngsters breach, and lots of rolling activity so we could see bellies of most of the group. This T-party was 13-17 whales (incredibly hard to count them all as they surfaced) and gave us a spectacular show. After being on scene with this group for a bit, we actually lucked out with a second report of ANOTHER T-party just a little bit further north. Since the day was so hot, we took the opportunity to turn away and bring the boat back up to speed to try to cool off the vessel while we ventured toward the other pods. We made it on scene with our 2nd T-party of the day, a rare occurrence, up beyond Patos island into Boundary Pass. This group was the T49A’s, T36A’s and at least T37A1 from the T37A pod. This group was a bit more spread out from our earlier whales, but we watched some incredible lunging and high back arching happening, especially from the males. There was one very large male with this group that we got amazing close looks at his wobbly dorsal fin. He spent a lot of time at the surface, making some quick turns, really showing off his agility. This group of whales was about 10 animals, so overall today we saw an amazing number of orcas pretty close together! 1st T-Party: T37A1, T49A’s, T36A’s 2nd T-Party: T46B’s, T77’s, T99’s **Categories:** Blog, Recent Whale Sightings, Whale Watching --- ### [Massive T-Party and Incredibly Active T109A2's](https://whales.com/breach-city/) **Published:** July 18, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00669-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/breach-city/dsc00669/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00726-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/breach-city/dsc00726/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00788-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/breach-city/dsc00788/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00792-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/breach-city/dsc00792/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00808-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/breach-city/dsc00808/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00814-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/breach-city/dsc00814/) A truly awesome showing from the T109A2 pod in San Juan Channel on 7/10/24 ### July 7 Second day Of T65Bs, but we had to travel all the way to Saturna for them! It was a rough day for whale reports with no sightings until 1pm. We had headed north in the morning to try to find them based on their movements yesterday, so we were in the right area when the report came in. When we arrived on scene, the T65Bs were traveling but quickly changed their behavior and started back breaching and full body lunging out of the water. There was a bit of hunting that they picked up on at Java Rocks and got a bit serious again. As we left the scene, the male started swimming on his back and gave us a good tail wave goodbye! Lovely calm waters with this pod. T65B – Chunk, T6562 – Nette, T65B1 – BirdSall, T65B3 – 2023 calf ### July 8 Today was almost a no whale day. We decided to go through the middle of the islands and then head up north. It wasn’t until about 3pm that Cpt Cassidy on another cruise spotted whales at Sucia. When we got there, they were being pretty squirrely and not choosing a direction, and they popped up right by our boat! It was so calm and quiet that we could hear their breath. They started to hug the Shoreline and came across a seal hauled out, which they hunted for a while.We then got to see some tail slaps and almost a lunging motion. Having Sucia as a backdrop was just lovely. We also saw some kelping: One whale draped kelp across its dorsal. So cool to see! ### July 9 We had a long haul journey today out past Kelp Reef to D’Arcy Island. The original plan was to catch up with the T99s that were cruising Haro Strait along Vancouver Island. When we were about a mile away, the T36B’s popped up right in our path! Cpt Jeff slowed down and angled our boat just in time to see one of the whales do a headstand! We got a great look of the tail before they started to porpoise away. After the whales sped up a bit, they cruised towards James Spit and very shallow water. They started to slow down and we got a great look at the baby of the group, riding off of mom’s pectoral fins. We left them behind a little early to make the long haul home. ### July 10 It was a very active day for the orcas! We made our way over the top of Orcas Island today to make our way into San Juan Channel. We came on scene with the T109A2s being incredibly active and playful. The two young whales in the group were breaching over and over! Eventually the adult whales of the pod even joined in. We saw dozens of breaches, tail slaps, and cartwheels today, with a few lucky double breaches! Some passengers were riding with a previous bummer card for not seeing whales on a previous cruise, and wow did today’s show make up for it. T109A 2 – Fuser 2005 T109A 2B- Macoah 2018 T109A 2D- 2023 calf T109A 2A – Seekah 2016 T109A 2C- 2021 calf ### July 12 The water was absolutely beautiful today! The T65B orcas were at Iceberg point this afternoon and were circling a rock. We think they must’ve been on the hunt because they were in very shallow water, about 10 ft deep. After they were done with the rock, we saw them show their tails and they were so easy to hear. I love slowing down and just listening to them breathe. After a while, T65B and her youngest calf went off on her own, while T65B1 was being spunky and spy hopping! ### July 13 Today was completely mind blowing! A T-party report took us all the way down Past Smith island. No one was quite prepared for what we encountered. There were 38 – 40 whales onscene with us, grouped so closely together. Just the sheer amount of whales we saw was astonishing. On top of that we saw full body breaches, peduncle throws (a sideways throw of the tail using the section of their body connecting their tail fluke), upside down swimming, showing pectoral pins, and tail waves. We were at a complete loss of words. At one point a small calf came out of the water completely vertically, then proceeded to breach consecutively. It seemed like they were all surfacing on top of one another. A truly unforgettable moment, down to hearing all of them breathing together when they surfaced. Members from: T345, T35As, T36As, T37s, T38As, T38Cs. T46Bs, T49As, T49Cc, T65As, T75s, T75As, T75C’s **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [So Many Orcas - Near & Far!](https://whales.com/orcas-near-far/) **Published:** July 9, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_7989-751x1024.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-near-far/img_7989/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03683-805x1024.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-near-far/dsc03683/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03817-1024x661.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-near-far/dsc03817/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/0d551992-d1b5-4207-98b3-5ca42dc235ff.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-near-far/0d551992-d1b5-4207-98b3-5ca42dc235ff/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/db0eb225-d888-4e09-8f19-5149bacc7f69.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-near-far/db0eb225-d888-4e09-8f19-5149bacc7f69/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/2T6A7298small-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-near-far/2t6a7298small/) Upper Left: Chainsaw approaching us on 7/2 by Allen Nichols Upper Center: Flapjack spy hopping on 7/2 by Lincoln Humphry Upper Right: Cerulean and BCY1157 traveling together on 7/2 by Lincoln Humphry Bottom Left and Center: T36 Biggs pod right off shore in Bellingham Bay on July 4th by David Abraham Bottom Right: T36 Biggs pod off of Boulevard Park in Bellingham Bay by Leo Solomon June 30th It was a beautifully calm day on the water. Perfect weather to be out whale watching. There were no reports as we left the dock, but Captain Cassidy on the Friday Harbor trip spotted two humpback whales in Rosario Strait! Before we started heading for those whales, we hung out with a couple of Steller sea lions on the Sinclair can. They were pretty sleepy. There was one large male and a smaller juvenile. We came on scene with the HBs very early in the day, so we got to spend lots of time with them. This was a mom and calf pair, very common this year, and of course the baby was quite spunky. There was so much surface activity happening. We saw countless tail throws, pectoral fins, a little spy hop, and the baby stuck their head out of the water many times! After about 40 minutes on scene, the mom Europa, Decided to show her baby how it is done, and we got to see absolutely massive breaches from that big lady! It truly brought tears to my eyes. Seeing this remarkable animal fling itself out of the water over and over again is an unforgettable experience! After Europa breached, the calf also started to breach too. What an incredible show. We spent a bit more time with them, and then went under Deception Pass bridge as it was nearby and conditions were favorable, and then headed north to go home. Throughout Bellingham Channel we saw so many harbor porpoise and some harbor seals. We eventually stopped at Eliza Rocks and saw a pair of bald eagles and lots more harbor seals! July 1 What a beautiful start to July, truly feeling like summer today. It was quite warm and sunny on the water. No reports as we started our day, making it a bit of a treasure hunt out there. Two immature eagles on Viti Rocks and one mature one causing a ruckus with the gulls and cormorants. Lots of harbor seal pups out of the water rolling around with each other. So fun and cute to see this year’s pups growing big and strong. Saw two sleepy stellers on the Sinclair can. Great looks at their massive fore-flippers and their extremely sensitive whiskers. A nice full start to our day. Ventured onward through Peavine Pass and were happy we did so! As soon as we made it into “cross sound” in the middle of the islands, reports of orca whales were coming in, heading north in San Juan Channel right near us! We cruised through Upright Pass and started heading north ourselves meeting up with the orcas east of Point Caution. They were booking it pretty quickly north as we were getting on scene with them. After a few surfacings they hit the breaks and demonstrated some great circling behaviors making us think they were taking down some prey. They quickly moved on from one spot of circling to another. The pod we were with was none other than the T46B’s. With 8 members in this pod lead by Raksha (T46B) herself. Raksha is a very successful mom having had 7 calves in her 37 years of life. Her youngest, T46B7, Tala, born in 2023. There were two 2023 calves, soon to be juveniles in the mix and one 2025 calf (T46B31) born to T46B3, Sedna. We cruised home through President’s channel, around the south side of Matia Island and back to the bay via Hale Passage. July 2 With some shore reports very close to home early this morning, we had high hopes of finding some orca whales today. We headed towards the south side of Lummi island to start our day. Thankfully, another PWWA boat picked up the early morning report, so we didn’t have to search. It’s always fun seeing whales minutes from home! We caught up with T63-Whidbey, and T65-Chainsaw (a legendary 47 year old male with a serrated dorsal) along with T36-Flapjack, and the T36B’s lead by Tatertip. Tatertips 3 kids and newest grandkid were also present; the youngest whale, T36B1A, Maple, born this year! They gave us great looks. We saw some spyhoping, a total of 6 times, some proposing behavior because of it being a bit choppy today, and lots of great views of eye patches, saddle patches and dorsal fins.We wrapped up with the orcas after one close pass by Chainsaw himself, showing his head just before dipping under the boat! Passengers got to see just how large of a whale he is. We ventured on to see two sleepy Stellers on a channel marker. Probably the smallest Steller’s Captain Cassidy or I have ever seen, cuddled up next to a very large male. We took a peak at the Cone islands, where the beginning shots of free Willy were filmed. Great looks at a bald eagle perching high in the trees. Many pigeon guillemots in the water and on the cliff side serenading us with their cute high pitch chirps A new report of humpbacks nearby came and we retraced our path back into Rosario Strait to find Cerulean and BCY1157 traveling south together! They were very consistent with their direction and showed lots of fluke. A double-species day is always a good one. July 3 Today was a no whale day but it was still a wonderful day out on the water! We started off the day with two juveniles and one mature bald eagle on Viti. They were hanging out on the eastern cliff face of the island and the other birds seemed anxious. Many harbor seals, including a mom and pup cuddling together on a rock that might have been too small for them both. We saw 4 sea lions on the Sinclair navigation marker too. Captain Michael and I were not taking our eyes off of the water, as we were trying our hardest to find a whale. We went north above the outer islands and into Canada, then turned and we ended up at Skipjack Island. This is another harbor seal haul out site with a beautiful background, with lots of pigeon guillemots in the water. There were a lot of harbor porpoise on our way back to town. It was calm enough to see them super clearly, and we got a couple of close encounters, which was a lot better than nothing! July 4th Happy 4th of July! Today was such a memorable day. Captain Casey got a call early in the morning that there were whales in the bay, and just thirty minutes into our trip we were with orcas! This is the fastest I have ever been on scene with these animals, and it was such a delight. We got to hangout with orca whales for about 45 minutes right off the bat today, and they were the T36s. This is a family group of six, with a 2024 calf and a 2025 calf! It was so much fun to see the littles. They were giving us great looks, and they were split into two groups most of the time on either side of the boat. Such a cool experience. After this, we headed straight towards Bellingham Channel where the T99s were picked up. We followed them down the coastline, and they were exhibiting some interesting behavior. They were all traveling together, then all of a sudden they started milling and we see a BIG cloud of red in the water. We did not get to see what they got for their meal, but I hope they enjoyed it. After that, one of the females started swimming on her side with her pectoral fin straight in the air! They went back to a normal travel mode, but the big male left the group and came right up next to our boat! We left these guys to their busy orca schedule and we went to look at sea lions. There were at least 5 in the water, and 4 up on the buoy. There was one male who seemed like he was guarding his space, because he would not let another sea lion up there. We saw them hop on the marker so many times to no avail. We also heard lots of vocalizations and lots of splashing in the water. On our way back into town, we ran into the T36s again and they swam right in front of Taylor Dock, Fairhaven, and Marine Park! They were truly taking us back home. Epic Indepence Day. July 5th Early reports of whales today had us heading through the middle of the islands to be able to make it to the NW side of Spieden in time. We made a brief stop at the Sinclair buoy, where we saw two Steller sea lions fighting for the remaining free spot on the marker. They were being funny pulling each other off the marker from the water, splashing around and then trying to jump back up. It was a pretty trip through Obstruction and Pole Passes, with looks at Madrona trees, cormorants and pigeon guillemots. We caught up with the T65Bs up in Swanson Channel. We were the only boat on scene, so we had to spot them ourselves. We scanned the area for about 5 minutes before we finally found them! We were able to spend around an hour with them, seeing a few behavior changes from travelling to resting and ending with a hunt! T65B1, Birdsall is a young male that gave us a few close passes before joining up with mom, Chunk, and siblings Nettle and Rook. We saw a spy hop and a few tail slaps as they found something to hunt, before having to journey home. Stopped on the north side of Waldron to look at seals and pigeon guillemots.Came home through Hale pass to check out the other side of Lummi island. Beautiful, calm day on the water too. July 6th Early reports had whales super far north this morning! We skipped all the regular stops to make sure we had time on scene with the whales. As we cruised through the Strait of Georgia, we scanned all around for any whale signs. We saw harbor porpoise, and huge rafts of gulls and rhinoceros auklets. We did end up pushing all the way to that north report, where we came on scene with humpbacks Malachite and Strike. They gave us lovely flukes, backed by Mount Baker before we headed back home, still scanning. We lucked out on the way back and came across Bigg’s orcas coming out of point Roberts! Super lucky day to have to travel so far, and get to see 2 types of whales. Flotsam, Jetsam T125A and T128 with a group of females/youngsters. Later IDd as T36A1s, 35As, and 38As. We ended up with 84 miles of travel today. Lucily it was a lovely, flat and calm day on the water with amazing views into Canada and Mount Baker, flukes from the humpbacks and two massive male orca fins surfacing together . **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [There's Nothing Quite Like Humpback Breaching](https://whales.com/humpback-breaching/) **Published:** July 2, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** June 23rd Starting at our go to wildlife spot, Viti Rocks, we saw a couple mother and pups! It was very cute to see, here in the middle of pupping season now. Two sleepy Stellers on the navigation marker, one was pretty large and the other one was a juvenile. Saw a kingfisher and a black oystercatcher fly near the boat. We caught up with T49As without A1 and A2. First they were weaving in and out of Cliff, McConnell and Reef Islands, then they headed north along the Orcas shoreline. One of them stuck their forehead/face out of the water for a good minute straight. More like a spy stare than a hop. Lots of good looks at eye patches and saddle patches. They were milling once, but they didn’t seem to have caught anything. We went over the top of orcas on the way home and came down Hail Pass home. June 24 Cruised by Viti rocks with lots of harbor seals hauled out. Some pretty small ones in the mix, with a variety of fur coloration and patterns. Saw two sleepy sea lions on a channel marker north side of Sinclair. We gave Rosario a good scan but kept pushing on because of known reports Northwest of Stuart Island. The heart of the Salish Sea was glassy flat calm as we head through Peavine and Harney Channel. We saw two bald eagles perched in a tree on Spieden island, using their height to search for fish. When we got into Swanson Channel, no other boats were around so we had to relocate the humpbacks that were reported earlier. Thankfully, Cpt. Cassidy had some eagle eyes today and found our mom and calf pair. They kept pushing Northwest along Pender Island. Super fun to see a new calf! Definitely a 2025 babe. We hypothesized it was Graze with her new calf, but both mom and calf were very fluke shy while we were on scene with them. We kept moving north into Navy Channel, a spot I have never been through, which opened into Plumper Sound. Scanned into the Strait of Georgia and made our way through Sucia and Matia Island. Returning through Hale Passage. June 25 We saw 9 eagles on Viti Rocks! We usually never see more than 2 or 3 at once. With a range of behaviors from scanning the waters, picking on gulls, picking on each other, and just hanging out and enjoying the views. 5 Stellars on the can too. All sleepy and snuggled in a good cuddle puddle. Made the right decision to cruise North because we found orcas! First boat on scene with them. There were members of the T46C pod led by Carmanah; and the T75C pod led by Bam-Bam, for a total of 8 whales in the mix. T46C5, born in 2025, was showing off their belly and fluke! So wonderful to see this year’s calves happily swimming with their family. Tsunami, T46C1, has a very distinct dorsal with two notches in the middle half of his 6ft fin. Razor, T46C3, also has some crazy notches. Three on the upper part of their fin. We caught these two pods just south of Lawrence Point on Orcas and they hung out around North Peapod Rock for about three hours. We cruised around Pea Pods to see who else we could find. Lots of seals and more eagles. We hooked around Rosario toward Towhead Island and we found yet another eagle! We happily got a bit more time with the whales we found, before fighting the flood tide back home around the south side of Eliza Island. June 26th We had a lucky day on the water with two whale species! We skipped our standard stops this morning to make our way down Bellingham Channel to meet up with a humpback headed south. Pepper was ID’d after being a happy consistent whale, fluking for every surfacing! We watched Pepper until they headed into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, then we turned around to take a different way home. I’m so glad we did, as on the West side of Cypress Island, as we were making our way to the Sinclair buoy, a passenger spotted orcas! Instead of stopping for Steller sea lions at the Sinclair marker, we made our way over to be first on scene with the T65Bs. I was able to get an ID on them after a closer surfacing, spotting that missing chunk on the lower dorsal that gives T65B, Chunk, her nickname. Out there today with her kids, Birdsall, Nettle and Rook. Super excited we had a double species today and that the rain waited until the last minute as we started docking! June 27th Early reports told Cptn Jeff that whales were going to be pretty distant for the day, so he started the journey north, skipping our standard morning stops. We cruised by Clark and Barnes where we saw a lot of harbor porpoise in the tidal exchange. On our way up towards Boundary Pass and Patos Island, we got a third hand report from friends in the area about whales pretty close to us. We went further north than originally planned so we could check out the report, which was the right move, as we found a mom and calf pair of humpbacks. When we arrived on scene, the baby was so active and breached out of the water several times! The pair fluked together for some bigger dives too, and we were able to ID our whales as the legendary Big Mama and her 2025 calf. During our hour with the pair, the calf was very active, poking it’s little chin out of the water, and rolling around. We left them to their day and continued back south around Patos and Sucia. When we came around the opposite side of Patos, we saw a humpback mother and calf again! We thought Big Mama had followed us from the west side, but it turned out we had a completely different pair! This was later ID’d as Europa and calf. On the way home, we stopped by Point Migley buoy for two small Steller sea lions, and harbor seals along the North side of Lummi Island. Overall, a very successful day, with TWO mom and calf pairs of humpback whales! And some amazing activity. What a day. June 28th Today was a brochure worthy day. Everything you’d want out of a whale watch, with a solid double species pair of sightings. We started the day with harbor seals on Eliza rock, and so many pups! Then ventured towards active sea lions fighting to keep a spot on one of the navigation markers. Of to a solid standard start. Reports of fog in the south, so we went through the middle and hung out with the T123s for a long time! We got a couple close passes from T123A, a very large male born in 2000. There are four in the family group, and always such a delight to watch. They have interesting history, and such personalities! We decided to head north after our time with the orcas to see if we could spot a baleen whale species. We were searching and searching, and out of the corner of his eye Cptn Jeff saw a big splash of water 2 miles away! We immediately went to check it out, and it was Big Mama and her calf! The calf was breaching, peduncle throwing, tail slapping, and more! It was a great time. June 29th It was another excellent double species day. We made a typical warm up stop for Steller sea lions on a navigation marker. There were 5 of them on the marker sleeping, and a juvenile that just couldn’t quite get on the marker. He kept jumping and splashing. Eventually he made it on and nudged himself in the middle of the pile. We next went through Peavine Pass and out towards San Juan Channel. We saw the T123s again today and watched them travel up the Waldron shoreline. We also saw plenty of eagles there as well. The water was such a pretty blue color that the colors of the orcas contrasted quite nicely! There were reports of humpbacks north today so we went to go look for them too, and stumbled upon the two mom and calf pairs again! One was trending south and tail fluked multiple times, and the other pair was Big Mama and her calf! The calf was breaching, we saw a spy hop, and so much more! These past two days have been so amazing on the water. I can’t believe it. **Categories:** Blog, Recent Whale Sightings, Whale Watching --- ### [Daily Orcas - T65B's and T99's Frequented this Week](https://whales.com/daily-orcas-t99/) **Published:** June 25, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03455-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/daily-orcas-t99/dsc03455/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03427-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/daily-orcas-t99/dsc03427/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03465-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/daily-orcas-t99/dsc03465/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03378-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/daily-orcas-t99/dsc03378/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03437-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/daily-orcas-t99/dsc03437/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03361-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/daily-orcas-t99/dsc03361/) The 99’s off of Cypress and Cone Islands on 6/18/25 by Lincoln Humphry June 16th We were glad to have a report to start from early in the morning, saying there were whales going east from Patos Island, so we headed North to go look for that group. We stopped at Viti for our usual visit with harbor seals and birds; Lots of cormorants were fanning their wings and sitting in nests. Checked out Stellers near Sinclair Island. They were sleepy and cuddly. We trended north to the east of Clark Island and up to Alden Bank. We stayed in open water to search for whales, when a report came up of another group along Orcas Island. The T65Bs were headed north and had unexpected movements. They were not traveling in a regular pattern but instead popping up in different directions, with a couple close passes by us! This is always a special encounter: the up close visuals and sounds spouts. Made the journey home down Hail Pass and saw the county operated Lummi Ferry. June 17th We went south of Eliza Island today, and stopped to see harbor seals at Eliza rocks. Some very plump seals out there. Some very small ones too!! Took a peak at the Cone Islands: the setting for the opening of Free Willy. Headed innerisland through Peavine. Saw lots of harbor porpoise feeding in the current lines of Cross Sound. Good reports coming in about 8 orcas whales in San Juan Channel heading South. Turned out to be the T65B’s, lead by Chunk; and the T75B’s, lead by Pebbles. They took us through Cattle Pass with some ripping currents through the channel. We had fun watching them ride the tides. They gave us good looks at them porpoising: launching the majority of their body out of the water while moving forward at speed. There is less resistance in the air than water, so when they need to sprint, they will porpoise. So cool to see the power they exert getting their bodies out of the water. Stopped by Whale Rocks to see some Steller sea lions. Lots of females or juveniles and a few large males. Lots of vocalizations and sleepy lions. We spotted a mature eagle in the trees off the east side of Mcardle Bay near Lopez too. We encountered over 50 harbor porpoises at Clark Point on the north end of Guemes Island! So many at the surface at once, some proposing to chase fish, lots of splashing and great looks at these speedy critters that are common, but usually pretty illusive. What a “porpoisey” day! June 18th We love it when the whales come to us! We left Bellingham Bay with some promising reports of whales in the area. We made our classic initial stop at Viti Rocks with great looks at the double crested cormorant nests and many glaucous winged gulls. There were a couple harbor seals hanging out in the water poking their heads out too. We made our way to our standard second stop at the Sinclair buoy and found three sleepy sea lions hauled out. It didn’t take us long to get to our whale friends, as the T99’s were cruising north through Bellingham channel! All 5 members of the pod were present and feasting on marine mammals as we came on scene. They had been reported 3 hours prior almost in the same spot we got on scene. In those 3 hours, this pod circumnavigated Cypress island. It was very fitting to see orca whales on the east side of the island, as Free Willy’s beginning scenes were shot here! We took a short break from the whales and ventured towards Obstruction Pass getting some beautiful looks at Blakey and Orcas Island. We found a good colony of harbor seals hauled out on both North and South Peapod Rocks. It’s always fun to see them in their classic banana shape sunbathing. We had to take one more peek at some more Stellars, getting to see one in the water flipping a fish around! Thanks to Captain Cassidy, we got a second look at the beautiful T99 pod as the cherry on top of a fantastic day. They were pretty sleepy, showing off their slow, rhythmic breathing pattern, but they came right by the front of the boat, before we headed back home. So much whale time thanks to their location! June 19th We started the day with reports of whales near Deception Pass this morning, but nothing concrete. As we got off the dock we looked at harbor seal pups, pigeon guillemots, and more at our standard starting points. There were theee stellers on a can and two were sleepy but one was lively and standing on their flippers. He was making some noise and scratching himself. Went down Rosario strait, past Deception island and hung out with the T99s. At first they were grouped up close and tight, but towards the end they were spread out at a wide distance. Barakat and Holly are easy to identify. Barakat is a sprouting male and Holly has some prominent notches in her dorsal fin. On the bird watch: we got to see six tufted puffins. And the first sighting of the season for us of a Heerman’s gull. There was an otter at bird rocks, he had a clam he was trying to crack open. Could see and hear the clacking of his rock on his belly, so cute. There were two belted Kingfishers through Castle Rock. June 20th No reliable reports in the morning, just possible sightings. Today’s reports actually came from the WSDOT ferry reporting to the PWWA that there were whales in the area. Wanting to get eyes on the chance of whales as soon as possible, we went straight to where they were spotted in the morning. We traveled through Peavine Pass into Cross Sound, and met up with two orcas on the east side of Shaw Iisland. Interestingly, it was just two whales, and one was male. Usually they travel in larger groups. There were lots of boats out shrimping, and the whales ventured into Fisherman’s Bay. Interesting again, as I’ve never seen whales there before! Stopped at Peapod Rocks on the way home, and there were loads of harbor seals. June 21 Viti Rocks had some action going on today! 4 eagles: 3 mature and one juvenile dive bombing the gulls, cormorants, and each other! Some standard hauled out seals, but the eagles stole the show. Three Stellers on the channel marker, 1 big male grumpily woke up from his nap and kicked one of the smaller ones off. That one swam up close to the boat looking for refuge but soon realized we were not a good haul out. Worked our way through obstruction pass to meet up with T38C & E (Borrowman and Hocker) swimming south through Eastsound which is a unique spot to see whales as there is no outlet. Borrowman has a unique white birthmark on the bottom of the right side of his dorsal fin making him very easy to ID. These were two brothers out and about away from moms pod too. A very unique sighting. Kept up with them as they brought us back through Obstruction Pass to the east side of Orcas. We hugged the coast line our whole encounter. Peeled off and took a peek at Peapod Rocks to see more harbor seals, a black oystercatcher, and more eagles! Went north cruising between Barnes and Clark island. Stunning looks at the Madrona trees and coast lines on our way home. Made our way back home via Hales Passage. A special day with two brothers, lots of eagles and all the critters in between! June 22nd A standard Viti Rocks / Sinclair Buoy stop. with 3 sea lions on the marker all resting. Early reports of whales in Thatcher Pass. Served lunch and took some time cruising the west side of Cypress Island. The whales were in the middle of the ferry lanes, and it was a busy day. Cheers from ferry passengers as the ferry hugged the far side of the channel. We were watching the T65Bs, Chunk: the matriarch, Birdsall: her 14 year old son, Nettle: who was 6 (which made 4 human kids on board very proud to have her be the same age) and Rook who is 2. The whales were taking some pretty long down times, but we got to see them change up behaviour to get some lunch.! No obvious catch above the water, but lots of rolling and splashing as they paused at the southern point of Blakely Island, followed by a spyhop and some tail lobs to celebrate lunch! We left them behind for a bit and circumnavigated Decatur Island. Visited Bird Rocks and crossed back into Lopez sound, which isn’t an area we usually travel, so it was a nice change of scenery. After an hour of sightseeing, we travelled back north to catch back up to the T65Bs and spent a finaly 20 minutes with them for some bonus looks. **Categories:** bird watching cruise, Blog, Recent Whale Sightings, Whale Watching --- ### [A Bunch O' Orcas, Puffins, and One Curious Sea Lion!](https://whales.com/orcas-puffins-curious-sea-lion/) **Published:** June 19, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2025-06-19-at-4.08.40 PM-1024x688.png)](https://whales.com/orcas-puffins-curious-sea-lion/screenshot-2025-06-19-at-4-08-40-pm/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2025-06-19-at-4.07.40 PM-1024x766.png)](https://whales.com/orcas-puffins-curious-sea-lion/screenshot-2025-06-19-at-4-07-40-pm/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2025-06-19-at-4.08.09 PM-823x1024.png)](https://whales.com/orcas-puffins-curious-sea-lion/screenshot-2025-06-19-at-4-08-09-pm/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1632-768x1024.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-puffins-curious-sea-lion/img_1632/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1595-768x1024.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-puffins-curious-sea-lion/img_1595/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1712-768x1024.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-puffins-curious-sea-lion/img_1712/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1771-1024x847.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-puffins-curious-sea-lion/img_1771/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1789-1024x768.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-puffins-curious-sea-lion/img_1789/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1864-1024x768.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-puffins-curious-sea-lion/img_1864/) *Top Row: Incredible action shots from the bird watch on 6/12/25 by Jamie Kinney* *2nd Row: The T75B’s with Mt Baker on 6/9/25 by Lauren Rasmussen* *Bottom Row: The T46B’s & T123’s on 6/12/25 by Lauren Rasmussen* June 9th What a day to see some orca whales! We departed Bellingham Bay with few reports but were eager to get out on the water to scan. We made our initial stop at Viti Rocks where we saw lots of harbor seals hauled out, thermoregulating. Many glaucous winged gulls and double crested cormorants drying their wings too. From Viti, we took a look at the Sinclair buoy to find three stellar sea lions taking a nap on the bottom of the channel marker. We continued east through Peavine Pass getting into the true heart of the San Juan Islands, when reports started to come in about the T075B’s making their way north through Cattle Pass. We caught up with some of our fellow whale watchers on the west side of Lopez and the whales took us back the way we came, letting us get extra time with them! We spent a good while in transit with Pebbles (T075B) and her three kids, Jasper (T075B2), Rubble(T075B3), Petra (T075B4). They swam through Upright Channel giving us great looks at saddle patches and eye patches. Once they hit the mouth of Eastsound, they took a turn and headed north right into the wind! But oh man, the looks we got were incredible, with Mt. Baker looming above the islands and whales taking down some prey below the waterline. Lots of direction changes and some tail action indicated they definitely had some lunch. The stoke was high getting to see this special pod. Once we departed the whales, we cruised through Obstruction Pass which is always a beautiful channel to meander through. Getting a great look at the Cone Islands, where the intro to Free Willy was shot, we headed towards the south end of Sinclair giving Bellingham Channel one last scan before heading back into the bay. June 10th We started off blind, with no whale reports in the morning, relying on our eyes for mammal sightings. Made our standard quick stop at Viti rocks to look at nesting cormorants and the hauled out harbor seals. There were two small Stellers on a navigation marker, and one larger one swam up and hopped on. The two that were already there were not pleased with sharing. We went through the middle of the islands, and saw so many pigeon guillemots on our way through Peavine pass! Absolutely gorgeous day out for a whale watch. We ended up going south and hung out with a humpback mama and her calf. The calf was making very frequent visits to the surface, and even swam under the boat! Very curious little fella. We identified the mom as ZigZag, and the size difference is always impressive. On our way home we stopped at Bird Rocks and saw Otis the sea otter munching on some food! June 11th As we left the docks this morning, there were reports of Orcas from earlier this morning. We took some extra time looking around Lummi Island on both sides for them, until a report picked up with the T123’s by Decatur coming toward us! Already in a favorable location, we took some time looking at a sleepy Steller Sea lion on a buoy, and cruised by Bird rocks where Otis the sea otter was rolling around and cleaning himself in the kelp. Sea otters were hunted to extinction in the area 100 years ago, but were introduced recently. We caught up with the T123’s, Sidney, Stanley, Lucky and Darcy and followed along their journey up Rosario Strait. We saw a lot of great surfacings where all 4 of them came up together. Other interesting things we got a look at this afternoon: a Canadian naval frigate HCMS Regina 334 was out in the strait in the travel lanes; super large and we had a bit of fun going over their wake. Stopped at the Cone Islands where the pigeon guillemots were super talkative today, and diving down from the cliffs for food. Lovely baby harbor seals at Eliza rocks practicing some swim time on the way back in. Calm, smooth waters with great viewing, even with the cloud layer over Mount Baker and the mainland. June 12 We departed Bellingham without knowing how great of a day it was going to be! We started off strong seeing many harbor seals and pups hauled out to thermoregulate on Viti Rocks. We cruised over to the Sinclair buoy and saw three stellars fighting for real estate on the marker. One large male jumped up and we got a good indication of his weight as the marker leaned over to one side. They gave us a good listen to their guttural growl, too. Very fun to see them so active! From there we headed westward through Peavnine, getting into the heart of the San Juan Islands. New reports started trickling in, which altered our original plans, for the better. We spent some time with the T123’s on the southeast side of Waldron Island. Stanley (T123A) and his two younger sisters, Lucky (T123C) and Darcy (T123D), plus mom, Sidney (T123) gave us great looks with the colorful island as their background. A true display of the sexual dimorphism that is present in this species. We continued north around Waldron and had some great news of the T046B’s, who were spotted earlier heading north, switching directions and heading south. There were 8 members of this family pod hanging out around Alden Bank, which is right near our home base, making them an easy visit. They made lots of direction changes indicating they may have taken down some prey. It was so special seeing this pod, as they have a new calf born in 2025, T046B3A, thought to be the first born of T046B3, Sedna. The calf was still yellow/orange in color! We welcomed in this year’s class of 2025 orca babies with excitement and awe. After departing our second pod, we made our way back to the bay through Hale Passage. What a day to remember! On the bird cruise we saw eight tufted puffins! Almost all solo, until the very tail end of the cruise, we got glimpses of a pair. Found a humpback that fluked for us, for just one set of surfaces before we had to get home. Check out Jamie Kinney’s excellent photo set from the bird watch: https://www.jamiekinneyphotos.com/collection/smith-and-minor-island-puffins June 13 An overcast start to the day but it only got sunnier from there! We left Bellingham Bay at a low tide which was fun to see more coast line exposed. We found lots of harbor seals on Eliza Rocks, hauled out. Some pups amongst the mix! We cruised south of Sinclair island, getting a good look at the Cone Islands looking in the intertidal zone for sea stars. Cruising through the middle of the San Juans is always a treat, getting beautiful views of all the islands. Heading north was extremely beautiful, flat calm conditions angling towards East Point. We scanned diligently in the strait, but found a lot of water. We headed back south stopping to get a great look at the Patos Island lighthouse, 1 of about 40 lighthouses in the Salish sea. On our way home we cruised along the west side of Orcas Island, and made two pit stops at two channel markers with many Steller sea lions hauled out. The first marker housed many sleepy lions, but the second marker was where all the fun was happening. We encountered some very playful and very curious stellars! At one point all five were hauled out on the bottom of the buoy. They gave great vocalizations, their deep guttural growl, lots of splashing in the water, as well as falling off the buoy and trying their best to get back on. It’s always fun to get to see them fight for space on the channel markers, but this time was a special encounter. One sea lion got curious and passed under the boat numerous times, probably evaluating if we were a good spot to haul out, before heading back to his crew. While we didn’t see whales and had to give out bummer cards for half off another whale watch cruise, we had a great day on the water. June 14th We started the day with no reports, so we did the classic Viti Rocks and watching sea lions on a channel marker. Again we went for our default path through the middle of the islands via Peavine pass, and headed west. Later in the day reports came that there were whales in Canada near Active pass, which is right at our further range limit. We were worried that they would continue north, but we decided to go for it. We are so glad we did! We caught up with the whales in the Pass, and they decided to swim right to the shoreline. There was one whale that was doing some maneuvering on the shoreline that resembled hunting. On the north end of Active, we got some huge waves coming in from a bottleneck effect. They were probably 8-9 ft! Wild. Then it was a calm cruise back home from Canada. June 15 Happy Father’s Day! It was a long haul to whales today, this time south down to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We came on scene with a T-party meet of the T34s, T37s and T38C! There was carnage in the water today. The party was doing a lot of hunting activity and caught lunch while we were there. We saw a blood cloud and a few whales with a bite in their mouths as they were at the surface. Happy, fed whales did a spy hop and some tail lobs, before deciding to book it northeast. On our journey, we also saw Elsie May, the elephant seal lounging on the beach at Skyline. The sea otter, Otis was resting in the kelp at Bird Rocks. We stopped at Smith Island on our way home to see a singular tufted puffin that was preening itself. Finally, we watched 5 stellers on the Sinclair buoy. **Categories:** bird watching cruise, Blog, Recent Whale Sightings, Whale Watching --- ### [Incredible Humpback Breaching & Biggs Orcas Right in Bellingham Bay](https://whales.com/incredible-hb-breaching/) **Published:** June 12, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/3D9A2471-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/incredible-hb-breaching/3d9a2471/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/3D9A2473-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/incredible-hb-breaching/3d9a2473/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/3D9A2462-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/incredible-hb-breaching/3d9a2462/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/3D9A2449-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/incredible-hb-breaching/3d9a2449/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/3D9A2435-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/incredible-hb-breaching/3d9a2435/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/3D9A2440-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/incredible-hb-breaching/3d9a2440/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03113-1024x681.jpg)](https://whales.com/incredible-hb-breaching/dsc03113/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03188-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/incredible-hb-breaching/dsc03188/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03216-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/incredible-hb-breaching/dsc03216/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03270-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/incredible-hb-breaching/dsc03270/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/a420ccee-acf9-416f-9f83-8cb1c2bdf65a-1024x717.jpeg)](https://whales.com/incredible-hb-breaching/a420ccee-acf9-416f-9f83-8cb1c2bdf65a/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/c79438ca-bae5-49f3-81d0-8d79cbec0441-1024x650.jpeg)](https://whales.com/incredible-hb-breaching/c79438ca-bae5-49f3-81d0-8d79cbec0441/) Absolutely epic shots of Zephyr the humpback breaching on 6/3/25 by Yves Eberhard. T123 Biggs Orcas around Lummi Island and Bellingham Bay by Lincoln Humphry. A majestic eagle and T Party of T124D’s and T124A2s by Kurt Leipold. June 2nd It was a slightly windy day crossing the bay, with lots of birds rafting in the wind protection of Lummi Island. Viti had a few cormorants flying across the bow, bringing seaweed back to the nest. A humpback was found by a passenger in the Strait of Juan de Fuca while we were on the way to more humpbacks further west. Lots of surfacing and circling by all the whales in the same area. We kept seeing high arches on dives, but no flukes, sadly. June 3rd Lots of activity at the Sinclair navigational marker today! Three sea lions vying for space, with a few failed jumps. Our route took us through the middle of the islands today, before we headed south to see two humpbacks in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. No one was on scene with them so we had to find them again. But we did, and it sure was worth it! We were treated to an amazing show, with a full breach out of the water followed by several large, lunging chin slaps! The whales started rolling afterwards, with lots of pectoral fins flinging out of the water. Zephyr and an unidentified friend. Having already had an amazing day, on the way home, we found orcas! Those were new sightings for the day as well, so we got to be with them as the only vessel for a while too. T086A’s and 124D’s. Lastly, a large raft of birds, and many harbor porpoises were feeding on bait fish off Lummi Island. The porpoises were porpoising quite a bit! Truly awesome day on the water. June 4th On the water this morning with a very quiet radio and no clue where we were headed! We took our time looking at harbor seals on Eliza rock, before moving on to Viti Rocks to look at a bald eagle and a ton of swimming pigeon guillemots. The Sinclair buoy was an active watch today, with a steller sea lion jumping on, and promptly falling off the navigational marker a few times. He was quite a big boy in comparison to the two already sleeping on the bouy, and was quite vocal about his space. As we scanned Rosario Strait for whales, we finally got the call that 3 pods had formed a T-party up by Patos! We made our way up north and came on scene with breaching youngsters! The 3 pods were spread out, but we saw tail slaps, a spy hop and a few breaches. T137s-Loon and Jack and family, T124Ds-Field and family, with 2 young whales, T124A2s- Elkugu and family June 5 A beautiful day to be on the water. Started our trip strong with glaucous winged gulls, double crested cormorants and a bald eagle on Viti Rocks. A great look at the intertidal zone as well. We traveled onwards, debating whether to go north or south, while stopping at a channel marker to visit with some Stellars Sea Lions. There happened to be a California Sea Lion in the mix. With all the morning reports coming in from the south, we made our decision and headed inner-island through Peavine Pass. The spectacular Komo Kulshan (Mt Baker), was standing proud and looking beautiful. We rounded the northern end of San Juan scanning for a humpback whale seen earlier in the day and to our surprise we found not one, not two, but three humpbacks traveling together!! Hendricks, Monarch, and Yakima. It has been documented these three like to hang out with each other outside of Nanaimo. Maybe they were making their way there today. They traveled alongside each other constantly for the duration of our visit, even giving us some pec fin waves and slaps. A sight to behold, that 16ft fin. They eventually waved goodbye as we departed and made our way back to Bellingham Bay. June 6 Viti rocks had an array of harbor seals, cormorants, and gulls today, while the marker had three Stellars sun napping. Quickly caught up with the T123s pushing south off of the west side of Lummi Island: T123 Sydney, 123A Stanley, 123C Lucky, 123D Darcy. Great show! Good surfacings, very consistent. Then a spy hop, some playful rolling around, and great views of their saddle patches and eye patches. Spent some time looking around the Peapod islands at harbor seals, black oystercatchers, pigeon guillemots. Headed back home with the pleasant surprise of the T123’s making their way into Bellingham bay guiding us home. They gave us great looks as they pushed north, right up next to Bellingham! They definitely took down some prey, not much surface activity of the hunt but lots of bird action at the surface diving down for the scraps. What a special day to be escorted back home by orcas. We even got to visit with them during the much shorter dinner cruise, as they were right out in the bay from town. June 7 Set out from Bellingham Bay on a beautiful Washington day! No reports yet for the day, we set off with fresh eyes. We stopped at Viti rocks to gander at the lovely nesting double crested cormorants, glaucous winged gulls, pigeon guillemots. The Sinclair buoy had some sleeping, sunbathing Stellars sea lions hauled out. They gave us great looks at their fore and hind flippers as they were snoozing. We gave Rosario straight a good scan before heading north on the east side of Orcas Island. Heading north, we got some good reports of two humpback whales heading north in President’s channel. Coming on scene we got a good splash to welcome us! The whales we got to hang out with were no other than Big Mama herself and her 8th calf she has brought into these waters since 1997! We watched Mama and baby transit between Sucia and Patos island before we set off back towards home giving the outer islands a good look for other critters. Komo Kulshan (Mt. Baker) was proudly making her presence known watching over the Salish Sea. We cruised back into Bellingham Bay via Hale Pass. A great humpback of a day. June 8th Favorable reports of whales were called in almost as soon as we left the dock and they were close! Captain Jeff took us over to Eliza Rocks, where we saw a lot of seals hauled out and a few babies tucked up on the rocks. Lots of them in their banana pose to keep as much out of the water as possible, since the tide was pretty high. We stalled for a bit to serve an early lunch, since the whales were nearby, so we made some detours to look at the pigeon guillemot nests on the Cone Islands. Lots of birds diving off the cliff and swimming in the water. The PG’s were really active around their nest site today. Circumnavigated Cypress Island and saw a bald eagle circling low on the water. Finished lunch and made it up Rosario Strait to spend time with the T124D’s and T124A2s. These 2 pods have been spending a lot of time together recently, which is great, because there are 3 youngsters in the group! The whales spent a lot of time with the 7 of them surfacing together, which gave us great looks at the size comparison between mom’s and their babies. Because they were so close, we got to travel with them for about an hour as they made their way up Rosario strait and along the west side of Lummi Island. On our way back in, we stopped at the Sinclair buoy to look at Stellar sea lions. There were four on the buoy today, all very sleepy. The smallest Stellar I have ever seen was tucked up next to a pretty large one, which made their growth look so impressive! This youngster wasn’t a baby, but didn’t look much older. The Stellars were all using each other as pillows and ignored the boat completely while we watched them, they looked quite comfortable. What a great day. **Categories:** Recent Whale Sightings --- ### [An Epic T-Party, Rare Triple Humpback, and More Breaching!](https://whales.com/epic-t-party-triple-humpback/) **Published:** June 4, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02989-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/epic-t-party-triple-humpback/dsc02989/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC05210-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/epic-t-party-triple-humpback/dsc05210/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02983-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/epic-t-party-triple-humpback/dsc02983/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03039-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/epic-t-party-triple-humpback/dsc03039/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02957-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/epic-t-party-triple-humpback/dsc02957/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03066-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/epic-t-party-triple-humpback/dsc03066/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02976-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/epic-t-party-triple-humpback/dsc02976/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03023-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/epic-t-party-triple-humpback/dsc03023/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03000-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/epic-t-party-triple-humpback/dsc03000/) Top Center: Orca Breach from the T-Party on 5/30/25 by Karen Randolph Others: A T-Party meet up of T046Bs, T123s, T124A2s on 5/30/25 Biggs pods near Sucia Island lined up with Mt Baker. Stanley with his massive dorsel fin. Steller sea lions cuddling and barking on a navigation marker. By Lincoln Humphry ### May 30th Lots of hauled out harbor seals with different color patterns at our classic start point at Viti Rocks. Sea lions jumping onto the navigation marker nearby, with one real big guy weighing down one side. 5 total. One was rubbing its head on another sea lion it was laying against, so cute! Without a reliable report yet, we headed for the middle route through islands, going through the beautiful Peavine and Pole Passes south of Orcas. As we made it through Pole Pass we heard a report of 12 whales on the north side of Orcas, and away we went to the north. As we arrived we got situated to get an excellent line up of an orca pod under Mt Baker, giving us that epic PNW shot. As we and other boats were counting what we saw, we realized we had ended up graced with a T-Party of 15 whales! A couple of them passed right by us, forcing us to go idle for a bit (We have no problem with that!) We saw them pop back up near shore, and started showing lots of tail lobs and hand standing, upside down maneuvers, cartwheeling.. real acrobatic whales! Then one whale made THREE consecutive breaches! Stanley was there with his incredible tall dorsal. They were right off of Sucia Island when they were most active, then we watched them slowly head head past Matia Island with Baker in the distance, as we had to depart. On our way home, on the marker north of Lummi, we saw a California sea lion head, bobbing trying to decide if they were interested in sunbathing. It was quite the epic day. **Members of T046Bs, T123s, T124A2s Biggs pods.** ### May 31st There was a Steller sea lion on Viti Rocks! This is the first time I’ve seen one there in my 4 years working here (Naturalist Emily). We see seals often, but never a Stellar. Went south down Bellingham channel and saw so many feeding harbor porpoise. They were riding the currents. We caught up with three humpbacks. They were having a blast! So many tail flukes, some waving pectoral fins, upsides down rolls, and lots of peduncle (tail) throws! It was spectacular. We heard some trumpeting as well from the humpbacks, which we don’t hear every day. It’s also quite rare to see three of them together in our region, they are usually pretty solitary. **Three HB: Poptart and Achilles, one unidentified.** ### June 1st Stopped and visited sea lions first thing, nice typical first stop. There were a couple of them making big vocalizations. Apparently there was also a sea lion on one of our docks in the morning! Caught up with the T85s in Rosario Strait, there were 4 of them. Throughout the trip they were doing some surface behaviors like showing pectoral fins/ a little tail fluke here and there. Then all of a sudden a big bull breached! It was amazing to witness seeing such a big whale come out of the water, then a smaller one did a couple consecutive breaches too! We think this is because there was another group in the area, the T137s. They swam parallel with each other for a bit but never officially met up with one another. It was such another magnificent day! We stopped at Eliza rocks on the way back to Bellingham bay and saw so so many hauled out harbor seals. **T85 Biggs Pod** **Categories:** Recent Whale Sightings --- ### [Daily Orcas & Big Mama and Her New Calf!](https://whales.com/daily-orcas-big-mama-and-her-new-calf/) **Published:** May 28, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02941-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/daily-orcas-big-mama-and-her-new-calf/dsc02941/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02909-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/daily-orcas-big-mama-and-her-new-calf/dsc02909/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02916-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/daily-orcas-big-mama-and-her-new-calf/dsc02916/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/0b06e38b-8b6f-4d3b-bf95-29bd1e2f46a5-1024x636.jpeg)](https://whales.com/daily-orcas-big-mama-and-her-new-calf/0b06e38b-8b6f-4d3b-bf95-29bd1e2f46a5/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/b52f70a5-83b3-48c2-ac66-13e275c69816-1024x537.jpeg)](https://whales.com/daily-orcas-big-mama-and-her-new-calf/b52f70a5-83b3-48c2-ac66-13e275c69816/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/5bdc8533-27ac-4a58-917e-6c6f4455fb46-1024x643.jpeg)](https://whales.com/daily-orcas-big-mama-and-her-new-calf/5bdc8533-27ac-4a58-917e-6c6f4455fb46/) Top Row: A humpback with Mount Rainier, and T75B’s, both south of Cattle Pass on 5/23. By Lincoln Humphry Bottom Row: Big Mama the humpback and her new 8th calf showing some pectoral fin on 5/25. By Kurt Leipold 5/23 Standard Viti rocks start, with double crested cormorants, glaucous winged gulls, pigeon guillemots and harbor seals. Five sleepy, sunbathing Stellar sea lions cuddling on a channel marker, always cute. We headed inner island through Peavine Pass into Cattle pass, out to the Straight of Juan De Fuca toward some reports. We caught up with the T075Bs with some really good looks at saddle patches, eye patches and their sleek bodies. We were lucky enough to be approached by them going right under us! Hearing their spouts and seeing them under the water was just magical. Once they had cleared out, we headed toward another report. One sleepy humpback just southwest of the orcas with great looks at their powerful spout, traveling steadily eastward. Rounded Lopez through Castle Rock a cool geographic area, into Rosario when captain Jeff spotted us our second humpback of the day! A juvenile heading west towards Lopez Pass, before heading up Bellingham Channel home. 5/24 At the typical first stop at Viti, we saw thermoregulating harbor seals, nesting cormorants, singing pigeon guillemots, and noisy glaucous wing gulls. Of course there were some Stellers on a navigation marker too. A passenger saw the fins of a group of orcas off the east side of Orcas island, which is always fun. They turned out to be the T123s!! We got a couple absolutely spectacular spy hops, and they were milling for a long time. After that we kept traveling north and wound up spending a good portion of our day with Big Mama and her 8th calf! It was such a special experience to get to see them swim together. This was near Saturna island. On our way back home we went past the Patos light house and watched the T123s for a few minutes again before taking Hail Pass home. 5/25 What a day!! We went straight to the West side of San Juan Island where there were reports of Big Mama and her calf. The calf was so so playful when we arrived. Lots of peduncle throws, we got glimpses of its rostrum and pectoral fins. The baby was waving to us!! We also saw it upside down a few times. On the way back we stopped at Viti and saw the nesting birds there. Their were also many harbor porpoise out today! We saw Big Mama and her calf with the Stuart Island Lighthouse and Mt Baker in the background. 5/26 We left the dock in dumping rain conditions. Due to some promising reports we B-lined it through the inner islands. Stopped at Spindle Rock seeing who was out at such a low tide. Surprisingly, no one was hauled out, but got some great looks at the intertidal zone. Crept through Peavine Pass into the heart of the San Juan’s and kept pushing north through Harney Channel. Early morning reports kept looking more and more promising of Biggs orcas pushing East towards Waldron Island. Found a good haul out of harbor seals on White Rock getting a good look at the different coloration of their coats and their silly banana shaped bodies when drying off. Spent at least an hour hanging out with the T100s and T124Ds as they practiced some direction changes. They gave us great looks at their dorsal fins, eye patches and saddle patches. They continued eastward along Waldron. We were lucky enough to hold the whales alone awaiting other PWWA companies to make their way to us. Skies cleared up, the sun came out. Searched and scanned North into the Strait of Georgia wrapping around the north side of Patos Island, down through Hale passage and back into Bellingham Bay. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Two Days of Humpbacks, Two Days of Orcas, Finishing off with Breaching!](https://whales.com/two-days-of-humpbacks-plus-breaching-orcas/) **Published:** May 21, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02781-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02781.jpg) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02840-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02840-scaled.jpg) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02799-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02799.jpg) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02825-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02825.jpg) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02835-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02835.jpg) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/1000001587-1024x747.jpg)](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/1000001587.jpg) First 5: Raptor the Humpback off Saturna Island on 5/17/25 by: Lincoln Humphry Last Photo: A T124A Breaching on 5/19/25 by: Kara Drovdahl May 16th We went North through Hail’s Pass, stopping at Point Migley on Lummi Island to look at hauled out harbor seals. There were so many! North of Lummi we saw three sleepy Steller sea lions on a navigation marker. We searched Alden Bank for a gray whale, as they are commonly seen there this time of year, but soon got reports of two humpbacks close to Point Roberts. The humpbacks were very reliable in how much they were visiting the surface, and were just hanging out in a small area. Their directions were never the same when they surfaced. A very fun day! May 17 We started with visiting our standard harbor seals on Viti Rocks, with a bonus of an eagle on the navigation marker. We soon after came across a large group of harbor porpoise in Boundary Pass. We seeked out reports of Raptor, . off Saturna island. We caught up with him tail fluking, and arching, with some mellow surface activity that indicated feeling feeding. There were two sleepy stellars on Point Migley marker off Lummi on our way home. May 18th Another large group of harbor porpoise in the bay we got to see very early in the cruise. Huge flock of Bonaparte’s gulls off Carter point. Then we got to our standard harbor seals on Viti Rocks. Five Stellar sea lions on the bouy off Sinclair Island. We were headed north over Orcas Island toward Spieden Island. Three Biggs orcas were in Spieden Channel cruising the strong current. They didn’t move position for the whole show! The orcas were: T19 Nootka, a quite tiny female compared to her two male adult kiddos: T19B Galiano, T19C Spouter. May 19th No harbor seals on Viti this time , but we got good looks at a bald eagle. One active Stellar sea lion on the Sinclair buoy. A passenger spotted the whales today! 8ish whales found in Rosario strait next to Lummi. We saw mini T-Party of two pods: T100 & T124a2. Lots of breaching, tail lobs, predation and happy cartwheels. Very active fun day! - T100 Hutchins, T100C Laurel, T100F Estrella - T124a2 Elkugu, T124A2A Agafia, T124A2B Litton **Categories:** Blog, Whale Watching --- ### [All the Species in One Weekend!](https://whales.com/all-the-species/) **Published:** May 14, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02517-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/all-the-species/dsc02517/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02547-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/all-the-species/dsc02547/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02604-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/all-the-species/dsc02604/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02672-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/all-the-species/dsc02672/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC02684-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/all-the-species/dsc02684/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/014e8573-f278-4f0c-b185-90402256df92-1024x541.jpeg)](https://whales.com/all-the-species/014e8573-f278-4f0c-b185-90402256df92/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/a1d2395e-da4a-4835-92cf-9d3cdf904d4f-1024x387.jpeg)](https://whales.com/all-the-species/a1d2395e-da4a-4835-92cf-9d3cdf904d4f/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/07dfa3e1-56f5-4d90-aa6d-e4fa27789f8a-1024x506.jpeg)](https://whales.com/all-the-species/07dfa3e1-56f5-4d90-aa6d-e4fa27789f8a/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/50a9fe46-43dc-41ad-9a9e-aa30e99c1eba-1024x621.jpeg)](https://whales.com/all-the-species/50a9fe46-43dc-41ad-9a9e-aa30e99c1eba/) *First 5 shots are from Saturday May 10th with a gray pair traveling together. PC: Lincoln Humphry* *The last 4 are from Mothers Day Sunday, with the T124A2s and T87. PC: Kurt Leipold* **May 9th** We went through the middle of the Islands, and through Spieden Channel to watch a humpback on the west side of San Juan Island. It was flat, calm, and beautiful on the water. The humpback turned out to be Divot, Big Mama’s first calf she brought to the Salish Sea in 2003. She’s an icon! On our way back, we went down Hail Pass and passengers spotted a gray whale. It was very active and was traveling in a big circle at the top of Hail. Captain Michael angled the boat and timed the surfacing perfectly so we could see this gray right underneath Mount Baker! **May 10th** We started out seeing the classic harbor seals on Eliza rocks, and then spotted Steller sea lions on a navigation marker fighting for a spot. It’s always fun to watch them jockeying for position. They got pretty aggressive. We also got to see two gray whales traveling north in Rosario, with many tail flukes! A rare sight. These grays were very active, giving us reliable tail fluke shots every other surfacing or so. We were also able to identify that one of the gray whales was the one we hung out with yesterday! We saw their tails and dorsal ridge so much we could eventually discover their differences and identify them from one another. It was a unique sighting experience. **May 11th** It was a lovely Mother’s Day with excellent multiple sightings of two different species. First we saw some Biggs by Samish and Guemes Islands. We identified T87 Harbeson with his massive dorsel fin, who was traveling with the T124A2 pod. We got to see a few tail lobs, and some harbor seal hunting. We then saw a humpback by Strawberry and Cypress Islands. It gave us some good flukes, and passed under the boat, which is always wild, but especially with the bigger slower whales. An unreal experience. **May 12th** We watched a Minke on the west side of Lummi, which is an unusual spot for Minkes. Minkes tend to be pretty illusive, and while it only surfaced very quickly, it did surface often, so it was cool to get lots of sightings of this rarer species. There were 4 sea lions on a navigation marker, with one large one hogging the middle. We then went to a report of humpbacks up north in the Strait of Georgia by Patos Island. We ID’d that it was Divot again, a and an unknown friend. We got flukes from Divot as they surfaced together, but the other whale never fluked. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Inaugural Whale Watch Weekend of 2025](https://whales.com/inaugural-whale-watch-weekend-of-2025/) **Published:** May 9, 2025 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2025-05-09-at-2.30.30 PM-1.png)](https://whales.com/inaugural-whale-watch-weekend-of-2025/screenshot-2025-05-09-at-2-30-30-pm-2/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/byZpOWH_-1024x569.jpg)](https://whales.com/inaugural-whale-watch-weekend-of-2025/byzpowh_/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2025-05-09-at-2.29.23 PM-1024x617.png)](https://whales.com/inaugural-whale-watch-weekend-of-2025/screenshot-2025-05-09-at-2-29-23-pm/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/CcM06M7Y-1024x843.jpg)](https://whales.com/inaugural-whale-watch-weekend-of-2025/ccm06m7y/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/tzRnIx3k-1024x720.jpg)](https://whales.com/inaugural-whale-watch-weekend-of-2025/tzrnix3k/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/ttagF4Qy-1024x937.jpg)](https://whales.com/inaugural-whale-watch-weekend-of-2025/ttagf4qy/) Gorgeous Bird Sightings from Kurt Leipold on the 4/27 La Conner Cruise Screenshots of Naturalist Emily’s Videos of Chainsaw and fellow T60’s as well as Schooner the Humpback **All naturalist notes from Emily Lekburg** #### **Friday, May 2nd** Today is the first whale watch of the 2025 season!! We have all been looking forward to hanging out with the whales again. It was an absolutely beautiful day, and we started off by seeing our classic harbor seals and sea lion friends. We had no leads on where our cetacean friends could be, so we decided to head north over Orcas Island and past Patos. We stopped and looked at the lighthouse on Patos Island, and continued into Canada shortly after. We were getting antsy trying to find any sort of sign, but we decided to start our trek back to Bellingham. We made our turn toward home, when only about 15 minutes later Casey slows the boat down and said that he found a group of Orcas!! Everyone was so excited, and we got to watch a couple different family groups. One of them was also the legendary T63 Chainsaw! It turned out to be a fabulous day, with this surprise, and a perfect way to kick off the season! #### **Saturday, May 3rd** Today was another absolutely gorgeous day on the water! We got the lucky opportunity to meet Schooner, a 4 year old humpback whale. Schooner has sustained an injury to their tail, as one fluke is fully severed. This could have been from entanglement or a vessel strike, but their injury has not stopped them! Schooner made the full migration to Hawaii and back to the Salish Sea in just 44 days! Which just shows how resilient these animals can be. The scenario is sad in itself, but I have so much hope for this young whale. After spending quite some time with that humpback, we decided to take a look at the Peapod Islands. We ended up seeing lots of seals, some eagles, as well as some frolicking sea lions! #### **Sunday, May 4th** We had no idea where today would take us, but we started with our Viti Island shuffle (our go to start point) to check out some birds and harbor seals! Pupping season will be starting soon for the harbor seals and I’m looking forward to seeing seal pups. There were also some sea lions taking a snooze on a nearby buoy so we stopped and wished them some sweet dreams as we went on our way. There were reports of some whales north in Canada, but as we got to Boiling Reef we made the call that it wasn’t going to be an option based on weather and our range. It was very chunky up north, and so we had to change our game plan As we were discussing, one of our passengers found a humpback whale!! This was super exciting and always fun when passengers find whales. We got to hang out with that gigantic critter for a long while before we started to head back, when we got a call about a gray whale. Of course we had to make it a double species whale whammy, and went to check it out. It gave us some amazing looks of its dorsal ridge and knuckles. #### **Monday, May 5th** This morning we saw a juvenile and a mature bald eagle on Viti Rocks, along with all of our other resident birds there. Including pigeon guillemots, cormorants, and gulls. We went through the middle of the San Juans today, to change up our route toward a report of a big pod of whales. It is always so pretty and we really could not have asked for better weather. We ended up watching a group of around 15 orcas! It was such an amazing experience. There were some young calves swimming alongside the moms. The water was perfectly calm, so we were able to see amazing detail under the water. This was near Spieden Island, where many sea lions were hauled out on shore. We figured that these orcas must not have been hungry, because they completely ignored harbor porpoise, sea lions, and harbor seals that were swimming around them. It was a great way to end the first week of whale watching this summer. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [That's a Wrap! What a Season.](https://whales.com/thats-a-wrap/) **Published:** October 14, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_6407-1024x768.jpg)](https://whales.com/thats-a-wrap/img_6407/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_6755.jpg)](https://whales.com/thats-a-wrap/img_6755/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_7107-1024x768.jpg)](https://whales.com/thats-a-wrap/img_7107/) Some excellent shots from Jim Bachman on 9/21 and 9/29, our final tour of the season. ### Sept 15 We didn’t see any whales today, but we saw lots of other wildlife. On our way south we got to see lots of harbor porpoise. It was also low tide at Viti, and there were so many harbor seals napping and resting. We got to see the cormorant nests as well. This time of year we see a lot of common mures too. My favorite part of today was looking at whale rocks. There are always so many stellers hauled out, and one was standing very tall on the highest point. There were also some playing in the water! We did a huge circumnavigation of the San Juans in search of whales. South to Hein Bank and north over the top of Sucia, but unfortunately, no luck. ### Sept 17 Today we went North to Skipjack island, where other whale watching vessels informed us that there were two male orcas traveling together. We got to hang out with T49C and T65A5 today. T49c is a 26 year old fully sprouted male who is quite a bit larger than 10 year old T65A5. It was such a treat seeing these two swim together. Seeing lone males is a little uncommon, but definitely not unheard of. Usually males will stick with matriarchs, but sometimes they become independent. We got some great looks at them swimming in front of the Patos Island lighthouse. After leaving the whales, we ventured toward Clements Reef where there were lots of harbor seals and also Steller sea lions! It is always so fun to see the size difference between the two pinniped species. ### Sept 18 We had to go pretty far south today to meet up with Two-Spot the humpback off Dallas Bank. He was giving us good looks with pretty consistent surfacing for around 30 minutes. Then his behavior changed and he popped up within 100 yards angling toward the boat, so we shut off our engines, and waited to see what he was going to do. He went under the boat and came up right along side us, so close that we were able to see him under the water! It was amazing. On the way back we also got some looks at some Dall’s porpoises south of Lopez. ### Sept 19 We headed through the middle of the islands today to start our search. At Shaw, Cptn Cassidy decided to head north where the fog was reported to clear up. Not long after we started north to continue our search passengers spotted a humpback near Flattop Island. We believe it was a juvenile we’ve been seeing all summer. The humpback gave us great looks with really consistent surfacings, and even popped right next to our bow once, forcing us to go into neutral, and let him pass through. Always thrilling. ### Sept 20 We had plenty of time today to stop by Viti Rocks and check out the harbor seals, and the buoys nearby where we saw sea lions as well. Ferry passengers had reported 6 orcas in Upright Passage, so we didn’t have to go far before we met up with the T60 brothers D & E, and the T137s. We got to spend almost 2 hours with them as they traveled up into the East Sound of Orcas Island. We got really good looks at all 6 of the orcas and passengers were excited to find whales so early in the day. ### Sept 21 We knew exactly where we were going as soon as we left the dock today. The whales were basically in our backyard! We spent a lot of time with the T49As today. One of the males, T49A1 or Noah, was hanging around a rock pile with some harbor seals around it. He was engaging in hunting behavior, and gave us one really neat spy hop. We couldn’t tell if he was successful in his hunt, but he ended up moving south, away from the rest of his family, T49A1 is known for traveling separately from others in his pod. Nonetheless, after hanging out with him, we went through Peavine Pass where we saw the rest of his family! There is a calf in this family who is just a couple years old and he is loved by the community. His name is Charlie II, and he has a very cute underbite! ### Sept 22 The encounters we had today were amazing. We were heading north on a whim, but we lucked out when another whale watching boat picked up a T-Party meet up of Transient Orcas near the Belle Chain Islets north of the San Juans across the border into Canada. There were 23 whales total and they were showing all sorts of behaviors! Lots of breaches, backward flips, tails, spy hops, etc. It was just an amazing interaction to witness. At one point, It looked like they were all swimming on top of each other. They were really enjoying each others company, we even got a close pass from chainsaw (T63) himself. There were whales from multiple different family groups like the T35s, T36As, T36s, T65s, T63s, and the T137s. I could have watched them all day. There were multiple simultaneous spy hops and sideways swimming. Something I will never forget! It was also my first time seeing the famous Chainsaw with his notches out of the dorsal fin. ### Sept 25 Despite the all day downpour, we had a great day watching T49C off of Shaw Island. After a couple days of no luck with whales, it was especially exciting to get some breaches and tail slaps from him as we got on scene. We got to spend around an hour with him as he cruised the shoreline of Shaw. In the rain and fog we were still able to get good looks and the lighting really made the shoreline scenery pop. A great day for my last whale watch of the season. On the way back, we found a group of around 50 porpoises that mostly looked like harbor, but may have been Dall’s hybrids. Cptn Michael got them to play in our wake, which was incredible to witness. Porpoises almost never engage with us. What a great finale. ### Sept 28 We booked it south to the west of Hein bank. There were reports from earlier in the day, but it was a long haul to get there. Even though we had a long trip down, it was so beautiful. We stopped to see sea lions, harbor seals, and porpoises. We hung out with the T46Bs for an hour and saw the new calf! It still has some orange and even gave us a sassy tail wave. It is amazing to see the size difference of a newborn to the matriarch. Then on the way back we got to see Castle Rock, and squeezed through a tight passage, and drove past the Burrows Island Lighthouse. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Plenty of Pods of Transients & A Lucky Ferry](https://whales.com/lucky-ferry/) **Published:** September 19, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC01367-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lucky-ferry/dsc01367/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC01308-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lucky-ferry/dsc01308/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC01363-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lucky-ferry/dsc01363/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC01426-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lucky-ferry/dsc01426/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC01290-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/orcas-and-humpbacks-all-week-some-in-the-same-day/dsc01290/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC01448-2-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lucky-ferry/dsc01448-2/) We lucked out with some amazing action from the T37’s on Sept 12. ### Sept 8 We rushed the middle of the islands for an early report of orcas heading south from Friday Harbor. The hope was to catch them before they headed into rough seas in the strait. When we arrived, we lucked out with them switching direction and heading east right towards us! The T19s and T49As were in a resting and traveling pattern off and on for a large portion of our viewing. Right at the very end, they caught a harbor porpoise and celebrated under our boat! With our engines off, we watched them tail slap and gather together off our stern while they finished their meal. T019 – Esperanza T019B – Galana T019C – Spouter T049A – Nan T049A3 – Nat T049A4 – Neptune T049A5 – Nebula T049A6 – Charle Chin ### Sept 9 Incredibly quiet and peaceful day on the water today. The water was glass calm and the overcast weather added to a cozy quiet effect as we found ourselves out on Rosario Strait with no other boats in sight. We had our standard stops at Viti and the Sinclair buoy for harbor seals and steller sea lions and then decided to head north to stay out of the fog, Cptn Cassidy made the right call, because the T35As were picked up at Clements Reef near Sucia. The T35As were a little squirrely to watch when we first got on scene, with a lot of spread and direction changes. They eventually settled into a northwest travel and we were able to see them for a pretty long time! T035A – Lester T35A3 – Garnet T35A1 – Opal T35A4 – 2022 Calf T35A2 – Topaz ### Sept 12 We had a jam packed day today! Holy cow! We Started traveling with a group of whales in Guemes Channel, 10 of them to be exact. This group had the T101’s, T100’s, and T37As. At first they were just traveling, but then their behavior changed drastically. It started with an amazing spyhop, then it just amplified from there, with breaches, tail waves, Peduncle throws, and swimming on their backs!! It was just magnificent. Once we left this group, we headed south towards Bird Rocks, and we met up with another 13 whales! This group included the 137s, T36S, T124As, and T124s. We hung out with these guys and got to get up close to a few that were curious about our boat. On our way home we also got a few good looks at a humpback! It was really the icing on the cake. We had so many whales, so close to home. Twas a great day! ### Sept 14 As soon as we left the dock today, we knew we were making a long-haul south. It took us a couple hours to get there, but we ended up in Admiralty Inlet with the T46s, and T65As. When we got on scene, the whales were surfing the wake of a container ship. The T46s have two males that are very easy to tell apart because of their dorsal fins. One of the brothers, Thor, kept giving us really good looks at his face and eye patches. Strider is also fun, because he has very distinct notches at the top of his dorsel. These whales got curious about our boat and made a close pass. We were able to see all their nicks and notches with the naked eye! They also passed by 3 large stellers on a navigation marker, but decided that they didn’t want to make them an afternoon meal. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Orcas and Humpbacks All Week, Some in the Same Day!](https://whales.com/orcas-and-humpbacks-all-week-some-in-the-same-day/) **Published:** September 12, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** ### Sept 1 Today was a great day. We decided to go see the T36B’s and T137s and it’s a good thing as we got to see the T36B baby still orange. The calf was born this year. And was very playful. We saw it jump out of the water multiple times! All the whales were super active for the whole hour we were with them. Jack T137A gave us a lot of pectoral slaps and some breaches. Everyone was tail slapping, rolling and jumping. An amazing show! ### Sept 2 We saw seals and sea lions on our way to meeting up with T49A1 &T65A5 on the east side of Sucia. We followed the boys on a lap around Sucia ending up at Clemens Reef where they came by with really close passes. We got great looks at their eyes and dorsals. The pair turned north and we followed them for a bit while they zig zagged. We ended up getting a few more close pass looks before having to head back. ### Sept 3 We had to go pretty far today, and headed down south of Smith Island to catch up with reports of the T36’s today. We booked it down to them so we could spend our full hour with them. We ended up scoring good looks at the whole pod, including the baby calf. We saw a ton of sea lions at Whale Rocks on our way back too. ### Sept 4 We got to see a humpback today for the first time in a while. It was near Saturna Island, out in Canada so we had to cover a lot of ground to get to it. But we still managed to have an hour with the whale. We weren’t able to identify it, even though we got some decent looks at its fluke. We suspected it to be a juvenile we don’t have in our records. He was surfacing pretty regularly, and so we got decent looks. He eventually came up close enough times, we had to go into neutral and wait for him to head out. On the way back we saw sea lions at Clemens Reef, and harbor seals at Migley Point. ### Sept 5 Today was a great day! We started with Viti Rocks where the tide was really low. Tons of harbor seal friends. We then went down Bellingham Channel and viewed the Burrows Island Lighthouse. From there we went west to hangout with the T18s near Bird Rocks, The T18s are known for having two large males born to T19. T18 herself was not with them. T19B is Galiano, a huge male with a left leaning dorsal fin and a notch. His brother, T18C Spouter, is younger and has a wavy dorsal fin. The two males were swimming together mostly but eventually caught back up with mom. It was super interesting to see the size difference between the males and mom. ### Sept 6 We saw lots of sleepy harbor seals and cormorants in their nests on Viti. We also made a pit stop to a navigation marker to hangout with some Stellers. There were 4 on and one trying to make its way up. We made our way south down Rosario, and slowed down to squeeze between the beautiful Castle rock and the south end of Lopez Island. From there, we continued south until we met up with two humpbacks. They were identified to be “Allusion” and “Megé”. Their tail flukes were very different and it was fun to compare. Megé has a very white fluke, while Allusion hosts a pretty dark one. They were hanging out pretty close to the surface, so we could see their “footprint” even when they were traveling underwater. It was so pleasant out on the water and got to see lots of good wildlife! ### Sept 7 We started off today with an early whale sighting right of Viti Rocks! BCY 1072 Nalu did many shallow lunges with lots of looks at her tail. We didn’t stay for long though, because there were already early reports of orcas nearby too. We moved on to the Wasp Islands to watch three male orcas: T60D&E, The bachelor orca group moved into Deer Harbor amongst a lot of boats for some difficult viewing, but for some interesting juxtaposition with people on paddleboards. The male group cruised right under the paddlers and gave them a bit of a surprise. It really showed their massive size difference compared to humans. We watched them as they left the Orcas Island shoreline towards Waldron Island, before we had to head home. It was a lovely double whale day, with a lot of harbor porpoise activity as well. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Another T-Party and lots of Other Orca Sightings!](https://whales.com/another-t-party-and-lots-of-other-orca-sightings/) **Published:** September 5, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/2T6A0617-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/another-t-party-and-lots-of-other-orca-sightings/2t6a0617/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/2T6A1605-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/another-t-party-and-lots-of-other-orca-sightings/2t6a1605/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/2T6A1631-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/another-t-party-and-lots-of-other-orca-sightings/2t6a1631/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_0714-2-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/another-t-party-and-lots-of-other-orca-sightings/dsc_0714-2/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_0420-1024x437.jpg)](https://whales.com/another-t-party-and-lots-of-other-orca-sightings/dsc_0420/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_0761-1024x667.jpg)](https://whales.com/another-t-party-and-lots-of-other-orca-sightings/dsc_0761/) Top Row: Leo Soloman’s photos from the 8/27/24 transient orca T-Party. Bottom Row: Kurt Leipold’s shots of humpbacks Valiant and Scuttle on 8/25/24. ### Aug 25 What. A. Day. We started off watching the T75Bs, who were heading north in San Juan Channel. They were swimming close together, giving glimpses of their eye patches and saddle patches. When we were leaving scene today, there was a sea lion snacking on what looked like an octopus. On our journey home today, we got the opportunity to see some humpbacks. They were doing such unique behaviors! They were making sounds that I have never heard before. They were showing their full faces out of the water. Along with tail flukes, rolling, and pectoral fin waves. Very rare for humpbacks. It was absolutely spectacular! The humpbacks were identified to be Valiant and Scuttle. ### Aug 26 We had to book it out to Haro Strait today, where the T60 brothers and T75B’s had been spotted. As we got there the brothers were splitting off from the 75B’s, so we followed 60D&E. They were traveling through some smaller islands west of Sidney with long downtimes, but we got some good looks. The brothers kept heading north, but we were able to meet back up with the 75B’s for a few minutes before we had to head back. We got to see the calf porpoising though! It was a pretty rainy ride back to Bellingham. ### Aug 27 We went through Hale’s Pass and came around the tip of Lummi to some boats with the T36B’s and T137A & D. They were squirrely at first, but eventually came up close to the boat, and we got great looks at the 36B’s orange-fresh baby! After a stint with them a bunch of other whales showed up for a full on T-Party. The T19’s and T49A’s were there, along with others. Everywhere you looked there were whales popping. One whale breached 10 times in a row, it was amazing! Lots of play behavior with whales everywhere. ### Aug 28 We headed over to Sidney Island today to meet up with the T49A’s. It seemed like they were eating a fresh catch when we found them. They were circling, staying close to the surface. Then the younger ones got excited: we saw some tail slapping, a spy hop, and a breach! Then the whales started circling a smaller island. We got some great close looks before we had to leave. On our way home we saw some sea lions playing King of the Hill on a navigational marker. ### Aug 29 Today was an excellent day on the water! Incredibly smooth, with the sun shining, we headed west towards Spieden for favorable reports of whales. We made a quick early stop at Viti rocks to look at harbor seals this morning, and saw several harbor porpoise by the Cone Islands. We cruised through the middle to get to the T49As between Cactus Island and Spieden island. There was a bit of porpoising behavior for them when we arrived on scene but then they went on a deep dive. When they finally showed their faces again, they popped up right in front of the boat! We got amazing looks of them surfacing together while we were in neutral. On our way home, we got a humpback report in President’s Channel by Waldron Island. We slowed down as we saw some surface blows from a distance, but then he went for a deep dive. The next surfacing startled us all, with a bit of whale spit right next to the boat. ### Aug 30 We started the day at Eliza Rocks to view some of our harbor seal friends. There were many taking naps on the shoreline. We went through the middle of the islands to search for whales, but there was no such luck. One of our fellow whale watching boats made a report of two orcas near Discovery Island. It was definitely a stretch for us, but we got to see T60E and T60D, the two brothers that often travel together, separate from their pod. We have seen the rest of their family earlier this season, so it was fun being able to see these two, and their massive dorsels. ### Aug 31 Started with Viti Rocks with lots of harbor seals. Headed south in Rosario to meet up with the T19s (no T18), but detoured to look at the Deception Pass Bridge to let everyone have lunch. We caught up with the whales at Kellet Ledge off the east coast of Lopez Island as they headed north. We went through the pass between James & Decatur Islands following them. Then they started booking it north, and we followed all the way to Peapods. In Rosario we got some great views of all three surfacing together with Baker in the background. We hadn’t seen this family in several years and was reminded how much fun they are. Galiano & Sprouter are just so big! We stopped for napping sea lions on the Boulder Reef can on our way home, too. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [So many pods! T49A's twice, and the tail end of T-Party!](https://whales.com/t49as-and-the-tail-end-of-t-party/) **Published:** August 30, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-08-30-160052.jpg)](https://whales.com/t49as-and-the-tail-end-of-t-party/screenshot-2024-08-30-160052/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-08-30-155818.jpg)](https://whales.com/t49as-and-the-tail-end-of-t-party/screenshot-2024-08-30-155818/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-08-30-160016.jpg)](https://whales.com/t49as-and-the-tail-end-of-t-party/screenshot-2024-08-30-160016/) Shots from Helen Nickerson on 8/18/24 of the T49A’s near Waldron Island ### Aug 18 Rough reports today after our out of season August rain storm, with a lot of fog in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Haro Strait. These are usually easy locations for us to get early whale sightings. Today was a late day to find orcas, we went through the middle islands and got a lot of great moody foggy views of islands and the normal seals and sea lion sightings. We cruised by Spieden today and were lucky to see 50+ Japanese Sika deer all over the shoreline! We traveled up to East Point in the hopes of finding a baleen whale before we finally got a shore report from Waldron for the T49A’s. We turned quickly and were able to spend around a half hour watching them surface, with a few glimpses of tails. T49A’s: Nam, Nat, Neptune, Nebula, 2022 calf. ### Aug 19 We were headed to go through the islands to search for reported for possible minkes, because there were no other reports, when we spotted dorsals and spouts off of Cypress. Capt Cassidy turned the boat around and we started scanning and found four orcas! As other boats came on scene they helped identify them as the T75B’s. We spent around 1.5 hours with the whales as they milled around then headed toward Pea Pod Rocks. We headed for Sucia Island, then on our way home, we stopped back by the T75B’s for another 20 minutes. Right as we were about to leave the whales came in close, so we had to cut the engines and wait them out, which of course we are happy to do. Of course we ended up getting great looks. ### Aug 20 We headed up to Sucia to join up with a T-party report! They were starting to split up upon our arrival, and we ended up following the T49A’s. Which was a good choice as we got to see what looked like them celebrating a hunt, including a breach and two spy hops! We spent our hour with them, then left to backtrack and join up with the other two pods from the T-party. We got 30 minutes with the 37A’s and 75B’s. We stopped by Clemens Reef before heading back to Bellingham and got to see seals and sealions. ### Aug 21 We really pushed our range today and headed straight for Port Townsend to see the T99’s. We got there just in time to see them celebrating a harbor porpoise catch. We got to see lots of splashing and tail slaps as well as a double spy hop! A very rare happening. It was a great show, and worth the trip. We got to spend an hour with them and still had time to stop for seals and sea lions. ### Aug 22 We decided to go south today – for no particular reason but I’m so glad we did! We ended up seeing the T60s today. At first their behavior was just traveling, but we think they quickly snagged a meal with one quick movement. They started immediately showing more surface activity, like waving their tail flukes and one started swimming on its back! We even had the lucky chance to see not only one, but two spy hops! After making a turn during their deep dive, they popped up close to the boat and we had to shut off engines. They hung out right at the stern for a while which is always an amazing treat. On our way back we also got to see a Minke baleen whale. It was feeding in pretty shallow water and was sticking Its head out of the water too which is not super common. ### Aug 24 Rain was pouring this morning, with low visibility, so we briefly stopped at Viti and the buoy there to look at our local pinnipeds. We had goals to travel through the middle today, but got a very timely report of orcas by North Pender Island. Changing our direction north allowed us to find blue skies! It was a long journey northwest, but became a great day on the water. The orcas were hugging the shoreline at North Pender when we arrived but were quickly traveling southeast to a better place far away to watch them. They started tail slapping, proposing and did many headstands, with a lot of surface activity overall. As we started to leave, the T099s gave a few spy hops to check us out! Very active and lovely day overall. T137s – Loon & Jack T99s- Bella & Barakat Possibly joined by T36B’s and T65A’s as we left. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Lots of T60's and some T49's](https://whales.com/lots-of-t60s-and-some-t49s/) **Published:** August 22, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC01112-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-t60s-and-some-t49s/dsc01112/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC01163-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-t60s-and-some-t49s/dsc01163/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC01134-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/lots-of-t60s-and-some-t49s/dsc01134/) The T60’s cruising past Anacortes back toward Bellingham with us. 8/12/24 ### Aug 11 Sealions gave us a pretty good show this morning. They were all trying to get up onto the marker, but also taking turns and playing in the water. We saw a few surfacings of a lone female (T002B). Lone females are super rare, so it was a fun to see. She seemed like she wanted to be alone though, so we left and caught up with the T60’s. They are a group of 4 that T002B tends to travel with often. We got to see some pretty good looks at the first born male, Yelnats. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen this group too. ### Aug 12 We went down to Deception Pass where we found 4 of the T60’s (T60, T60C, T60F, T60G). Pretty soon after we joined them, they started hunting a harbor porpoise! We were able to see the porpoise’s dorsal as they were chasing it. There were a lot of quick movements, and then they went back to traveling before stopping to eat underwater and giving us a spy hop. We got to stay with them and follow the whales for about 2 hours. Right at the end they came up real close to the boat, and we had to wait them out. They were circling and moving quickly, as if they were likely hunting again. ### Aug 13 Today we saw an oyster catcher on Viti Rocks, who was nibbling on some invertebrates. They are one of my favorite birds so it was cool to see! Then we made our way through the middle of the islands toward San Juan Channel. We caught up with the T60’s at the very tip of San Juan Island. They were surfacing in a very tight close knit line and moving pretty slowly. I was suspecting that they might be asleep. They were still showing us great vIews of their eyepatches and saddle patches. It was an overcast day and the color saturation was absolutely gorgeous. The black and white was showing up so well with the rock and evergreen tree backdrop. ### Aug 14 We started off with seals at Viti and then some very exciting sea lions at a buoy, there were 6 in the water doing acrobatics and two defending the buoy. Then we went north for a big search. Towards the end of the day there was a report of two humpbacks near Waldron, so we booked it over there and found Divot and her 2024 calf. It was exciting for me, because I saw them on my very first day with SJC. The two were surfacing together, but split up for a bit while the calf rolled around and waved their pectorals at us. The two reunited for a few more surfacings before we headed back to Bellingham. ### Aug 15 We went through the middle of the islands, heading west of San Juan to find the T49A’s. We followed them up into Mosquito Pass off San Juan Island. They were hunting in super shallow waters, about 6 feet deep so wer were able to see a lot of activity. They went into a little cove that we couldn’t follow into, so we headed over to catch a few surfacings with a humpback before heading home. ### Aug 16 We saw the T49A’s on the west side of San Juan again today. We saw some seals and sea lions on our way and met up with the T49A’s in Haro Strait. They were active and excited when we got there, with lot of spalshing and even a spy hop! Then the T60D & E brothers joined the T49A’s coming close enough to the boat for us to have to go idle. The two pods kept separating and meeting back up during our hour with them, which made the interaction especially interesting. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [All four species of whales, with humpbacks breaching a few times!](https://whales.com/all-four-speices/) **Published:** August 15, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_9548-2-1024x801.jpg)](https://whales.com/all-four-speices/dsc_9548-2/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_9326-2-1024x1024.jpg)](https://whales.com/all-four-speices/dsc_9326-2/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_9549-2-1024x509.jpg)](https://whales.com/all-four-speices/dsc_9549-2/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_9679-2-1024x602.jpg)](https://whales.com/all-four-speices/dsc_9679-2/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_9577-2-1024x799.jpg)](https://whales.com/all-four-speices/dsc_9577-2/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_9765-2-1024x418.jpg)](https://whales.com/all-four-speices/dsc_9765-2/) ### Aug 4 We made the quick pit stop at Viti Rocks to look at a variety of bird species and harbor seals. Soon after, we went towards Sinclair to look for a humpback that was lost about 20 minutes before. We ended up spotting it going north by Sinclair, and it turns out when we got closer, it was a gray whale! It was one of the smallest baleen whale we have ever seen. It was so cute! It tail fluked almost every time it surfaced, and we got to even see It underwater. It has some white on the top of its tail that flashed through the water. ### Aug 5 Today we saw lots of harbor seals on Viti Rocks, along with a few pups! Some of them looked real high upon the shoreline, we made our way to a navigation marker with 3 or 4 stellers, sleeping away. There were reports of a couple humpbacks as they were coming north near deception pass. They were large humpbacks, one was named Thunderbolt and one was just about 2 years old. They made two really close passes where we got to really see how large these animals are. It was amazing seeing their blowholes open and close up close, and close up tail fluke. Incredible sighting overall. ### Aug 6 We made some classic stops at Viti and the Sinclair navigation markers for sea lions. Very sleepy pinnipeds today. Then we made our way North in search of some humpbacks, but then we got a call from another boat that there were some orcas! So we made a quick turn to search for that report. It took us about 15 minutes to find them. It turns out that they were the T137s. These guys were in Johnstone strait on only Sunday! 230 miles in 2 days! These guys are my favorite group to watch. We caught up with them near Bennet Bay in Canada. ### Aug 7 We braved our way through the fog today, up North towards Active Pass and the Strait of Georgia. The fog cleared up for us nicely and we were able to see some Steller Sea Lions jumping up on the navigational marker at Pt. Migley on Lummi. As we approached the scene up north, the humpback we were coming to watch started breaching and pectoral slapping! Over and over again, we got some great looks at the whole animal as we approached the scene. The humpback settled into a feeding pattern shortly after we arrived, and we got many great waves from the tail flukes which allowed us to easily identify the whale as Yogi – BCY0409 On the way back home we saw a Dalls Porpoise! It was our first time watching them, so I was very excited to see these porpoises behave just a bit differently to our standard harbor porpoise sightings. Overall, a lovely active day. ### Aug 8 Smooth waters today as we made our way to Eliza Rocks this morning to look at harbor seals. The skies were clear, so we were able to scan up the strait before heading through the middle of the islands for the day’s whale search. We stopped to look at Steller sea lions at Whale Rocks just before entering the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We were able to spot a Minke whale on a remnant bait ball. We even saw part of the Minke’s baleen as it came to the surface to scoop for fish. On our way back north, we stopped by Castle Rock off of Lopez Island and were able to see some rare birds. Captain Michael spotted a pair of Ancient Murclets that we watched as we cruised through the narrow passage. We also saw a harbor seal pup nursing with mom. ### Aug 9 We stopped at Migley Point to see a big group of harbor seals and then swung by a buoy with four sea lions on it, as well as another one trying to join. Then we headed straight up north to some humpback sightings, near Active Pass over the Canadian border. We just barely spotted them with the help of a passenger. The whales were being pretty erratic, going in circles and popping up very sporadically. We got lucky and one of the whales popped up quite close to the boat and surfaced for 4-6 breaths. We were able to hear several exhalations! Then after the close one dove, we lost them. ### Aug 10 As we were making our way over the top of Sinclair Island this morning, we watched a couple of sea lions splashing around a navigation marker. There were three in the water and 1 trying to sleep. As soon as we got close enough to see the 2 humpbacks; there were two breaches. They continued to swim on their backs, slap and wave their pectoral fins, and they did a couple of peduncle throws! We really got to see the size of the massive humpbacks. When they were showing us their pectoral fins, we got to see barnacles on them and they were also showing their ventral grooves. They were quite active the entire time we were with them. We were very lucky to have been able to see something so spectacular! **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Minkes and Humpacks Appear more often as Summer Caries On](https://whales.com/minkes-and-humpacks-appear-more-often-as-summer-caries-on/) **Published:** August 9, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_9109-1024x599.jpg)](https://whales.com/minkes-and-humpacks-appear-more-often-as-summer-caries-on/dsc_9109/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_9014-1024x542.jpg)](https://whales.com/minkes-and-humpacks-appear-more-often-as-summer-caries-on/dsc_9014/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_9148-1024x650.jpg)](https://whales.com/minkes-and-humpacks-appear-more-often-as-summer-caries-on/dsc_9148/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_9188-2-1024x699.jpg)](https://whales.com/minkes-and-humpacks-appear-more-often-as-summer-caries-on/dsc_9188-2/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_9154-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/minkes-and-humpacks-appear-more-often-as-summer-caries-on/dsc_9154/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_9223-1024x742.jpg)](https://whales.com/minkes-and-humpacks-appear-more-often-as-summer-caries-on/dsc_9223/) Kurt Leipold capturing humpback Uluka on 7/28/24 ### July 28 Today was a long run out to the Strait of Juan de Fuca to see if we could spot a humpback that was last reported by a PWWA vessel 30 mins before we arrived. We found the whale already 5 miles from its last known location. Pretty speedy for a humpback. BCX1702 – Uluka gave us great views of its tail fluke, fluking for every surfacing. We were able to get a great overall idea of the whale’s size due to the continual high surface arching dives it was doing. Uluka is an interesting humpback in that we do not know its current breeding grounds. The whale was first seen in 2015 here in the Salish sea, but has been documented in Maui or Baja California. On the way home, we stopped by the Peapods for harbor seals and the Sinclair navigational marker to see steller sea lions actively kicking each other off the can. ### July 29 Today’s whale watch took us down to Green Point off Anacortes for a humpback whale. The humpback was busy doing wide circles between Anacortes and James Island, combing the area for feeding. We lost the whale for a short bit, until it popped up behind us in the distance, doing a lot of tail slapping and also a cartwheel! We cruised up to meet up with it again and got to see it give us many good tail flukes. The humpback has only been reported once before, so it is exciting to have a whale new to the area! BCX 2204 ### July 30 Today started out with no sightings, but we were optimistic! We ended up seeing a lone male near Crane Island. It was such a treat! He was identified to be T65A2, Indy, who travels alone. He is also known to be a very playful individual with a big personality and we definitely witnessed that. The entire time we were with him, he was playing with a crab pot, and boy did he move it far. We would see the crab pot buoys act as a bobber. ie: when he would pull on it, it would disappear beneath the surface. It was fun to watch. We also got to see a lot of seals, sea lions, and porpoise. Also, Indy showed us his tail a few times and a breach!! ### July 31 We started on our way with Eliza Rock where we saw some harbor seals. Then we made our way south and ended up watching a minke whale at Salmon Bank. He was giving us some great looks at his dorsal fin and back. We also got to hear it breathe! This was my first time this year watching a Minke! Then we traveled up the west side of San Juan Island where we saw three humpbacks! We rarely see more than one, so this was a special sight. They were showing us awesome tail flukes high in the air. There was also a mom and calf. Beautiful day on the water! We also saw a lot of very large Steller sea lions hauled out rocks as they do. ### Aug 1 We started our trip going north up Hale Passage to see harbor seals at Pt Migley. We also saw three Steller sea Lions on a buoy at North Lummi We continued north toward East Point in search of humpbacks. There had been reports of one near Active Pass hours before that we were hoping to find. The whale watch fleet hadn’t had much luck yet for the day. We spotted blows just northwest of Saturna Island that Cpt Matt took us over to check out. The animals were small and took us a minute to be sure, but we had two young humpback whales! They gave us many surfacings where they came up together and also tail fluked together! BCZ 0503 – Harpy and Neowise 2020 ### Aug 2 We started with some seals and Viti and then some sea lions on a buoy. We made our way through the middle of the islands before heading south out through Cattle Pass where we met up with a Minke. The minke was being pretty illusive, circling around the bank, and coming up for short, quick breaths in different places and directions each time. So it was tough to follow and spot the whale, but we did get several surfacings, so most folks got to see them briefly at least once, and were pretty happy. We gave out bummer cards, since we only had the one illusive sighting, and all the passengers were very excited to come back. ### Aug 3 We started with the classic stops at Viti and a Sinclair buoy tor seals and sea lions. We headed for the middle island search route for an hours-old report of Indy, T65A5. About ten minutes after we’d gone through Peavine Pass we turned back around, because Peniel, the whale watching sailboat, picked up five orcas just on the other side of the pass. It was pretty foggy in Rosario, which is why no one else found them. We stayed with them as they traveled from Peavine up to Pt. Lawrence, hugging the Orcas Island shore. Nothing too crazy, but we did get close passes on our first few looks. And it was a whale salad – T172, two of the T117’s, and two T36As. People were very happy even with no naturalist – Cpt Cassidy narrated the wildlife which deckhand Quincy did a great job mingling at the helm while we watched whales. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Far and Near, Whales Abound!](https://whales.com/far-and-near-whales-abound/) **Published:** July 31, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** ### July 21 We went real far east today to Swanson Channel south of Pender Island in Canada today. We were watching the T46Bs again today, a lot farther than we saw them yesterday. We got some great looks at their eye patches and the lighting was perfect to see their spouts. On the way, we stopped and watched some steller sea lions sleeping, one was using another as a pillow, very adorable. ### July 22 We searched all over today going around the North end of Orcas and up to Saturna Island in Canada with no luck finding whales. We did see lots of seals and sea lions during our search. Then near the end of the day off Sinclair Island we spotted the T109A2’s and T65’s! We got to spend around 45 minutes with them, and saw a little bit of surface activity. It looked lille they had caught something and were passing it around. We got great looking at some eye and saddle patches. ### July 23 The T109A2s were spotted first thing this morning down by Castle Rock off Lopez Island. With that destination in mind, we stopped briefly at Viti rocks, before making our way down Bellingham channel. We came on scene with the T109A2s playing in the Kelp near Castle Rock, So many tail Slaps, peduncle throws, cartwheels and breaches! This pod have been major show stoppers for us this season. As we were watching the orcas, we surprisingly got a humpback that came within a half mile as well. This was a small whale, that unfortunately is missing his entire tail fluke. We saw the humpback make a few quick surfaces near the orcas, but no behavior changes for either. The humpback changed direction and we stayed with the T1O9A2s. We watched them continue with heavy play in the Kelp beds for about an hour. We took the inner islands route back home and stopped at Whale Rocks where we saw several larger stellers fighting for marker space as always. Great day! ### July 24 Orcas were spotted nearer by in Rosario this morning, so we got to make quite a few stops. We saw a lot of harbor seals at Viti Rock and Eliza rocks, along with some pups! Then we made our way to some sea lions on a marker. Also over to Pea Pod where we saw a few bald eagles, and one even had a fish in its talons! We caught up with the whales right outside of Peavine pass, and they went down Obstruction pass. They made a pretty close pass underneath the boat, and so we killed the engines and drifted and watched. There were 7 whales total and one of them did an impressive high speed lunge out of the water. It was a lovely hour with these whales! ### July 25 We started our search through the middle of the San Juans. We saw lots of seals and sea lions fighting for a spot on a marker. Around 1pm we heard about a humpback just south of Active Pass, so we turned North and booked it up there. We got about 30 minutes with the humpback, and ID’d him as Gibbous. He gave us lots of surfacing with only 1-4 minute down times, showing us flukes every time! ### July 26 We headed down through Bellingham Channel & Rosario Strait to the very south side of the Islands. We were able to see the T75B’s for 45 minutes. They were doing a lot of zig zags, and right as Cpt Michael announced we’d have to turn back after the next surfacing, the whales popped up 50 yards from the boat! We saw lots of close surfacing, and the whole pod swam alongside the boat. Passengers said they could see eyes, and blowholes under the water! July 27 Early reports of orcas were a bit sketchy until they decided on a direction. We made our way up Hale passage first thing this morning to look at steller’s and search for baleen whales. Orca reports turned favorable and we managed to catch up with the TO34s, and T037! The calf of T34 was porpoising and did a few cartwheels, while Pizzafin was busy tail slapping. As we watched these whales spread out and come back together over and over, we saw them make a quick kill and meal share, as they started to pick up speed and had to leave the scene. T034 – Grace TO34A – Pachamama T034B – Sonder T037- Pizzafin TO37B-Harald TO37B1 – Lance T34A1- Calf **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Interesting Activity from Several Orca Sightings](https://whales.com/interesting-activity-from-several-orca-sightings/) **Published:** July 25, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/20240716_133932-scaled.jpg)](https://whales.com/interesting-activity-from-several-orca-sightings/20240716_133932/) A shot from Laurie Russel on 7/16/24 ### July 14 We came upon three pods this day! The T49A’s were at Friday Harbor, and on the way back we saw the T75B’s and T77’s at Blakely Shoal. ### July 16 We started off with seals at Viti Rocks and then quite the show from some sea lions fighting for a spot on a buoy. We headed out toward Sucia where we saw to T37A’s and T65B1’s who joined and hung out with the 37A’s for a bit. Right away we saw a breach which is always exciting. They put on quite the show with 3-4 more breaches, lots of tails slaps, rolls, and pectoral waving, as well as a few spy hops. They seemed to have caught something and were eating and celebrating together. We spent over an hour with them, exhibiting their behaviors the whole hour! We even saw a unique headstand behavior where one whale just kept sitting still with their tail straight up out of the water. ### July 17 We saw more really interesting behavior today! We headed straight out to Active Pass in Canadian waters to see the T65B’s As soon as we got on scene, they were very active and it looked like Birdsall and a calf named Nettle were playing while Chunk and the newer calf hung back. There was lots of rolling, tail slapping, and a breach. Then it seemed like Birdsall was trying to mate with Nettle for around an hour. Captain Casey had seen this exact behavior from these whales last year. We go to hear the whales vocalize above the surface 3-5 times and the calf was very playful with mom, jumping a lot with a few full breaches and spy hops. We got a great show with very interesting behavior. ### July 18 The only reports today were in Canada. We stopped at Viti to see a few different bird species and seals. Then we saw three sea lions on a navigation marker. We went over the north end of Orcas Island and came through Johns pass, where there was a boat that lost power. We offered to help, but they decided to anchor. We caught up to the T109’s at Mandarte Island in Canadian waters and they immediately started hunting. Lots of rolling, tails, fast lunging, etc. They circumnavigated the island and we saw some kelping. After that, they were in travel Mode. ### July 19 We headed straight up the Strait of Georgia toward a report of 8 Biggs. We got up there around 12:45 right when the group was splitting up, but were able to spend an hour with 6 whales from three different pods: the T75B’s, T77C, and T77 D’s. They were surfacing all together for a few breaths pretty consistently and then had fairly long downtimes, around 4-5 minutes. ### July 20 We expected a tough search today, but we lucked out and the T46B’s popped up right off Vendovi almost as soon as we arrived. They gave us a great show, and we stayed with them for around an hour and got to see some headstands and a spy hop. We left for lunch, planning to stop back by them on our way back, but we had some transmission trouble with the boat, so we slowly headed straight back to the dock. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [More Great Time with Transients and Baker Views](https://whales.com/more-great-time-with-transients-and-baker-views/) **Published:** July 11, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/7a1537a6-7581-44bc-9d17-f4c51be42eb2-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-great-time-with-transients-and-baker-views/7a1537a6-7581-44bc-9d17-f4c51be42eb2/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/07efcd75-18d8-4b2f-87a4-a8d9363103e2-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-great-time-with-transients-and-baker-views/07efcd75-18d8-4b2f-87a4-a8d9363103e2/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/a118a322-57dd-492f-84e7-5671eebb270d-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-great-time-with-transients-and-baker-views/a118a322-57dd-492f-84e7-5671eebb270d/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/af70902a-4b8d-47f0-9cd8-6a4ea226b5a7-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-great-time-with-transients-and-baker-views/af70902a-4b8d-47f0-9cd8-6a4ea226b5a7/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/b33ada78-d3ba-40b0-978b-29d608badbab-1024x645.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-great-time-with-transients-and-baker-views/b33ada78-d3ba-40b0-978b-29d608badbab/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/d5d91051-3e7c-4c57-8977-81fc213a92d4-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-great-time-with-transients-and-baker-views/d5d91051-3e7c-4c57-8977-81fc213a92d4/) Nice diversity of shots from Kurt Leipold on 7/6/24 ### June 30 Lucky day today! T46 Bs were spotted at Clark and Burnes, very close to home. This group of whales is interesting because a large portion of the pod are very young. Both the matriarch and the next oldest female had calves this last year! We saw lots of little baby porpoising and great views of all 7 whales surfacing together. T46B – Raksha, T46B2- Akela, T46B3 – Seana, T46B4 – Quiver T47B7 – 2023, Т4628 – 2023 We then got reports of a humpback and calf heading up Bellingham Chanel, After an hour with the T46Bs, we met up with Phi and ner 2024 calf at Viti Rocks. The humpbacks passed between Elza and Lummi before circling back around and heading south. We got some great paired surfaces and it was amazing to see the size difference between mom and calf. Phi and 2024 calf This day Keeps on giving! We circled north of Lummi to try to see some different areas today before making it back to dock. As we topped Lummi Island we found a T-Party of 11 whales! T36s T99s T65B’s We saw some great socialization behaviors. Several spyhops, tail lobs, belly rolls and some swimming upside down. There may have also been some mating attempts today. Very active group of 8-10 animals for this last portion of our trip. ### July 1 This morning an eagle was busy harassing the nesting birds on vit rocks. We watched it circle a few times, pretty much clearing all the nests. We had an early report of Biggs orcas over by Friday Harbor. The reports were for milling and a lot of socialization between T65Bs and T75Bs. When we arrived on scene, the whales stalled out in the current at Turn Island. There was a lot of social behavior; tall slaps, lobs and headstands as well as some belly rolls and pectoral slapping. When the current died down, they moved over to the nearby reef and Kelp beds.They picked up their splashing and lunging over the low lying rocks. ### July 3 We made our first stop at Viti Rocks and saw some harbor seals, as well as a mature bald eagle and two immature eagles being harassed by some gulls. We then headed straight down south toward whale reports near Smith Island. We found the T65Bs and stayed with them for an hour, showing us pretty typical behavior, with 2-3 minute dives and surfacing for a few breaths. We left the T65Bs around Bird Rocks, where we made a stop to see a sea otter. We also made stops at Pea Pod Rocks to see more seals and eagles, and finally a buoy with some giant sea lions on them. ### July 4 Our first stop was at a navigation marker to look at three stellers. They started vocalizing and grunting at each other. We then made our way to Pea Pod Rocks where we saw a mature and a juvenile bald eagle. We also saw a lot of harbor seals, and some pups banana posing. We got to hangout with the T65Bs today, there are 4 in this family group with a calf born in 2023. The water was super calm so we were seeing a lot of saddle patches and eye patches. It seemed almost like they were sleeping really close together. On our way back we made our way up north in search of a humpback, but no such luck. We did get amazing views of the Patos lighthouse in lIne with Mt Baker. We also caught a glimpse of a harbor seal pup catching a ride on its moms back. ### July 5 We went way west today! It is the farthest west I have been, by Discovery Island near Victoria BC. We went this far for a chance at seeing the T36s + T99s. And we ended up seeing about 10 whales! It was absolutely glassy out in the Strait. We couldn’t have asked for better weather. We caught a couple of tail slaps and a roll!. It was an amazing day. Lots of good looks at saddle patches and eye patches as well. ### July 6 Today the only report of whales was by a private boat but they only saw them once, so we had to go find them ourselves 40 minutes later. The report was made between Burrows lighthouse and Bird Rocks. We were scanning the area for a long time, and then we saw fins way over by Bird Rocks! We were the first whale watch boat to spot them today. Later another boat identified them as the T65B’s. There was 4 of them, and one of them gave us a tail slap and wave! It was a really fun sighting, and we got to see them directly under Mt Baker twice! Always a welcome view. We also saw porpoise, harbor seals, and some sea lions + a bald eagle. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [A Three Whale Species Day, A Rainbow Cloud and Much More.](https://whales.com/a-three-whale-species-day-a-rainbow-cloud-and-much-more/) **Published:** July 6, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00455-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/a-three-whale-species-day-a-rainbow-cloud-and-much-more/dsc00455/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00488-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/a-three-whale-species-day-a-rainbow-cloud-and-much-more/dsc00488/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_7014-768x1024.jpg)](https://whales.com/a-three-whale-species-day-a-rainbow-cloud-and-much-more/img_7014-2/) Bald Eagles, T75B’s & a rainbow cloud on 6/25/24 June 23 Right as we started serving lunch, Casey and I saw a spout in the distance. Turns out it was the T37 killer wales. They were going for depper dives and hard to track. Then we realized the T34’s were with them, and we even saw a spy hop! After our hour with them we headed over to Obstruction Point where there were reports of 10 orcas. We found the T65B’s and T123’s and spent close to an hour with them. One of the males popped up close to the boat! We saw the T37 and 34’s again on the way home in Bellingham Bay, but they were still deep diving so we headed home pretty soon after. June 24 We had an amazing day today! Stellar Sea Lions were fighting for space on the buoys this morning, with several falling off and jumping right back on the marker. We quickly found T49C Nielson over by Turn Island, when he breached as soon as we settled into being on scene, It was an amazing full body breach! He tucked himself into some narrow channels after that, so we left him behind for another report just about 25 mins away, near Anacortes were we met up with the T46B1’s and T37’s A mixed matriline group of 7 whales including Thread and Pizzafin. This group had 10 minute downtimes, but consistently came up in a close huddle, with great long slow moves to see their saddle patches. We followed them all the way up Bellingham Channel, for an excellent long viewing. June 25 Long haul out to the west side of San Juan Island today to find the T75B’s. We saw many Bald Eagles and some very sleepy Stellar sea lions along the way. Beautiful day on the water with some pretty calm seas. As we rounded Spieden Island, we saw a rainbow cloud, called cloud iridescence. This is caused by water droplets or ice crystals scattering sunlight. We came upon the T75Bs just a bit north of Lime Kiln on the west side of San Juan Island. They were hugging the Shore for a while until they decided to come out and play through the kelp beds. We saw a few belly rolls, seeing their undersides and the tail just below the surface, there was also some logging behavior and some interesting lunges. T75B Pebbles T75B2 Jasper T75B3 Rubble T75B4 2021 Calf June 26 The water was really choppy this morning and there were no sightings yet. So we headed deeper into the islands for calmer waters. We later heard sightings of J Pod and we caught a moment of the group as they headed out to open ocean. We then headed up to Alden Bank to search for a gray whale spotted earlier that day. We lucked out when the whale popped up close to us, giving us a few excellent views. June 27 Today was Captain Cassidy’s first solo whale watch and she did amazing! We started our day off at Viti Rocks where we saw bald eagles, harbor seals, and lots of other birds. There was a harbor seal splashing and spinning. We headed south through Bellingham channel where we met up with a juvenile humpback, It was so cute! We got to see it tail fluke a couple times, and then it splashed a bit on the last dive. We got word that there were some Biggs coming South in Bellingham Channel so we made our way through there again. They were moving so fast at 10 knots!They were pretty spread out, but we got to see some great looks at some saddle patches and eye patches. On our way home we also found a minke! It gave us the slip but we got to see a few breaths. There were some Stellers on a buoy, and one splashing around in the water. Amazing t o see the whale Trifecta! **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Active Orcas, Humpacks and Greys Galore!](https://whales.com/active-orcas-humpacks-and-greys-galore/) **Published:** June 24, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06924-DeNoiseAI-low-light-1024x819.jpg)](https://whales.com/active-orcas-humpacks-and-greys-galore/dsc06924-denoiseai-low-light/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC05961-2-DeNoiseAI-low-light-SharpenAI-Focus-1024x820.jpg)](https://whales.com/active-orcas-humpacks-and-greys-galore/dsc05961-2-denoiseai-low-light-sharpenai-focus/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC05489-DeNoiseAI-low-light-1024x819.jpg)](https://whales.com/active-orcas-humpacks-and-greys-galore/dsc05489-denoiseai-low-light/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06064-DeNoiseAI-low-light-1024x819.jpg)](https://whales.com/active-orcas-humpacks-and-greys-galore/dsc06064-denoiseai-low-light/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC05134-DeNoiseAI-low-light-1024x819.jpg)](https://whales.com/active-orcas-humpacks-and-greys-galore/dsc05134-denoiseai-low-light/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC06099-DeNoiseAI-low-light-1024x819.jpg)](https://whales.com/active-orcas-humpacks-and-greys-galore/dsc06099-denoiseai-low-light/) Incredible shots from Betsy Stewart and her Sony A1 w/ 200-600 lens on 6/22/24 ### June 16 Reports on whales were super fast this morning and incredibly close to port. We made a slow journey by Viti Rocks and Peapod Rocks during lunch to give us a little time. Lots of bald eagle activity today, scaring all of the marine birds off their nests. When we wrapped up lunch, we joined the reported fleet just north of Barnes and Clark Islands to watch 6-7 whales very spread out over Rosario Strait. We were only able to ID one whale as T037B1 – Lance. A young whale was quite active, with a lot of proposing behavior, but quite erratic. We split our time with several whales because they were so spread out. The other group we watched had many close surfacings and came up together as a group. One boat shared over the radio the vocalizations happening under the water through the Hydrophone! We were able to listen for several minutes over the microphone. ### June 17 Our first stop was Viti Rocks this morning where we saw harbor seals and so many eagles. It was the most eagles I’ve seen there. There were at least 10 of them. The harbor seals didn’t mind, but the marine birds were not too happy. We caught up with the T99s that were milling and staying in one spot. They must’ve been prey sharing, because we saw some celebratory activity shortly after, that included a couple of spy hops and some tail action! After being with them for about 40 minutes, we went to go look at a gray whale at Alden Bank. These were the best looks at a gray whale I have ever seen. We even got a couple of tail flukes! On our way back, there were sightings of orcas near Eliza so we went to scope out the area, and we found another gray whale! We watched it for about 20 minutes and then turned back to go home, but then Cassidy found the T46B’s. There were Some one year old calves with them that were porpoising, and one did a a baby spy hop! Four different sets of whales in one day, a first for naturalist Emily. ### June 18 We saw the T99’s off the westside of Lummi pretty early in the day. We stayed with them for a while, getting to see their eye spots and saddle patches pretty clearly. A bit later we saw the T46B’s on the west side of Orcas. They were pretty spread out, popping up all around the boat. As we were leaving, 2 orcas came up right in front of the bow, just a foot or so away. As they swam by next to the boat, we could see them underwater as they rolled on their sides. ### June 19 Today we went up North towards Patos island. We were with the T36As and a lone male T49C. When we got there, they were right in front of the Patos lighthouse. They were showing some pretty exciting behaviors. So many tail slaps, some pec fin and tail waves, etc. They showed a behavior that naturalist Emily hadn’t witnessed yet. Three of them were in a line, with just the tip of their faces pointing out! Eventually it turned into a spy hop. Adorable action from these orcas. We also saw some Steller sea lions, and lots of harbor seals. They were all snoozing. To top it all off, the weather was amazing! Truly fest like summer. ### June 20 We watched a Bald Eagle chase all of the nesting marine birds off Viti rocks today. T036A’s and T051 were out in the Strait of Juan de Fuca cruising east at 7- 9 knots. We spent quite a bit of time with them today, watching them porpoise out of the water at fast speeds. We were able to watch the whales for about an hour. On our bird cruise, right at the start we saw a Tufted Puffin in Bellingham Bay! A very rare sight, as we almost always head way south to Smith Island to see them. Once at Smith Island though, we saw more Tufteds and even the illusive Horned puffin! We saw some Rhinoceros Auklets too. On our way back we spent time with the T46’s, T31A’s and and T51 orcas, a great way to round out an excellent day of wildlife. ### June 21 We had to go quickly due west out to Salt Spring Island in Canada to catch up with Biggs sightings, but the voyage was definitely worth it. There were quite a few together we didn’t get ID’s on, but they had a large male with them that may have been T51. They really put on a show for us. We saw multiple breaches, a few spy hops, and lots of tail slaps. Everyone was very excited. The whales must’ve scored an excellent catch. ### June 22 We made our first stop at Viti Rocks where we saw quite a few seals, and a Bald eagle. Right after we stopped by a navigational marker that had a few sea lions hauled out. We headed toward the south of Shaw by Lopez, where we saw humpbacks Split Fin & Valiant. We spent an hour with them and got some great views of their backs and tails. Everyone loved Valiant’s stories accompanying his scars. Then we made our way over to Upright Head where we saw a 2 year old calf that has been hanging out in some unusual places. It was seen in Deception Pass yesterday. We made our last stop at Eliza where we saw a lot of harbor seal heads poking out of the water. ### June 23 Right as we started serving lunch, Captain Casey and Naturalist Tabitha saw a spout in the distance. We slowed, but it still took us a while to find them. Eventually the T37’s showed up near Lummi Island. They were going for lots of deep dives and was hard to track them at first, but eventually the came up more consistently, and we found out the they were with the T34’s. We got to see a spy hop too! We spent about an hour with them, before we headed over to Obstruction Point where there had been reports of 10 orcas. We found the T65’B’s and T123’s and spent an hour with them too. One of the males came up close to the boat giving us great views. On the way home the T37’s & 34’s popped up again in Bellingham Bay, but they were doing deep dives, so we headed home after 20 minutes. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Big Mama and Moon Walking](https://whales.com/big-mama-and-moon-walking/) **Published:** June 20, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** ##### June 10 We first stopped at a buoy to find 2 sleepy Sea lions. They were super cute, one was using the other as a pillow. We got info that there were whales going against the current, traveling slow north of orcas island near Point Doughty. We were afraid that they were going to turn around and use the Eb tide, so we hurried up there. They kept going east, so we got to watch them for an hour. There are 5 whales in the T99s matriline, and they were giving us good looks at their saddle patches and eye patches. At one point, they showed all 5 of their dorsal fins in a perfect lIne with Baker in the background. It was an absolutely magical moment with the T99s! We are so lucky to be stewards of the whales. T99A- Bella T99B- Holly T99C- Barakat T99D- Puck T99E- \[New Baby\] ##### June 11 Early in the day there was a report of whales just south of Spiden. We went through the middle of the islands through Wasp Passage. After exiting into San Juan channel, we went north to catch up with the T65A’S. As soon as we got on scene, they were showing us some exciting activity. It seemed like they were finishing up a kill. We got to see an impressive spy hop and some tails go up in the air. At one point, T65A2 “moon walked” where he swam backwards. This indicates food sharing amongst the group. T65A – Artemis (1986) T65A2 – Ooxjaa (2004) → Big Male T65A4 – Ellifrit (2011) T65A6 – Callisto ( 2018) ##### June 12 Our first stop today was at Viti Rocks, one of 84 National Wildlife Refuges in the San Juans. We saw lots of cormorants and gulls during our opening announcements, then we saw a steller on a buoy close to the dock being so active, he seemed like a paid actor. We hung out with the T65A’s spread out. So for the whole hour, we got to hang out with them, some surfacings closer than others. It was raining this morning, but it cleared up to be a super lovely day! ##### June 15 The buoys all through Rosario were full of resting Stellers today. Lots of glimpses of them swimming. We made our way over to Haro Strait where we saw Big Mama! Many people on board were familiar with her story and the “Humpback comeback”, so were super excited to see her. We got many fluke dives and stayed with her for a good long time. On our way home, we cruised by Spieden Island, where we found 11 Mouflon Sheep at the shoreline! A rarer sight for us. Great looks at a few with rather large sets of curly horns. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [First Long Week of 2024 Cruising](https://whales.com/first-long-week-of-2024-cruising/) **Published:** June 11, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00292-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/first-long-week-of-2024-cruising/dsc00292/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00337-scaled-e1718147140923-1024x697.jpg)](https://whales.com/first-long-week-of-2024-cruising/dsc00337/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00327-scaled-e1718146692443-1024x696.jpg)](https://whales.com/first-long-week-of-2024-cruising/dsc00327/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03126-scaled-e1718146922316-1024x676.jpg)](https://whales.com/first-long-week-of-2024-cruising/dsc03126/) Photo By Matt Nobles [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC03102-Enhanced-NR-scaled-e1718146804913-1024x695.jpg)](https://whales.com/first-long-week-of-2024-cruising/dsc03102-enhanced-nr/) Photo By Matt Nobles [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00440-scaled-e1718147376157-1024x697.jpg)](https://whales.com/first-long-week-of-2024-cruising/dsc00440/) Stellers vying for space & T124C Cooper on 6/5/24 cruising up the west side of Orcas. Two humpbacks near Deception Pass, with one spy hopping on 6/7/24. (Bottom left and center Photos by Matt Nobles) ##### June 5 Starting a cruise with juvenile Stellers vying for buoy space off Sinclair Island, is certainly not uncommon, but this time several males in the water swam towards our boat, possibly looking for a spot to haul out, instead of fighting for space on the buoy. We met up with T124C Cooper around Crane Island by Orcas, and followed his resting-paced travel all the way north to Point Doughty. He made some efforts at a harbor seal which woke him up, and got us a bit more active views of Cooper. ##### June 6 On the whale cruise, we first spotted a juvenile humpback south of Lopez Island near Castle Rock. He was a smaller animal and was sticking close to the island, which made him difficult to follow, and we ended up losing sight of him. We decided to wander off searching for other animals, and ended up finding him at the bottom of Rosario Strait. The small whale eventually started doing more regular surfacings that we were able to follow, until we got some great consistent views on open water, finishing off with a tail fluke as we left the scene. On the bird cruise, we enjoyed lots of wildlife. Our first stop was at Eliza Rocks where we saw some cormorants and glaucous wing gulls. We also got to catch some glimpses at harbor seals while we were there. We headed west towards the Cone Islands where pigeon guillemots like to nest in the cliffs. We got to see some in the cracks in the rock walls. We headed south towards Bird Rocks where we got to view more cormorants, some Harlequin ducks, and more gulls. Then we got to take the scenic route towards Castle Rock where we saw at least 8 turkey vultures hanging out on the rocks and soaring above. Michael showed us an active eagle nest on Blind Island. Soon after leaving the eagle’s nest, there was a humpback! So our bird tour turned into a full wildlife tour and we got to watch a humpback on our way to Smith Island. Where we soon got eyes on a puffin and lots of rhinoceros auklets. We saw probably 10 different puffins hanging out, and Captain Michael spotted a Pacific loon. After spending an hour with puffins, we made our way back north and we came across another humpback. The day was very full of adventure. ##### June 7 Started the day off with looking at some Stellers on a navigation marker. There was one in the water that desperately wanted to get a spot, but he couldn’t make it and the other sea lions did not want him up there some growls and grunts were exchanged. We got on scene with 2 humpbacks north of Deception Pass. They were giving us some amazing looks at their tail flukes, and the calf started to get excited. This calf was born in 2021. It started tail slapping a bit on deep dives and then it spy hopped! Even Captain Casey has never seen a humpback spy hop before. It felt like slow motion, truly an unforgettable experience! The calf was “waving”, showing us its pectoral fin, as we departed. ##### June 8 Stopped at the buoy marker near Sinclair for Steller sea lions. Lots of the standard dominance display against several in the water. Met up with Divot and the 2024 calf in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A few great flukes and some good close surfaces. ##### June 9 Quite the whale day, with two different eco types. Viti Rocks had a few Harbor seals, while the buoy had 3 sleepy juvenile Steller sea lions. We made our way quickly over to Spieden Island and Haro Strait where we started watching the T49As – Nan + Charlie 2. Then suddenly the Southern Resident Killer Whales came quickly up the strait from San Juan Island, and were pretty spread out. We tend to avoid the SRKW’s as they are endangered and in understandable tighter regulation. However, a surprise visit from them is always a a treat. The T49As dove under water and were lost for a bit, while J-Pod passed us by. We caught back up with them closer to Henry Island before needing to make our trip home. ##### J-Pod – 10 whales ##### T49A’s -Nan -Nat -Neptune -Charlie 2 **Categories:** Recent Whale Sightings, Uncategorized, Whale Watching --- ### [A Weekend with Baleens](https://whales.com/a-weekend-with-baleens/) **Published:** June 3, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/humpback-5-6-3-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/a-weekend-with-baleens/humpback-5-6-3/) ##### June 1 An interesting day with humpbacks, Divot and her new calf by Lopez Island. After getting one of our standard starts to the tour with looks at Steller sea lions on a buoy, we made our way to Lopez Channel where we came on scene with the pair of humpbacks. The calf was incredibly active and rolling around, doing a lot of tail lobs and little half cartwheels out of the water. showing us pectoral fin slaps and tail slaps. Exciting to see the youthful energy, as humpbacks can often be relatively mellow. Once the humpbacks started to move into a more feeding type of activity, we saw longer down times, but many views of both mom + calf tail flukes. We had a fun hour with them. On our return, we saw some Stellers posturing and even a sea otter out in the water! ##### June 2 Rough seas and rainy weather sent us north to Alden Bank to find calmer water and look for the baleens who frequent the area. We stopped at Viti Rocks and saw a few harbor seals, and moved to the buoy marker out near Boulder Reef. There were 5 Steller sea lions on the buoy, with one in the wakes trying to jump up and join the others. As we continued north, we were all scanning for baleen whales. Captain Jeff spotted a blow out over Alden Bank, and we were able to watch a gray whale for close to an hour. **Categories:** Whale Watching --- ### [A Long Weekend with Lots of Looks at Whales.](https://whales.com/5918-2/) **Published:** May 28, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00142-1024x661.jpg)](https://whales.com/5918-2/dsc00142/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC09989-copy-1024x580.jpg)](https://whales.com/5918-2/dsc09989-copy/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00018-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/5918-2/dsc00018/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00209-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/5918-2/dsc00209/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-05-28-at-4.45.13 PM-1024x659.png)](https://whales.com/5918-2/screenshot-2024-05-28-at-4-45-13-pm/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00252-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/5918-2/dsc00252/) *The T124’s with the new calf actively hunting, and vocal seals on May 25th.* ##### May 25 A standard start to the day, with some hauled out harbor seals on Viti rocks. They were doing the classic banana pose. We also stopped by a navigation marker to check out some snoozing sea lions. We went through Peavine Pass to catch up with some whales near Jones Island on the west side of Orcas Island. They turned out to be the 124A’s. We got to see their new calf, who still has some orange pigment. As the day went on, they became more active and were porpoising out of the water to catch their meal. They started to show some excitement when they were feeding: spy hops, tail slaps, and even a breach! It turned out to be a great day on the water. ##### May 26 Early in the day we got info that there was a humpback in Rosario, and a group of Orcas near Colville Island. We chose to go view the Orcas first, just in case they went West with the tide. We didn’t want to miss them. The group we saw were the 1375A. This matriline has a local favorite whale: 137A Jack. He is easily identified, because of the two notches in his large dorsal fin. With him was his mom Loon, and two sisters Wright 137D, and Tempest T137B. When we got on scene, it looked like they were catching some Z’s. They were slow-moving and resting. On our way back, we got to view the humpback that was spotted in Rosario Strait. We saw some pretty awesome tail flukes. This humpback appeared to be a pretty young whale who hasn’t been away from mom for too long. We ended the day seeing a Stellar on a navigation marker. It’s always a good day to see multiple whale species in a day. ##### May 27 As is often the case, our first wildlife encounter was with Stellars, but instead of being hauled out, they were in the water as we made our way up the west side of Lummi Island to meet up with the gray whale that has been in the area. The one said to have a mild spinal curve. The whale had short down times and was active at the surface, with great views of their dorsal ridge. We saw two active groups of transient orcas traveling together up in Boundary Pass. The T123s with Stanley, and the T124As again. The whales were very erratic in movement, following the current. We got great views of all 8 whales surfacing together, including a spyhop and the new calf. Lots of Stellars on buoys and harbor seals on our way back. ##### Whales seen this weekend: T123- Sydney T123A- Stanley T123C – Lucky T123D- Darcy T124- Kittiwake T124A6 – Kasum T124A7- 2021 female calf T124A1- 2024 unknown calf T137- Loon T137A- Jack T137B- Tempest T137D- Wright One unidentified Humpback One unidentified Gray Whale **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [The Grey Whale Saves the Day & The T100's Visit the Puffins](https://whales.com/the-grey-whale-saves-the-day-the-t100s-visit-the-puffins/) **Published:** May 22, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC09878-yes-scaled-e1716336590339-1024x657.jpg)](https://whales.com/the-grey-whale-saves-the-day-the-t100s-visit-the-puffins/dsc09878-yes/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC09949-yes-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/the-grey-whale-saves-the-day-the-t100s-visit-the-puffins/dsc09949-yes/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC09978-yes-1024x641.jpg)](https://whales.com/the-grey-whale-saves-the-day-the-t100s-visit-the-puffins/dsc09978-yes/) *The T100’s and Tufted Puffins by Smith Island on May 18th* ##### May 17 Today there were rough seas of five foot swells in the Straight of Juan De Fuca where whales had been spotted, so we avoided the area for calmer seas up north of Orcas Island to see what we could find. We saw Steller sea lions on a buoy marker fighting for space, with one juvenile male in the water making half-hearted attempts to get up. Cruised north through the Sucia fingers, where we saw more Steller sea lions using each other as pillows on the beach. Pigeon Guillemots were all over, diving under the water and giving us a good look at their bright red feet. On the way back south headed for home, we stopped by Alden Bank to look for baleen whales. The area between Cherry Point and Sucia Island is shallow and muddy, which are great conditions for them. We spotted a gray whale, which is a slightly rarer sighting than humpbacks, and were able to follow along its erratic feeding dives, with some great views of its dorsal ridge and the barnacles along its back. We saw one good tail fluke dive, and several tail tips. ##### May 18 Soon after we headed out from a gloomy day in Bellingham, we were greeted with a few Harbor Porpoise right in Bellingham Bay, as well as the sky showing signs of clearing. This is not uncommon as we travel further into the San Juans and the Vancouver Island rain shadow. There were several remnants of bait balls, or schools of small fish, with a variety of birds resting in the water on the west side of Eliza and again towards Cypress Island. A small raft of Rhinoceros Auklets dove away from the boat. We had heard word of the T100’s heading southwest from Deception Pass, and once we caught up with them, they were near Smith & Minor Islands, a pair of islands at the far south end of the San Juans, out in the Strait of Juan De Fuca. The Strait is less protected by the islands and therefore can be pretty rough. Luckily we had calm seas, and only partly cloudy skies today. We head to Smith Island on our birding cruises, as the Tufted Puffins love it there and today was no different. We got to see a pair of them surface a couple of times in the water right near the north side of Smith island. The weather made for clear views of the T100 orca pod. One male named Laurel born in 2002, and two female orcas: Hutchins the matriarch born in 1979, and Tharaya born in 2009. They were surfacing every 8 or so minutes in a calm, slow travel pattern. Just before we had to begin heading back, we were lucky enough to have the T pod come within roughly 40 feet of us. We got to see some sea lions on the way home. We are relatively accustomed to seeing Steller sea lions hauled out on islands, rocks and buoys, but today we saw the rarer California sea lion. Slightly smaller, more vocal and darker skinned. We also saw Stellers at Bird Rocks. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Hi Again to the T90's and Three More Humpbacks](https://whales.com/hi-again-to-the-t90s-and-three-more-humpbacks/) **Published:** May 15, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC09765-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/hi-again-to-the-t90s-and-three-more-humpbacks/dsc09765/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC09848-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/hi-again-to-the-t90s-and-three-more-humpbacks/dsc09848/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC09751-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/hi-again-to-the-t90s-and-three-more-humpbacks/dsc09751/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC09724-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/hi-again-to-the-t90s-and-three-more-humpbacks/dsc09724/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC09692-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/hi-again-to-the-t90s-and-three-more-humpbacks/dsc09692/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC09823-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/hi-again-to-the-t90s-and-three-more-humpbacks/dsc09823/) *The T90’s Eagle, Piglet, Tigger & Kanga, and some pigeon guillemots* ##### May 11 We saw three humpbacks today! They were seen pretty far South down in the Straight of Juan De Fuca. We circled the unique and spooky Smith Island, famous for being home to the Tufted Puffin seen on our birding cruises. Here we saw, Split fin (offspring of Big Mama) and Smiley. Then, as we were headed back home up Rosario Strait, Captain Casey spotted another. We also got to watch a “King of the Hill” match between Steller Sea Lions on a buoy. There were 4 on the buoy and 5 In the water, and they were grunting, growling and snorting at each other. ##### May 12, Mothers Day We got to see the T90s we saw last weekend, again today. Today they were in mostly travel mode. They were moving through Thatcher Pass by James and Decatur Island and then made their way North right up against the eastern shore of Blakely Island. Blakely made for a beautiful backdrop of our whale peeping. They briefly went into hunting mode, then began traveling faster and milling. They definitely caught something, as there were gulls around diving to the water. We got to see Piglet tail slap, and even got to see a spy hop from one the female orcas! We also got to see porpoise, Steller Sea Lions, four eagles, harbor seals, and pigeon guillemots. T’was a great Mothers day watch. **Categories:** Uncategorized --- ### [Our First Whale Watch Weekend Was a Success!](https://whales.com/our-first-whale-watch-weekend-was-a-success/) **Published:** May 10, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/P1070697-1024x768.jpg)](https://whales.com/our-first-whale-watch-weekend-was-a-success/p1070697/) Spy hop from a T90 [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/P1070597-1024x768.jpg)](https://whales.com/our-first-whale-watch-weekend-was-a-success/p1070597/) Tigger, Kanga & Piglet [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/P1070667-1024x768.jpg)](https://whales.com/our-first-whale-watch-weekend-was-a-success/p1070667/) Tail slapping from Piglet ### Inaugural Whale Day Brings Playful Orcas ##### May 4th, 2024 This past Saturday was the first whale watch for 2024, so hopes and enthusiasm were running high on the Victoria Star. Soon after our departure from Bellingham , we got a view of some cormorants and gulls at Viti Rocks our go-to first spot on a tour for wildlife. Then we spotted a Steller Sea lion eating a fish out in the water in front of Toe Head Island. It was likely a large male, as his head was massive coming out of the water. We briefly saw him fling his snack around, before diving back down out of sight. We also saw 3 other juvenile Stellers on Lydia Shoal marker in Rosario Strait, that were laying their heads on each other. Not long after, we were rewarded with Biggs Orcas on the south end of West Sound. There were 4 whales total, and identified to be the T90 matriline (matriarchal family). T90 – Eagle the matriarch T90B – Piglet T90C – Tigger T90D – Kanga Luckily we were able to catch them during a hunt, which meant them displaying feeding and prey sharing behavior like milling and tail slapping. This is always fun to watch. They celebrated their meal afterward with an excellent spy hop! Side note: we rarely see the prey or any gore, and this was no exception. We also got to hear some blows as they approached us at one point. We were very grateful and satisfied with our first venture out into the islands this year. ### A Surprise Humpback and Seven Biggs for our second day out ##### May 5, 2024 For our second outing this year, we found continued luck out in the islands. Lots of harbor seals, we affectionately call rock sausages, hauled out on Viti Rocks this morning. We also got eyes on the always majestic eagle. Captain Jeff then spotted an unexpected humpback in Rosario Strait! This was the first humpback spotted this season. This sort of surprise is always fun, as we tend to locate whales via group communication amongst fellow local whale watchers. Especially for this sighting though, since unlike Orca who hang out here year round, Humpbacks head down to warmer waters to breed, before coming back up to our region to eat. We’re super excited to see humpbacks back in the Salish Sea this season, and will hopefully meet some new calves this year. We identified him as Wormhole and saw some really good tail flukes. We also got to see Charlie II, a fresh two year old in the 49As who has a cute underbite. We watched two other large males and four females for a total of 7 Orcas spotted. Always a treat to see both toothed whales and baleen whales in one day. Humpback – Wormhole T19 – Nootka T19C – Spouter Т49А – Nan the Matriarch Т49А3 – Nat T49A4 – Neptune T49А5 – Nebula T49A6 – Charlie II We wound up with an excellent kickoff weekend, and look forward to an excellent season this year. **Categories:** Recent Whale Sightings, Whale Watching --- ### [Whale Watching Begins This Weekend!](https://whales.com/whale-watching-begins-this-weekend/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** Lincoln Humphry **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/matia-08-1024x683.jpg)](https://whales.com/cruises/cruises-from-bellingham/san-juan-3-day-explorer-tour/matia-08/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC09158-1024x682.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-watching/dsc09158/) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcas-5-13-05.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-watching/orcas-5-13-05/) We run weekends in May (4th-27th) to being our whale watching season, then we’re going out daily for the rest of the summer. We have the only whale watching via Bellingham, Washington, and the only tours in the region that provide a fresh prepared lunch on board, and have a full bar available. We depart from quaint historic Fairhaven in Bellingham at 11am each Saturday and Sunday in May. There are good chances of seeing Bigg’s Killer Whales, Humpbacks, and much more wildlife and scenery. We spend 5-6 hours touring the gorgeous San Juan Islands in search of transient Orcas primarily, but also Minke, Grey, and Humpbacks. We pride ourselves in sustainable whale watching by keeping our distance, reducing speed on approach, as well as going completely idle if we are approached by whales. We see whales on 90% of cruises, but if we don’t happen to see any, your next cruise with us is half off. ##### A link to other details and photos from our cruises is [Here.](https://whales.com/whale-watching/) ##### And you can book your trip with us [Here.](https://whales.starboardsuite.com/?departure_location_id=2&tour_type_id=2) **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, Uncategorized, Whale Watching --- ### [Photos From August 27th Bird Watching Cruise](https://whales.com/photos-from-august-27th-bird-watching-cruise/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** [![IMG GH](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3808GH082716-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-august-27th-bird-watching-cruise/img_3808gh082716/) IMG GH [![IMG bo](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4095bo082716-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-august-27th-bird-watching-cruise/img_4095bo082716/) IMG bo [![IMG rp](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4154rp082716-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-august-27th-bird-watching-cruise/img_4154rp082716/) IMG rp [![IMG rp](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4169rp082716-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-august-27th-bird-watching-cruise/img_4169rp082716/) IMG rp [![IMG mm](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4120mm082716-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-august-27th-bird-watching-cruise/img_4120mm082716/) IMG mm [![IMG hw](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4229hw082716-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-august-27th-bird-watching-cruise/img_4229hw082716/) IMG hw [![IMG ss](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4300ss082716-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-august-27th-bird-watching-cruise/img_4300ss082716/) IMG ss [![IMG ss](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4303ss082716-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-august-27th-bird-watching-cruise/img_4303ss082716/) IMG ss We had a great bird watching cruise this past weekend, a trip that took us through the middle of the San Juans, then north to Sucia and Patos Islands. We saw a nice variety of birds, with seals, sea lions and a Humpback whale as well. Thanks to Jim Bachman for his incredible photos from the day! **Categories:** Bellingham, bird watching cruise, Blog, General, San Juan Islands **Tags:** Bellingham, bird cruise, bird watching cruise, birds, San Juan Islands --- ### [New Evening Whale Watching Tour Added This Summer](https://whales.com/new-evening-whale-watching-tour-added-this-summer/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** [![salish sea evening whale watching tour](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/salish-sea-evening-whale-watching-tour-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-watching/salish-sea-evening-whale-watching-tour/) salish sea evening whale watching tour [![IMG DxO](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4388_DxO-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/?attachment_id=2878) IMG DxO [![san juan cruises bird watching cruise free lasagna lunch](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/san-juan-cruises-bird-watching-cruise-free-lasagna-lunch-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/cruises/cruises-from-bellingham/bird-watching-cruise/spinach-lasagna-dinner-with-ceasar-salad-and-red-wine-3/) san juan cruises bird watching cruise free lasagna lunch [![MG](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/MG_1722-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/?attachment_id=2820) MG [![san juan cruises chuckanut bay cracked crab cruise guests enjoying sunshine](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/san-juan-cruises-chuckanut-bay-cracked-crab-cruise-guests-enjoying-sunshine-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/cruises/cruises-from-bellingham/chuckanut-cracked-crab-evening-cruise/san-juan-cruises-chuckanut-bay-cracked-crab-cruise-guests-enjoying-sunshine/) san juan cruises chuckanut bay cracked crab cruise guests enjoying sunshine [![evening whale watching cruise salish sea orcawhale](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/evening-whale-watching-cruise-salish-sea-orcawhale-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-watching/evening-whale-watching-cruise-salish-sea-orcawhale/) evening whale watching cruise salish sea orcawhale This summer we have added a new whale watching tour that will go out Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during July and August. It’s a great chance to see the islands when summer weather is at it’s peek, while having a great chance of seeing whales and other wildlife. The evening is capped with a delicious, freshly prepared lasagna and Caesar salad dinner. Departing at 4 pm from the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, we’ll cruise into the San Juan Islands, using information from our whale spotting network to find the best locations for viewing whales that evening. You’ll enjoy great views from the outdoor upper deck and along the bow of the boat, enjoying informative and entertaining narration from our captain. The Salish Sea has ample indoor and outdoor seating, a bar with beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase, and a restroom. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, Whale Watching **Tags:** dinner cruise, orca, Orca Whales, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report: Great Orca & Humpback Whale Sightings Continue](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-great-orca-humpback-whale-sightings-continue/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** The season is going great so far, with lots of great orca and humpback whale sightings. We’ve now done 4 [Deluxe whale watching tours](https://whales.com/whale-watching/full-day-whale-watching-adventure-cruise/), plus several school field trips, and have seen orcas and/or humpbacks on every trip so far, with tours taking us west and north of the San Juan Islands so far. With great sightings so far, and a forecast for sun coming into the weekend, now’s a great time to join us. The [Deluxe whale watching tour](https://whales.com/whale-watching/full-day-whale-watching-adventure-cruise/) includes a tour of the San Juan Islands, a shore visit in Friday Harbor and our Northwest salmon & chicken buffet. [![IMG vs](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4828vs050617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/the-2017-whale-watching-season-is-underway-humpbacks-orca-whales/img_4828vs050617/) IMG vs [![IMG hw](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_5168hw050617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/the-2017-whale-watching-season-is-underway-humpbacks-orca-whales/img_5168hw050617/) IMG hw [![evening whale watching cruise seal on rock peter james](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/evening-whale-watching-cruise-seal-on-rock-peter-james-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-watching/evening-whale-watching-cruise-seal-on-rock-peter-james/) evening whale watching cruise seal on rock peter james **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, Recent Whale Sightings, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report: A Great Weekend Of Humpback Whale Sightings](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-a-great-weekend-of-humpback-whale-sightings/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** This weekend was a reminder that summer isn’t too far away – beautiful sunny weather in the San Juans, the perfect setting for whale watching. Saturday and Sunday were all about humpback whales – we had great sightings both days up north of Patos Island, very close to the Canadian border. We have a few school field trips going out this week, with our next public whale watching tour scheduled for this Saturday. After that, we’ll be running whale watching tours daily through the end of September. We hope to see you aboard sometime soon! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, Recent Whale Sightings, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Friday Harbor, humpback, humpback whale, san juan cruises, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [An Unforgettable Day Of Orca & Humpback Whales In The San Juans](https://whales.com/an-unforgettable-day-of-orca-humpback-whales-in-the-san-juans/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** [![o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/18768468_1554626304549703_2625629868144022582_o-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/an-unforgettable-day-of-orca-humpback-whales-in-the-san-juans/18768468_1554626304549703_2625629868144022582_o/) o [![o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/18880323_1554626181216382_6299764680863961042_o-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/an-unforgettable-day-of-orca-humpback-whales-in-the-san-juans/18880323_1554626181216382_6299764680863961042_o/) o [![n](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/18839227_1554626237883043_2453730435171644368_n-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/an-unforgettable-day-of-orca-humpback-whales-in-the-san-juans/18839227_1554626237883043_2453730435171644368_n/) n [![o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/18768485_1554626444549689_6885919917193172987_o-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/an-unforgettable-day-of-orca-humpback-whales-in-the-san-juans/18768485_1554626444549689_6885919917193172987_o/) o I started working for San Juan Cruises as finals week was wrapping up, not really knowing what I was getting into. As a student at Western Washington University, I was looking for a fun summer job so I could stay in Bellingham for summer break. I had never been whale watching before applying, so I was pleasantly surprised that I would be “required” to go on the Deluxe Whale Watching cruise after being hired. I chose to go out on a Saturday and I was not going to let the dreary Washington weather or the choppiness of Bellingham Bay deter me that morning. We headed out, making our way towards San Juan Island for our shore visit to Friday Harbor. Along the way, Captain Jeff entertained us with facts and history about the various islands we passed, pointing out wildlife like harbor seals and porpoises. I spent the hour and a half visit in Friday Harbor perusing the art galleries and the San Juan Island Farmers Market, which boasted an array of local farmers and artisans. I left with a warm chocolate croissant in hand, and returned to the boat for a much awaited lunch of BBQ chicken and wild salmon, hot, buttery biscuits, rice pilaf, and fudgy brownies for (my second) dessert. By the time we left Friday Harbor, the skies had cleared and the sun was shining; it had turned into a beautiful day for whale watching. As we ate, the captain announced that there had been whale sightings just south of Victoria. We arrived on scene just in time to see a group of Transient orcas moving in from the Strait of Juan de Fuca, dorsal fins towering out of the water and blow holes spouting. I had never seen anything so beautiful or captivating. After sticking with the orcas for some time, the captain gave us a choice—there was a humpback sighting not too far from where we were. The decision was unanimous, and we set off in search of a whale named Split-fin. Split-fin is frequently seen in the waters around the San Juan Islands and has made an appearance every summer since 2006. We were able to watch Split-fin for quite a while, his fluke at least six to seven feet across. As someone who had never seen a whale in real life, I was astounded by the sheer size of this amazing creature. Split-fin would dive for about ten minutes, resurface for a few minutes, and then dive again, flashing his fluke each time. I spent the majority of the ride back to Bellingham on the outdoor deck, which had been warmed by the sun during our stop to watch Split-fin. As we made our way through Rosario Strait we past several Dall’s porpoises, a handful of sunbathing seals, and two stoic eagles perched atop a buoy. As our cruise came to a close and we entered Bellingham Bay, I was reminded again of how beautiful and unique this part of the world is. The Salish Sea and the San Juan Islands are one of a kind, and this cruise definitely reaffirmed my love for the Pacific Northwest. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, Recent Whale Sightings, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Friday Harbor, humpback whale, killer whales, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report: Transient Orca Whales On Bellingham Bay (T65A's) - 6/23/17](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-transient-orca-whales-on-bellingham-bay-t65as-62317/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** [![Bellingham Bay Orca Whales](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Bellingham-Bay-Orca-Whales-6-23-17-027-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-transient-orca-whales-on-bellingham-bay-t65as-62317/bellingham-bay-orca-whales-6-23-17-027/) Bellingham Bay Orca Whales [![Bellingham Bay Orca Whales](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Bellingham-Bay-Orca-Whales-6-23-17-030-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-transient-orca-whales-on-bellingham-bay-t65as-62317/bellingham-bay-orca-whales-6-23-17-030/) Bellingham Bay Orca Whales [![Bellingham Bay Orca Whales](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Bellingham-Bay-Orca-Whales-6-23-17-022-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-transient-orca-whales-on-bellingham-bay-t65as-62317/bellingham-bay-orca-whales-6-23-17-022/) Bellingham Bay Orca Whales [![Victoria Star Eliza Island Photo](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Victoria-Star-2-Eliza-Island-Photo-6-23-17-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-transient-orca-whales-on-bellingham-bay-t65as-62317/victoria-star-2-eliza-island-photo-6-23-17/) Victoria Star Eliza Island Photo [![Bellingham Bay Orca Whales](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Bellingham-Bay-Orca-Whales-6-23-17-050-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-transient-orca-whales-on-bellingham-bay-t65as-62317/bellingham-bay-orca-whales-6-23-17-050/) Bellingham Bay Orca Whales [![Mt Baker and Bellingham Bay](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Mt-Baker-and-Bellingham-Bay-6-23-17-185-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-transient-orca-whales-on-bellingham-bay-t65as-62317/mt-baker-and-bellingham-bay-6-23-17-185/) Mt Baker and Bellingham Bay Today we were fortunate to have an amazing morning with a group of transient orca whales (T65A’s) only 20 minutes after leaving the dock. We were the first vessel with them, meeting up with them in the waters between Lummi and Eliza Islands. There were 5 adults and a baby – all were quite playful for a while (especially the baby), with tail slaps, flips and a spy hop. After a bit they pointed north and at about 4 kts, went up Hales passage. Combined with beautiful blue sky and plentiful sunshine, it was an incredible start to the day! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, Recent Whale Sightings, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan cruises, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Bird Watching Cruise Report - July 7, 2017](https://whales.com/bird-watching-cruise-report-july-7-2017/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** [![IMG pg](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_7581pg070617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/bird-watching-cruise-report-july-7-2017/img_7581pg070617/) IMG pg [![IMG pg](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8138pg070617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/bird-watching-cruise-report-july-7-2017/img_8138pg070617/) IMG pg [![IMG o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8028o070617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/bird-watching-cruise-report-july-7-2017/img_8028o070617/) IMG o [![IMG hs](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8393hs070617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/bird-watching-cruise-report-july-7-2017/img_8393hs070617/) IMG hs [![IMG o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8030o070617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/bird-watching-cruise-report-july-7-2017/img_8030o070617/) IMG o [![IMG ra](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8346ra070617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/bird-watching-cruise-report-july-7-2017/img_8346ra070617/) IMG ra [![IMG o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8126o070617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/bird-watching-cruise-report-july-7-2017/img_8126o070617/) IMG o [![IMG ra](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8305ra070617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/bird-watching-cruise-report-july-7-2017/img_8305ra070617/) IMG ra [![IMG hs](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8364hs070617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/bird-watching-cruise-report-july-7-2017/img_8364hs070617/) IMG hs We set out on Friday to go to Smith Island, the only place in the San Juan Islands that has a nesting colony of tufted puffins. Unfortunately, the weather was too windy to venture out of the protection of the islands. Smith Island is a few miles south of the San Juans in unprotected waters. Instead we were treated to over an hour of spending time with Bigg’s (formerly known as transient) killer whales. We were able to see a Bigg’s killer whale family known as the T49’s. These killer whales eat marine mammals, and they were actively hunting through the passes between the islands. There were numerous harbor seals on the rocky haul outs with newborn pups, and pregnant females. Harbor porpoise were also observed feeding in the tidal rips. We made the best of our inner island trip to sight birds, and were well rewarded. We saw numerous pigeon guillemotts and rhinocerous auklets; both of these species are related to the tufted puffins. Also sighted were: Bald Eagles and nest Osprey Harlequin Ducks Double crested and Pelagic Cormorants Surf Scoters Black Oystercatchers Turkey Vultures Great Blue Herons Glaucous Wing Gulls (Photos courtesy of Jim Bachman) **Categories:** Bellingham, bird watching cruise, Blog, General, San Juan Islands **Tags:** bird cruise, bird watching, bird watching cruise, birds, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands --- ### [The 2017 Whale Watching Season Is Underway - Humpbacks & Orca Whales](https://whales.com/the-2017-whale-watching-season-is-underway-humpbacks-orca-whales/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** [![IMG b](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4514b050617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/the-2017-whale-watching-season-is-underway-humpbacks-orca-whales/img_4514b050617/) IMG b [![IMG vs](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4828vs050617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/the-2017-whale-watching-season-is-underway-humpbacks-orca-whales/img_4828vs050617/) IMG vs [![IMG pg](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_5474pg050617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/the-2017-whale-watching-season-is-underway-humpbacks-orca-whales/img_5474pg050617/) IMG pg [![IMG hw](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_5168hw050617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/the-2017-whale-watching-season-is-underway-humpbacks-orca-whales/img_5168hw050617/) IMG hw [![IMG hw](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_5302hw050617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/the-2017-whale-watching-season-is-underway-humpbacks-orca-whales/img_5302hw050617/) IMG hw [![IMG hw](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_5169hw050617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/the-2017-whale-watching-season-is-underway-humpbacks-orca-whales/img_5169hw050617/) IMG hw [![IMG hw](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_5296hw050617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/the-2017-whale-watching-season-is-underway-humpbacks-orca-whales/img_5296hw050617/) IMG hw [![IMG hw](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_5229hw050617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/the-2017-whale-watching-season-is-underway-humpbacks-orca-whales/img_5229hw050617/) IMG hw [![IMG hp](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4984hp050617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/the-2017-whale-watching-season-is-underway-humpbacks-orca-whales/img_4984hp050617/) IMG hp [![IMG hw](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_5206hw050617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/the-2017-whale-watching-season-is-underway-humpbacks-orca-whales/img_5206hw050617/) IMG hw [![IMG hs](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_5378hs050617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/the-2017-whale-watching-season-is-underway-humpbacks-orca-whales/img_5378hs050617/) IMG hs [![IMG ss](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_5005ss050617-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/the-2017-whale-watching-season-is-underway-humpbacks-orca-whales/img_5005ss050617/) IMG ss Our 2017 season kicked off with decent weather, but excellent whale sightings! We found a playful, active Humpback on Saturday, just north of Saturna Island in the Canadian Gulf Islands, and Sunday was Orca whales – lots and lots of Orcas (J-Pod) on the west side of San Juan Island. Thanks to Jim Bachman, we have some great photos from Saturday’s cruise. In addition to the Humpback whale, we also saw lots of other wildlife. For more info on our Deluxe Whale Watching tour, visit: **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, Recent Whale Sightings, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** deluxe whale watch, humpback whale, orca whale, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report: A Season Of Great Transient Orca Whale Sightings](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-a-season-of-great-transient-orca-whale-sightings/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** ![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/FullSizeRender-218x300.jpg) It’s been an amazing, and interesting whale watching season so far. Our success rate for seeing whales on our whale watching tours has never been better – since we started in early May we have seen whales on nearly 98% of our tours. While we have occasionally seen the resident pods of orca whales, most of our sightings have been of transient orcas and humpback whales. Unlike resident orcas, which primarily feed on salmon, transient orca whales feed on larger prey such as harbor seals. The large population of harbor seals in the San Juan Islands has resulted in more transient orcas being “less transient” this summer. Sightings have been equally good on all three of our whale watching tours – our [Deluxe](https://whales.com/whale-watching/full-day-whale-watching-adventure-cruise/), [Express](https://whales.com/whale-watching/express-whale-watching-tour/) and [Evening](https://whales.com/whale-watching/evening-whale-watching-tour/) tours. If you would like to see whales in their natural habitat, with the stunning scenery of the San Juan Islands, now is the perfect time to sign up for a tour! (Photo by crew member Matt) **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, Recent Whale Sightings, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report: Transient Orcas Seen On 5 Of Our Tours Yesterday (8/20/17)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-transient-orcas-seen-on-5-of-our-tours-yesterday-82017/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** ![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/E1AEC3E351A64A8BA771948A1C951066.jpg) Yesterday was a great day – we saw whales on all 5 of our cruises, including our Deluxe and Express whale watching tours, the Sucia Island picnic cruise, the evening crab dinner cruise and a private charter. It was a group of transient Orcas (T65A’s) out in the northern San Juans. While our success rate is close to 95% on our whale watching tours for the season it was a rare treat to be able to see them on our other tours as well. One of our naturalists, Victoria Souze, recently wrote an article about the transient/Bigg’s Orca whales for the Bellingham Herald – check it out at: **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, Recent Whale Sightings, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - Great Sightings Every Day For The Last Two Weeks](https://whales.com/whale-report-great-sightings-every-day-for-the-last-two-weeks/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** [![IMG o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1907o090307-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-report-great-sightings-every-day-for-the-last-two-weeks/img_1907o090307/) IMG o [![IMG o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1890o090317-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-report-great-sightings-every-day-for-the-last-two-weeks/img_1890o090317/) IMG o [![IMG hs](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4141hs090317-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-report-great-sightings-every-day-for-the-last-two-weeks/img_4141hs090317/) IMG hs [![IMG](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1358_090317-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-report-great-sightings-every-day-for-the-last-two-weeks/img_1358_090317/) IMG [![IMG bk](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1114bk090317-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-report-great-sightings-every-day-for-the-last-two-weeks/img_1114bk090317/) IMG bk [![IMG o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_2076o090317-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-report-great-sightings-every-day-for-the-last-two-weeks/img_2076o090317/) IMG o [![IMG hp](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1241hp090317-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-report-great-sightings-every-day-for-the-last-two-weeks/img_1241hp090317/) IMG hp [![IMG o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1833o090317-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-report-great-sightings-every-day-for-the-last-two-weeks/img_1833o090317/) IMG o [![IMG cm](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1525cm090317-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-report-great-sightings-every-day-for-the-last-two-weeks/img_1525cm090317/) IMG cm [![IMG o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1979o090317-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-report-great-sightings-every-day-for-the-last-two-weeks/img_1979o090317/) IMG o [![IMG o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_2058o090317-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-report-great-sightings-every-day-for-the-last-two-weeks/img_2058o090317/) IMG o [![IMG o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_2105o090317-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whale-report-great-sightings-every-day-for-the-last-two-weeks/img_2105o090317/) IMG o We are definitely in the midst of prime whale watching season, with great sightings over the past two weeks. We’ve primarily spotted Transient / Bigg’s Orca whales, as well as Humpback and Minke whales. Combined with beautiful, sunny weather it’s been quite a summer, but it’s not over yet. We’re running for a few more weeks, through September 24th, so now is a great time to avoid the crowds and come aboard for a memorable whale watching experience. The photos here are courtesy of Jim Bachman, who joined us on our [Deluxe Whale Watching tour](https://whales.com/whale-watching/full-day-whale-watching-adventure-cruise/) on Sunday, September 3rd – in addition to great viewing of Transient Orcas, we also saw seals and a wide variety of sea birds. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, Recent Whale Sightings, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, humpback whale, killer whales, Minke whales, Orca Whales, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report – Season Summary: One Of Our Best Whale Watching Seasons Ever](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-season-summary-one-of-our-best-whale-watching-seasons-ever/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** [![IMG o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_464o0924179-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-season-summary-one-of-our-best-whale-watching-seasons-ever/img_464o0924179/) IMG o [![IMG hp](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4356hp092417-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-season-summary-one-of-our-best-whale-watching-seasons-ever/img_4356hp092417/) IMG hp [![IMG mm](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4380mm092417-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-season-summary-one-of-our-best-whale-watching-seasons-ever/img_4380mm092417/) IMG mm [![IMG ss](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4478ss092417-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-season-summary-one-of-our-best-whale-watching-seasons-ever/img_4478ss092417/) IMG ss [![IMG o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4581o092417-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-season-summary-one-of-our-best-whale-watching-seasons-ever/img_4581o092417/) IMG o [![IMG o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4679o092417-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-season-summary-one-of-our-best-whale-watching-seasons-ever/img_4679o092417/) IMG o [![IMG o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4719o092417-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-season-summary-one-of-our-best-whale-watching-seasons-ever/img_4719o092417/) IMG o [![IMG o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4770o092417-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-season-summary-one-of-our-best-whale-watching-seasons-ever/img_4770o092417/) IMG o [![IMG o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4828o092417-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-season-summary-one-of-our-best-whale-watching-seasons-ever/img_4828o092417/) IMG o [![IMG o](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4889o092417-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-season-summary-one-of-our-best-whale-watching-seasons-ever/img_4889o092417/) IMG o This season turned out to be one of our best ever, with sightings on nearly 95% of our whale watching cruises. We had three different whale watching tours, all of which were popular, with folks enjoying frequent sightings of Orca, Humpback and/or Minke whales. If you came out with us this summer, thank you! We are already getting ready for another great summer in 2018! Included here are photos taken by Jim Bachman on the last day of the season – what a way to close things out, with a group of Orcas, as well as harbor porpoises, a Stellar sea lion, and a variety of sea birds, including marbled Murrelets. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, Recent Whale Sightings, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** deluxe whale watch, Friday Harbor, humpback, humpback whale, killer whales, Minke whales, orca, Orca Whales, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, Whale Watching, whale watching adventure, Whales --- ### [2018 Season Off To A Great Start, With Lots Of Orca And Humpback Whale Sightings](https://whales.com/2018-season-off-to-a-great-start-with-lots-of-orca-and-humpback-whale-sightings/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** ![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG-3129.jpg) ![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_2883.jpg) Our whale watching tours have been very successful, with sightings of transient orcas, humpback whales, minke whales, and a few gray whales so far. The resident orcas are back as well, and with the weather becoming more and more summerlike each day, now’s a great time to join us on one of our tours! (The chart above shows the locations of our sightings so far this season) **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, Recent Whale Sightings, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, gray whales, humpback, humpback whale, killer whales, Minke whales, orca, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, whale watching adventure, Whales --- ### [Photos From Our 2018 Season (So Far...)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** This season has been one of the best – lots of great whale and wildlife sightings and the weather has been pretty amazing as well. We’ve been fortunate to have some great photographers on board, including loyal customers and members of local photography groups. We also just completed a film shoot, from which we’ll have some great online videos and TV commercials soon. Below we’ve included some of the best photos from the season so far – we also post photos regularly on our [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/sanjuancruises/) and [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sanjuancruisesbellingham/) pages. [![fullsizeoutput ac](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/fullsizeoutput_42ac-213x121.jpeg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/fullsizeoutput_42ac/) fullsizeoutput ac [![fullsizeoutput e](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/fullsizeoutput_43e2-213x121.jpeg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/fullsizeoutput_43e2/) fullsizeoutput e [![fullsizeoutput f](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/fullsizeoutput_438f-213x121.jpeg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/fullsizeoutput_438f/) fullsizeoutput f [![IMG](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG-3088-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/img-3088/) IMG [![IMG](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG-3090-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/img-3090/) IMG [![fullsizeoutput f](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/fullsizeoutput_43f2-213x121.jpeg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/fullsizeoutput_43f2/) fullsizeoutput f [![fullsizeoutput](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/fullsizeoutput_4383-213x121.jpeg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/fullsizeoutput_4383/) fullsizeoutput [![IMG](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_0930-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/img_0930/) IMG [![IMG DxO](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1055_DxO-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/img_1055_dxo/) IMG DxO [![IMG DxO](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1068_DxO-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/img_1068_dxo/) IMG DxO [![IMG](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1015-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/img_1015/) IMG [![IMG DxO](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1078_DxO-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/img_1078_dxo/) IMG DxO [![IMG](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3956-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/img_3956/) IMG [![IMG b](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8424b-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/img_8424b/) IMG b [![IMG](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8454-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/img_8454/) IMG [![IMG](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8469-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/img_8469/) IMG [![IMG](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG-3186-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/img-3186/) IMG [![brewers cruise glass photo](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/brewers-cruise-2018-glass-photo-1-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/brewers-cruise-2018-glass-photo-2/) brewers cruise glass photo [![unnamed](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/unnamed-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/unnamed/) unnamed [![whale photo Jerijane Powell](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/whale-photo-5-6-18-Jerijane-Powell-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/whale-photo-5-6-18-jerijane-powell/) whale photo Jerijane Powell [![IMG](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_2547-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/photos-from-our-2018-season-so-far/img_2547/) IMG **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, Recent Whale Sightings, San Juan Islands, Uncategorized, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Fairhaven, Friday Harbor, humpback, humpback whale, killer whales, orca, Orca Whales, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, Whale Watching, whale watching adventure, Whales --- ### [Things To Do In Friday Harbor During Our Deluxe Whale Watching Tour Visit](https://whales.com/things-to-do-in-friday-harbor-during-our-deluxe-whale-watching-tour-visit/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** [![fridayharbor flickr](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/fridayharbor3flickr-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/things-to-do-in-friday-harbor-during-our-deluxe-whale-watching-tour-visit/fridayharbor3flickr/) fridayharbor flickr [![San Juan Islands Museum Of Art](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/San-Juan-Islands-Museum-Of-Art-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/things-to-do-in-friday-harbor-during-our-deluxe-whale-watching-tour-visit/san-juan-islands-museum-of-art/) San Juan Islands Museum Of Art [![popeye the seal cropped](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/popeye-the-seal-cropped-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/things-to-do-in-friday-harbor-during-our-deluxe-whale-watching-tour-visit/popeye-the-seal-cropped/) popeye the seal cropped [![whalemuseum](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/whalemuseum-150x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/things-to-do-in-friday-harbor-during-our-deluxe-whale-watching-tour-visit/whalemuseum/) whalemuseum On our Deluxe Whale Watching Tour we make a stop every day in Friday Harbor, usually from about 11:15 am until 1:00 pm. This is enough time to explore the town, taking in the shops, artist galleries and museums that make this town the hub of activity in the San Juan Islands. We’ve put together a list of fun things to do while in Friday Harbor – this is just a suggested list, and doesn’t include every place worth visiting in this vibrant town. [(Click to download “Things To Do In Friday Harbor” PDF)](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/friday-harbor-things-to-do.pdf) **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Uncategorized **Tags:** Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands --- ### [More Photos From Our Summer Cruise Season](https://whales.com/more-photos-from-our-summer-cruise-season/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** It’s been a great season – it’s gone by way too fast, but we still have tours going through the end of September. Below we’ve included some of the best photos of the last month or so – we also post photos regularly on our [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/sanjuancruises/) and [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sanjuancruisesbellingham/) pages. [![IMG](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_0139-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-photos-from-our-summer-cruise-season/img_0139/) IMG [![Victoria Star And Salish Express Sunset Eric Creitz](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Victoria-Star-And-Salish-Express-Sunset-2018-Eric-Creitz-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-photos-from-our-summer-cruise-season/victoria-star-and-salish-express-sunset-2018-eric-creitz/) Victoria Star And Salish Express Sunset Eric Creitz [![flax life instagram charter photo collage](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/flax4life-instagram-charter-photo-collage-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-photos-from-our-summer-cruise-season/flax4life-instagram-charter-photo-collage/) flax life instagram charter photo collage [![IMG](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1525-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-photos-from-our-summer-cruise-season/img_1525/) IMG [![Chinook Sunset Eric Creitz](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Chinook-Sunset-2-2018-Eric-Creitz-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-photos-from-our-summer-cruise-season/chinook-sunset-2-2018-eric-creitz/) Chinook Sunset Eric Creitz [![MG](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/MG_0388--213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-photos-from-our-summer-cruise-season/_mg_0388/) MG [![Chinook Sunset Eric Creitz](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Chinook-Sunset-2018-Eric-Creitz-213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-photos-from-our-summer-cruise-season/chinook-sunset-2018-eric-creitz/) Chinook Sunset Eric Creitz [![MG](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/MG_0386--213x121.jpg)](https://whales.com/more-photos-from-our-summer-cruise-season/_mg_0386/) MG **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, Recent Whale Sightings, San Juan Islands, Uncategorized **Tags:** Bellingham, dinner cruise, Fairhaven, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, whale watching adventure, Whales --- ### [Celebrate Spring With A Deception Pass Crab Lunch Cruise From La Conner - April 8th Thru 21st](https://whales.com/celebrate-spring-with-a-deception-pass-crab-lunch-cruise-from-la-conner-april-8th-thru-21st/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** ![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/2019-collage-la-conner-crab-lunch-2.jpg) Planning to visit the **[Skagit Valley Tulip Festival](https://sable.godaddy.com/c/48153?id=835279.4907.1.7b648ce56eae88cc420f8502c9c9e81d)** this year? Make your visit even better by taking in the beautiful flowers, then joining us aboard the M/V Chinook for a scenic lunch cruise from the **Channel Lodge in La Conner**. This 2 1/2 hour cruise features our signature Dungeness crab lunch, unparalleled scenery, fun and informative narration from our captain and passage underneath the stunning oft-photographed Deception Pass Bridge. The area is full of many species of birds and wildlife, which our captain and crew will talk about as we go. - ***Breathtaking views of Deception Pass and the Swinomish Channel*** - ***Delicious lunch including Dungeness crab, Tuscan baked chicken, sides & dessert*** - ***Fully narrated tour aboard the 80′ vessel M/V Chinook*** - ***Comfortable vessel with indoor and outdoor seating on two levels*** ***Bar with a selection of Northwest beers, wines and cocktails*** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/booknow.jpg)](https://whales.com/other-cruises/la-conner-tulip-festival-cracked-crab-lunch-cruise/) SCHEDULE 2019 April 8 – April 21 (Every Day) Depart La Conner: 11:00 am Arrive La Conner: 1:30 pm RATES Adult : $79 Youth (6 – 17) : $39.50 Child (Under 6) : FREE **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands **Tags:** crab cruise, la conner, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands --- ### [Whales Seen On Every Whale Watching Tour So Far This Season!](https://whales.com/whales-seen-on-every-whale-watching-tour-so-far-this-season/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** ![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/59295170_2424676620889510_4452398622155210752_o-1024x789.jpg) So far the 2019 season is off to a great start, with whales seen on all of our [Deluxe Whale Watching tours](https://whales.com/whale-watching/). The first weekend we saw Transient/Bigg’s Orca whales both days, and then this past weekend we went up near the Canadian Gulf Islands and saw Humpback whales. We’ve got a few school field trips this week, but look forward to our public whale watching tours this weekend. (Pictured is T49-A1, one of the Transient/Bigg’s Orca whales we saw opening weekend) **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, Recent Whale Sightings, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** humpback whale, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, whale watching adventure, Whales --- ### [Our 2020 Season Starts In April - Join Us On A Deception Pass Crab Cruise From La Conner](https://whales.com/our-2020-season-starts-in-april-join-us-on-a-deception-pass-crab-cruise-from-la-conner/) **Published:** May 2, 2024 **Author:** **Content:** ![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/2019-collage-la-conner-crab-lunch-2.jpg) Planning to visit the **[Skagit Valley Tulip Festival](https://sable.godaddy.com/c/48153?id=835279.4907.1.7b648ce56eae88cc420f8502c9c9e81d)** this year? Make your visit even better by taking in the beautiful flowers, then joining us aboard the M/V Chinook for a scenic lunch cruise from the **Channel Lodge in La Conner**. This 2 1/2 hour cruise features our signature Dungeness crab lunch, unparalleled scenery, fun and informative narration from our captain and passage underneath the stunning oft-photographed Deception Pass Bridge. The area is full of many species of birds and wildlife, which our captain and crew will talk about as we go. - ***Breathtaking views of Deception Pass and the Swinomish Channel*** - ***Delicious lunch including Dungeness crab, Tuscan baked chicken, sides & dessert*** - ***Fully narrated tour aboard the 80′ vessel M/V Chinook*** - ***Comfortable vessel with indoor and outdoor seating on two levels*** ***Bar with a selection of Northwest beers, wines and cocktails*** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/booknow.jpg)](https://whales.com/other-cruises/la-conner-tulip-festival-cracked-crab-lunch-cruise/) SCHEDULE 2020 April 6 – April 26 (Every Day) Depart La Conner: 11:00 am Arrive La Conner: 1:30 pm RATES Adult : $79 Youth (6 – 17) : $39.50 Child (Under 6) : FREE **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** crab cruise, la conner --- ### [J-Pod Is Back!](https://whales.com/j-pod-is-back/) **Published:** May 14, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** We saw J-pod twice yesterday on our cruise between Bellingham and Victoria. We saw them on the way over near Viti Rocks, close to Lummi Island, then saw them again on our return trip, near Salmon Bank of the southern tip of San Juan Island. On our Victoria cruise we look for Orca whales on our way to/from Victoria everyday, and starting Saturday we will start our whale watching tours from Bellingham and Friday Harbor. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, Orca Whales, Victoria --- ### [Whale Sightings This Week](https://whales.com/whale-sightings-this-week/) **Published:** June 9, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** After a brief appearance of K and L Orca pods earlier this week we have been looking at J pod the last few days. On Wednesday we saw them just off Lummi Island, just a few minutes away from Bellingham. Then, for the rest of the week, we saw them off the west and south sides of San Juan Island. The weather looks to be a bit better this week, so we are looking forward to some great whale watching tours! **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Orca Whales, Whale Watching --- ### [Whale Sightings June 9 - 15](https://whales.com/whale-sightings-june-9-15/) **Published:** June 15, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** ![](http://blog.whales.com/wp-content/uploads/image/Blog%20Images/2whales.jpg) The past week has been a great week for whale watching. We’ve seen a variety of resident Orca whales (including a “Superpod”, where all three local pods of whales were spotted together – over 60 whales at one time!), transient Orca whales and Minke whales. We’re in the middle of peak whale watching season and the good weather is finally here, so now is the perfect time to take a cruise to the San Juan Islands or Victoria. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, Orca Whales, Whale Watching --- ### [Whale Watching July 8 - July 14](https://whales.com/whale-watching-july-8-july-14/) **Published:** July 15, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** We had a great week of whale watching, starting off with a Superpod (all three resident pods of Orca whales clustered together) on July 9th. K pod then disappeared for the rest of the week, but we had frequent sightings of the other two pods (J & L) nearly every day. Throw in some sun and temperatures in the mid-70’s, and you couldn’t ask for a more perfect week of cruising through the San Juan Islands! **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [Victoria Star - Lions Club Christmas Ship](https://whales.com/victoria-star-lions-club-christmas-ship/) **Published:** November 3, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** ![](http://blog.whales.com/wp-content/uploads/image/Blog%20Images/victoriastarchristmasship3.jpg) Each year the local Lions Club takes the Victoria Star 2 out into the San Juan Islands, bringing cheer to the kids in the San Juan Islands and Gulf Islands in British Columbia. This year they are set to go December 13th and 14th. Last year’s trip was filmed by Lions Club International – to see the video – [click here](http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/content/lnn/lq-oct2008-mid.php). **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, Christmas, San Juan Islands --- ### [Whale Watching May 22 - May 31](https://whales.com/whale-watching-may-22-may-31/) **Published:** June 1, 2009 **Author:** **Content:** The whale watching has been excellent over the last two weeks, with frequent Orca and Minke whale sightings. Just as impressive is the weather we have had, calm conditions in the islands and lots and lots of sun! Temperatures are supposed to sneak into the low 80’s this week, and will hopefully extend into our scheduled trips this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Now is a great time to visit the islands, or go whale watching, before the summer vacation crowds hit Bellingham and the San Juan Islands. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, Orca Whales, Orcas Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [The First Trip Of Our 2008 Season](https://whales.com/test/) **Published:** May 2, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** Under partly cloudy skies we began our first trip to Victoria for the 2008 season. The Orca whales are back, so we are hoping to catch a glimpse of them on our way to and/or from Victoria today. You can take advantage of our early season discounts by traveling during May and early June. You can book online or by calling us at 1-800-443-4552. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Victoria --- ### [Orca Whales Spotted Again Today!](https://whales.com/orca-whales-spotted-again-today/) **Published:** May 19, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** The Orcas were back again today, near Long Island in south Rosario Strait. Passengers aboard the Victoria Star 2 saw them on the way over to Victoria this morning, and we should be able to see them on today’s whale watch aboard the Island Commuter 2 as well. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Orca Whales --- ### [Saltimbanco - May 29th Through June 1st In Victoria](https://whales.com/94/) **Published:** May 27, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** Saltimbanco – May 29th Through June 1st In Victoria *Saltimbanco* -from the Italian “saltare in banco”, which literally means “to jump on a bench”-explores the urban experience in all its myriad forms: the people who live there, their idiosyncrasies and likenesses, families and groups, the hustle and bustle of the street and the towering heights of skyscrapers. Between whirlwind and lull, prowess and poetry, *Saltimbanco* takes spectators on an allegorical and acrobatic journey into the heart of the city. *Saltimbanco* is a *Cirque du Soleil* signature show inspired by the urban fabric of the metropolis and its colorful inhabitants. Decidedly baroque in its visual vocabulary, the show’s eclectic cast of characters draws spectators into a fanciful, dreamlike world, an imaginary city where diversity is a cause for hope. Saltimbanco is at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, Victoria – for tickets click here. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Events, Victoria --- ### [24th Annual Jazzfest 2008 In Victoria, BC](https://whales.com/95/) **Published:** June 3, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** In a couple of weeks (June 20 – 29th) Victoria will have the 24th annual Jazzfest. They have a great lineup this year, with Maceo Parker, Pink Martini, Dave Brubeck, Susan Tedeschi, Ivan Lins, Jesse Cook, Naturally 7, Divine Brown, Monty Alexander, Andy Bey and Wynton Marsalis. For more information, go to the official Jazzfest website at: [www.jazz**victoria**.ca](http://www.jazzvictoria.ca) **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Music, Victoria --- ### [Saving Luna Documentary At Seattle Film Festival](https://whales.com/saving-luna-documentary-at-seattle-film-festival/) **Published:** June 3, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** ![](http://blog.whales.com/wp-content/uploads/image/Blog%20Images/savingluna.jpg) Saving Luna – June 7th & 8th – Seattle Film Festival Two objective journalists follow the story of Luna, an orca separated from its pod who starts interacting with humans on Vancouver Island. Tourists see a goofy friend, scientists see trouble, conservationists see a cause, and to the native tribe Luna is a chief’s spirit. Filled with stunning underwater photography, the journalist’s objectivity begins to bend as they spend more time with this gentle giant of the ocean. The film becomes a tale of family that transcends man and nature. *Director Suzanne Chisholm scheduled to attend both screenings* [(Information)](http://www.siff.net/festival/film/detail.aspx?id=27350&FID=64) **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Orca Whales, San Juan Islands --- ### [Superpod! All Three Orca Pods (J, K and L) Seen Yesterday!](https://whales.com/superpod-j-k-and-l-orca-pods-seen-yesterday/) **Published:** June 4, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** Yesterday we saw all three resident Orca pods for the first time this season. J, K and L pods were seen by our whale watching passengers aboard the [Island Commuter 2](https://whales.com/index.php/san-juans/schedules-fares) yesterday. They were seen just north of Stuart Island – the first appearance of K and L pods this season in the San Juan Islands. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [Whale Sightings June 16 - June 24](https://whales.com/whale-sightings-june-16-june-24/) **Published:** June 24, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** It’s been another great week for whale watching . We had another rare "Superpod" sighting on Sunday, June 21st, where all three pods of resident Orca whales were together in one huge group. Other days we’ve spotted J and K pods on their own. We have also had a young Sea Lion (perhaps a Stellar Sea Lion) hang out near our dock in Bellingham – it’s fun to see interesting wildlife just seconds after departure! **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, Orca Whales, Whale Watching --- ### [We Have A New Boat - The Viking Star](https://whales.com/we-have-a-new-boat-the-viking-star/) **Published:** July 7, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** ![](http://blog.whales.com/wp-content/uploads/image/Blog%20Images/vikingstarrosario.jpg) We have added a 3rd boat to our "fleet" – the 58-foot, 49-passenger Viking Star. It is currently available for daytime and evening charters, dinner cruises, Bellingham and Chuckanut Bay tours, company outings and private tours. We will have more detailed information on our website soon, however, if you’d like information right away please give us a call at 1-800-443-4552 or (360) 738-8099. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, Charters, San Juan Islands --- ### [Whale Watching July 1 - July 7](https://whales.com/whale-watching-july-1-july-7/) **Published:** July 7, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** The Orca sightings have been pretty good this month so far, with J & K pods being seen on a regular basis. On the one or two rare occasions we haven’t seen them this month, we have had sightings of minke whales, porpoise, bald eagles and a wide variety of sea birds. After a few days of so-so weather, it looks like summer is back, with plenty of sunshine in the forecast this week. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, Orca Whales, San Juan Islands --- ### [Whale Watching July 15 - July 21](https://whales.com/whale-watching-july-15-july-21/) **Published:** July 22, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** Another great week with fabulous weather – sunny with temps in the mid-to-upper 70’s and great whale sightings. Yesterday we saw Orca whales just off Lime Kiln Park on San Juan Island, and a rare (for this time of year) Gray whale sighting just off Vancouver Island. The rest of the week was filled with J and L pod sightings – we got back from Victoria a half hour late on Friday to give our passengers plenty of time with the whales. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Victoria --- ### [Our Victoria Star Salad Dressing Recipe](https://whales.com/our-victoria-star-salad-dressing-recipe/) **Published:** July 22, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** ![](http://blog.whales.com/wp-content/uploads/image/Blog%20Images/salad.jpg)For many years, our guests have raved about the Victoria Star Salad Dressing featured on all of our dinner cruises. After dozens of requests over the past decade, we’ve finally decided to share our secret recipe with you. **Victoria Star Salad Dressing** ½ cup Sugar ½ tsp Salt 2 tbsp Celery Salt ½ tbsp Dry Mustard 1 ½ cup Salad Oil ¼ cup Onion ½ cup Cider Vinegar Mix all ingredients in a blender for 2 – 3 minutes. Re-blend before serving if ingredients separate. Makes 1 Pint. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** recipe, Victoria Star --- ### [Whale Watching July 22 - July 28](https://whales.com/whale-watching-july-22-july-28/) **Published:** July 28, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** Yet another great week of whale watching, possibly the best of the season. We saw Orca and Minke whales on a regular basis on both boats, the Island Commuter 2 (our Friday Harbor/Whale Watching boat) and the Victoria Star 2 (our Victoria, BC boat). There was one "Superpod" sighting (all three resident pods clustered together) and several 2 pod sightings. It’s a little gray today, but the forecast is for nicer weather towards the end of the week. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Victoria --- ### [Victoria - Festival 150](https://whales.com/victoria-festival-150/) **Published:** July 28, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** ![](http://blog.whales.com/wp-content/uploads/image/Blog%20Images/logo.jpg)Victoria, BC – Festival 150 August 01, 2008 – August 04, 2008 What better place to celebrate B.C. Day long weekend than in Victoria? This year, British Columbians (or anyone else) have extra incentive to journey to the capital city during the holiday weekend: Festival 150. The Provincial Capital Commission, along with community partners and sponsors, is hosting this major public event in celebration of BC150. The free family-oriented celebration will take place from Aug. 1-4 in the Inner Harbour. It will have something for everyone, from artisan markets to performances by internationally-acclaimed B.C. musicians. The highlight? On Aug. 4, British Columbians will have the opportunity to celebrate B.C. Day at a concert finale on the lawn of the B.C. Parliament Buildings that will feature a special acoustic performance by international recording artist Sarah McLachlan. For more information: **Phone:** 250-953-8800 [www.bcfestival150.ca/](http://www.bcfestival150.ca/) **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Victoria --- ### [Whale Watching July 29 - August 3](https://whales.com/whale-watching-july-29-august-3/) **Published:** August 3, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** It’s been yet another great week out in the San Juan Islands. Lots of whales, including Orca whales (mostly J & L pods), some transient Orcas and a couple of Minke whale sightings. With perfect weather forecasted this week (clear skies and temps in the upper 70’s / low 80’s), it should fabulous out in the San Juan Islands and Victoria! **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Victoria --- ### [Whale Watching August 4 - August 11](https://whales.com/whale-watching-august-4-august-11/) **Published:** August 10, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** ![](http://blog.whales.com/wp-content/uploads/image/Blog%20Images/IMG_1805.jpg) Yet another great week of whale watching! Usually the peak whale watching season is May – mid-July, however, it seems like the sightings are getting better and better as we get further into the summer season. This photo was taken by our captain on August 6th. For the last 7 days we have been seeing J and L pods, along with one day where we saw transient whales (whales that don’t stay within the Puget Sound region year-round). It looks like there will be some light clouds moving in this afternoon, but then the forecast looks great for the rest of the week. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Victoria --- ### [Poem Called "Victoria Star Ship"](https://whales.com/poem-called-victoria-star-ship/) **Published:** August 10, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** This poem was written by one of the passengers aboard the Victoria Star last week: # Victoria Star Ship Welcome aboard the Victoria Star Ship We hope you are having a great trip Although the day is cloudy and grey We expect the sun to burn the clouds away The waves are capped with white There are no whales in sight This is a really smooth ride I am glad I have someone by my side As we were crossing Bellingham Bay The captain had a lot to say We saw Guemes Island in the sea This is where Free Willy 2 was set free Our journey back will be at eight We do not want to be late There are plenty of islands in te sea Too many today, for us to see We go through a part of the Inland Passage We do not stop even for a message San Juan is a wild life refuge The ship we are on is huge As we are watching the sea We see salmon swimming free The captain of the ship He is moving us at a fast clip He is talking along the way Showing us things of interest in the bay There are shipping lanes here All the ships stay clear When to Victoria we draw near Everyone is talking about what they see Today, this is the life for me! Sea gulls land in the water They are not a part of this charter Sea gulls looking for a meal Some of them get a raw deal We did not see any flying fish I don’t know if they make a tasty dish There is a place called Deception Pass From the ship we see no bass We passed a place where seals did lay In the water they liked to play Sailing in the Victoria Star is better than a ferry Even with the day cloudy and dreary McKay Harbor is full of ships The wind outside the ship has quite a nip The day was great for me Plenty of things for me to see This Island is new to me I would like more to see Next time I get a chance I want more than a glance Copyright 2008: Glenda Rogers **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, San Juan Islands, Victoria --- ### [Whale Watching August 12 - August 19](https://whales.com/whale-watching-august-12-august-19/) **Published:** August 20, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** ![](http://blog.whales.com/wp-content/uploads/image/Blog%20Images/IMG_1787.jpg) The week started off great, with "superpod" sightings and great weather. The Orca sightings tapered off the last few days, but there was still plenty of wildlife to be seen out in the islands, including a tiny new baby porpoise. It looks like the weather should improve later this week. Our Friday Harbor/Whale Watching tours end in 11 days, on September 1st, so if have been putting off a trip to the San Juan Islands, or a whale watching tour, now is the time to go! **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [Whale Watching August 20 - August 24](https://whales.com/whale-watching-august-20-august-24/) **Published:** August 25, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** Despite the rain and clouds the past few days the whale sightings haven’t been too bad. We were unable to see them on Friday – they were just too far out of our range. However, we saw Minke and Orca whales every other day, including another Superpod sighting (all three resident pods of Orca together).The weather is much nicer today and should last until the middle of the week – hopefully this weather will stay a little longer though! **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Orca Whales, San Juan Islands --- ### [Whale Watching August 25 - September 1](https://whales.com/whale-watching-august-25-september-1/) **Published:** September 2, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** Yesterday was the last day of the season for our Friday Harbor / Whale Watching tours aboard the Island Commuter 2. The season ended on a big high note, with several Superpod sightings through the week, as well as a few transient Orca sightings. We are still running our trips to Victoria daily through September 28th. On this tour we pick routes in both directions with the best chance of seeing Orca whales along the way – this season we have seen them about 75% of the time. We offer a low season discount of $25 off the regular adult round-trip cruise fare between September 8 – September 28, so now is a great time to book a trip to Victoria before the season ends! **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** San Juan Islands, Victoria, Whale Watching --- ### [Whale Watching September 2 - September 8](https://whales.com/whale-watching-september-2-september-8/) **Published:** September 9, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** The resident Orca pods have become a little more difficult to find this past week, however, we’ve been luck to find transient Orcas just outside of Victoria. The weather has been beautiful too, making this possibly the best time of the season to see the San Juan Islands and Victoria. The forecast is good through the upcoming weekend, with lots of sun and temperatures into the lower 70’s. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** San Juan Islands, Victoria, Whale Watching --- ### [Whale Of A 'Purpose' Orca Whale Blog](https://whales.com/whale-of-a-purpose-orca-whale-blog/) **Published:** October 22, 2008 **Author:** **Content:** ![](http://blog.whales.com/wp-content/uploads/image/Blog%20Images/blogwhale.jpg) I just came across a great Orca whale blog site called [*Whale Of A ‘Purpose’*](http://whale-of-a-porpoise.blogspot.com/) written by a local whale enthusiast that is packed with great photos and lots of tips on identifying whales. With the sun out today, looking at this blog makes me wish we were still running tours….spring is just around the corner though! **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [Bellingham Bay Webcam](https://whales.com/bellingham-bay-webcam/) **Published:** February 3, 2009 **Author:** **Content:** [![Webcam Bellingham - North America, United States, Bellingham](http://images.webcams.travel/thumbnail/1170172110.jpg)](http://www.webcams.travel/webcam/1170172110 "Webcam Bellingham - North America, United States, Bellingham") Bellingham Cold Storage has a webcam with a great view of Bellingham Bay and Fairhaven (off in the distance). Note: The view will look better when you click through. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** bay, Bellingham, lummi island, webcam --- ### [Spring Is Here - Cruises To Victoria & The San Juan Islands Just Around The Corner](https://whales.com/spring-is-here-cruises-to-victoria-the-san-juan-islands-just-around-the-corner/) **Published:** March 26, 2009 **Author:** **Content:** We are gearing up for our 2009 operating season! Cruises to the San Juan Islands and whale watching will start May 15th, and our cruises to Victoria will start on June 20th. You can find information on both services throughout our website. If you would like a print brochure mailed to you, please click [here](https://whales.com/index.php/about-us/comments).If you would like to sign up for our e-Newsletter, The Islander, which is delivered via e-mail once a month or so, packed with news, interesting facts and features, and discount offers, please submit your e-mail address using the form below (you can unsubscribe at any time). ![](http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images/visitor/tl_brdr2_trans.gif)![](http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images/spacer.gif)![](http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images/visitor/tr_brdr2_trans.gif)![](http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images/spacer.gif) Sign Up For Our e-Newsletter, The Islander Email: ![](http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images/visitor/bl_brdr2_trans.gif)![](http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images/spacer.gif)![](http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images/visitor/br_brdr2_trans.gif)![](http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images/spacer.gif) [![](http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/safe_subscribe_logo.gif)](http://www.constantcontact.com/safesubscribe.jsp) For [Email Marketing](http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp) you can trust **Categories:** Blog **Tags:** San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, Victoria, Victoria San Juan Cruises, Victoria Star --- ### [Bellingham Main Post Office Hosts Passport Fair Saturday 3/28](https://whales.com/bellingham-main-post-office-hosts-passport-fair-saturday-328/) **Published:** March 27, 2009 **Author:** **Content:** Those who are planning to travel outside of the U.S. but don’t yet have their passport are encouraged to attend the Passport Fair at the Bellingham main post office Saturday, March 28. The event is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 315 Prospect St. People can have their passport pictures taken for $15. Adults will have to pay a $75 passport fee and $60 for any children under the age of 16. All applicants also must pay a $25 execution fee. People will need to bring proof of citizenship, such as a certified birth certificate, certificate of naturalization or previously issued U.S. passport. A current driver’s license or Military I.D. is also needed to prove identity. For information on other identification options or to download the passport application forms visit [travel.state.gov](http://travel.state.gov). ISABELLE DILLS – [THE BELLINGHAM HERALD](http://bellinghamherald.com) **Categories:** Blog **Tags:** Bellingham, passport, post office --- ### [The Island Commuter 2 Starts Running To The San Juan Islands Today!](https://whales.com/the-island-commuter-2-starts-running-to-the-san-juan-islands-today/) **Published:** May 15, 2009 **Author:** **Content:** ![islandcommuter2](http://blog.whales.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/islandcommuter2.jpg "islandcommuter2") Today is the first day of operation for our San Juan Island Commuter service to the San Juan Islands (Eliza, Sinclair, Blakely, Orcas, Lopez and San Juan Island/Friday Harbor), as well as our whale watching tours from Friday Harbor. The weather is going to be great this weekend, with lots of sun and temperatures in the high 60’s to low 70’s. We have plenty of space available for our trips this Saturday and Sunday. If you would like to go out to the islands next weekend, we are filling up fast for the Memorial Day weekend holiday. **Categories:** Blog **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, Orcas Island, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [Whale Watching May 15 - May 17](https://whales.com/whale-watching-may-15-may-17/) **Published:** May 17, 2009 **Author:** **Content:** Our San Juan Island Commuter service to the San Juan Islands, as well as our whale watching tours, began this season on Friday and it’s been a great start to the season! The weather has been perfect, with lots of sun and temperatures in the mid-to-upper 60’s. Best of all though, the Orca whales have been seen on all of our whale watching trips so far! They started off just off shore of San Juan Island, but have been seen further north more recently, close to Pt. Roberts. We currently have seats available for our tours next weekend, May 22-25, but space is limited, so call or book online soon. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Friday Harbor, Orca Whales, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [Bicycling to South Beach on San Juan Island](https://whales.com/bicycling-to-south-beach-on-san-juan-island/) **Published:** June 11, 2009 **Author:** **Content:** One of the most popular activities on San Juan Island is bicycling. The island is relatively flat, with rolling countryside and just a few gradual hills. With our San Juan Island Commuter service to Friday Harbor, you have nearly 5 hours (on a day trip) to explore the island. For many cyclists, it is possible to do a round-trip to just about any point on the island. A great trip, which is only about 12 miles round-trip, is from Friday Harbor to American Camp and South Beach. The ride takes you out of Friday Harbor, past the airport and into the rolling countryside that makes up the interior of the island. As you pedal southwest along Cattle Point Road you reach the west side of the island, feeling the breeze and salt air that is a welcome relief. American Camp is worth visiting for at least 30 – 60 minutes, perhaps longer if you’d like to walk along the interpretive trail. To reach South Beach you continue about a mile south on Cattle Point Road, then take a right onto Pickett’s Lane. It’s just a quick coast downhill to South Beach, where you can have lunch, walk along the beach, and view the many fishing boats, cargo ships and occasionally, Orca whales, that pass by this area. Make sure you allow plenty of time for the 6 mile return ride back into Friday Harbor, It’s also a good idea to bring plenty of water, sunscreen and snacks – there are no stores or restaurants along the way. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** American Camp, bicycling, Friday Harbor, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, South Beach --- ### [The Black Cat Farm of Eliza Island](https://whales.com/the-black-cat-farm-of-eliza-island/) **Published:** June 18, 2009 **Author:** **Content:** ![](http://blog.whales.com/wp-content/uploads/image/lechatnoir.jpg)The Black Cat Farm of Eliza Island [Eliza Island](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliza_Island) is the first stop we make on our [San Juan Islands cruise to Friday Harbor aboard the Island Commuter 2](https://whales.com/index.php/san-juans/schedules-fares). Now home to over 100 summer homes on the 141 acre island with only five year-round residents, this island has a storied history. Named after the daughter of Spanish Expedition Commander Francisco De Eliza in 1791, an interesting part of its history is the Consolidated Black Cat Company of James F. Wardner. Wardner’s resume is long and varied: rabbit raiser, miner, orange grower, pig farmer and owner of a cat ranch. His goal was to raise the felines on the isolated island and sell their pelts for $2 to compete with the sale of seal and otter furs that were so popular at that time. He even brought in a cat rancher by the name of Sam Weller to feed the cats and take care of them until their pelts were needed. Needless to say, the ranch did not survive (although the number of unlucky cats before retirement is unknown) and the only remnant of black cats seen near this northern port is the eatery “[Le Chat Noir](http://www.sycamoresquare.com/suite310.htm)” in Fairhaven. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, Eliza Island, Fairhaven, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands --- ### [Whale Watching June 1 - June 17](https://whales.com/whale-watching-june-1-june-17/) **Published:** June 18, 2009 **Author:** **Content:** Over the last two weeks we have moved from operating only weekends, to our current 7-days/week service. The whale watching has been very good over the last two weeks, with Orca and Minke whales seen most often, along will occasional Gray and Humpback whale sightings. The weather continues to be great as well, with calm waters and lots of sun! **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Friday Harbor, Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [Whale Watching June 18 - July 9](https://whales.com/whale-watching-june-18-july-9/) **Published:** July 9, 2009 **Author:** **Content:** We seem to have hit the peak season for Orca Whale watching over the past two weeks, with frequent sightings of all 3 local pods (J, K and L pods). Yesterday (July 8) we even saw what we call a "Superpod" – a gathering of all three local pods of Orca whales! With excellent weather forecast through the weekend, this is a great time to visit the San Juan Islands or Victoria, BC. **Categories:** Uncategorized **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Victoria, Whale Watching --- ### [Travel & Leisure Magazine - Victoria In Top 10 US/Canada Cities](https://whales.com/travel-leisure-magazine-victoria-in-top-10-uscanada-cities/) **Published:** July 17, 2009 **Author:** **Content:** ![travelleisuremag](http://blog.whales.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/travelleisuremag-300x290.jpg "travelleisuremag")In the latest issue of Travel & Leisure Magazine, Victoria, BC was named #8 in a list of top 10 US & Canadian cities. Top Ten Cities: 1\. New York 2\. San Francisco 3\. Quebec City 4\. Charleston 5\. Santa Fe 6\. Chicago 7\. Savannah 8\. Victoria 9\. Montreal 10\. Seattle **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** seattle, travel & leisure magazine, Victoria --- ### [Whale Watching August 19 - August 26](https://whales.com/whale-watching-august-19-august-26/) **Published:** August 27, 2009 **Author:** **Content:** The orca whale sightings have remained strong through the month of August, with frequent sightings of the 3 [local pods](https://whales.com/index.php/whales/whale-pods-wildlife) (J, K & L pods), as well as transient orcas and minke whales. We are entering the final 2 weeks of our operating season, with our [San Juan Whale Watching Tours](https://whales.com/index.php/san-juans/schedules-fares) ending on September 7th. However, our cruises to Victoria, on which we also see orca whales frequently, will continue through September 27th. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, Orca Whales, Victoria, Whale Watching --- ### [New Baby Orca Spotted In Puget Sound](https://whales.com/new-baby-orca-spotted-in-puget-sound/) **Published:** October 16, 2009 **Author:** **Content:** BREMERTON, Wash. A baby orca has been born in the L pod of Puget Sound killer whales. The new orca was photographed Saturday near Port Townsend and confirmed as a new calf by the Center for Whale Research. It has been assigned the number L-113 and is the fourth baby orca spotted this year. The new arrival brings the population known as Puget Sound southern residents orcas to 86. The population reached 140 or more in the last century, but their numbers have fluctuated in recent decades. They were listed as endangered in 2005. ![](http://http.edge.ru4.com/smartserve/ttplus?placement=tp-0224-001&intr=C86&target=) ![Quantcast](http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-a7Tfa07syTzps.gif?media=ad&labels=3593%2cC1101%2eP0376%2cP0376) This is the time of year when the killer whale pods leave Puget Sound for the ocean. But Ken Balcomb at the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor said the experts who monitor the whales hope to see them another time or two this year. ![](http://us.bc.yahoo.com/b?P=923f24e4-ba9e-11de-9701-0b18b4a320e8&T=19un1bba0%2fX%3d1255730108%2fE%3d2022775850%2fR%3dncnws%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d8.1%2fW%3d0%2fY%3dPARTNER_US%2fF%3d1132944%2fH%3dYWx0c3BpZD0iOTY3MjgzMTUxIiBwZF9jb3VudHJ5PSJVUyIgc2VydmVJZD0iOTIzZjI0ZTQtYmE5ZS0xMWRlLTk3MDEtMGIxOGI0YTMyMGU4IiBzaXRlSWQ9IjE3MjI1NTEiIHRTdG1wPSIxMjU1NzMwMTA4ODkwMDU4IiB0YXJnZXQ9Il90b3AiIA--%2fQ%3d-1%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3dE7AAB444&U=128tdclrf%2fN%3dHslnAES0qUw-%2fC%3d-1%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d-1%2fV%3d4) The orca’s mother is presumed to be L-94, a 14-year-old female named Calypso. If the parentage is confirmed, the baby would be her first calf. If it is a first-born, chances are not good that it will survive past its first birthday, compared to a female’s later offspring, experts say. That is because females “offload” high levels of toxic chemicals to their first-born, both in the womb and in their milk. Jami Nagel, a naturalist for Island Adventures, captured a picture of the new calf off Point Wilson near Port Townsend on Saturday, as the pod of whales headed into Puget Sound. The Center for Whale Research has confirmed that the calf had never been seen before. “We’re hoping they’ll come back in so we can get another look at the calf,” said Susan Berta of Orca Network. “Sometimes in winter, they’ll make their first jaunt out and then come back in.” Early Monday morning, orca calls were heard on a hydrophone off Port Townsend, where they presumably were heading out to the ocean through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Berta said. Just one year earlier in October 2008, scientists reported seven Puget Sound killer whales had gone missing and were presumed dead. It was the biggest decline among the orca population in nearly a decade. The reason for the deaths is unknown, but scientists suspect pollution and a lack of food may be the whales’ biggest problems. Three other baby orcas were spotted this year: J44 and L112 in February and J45 in March. ###### Information from: Kitsap Sun, http://www.kitsapsun.com/, Bellingham Herald http://www.bellinghamherald.com, AP http://www.ap.org **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands **Tags:** Orca Whales, San Juan Islands --- ### [Five Orcas Born In 2009, Already One Newborn In 2010](https://whales.com/five-orcas-born-in-2009-already-one-newborn-in-2006/) **Published:** January 11, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/neworcacalf.jpg "neworcacalf")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/neworcacalf.jpg)After Orca populations in the San Juan region dropped a bit in 2008, they rebounded in 2009 with the births of five Orca calves, and 2010 is off to a great start with the birth of another calf on January 3rd. There are now 88 resident Orca whales in the San Juan Islands. To read the complete story, visit the Bellingham Herald website. **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands **Tags:** Orca Whales, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [Victoria San Juan Cruises New 3 Day/2 Night San Juan Islands Exeprience Tour](https://whales.com/475/) **Published:** February 22, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** We are pleased to offer a brand new 3 day/2 night San Juan Islands Experience tour aboard the Viking Star this season. The package includes: - 3 days of cruising in the San Juan Islands, plus whale watching, aboard the Viking Star - 2 nights accommodations in Friday Harbor at the Earthbox Motel & Spa - 2 breakfasts, 1 cracked crab lunch, 1 on-board wine & cheese social & 1 dinner - All taxes & port fees The cruise was recently featured in the Bellingham Herald and [Seattle Times](http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/outdoors/2011173560_nwwtravelnotes25.html "Seattle Times"). For schedule & price information, please download our [San Juan Experience](https://whales.com/uploads/pdfs/sanjuanexperience2010.pdf) flier (PDF format). **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands **Tags:** bellingham herald, overnight package, san juan islands experience, seattle times, viking star, Whale Watching --- ### [Victoria, BC Featured On NBC's Today Show](https://whales.com/victoria-bc-featured-on-nbcs-today-show/) **Published:** February 26, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](http://blog.whales.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/todayvancouver.gif "todayvancouver")](http://today.msnbc.msn.com/ "Today Show")NBC’s *Today Show* is in Vancouver during the Winter Olympics, and Matt, Meredith, Ann and Al took a float plane trip to Victoria for the afternoon, taking in [Afternoon Tea at the Empress Hotel](https://whales.com/Destinations/Victoria/Victoria-Tour-Options.aspx "Afternoon Tea At The Empress Hotel") and fish n’ chips along Victoria’s inner harbour. Interestingly, our vessel, the Victoria Star and float planes like the one featured in this clip share the same waters leading into the city. Oftentimes, as we approach downtown Victoria you’ll see one or two float planes fly over our boat. Visit msnbc.com for [breaking news](http://www.msnbc.msn.com), [world news](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032507), and [news about the economy](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072) **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** british columnbia, today show, vancouver olympics, Victoria --- ### [Bellingham Farmer's Market Opens This Weekend](https://whales.com/bellingham-farmers-market-opens-this-weekend/) **Published:** March 31, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/farmersmarketlogo-300x231.jpg "farmersmarketlogo")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/farmersmarketlogo.jpg)Winter is out the door and it’s time to enjoy spring with the opening of the [Bellingham Farmer’s Market](http://www.bellinghamfarmers.org/ "Bellingham Farmers Market"). The market is “an open-air gathering place where fresh produce, tasty food, fabulous crafts, eye-catching flowers and plants, and festive music attract thousands of visitors each year.” It’s open from 10am – 3pm every Saturday, from April 3rd through Christmas. The Fairhaven Farmer’s Market will open in June. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, downtown, farmer's market --- ### [What's That Big Red Thing At Fairhaven Shipyard? (Bellingham Herald)](https://whales.com/whats-that-big-red-thing-at-fairhaven-shipyard-bellingham-herald/) **Published:** April 5, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/fairhavendrydock-300x225.jpg "fairhavendrydock")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/fairhavendrydock.jpg)We have had a bunch of people ask us about the big thing loaded onto the floating drydock next to us at the Alaska Ferry Terminal. The answer was revealed in yesterday’s Bellingham Herald – it’s a caisson for graving dock #6 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton. Read more: **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, bellingham herald, Fairhaven --- ### [Gray Whales Battle Orcas During Migration (National Geographic)](https://whales.com/gray-whales-battle-orcas-during-migration-national-geographic/) **Published:** April 5, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/ngkillerwhale-300x225.jpg "ngkillerwhale")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/ngkillerwhale.jpg)([National Geographic](http://www.nationalgeographic.com/)): Every spring, a series of epic battles are fought in the waters off America’s West Coast. It’s the season when [killer whales](http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/killer-whale.html) hunt their largest prey; migrating gray whales. [National Geographic: Killer Whale/Orca Whale Info Page](http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/killer-whale.html) Gray Whales Battle Orcas During Migration Video **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** gray whales, killer whales, national geographic, Orca Whales --- ### [Island Commuter Service To The San Juan Islands Starts Friday April 30](https://whales.com/island-commuter-service-to-the-san-juan-islands-starts-friday-april-30/) **Published:** April 9, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/islandcommuter-206x300.jpg "islandcommuter")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/islandcommuter.jpg)Our Island Commuter service from Bellingham to the San Juan Islands starts up again on April 30th. Beat the summer crowds with a trip out to the islands! We offer departures every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from April 30 – June 7, with daily service starting on June 11. Departing at 9:3o am, we can make stops at Eliza Island, Sinclair Island, Blakely Island, Orcas Island (Lieber Haven), Lopez Island and San Juan Island (Friday Harbor). [Click here for more information, and reservations.](https://whales.com/Destinations/San-Juan-Islands/Schedules-Fares.aspx) **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands **Tags:** Bellingham, Blakely Island, Eliza Island, Friday Harbor, island commuter, Lieber Haven, Lopez Island, Orcas Island, San Juan Island, San Juan Island Commuter, Sinclair Island --- ### [Free Willy: Escape From Pirate's Cove DVD](https://whales.com/free-willy-escape-from-pirates-cove-dvd/) **Published:** April 9, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** Although it wasn’t filmed in the San Juan Islands like before, the latest Free Willy movie, *Escape From Pirate’s Cove*, is sure to interest Orca lovers of all ages. It was released on DVD a couple of weeks ago and features Bindi Irwin (daughter of the late Steve Irwin) and veteran actor Beau Bridges. It is described as “more a retelling of the original 1993 *Free Willy* film than a third sequel in the series, *Free Willy: Escape from Pirate’s Cove* is the story of a young whale who’s separated from his pod, used in a moneymaking scheme, and befriended by a young girl who ultimately makes a huge difference in the young whale’s life.” **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** dvd, film, free willy, Orca Whales --- ### [Article In Bellingham Herald - Our New San Juan Experience Tour](https://whales.com/article-in-bellingham-herald-our-new-san-juan-experience-tour/) **Published:** April 20, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/vikingstarbellinghamherald.jpg "vikingstarbellinghamherald")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/vikingstarbellinghamherald.jpg)The Bellingham Herald visited our office a few days ago to talk about our new “San Juan Experience” 3 day/2 night tour that we will be running this summer. We are busy prepping the boat inside and out, getting it ready for the upcoming season. To read the Bellingham Herald article, click here. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands **Tags:** Bellingham, bellingham herald, Friday Harbor, Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, san juan islands experience, viking star, Whale Watching --- ### [Lady Washington In Bellingham May 5-16](https://whales.com/lady-washington-in-bellingham-may-5-16/) **Published:** April 21, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/ladywa1.jpg "ladywa")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/ladywa1.jpg)The Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain will be back in Bellingham for a couple of weeks in May. The Lady Washington appeared in the film *Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl* as the HMS Interceptor. For information about tours and purchasing tickets for 3-hour sails, visit the [Historical Seaport](http://historicalseaport.org) website. [](http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2010/04/19/1387635/lady-washington-hawaiian-chieftain.html#ixzz0llKFYdKZ) **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, lady washington, pirates of the caribbean, tours --- ### [Spring Splash - Sunday, May 2nd In Friday Harbor](https://whales.com/spring-splash-sunday-may-2nd-in-friday-harbor/) **Published:** April 30, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/springsplash-231x300.jpg "springsplash")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/springsplash.jpg)The Port of Friday Harbor is celebrating it’s 60th Anniversary with the [Spring Splash Festival and Opening Day Boat Parade](http://portfridayharbor.org/events/spring-splash-april-27-april-28-and-may-2/) this Sunday, May 2nd. If you’d like to travel from Bellingham to Friday Harbor this Sunday for the festival, click [here](https://whales.com/Destinations/San-Juan-Islands/Schedules-Fares.aspx) for schedule and price info. **Activities** - Lady Washington Hawaiian Chieftain - Seaplane Rides - Diving Demonstrations - Kid’s Activities - Pirate Dunk Tank - Boat Rides **Music** - Tuesday 5- 8 pm Devorah - Wednesday 5-8 pm Joint Chiefs - Sunday May 2, 1-3:30 Duo Tones **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands **Tags:** Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, spring splash --- ### [First Whale Watch Of 2010 - Orca Whales Seen West Of San Juan Island](https://whales.com/first-whale-watch-of-2010-orca-whales-seen-west-of-san-juan-island/) **Published:** April 30, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/pod.jpg "Orca whale pod")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/pod.jpg)Today was our first whale watching trip of the 2010 season, and our passengers were treated to a great day with Orca whales from J-pod, just off the western side of San Juan Island. The rain managed to stay away and the winds were calm – all in all not a bad start to the season! We are running our [whale watching tours](https://whales.com/Whales/Whale-Watching/Schedules-Fares.aspx) Fridays through Mondays through June 7, then daily from June 11 – September 6. **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Friday Harbor, Orca Whales, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, Victoria San Juan Cruises, Whale Watching --- ### [Opening Day Of Boating Season Today In Bellingham](https://whales.com/opening-day-of-boating-season-today-in-bellingham/) **Published:** May 1, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_2068-300x225.jpg "IMG_2068")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_2068.jpg)Today was the opening day of boating season in Bellingham, and a parade of boats, including a small fire boat, cruised by the terminal. With boats on the water, and the sun peeking through the clouds, it’s a sign that summer is just around the corner! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, Events, Fairhaven --- ### [San Juan Summer Splash Festival & Orca Whales](https://whales.com/san-juan-summer-splash-festival-orca-whales/) **Published:** May 6, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1053-300x200.jpg "IMG_1053")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1053.jpg)This summer we will have a couple of college interns riding our vessels to the San Juan Islands and Victoria, taking lots of photos and reporting on events, whale sightings and other happenings. Our first report comes from John, a Western Washington University student in their Recreation Program), who writes about his day aboard the Island Commuter 2, and taking in the sights and sounds of Friday Harbor and their annual Summer Splash Festival: “Wow, what a great day, the only thing lacking was the sunshine. Arriving in Friday [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1171-e1273185457711-200x300.jpg "IMG_1171")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1171-e1273185457711.jpg)Harbor around 11am I was left with a couple hours to kill before the boat parade. Luckily there was an great band by the name Duotones. They are a wonderful duo playing an array of covers from Pink Floyd to David Essex. This was a great compliment to the boat parade. Right about 2 pm the boat parade had started, showcasing around twenty boats, all of which were varying in size and decoration. The theme for the parade was 1950’s rock n roll, and some people brought it out in style. Personally I enjoyed the two Elvis Presley’s singing Hound Dog on the stern of their boat. After the parade finished, what was left of the crowd outside went inside to watch, listen, and enjoy the Duotones until the [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1297-300x200.jpg "IMG_1297")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1297.jpg)end of the festival. Overall the Spring Splash festival was a success. The music was good, the boat parade was fun, and everyone had a wonderful time. On a side note we were lucky enough to spot a pod of whales off the west side of Cypress Island between Guemes and Sinclair Island, thus concluding a successful day.” **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands --- ### [Mother's Day Cruise To Victoria](https://whales.com/mothers-day-cruise-to-victoria/) **Published:** May 13, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** This report comes from John, a WWU student who is doing an internship with our company this season. He rode to Victoria with us on Mother’s Day, and wrote a bit about the cruise, and took some great pictures as well. [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1338-300x225.jpg "IMG_1338")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1338.jpg)“A happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there – I hope it was a wonderful day for all of you. But now, we shall go west to Victoria! Having not been to Victoria for almost 10 years, I had no idea what to expect. Luckily I had the trusty crew of the Victoria Star help me get started. Once I had a map and a couple of destinations, I was off. Having the afternoon to explore Victoria, I decided to stick to the waterfront. On a sunny weekend day, like today, the waterfront is the place to be. There were all sorts of activities and fun to be had; there were food vendors, arts and crafts vendors, musicians, street performers, and of course people. The highlight was a man juggling torches while riding an extra tall unicycle. A good sense of humor and lots of talent made this performance quite a treat to stumble upon. My next stops were the [Empress Hotel](http://www.fairmont.com/empress/) and the [Parliament Buildings](http://www.leg.bc.ca/). With a fresh cut lawn and landscaped gardens, I was in awe of the hotel. It’s a beautiful place to stay if you are looking to make your trip an overnight visit. The last stop in my exploration, and by far my favorite was the Parliament Buildings. With a large front lawn and beautiful gardens on the side, this made for the perfect place to [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1387-225x300.jpg "IMG_1387")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1387.jpg)lounge and spend the rest of a sunny afternoon. I highly recommend eating lunch, having a snack, or just sitting in the garden located on the west side of the Parliament Buildings. It was beautiful and quiet, all a person needs on a sunny afternoon. All in all it was a good day in Victoria. Until next time…” **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Victoria, Victoria San Juan Cruises, Victoria Star --- ### [Victoria - Full Of Live (Video)](https://whales.com/victoria-full-of-live-video/) **Published:** May 15, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [Tourism Victoria](http://www.tourismvictoria.com/) has put together a great video that shows off the sights, sounds and activities of Victoria, BC. **Categories:** Blog, General **Tags:** Victoria, Victoria San Juan Cruises, Victoria Star --- ### [Recent Orca Whale Sightings](https://whales.com/recent-orca-whale-sightings/) **Published:** May 16, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1305-300x200.jpg "IMG_1305")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1305.jpg)We started our cruises to [Victoria](https://whales.com/Destinations/Victoria/Schedules-Fares.aspx), the [San Juan Islands](https://whales.com/Destinations/San-Juan-Islands/Schedules-Fares.aspx) and [whale watching](https://whales.com/Whales/Whale-Watching/Schedules-Fares.aspx) on April 30th this season, and have had lots of great whale sightings so far. Of the three resident pods of Orca whales, we’ve seen J and L pods so far, but have also been lucky with finding transient Orcas and a few Gray whales too. 5/15 – Transient Orca Whales 5/14 – L-Pod (Orca Whales) 5/12 – Gray Whale 5/9 – Transient Orca Whales 5/2 – J-Pod (Orca Whales) 5/1 – J-Pod (Orca Whales) 4/30 – J-Pod (Orca Whales) **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** gray whales, killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, Victoria San Juan Cruises, Victoria Star, Whale Watching --- ### [Gray Whale Spotted Off Smith Island Yesterday (5/21)](https://whales.com/gray-whale-spotted-off-smith-island-yesterday-521/) **Published:** May 22, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** On our whale watching tour yesterday (5/21) we spotted a Gray Whale just off Smith Island (which is located between Lopez and Whidbey Islands). We still have space for our upcoming whale watching tours on Sunday and Monday and the weather forecast is pretty decent (especially Monday). **Categories:** General **Tags:** Friday Harbor, gray whales, island commuter, killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Island Commuter, Whale Watching --- ### [Transient Orcas Spotted Today (Sunday 5/23)](https://whales.com/transient-orcas-spotted-today-sunday-523/) **Published:** May 23, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** The Island Commuter is out this afternoon viewing a group of transient Orcas, just south of Vancouver Island. Hopefully our Victoria Star passengers will also see them on our 5pm departure from Victoria as well! **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Island, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [Memorial Day Weekend Trips To The San Juan Islands & Victoria, BC](https://whales.com/memorial-day-weekend-trips-to-the-san-juan-islands-victoria-bc/) **Published:** May 24, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/vs2andsun-300x200.jpg "vs2andsun")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/vs2andsun.jpg)The long holiday weekend is coming up – a perfect time to take a trip to the San Juan Islands or Victoria, BC. We still have space available on our cruises this Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday. Reservations for our trips to the [San Juan Islands](https://whales.com/Destinations/San-Juan-Islands/Reservations.aspx) or [Victoria](https://whales.com/Destinations/Victoria/Reservations.aspx) can be made through our website, or by phone (1-800-443-4552). You can do a day trip, or spend the night or several nights. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Fairhaven, Friday Harbor, island commuter, killer whales, Lieber Haven, Orca Whales, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, Victoria, Victoria San Juan Cruises, Victoria Star, Whale Watching --- ### [Transient Orca Whales Spotted Today (Sunday 5/30)](https://whales.com/transient-orca-whales-spotted-today-sunday-530/) **Published:** May 30, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** Despite the so-so weather forcast, it’s turned out to be a decent day out on the water. Today we found a group of [transient Orca whales](http://www.orcanetwork.org/nathist/transients.html) just outside of Friday Harbor, during our [whale watching tour](https://whales.com/Whales/Whale-Watching/Schedules-Fares.aspx). After watching them frolic for a while, we headed north to check out the wildlife at the north end of San Juan Island, as well as [Speiden Island](http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19940619&slug=1916258). **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, speiden island, transient whales, Whale Watching --- ### [Transient Orca Whales Again (5/31)](https://whales.com/transient-orca-whales-again-531/) **Published:** May 31, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** On today’s whale watch we spotted transient Orca whales again – this time they were just south of Lopez Island. Usually the resident Orca whales (J, K & L pods) are the ones we see most often this time of the year, with transient Orcas making a rare appearance here and there. This season seems to be backwards though – it’s the transients that we’re seeing most often so far. We will be running our [whale watching tours](https://whales.com/Whales/Whale-Watching/Schedules-Fares.aspx) again this coming Friday through Monday (6/4 – 6/7), then begin daily service on June 11th. **Categories:** General **Tags:** killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [Essence Of Bellingham Photo Competition - Fairhaven Morning](https://whales.com/essence-of-bellingham-photo-competition-fairhaven-morning/) **Published:** June 4, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** The [City of Bellingham](http://www.cob.org/) just concluded their “[Essence Of Bellingham](http://www.cob.org/eob)” photo competition, and one of winners was “Fairhaven Morning” by Ken Salzman. It nicely captures Taylor Street Dock, Bellingham Bay, the Alaska Ferry Terminal, and if you look carefully enough, one of our vessels – the Victoria Star 2. Mayor Dan Pike said about the competition, “”The photos entered each year show us what people love about Bellingham, displaying a rich diversity of people, places and events. We are glad so many people share their images of Bellingham each year, allowing us to enjoy them today and preserve them for future generations as well.” **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, Fairhaven --- ### [Orca Whales At Turn Point Lighthouse - 6/13/10](https://whales.com/orca-whales-at-turn-point-lighthouse-61310/) **Published:** June 14, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcawhalesatturnpt-300x200.jpg "orcawhalesatturnpt")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcawhalesatturnpt.jpg)The weather was beautiful yesterday afternoon – we had a great day on the water. We were lucky to spot J-pod near the [Turn Point lighthouse](http://www.tplps.org/) on Stuart Island. We also spotted a few Minke whales as well. We’re in the middle of peak season for whale spotting, so now’s a great time to go on a cruise with us to the [San Juan Islands](https://whales.com/Destinations/San-Juan-Islands/Schedules-Fares.aspx) or [Victoria, BC](https://whales.com/Destinations/Victoria/Schedules-Fares.aspx). **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, stuart island, Whale Watching --- ### [All 3 Resident Pods Of Orca Whales Spotted Yesterday!](https://whales.com/all-three-resident-pods-of-orca-whales-spotted-yesterday/) **Published:** June 17, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** Yesterday we had a chance to see all 3 pods of Orca Whales – J, K and L pods! In other exciting Orca news, K pod has a new member – K43 has been identified and is thought to be about 5 months old. (Photo courtesy of NW Cable News) **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [Lots & Lots Of Whales!](https://whales.com/lots-lots-of-whales/) **Published:** June 28, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcawhales6-22-10-300x225.jpg "orcawhales6-22-10")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcawhales6-22-10.jpg)The Orca whale sightings have been great over the last couple of weeks. On one of our Victoria cruises we even hit what our captain called a “trifecta”, with sightings of 3 different species – Orcas, Minkes and a Gray whale. The weather has been kinda so-so in recent days, but the forecast is calling for sun Tuesday – Friday. Sun, whales, the San Juan Islands and Victoria – it’s going to be a great week to take a boat trip! **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** gray whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, Victoria San Juan Cruises, Victoria Star, Whale Watching --- ### [Orca & Minke Whales Sighted Over The Last Two Days](https://whales.com/orca-minke-whales-sighted-over-the-last-two-days/) **Published:** July 1, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** Great whale sightings continue, with J & K pods located near Vendovi Island/Viti Rocks on Tuesday, and Orca and Minke whales found just west of San Juan Island yesterday. We are now seeing them frequently on our dedicated whale watching tours on the Island Commuter, as well as our trips to/from Victoria on the Victoria Star 2. **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** killer whales, Minke whales, Orca Whales, Victoria San Juan Cruises, Victoria Star, Whale Watching --- ### [Great Whale Sightings On The Way To & From Victoria Yesterday](https://whales.com/great-whale-sightings-on-the-way-to-from-victoria-yesterday/) **Published:** July 3, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** Yesterday we were lucky enough to see J-pod twice from the Victoria Star 2. First, we saw them on the way to Victoria, just off Bird Rocks, then we saw them on the way back at Salmon Bank. We saw the same group on the Island Commuter, during our whale watching tour from Friday Harbor. **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, Victoria, Victoria San Juan Cruises, Victoria Star, Whale Watching --- ### [Chuckanut Bay Cracked Crab Cruises Sold Out This Friday/Saturday](https://whales.com/chuckanut-bay-cracked-crab-cruises-sold-out-this-fridaysaturday/) **Published:** July 8, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/crackedcrab-300x300.jpg "crackedcrab")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/crackedcrab.jpg)Summer’s here and it’s the perfect time to get out on the water! Nothing beats a beautiful sunset as we cruise through Chuckanut & Bellingham Bays. Our [Chuckanut Bay Cracked Crab dinner cruises](https://whales.com/Destinations/Bellingham/chuckanut-crab-cruise.aspx), running every Friday and Saturday at 6:30 pm, are sold out this weekend, but we still have space on the rest of our trips through the end of August. For more information, or reservations, please give us a call at 1-800-443-4552 or (360) 738-8099. Although this cruise is sold out on Friday and Saturday, you can still cool off with a cruise to the [San Juan Islands](https://whales.com/Destinations/San-Juan-Islands/Schedules-Fares.aspx) or [Victoria ](https://whales.com/Destinations/Victoria/Schedules-Fares.aspx)– space is available on both of these tours. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General **Tags:** chuckanut bay, crab cruise, dinner cruise, viking star --- ### [Another A Beautiful Day In The San Juans - Whales Off Sinclair Island 7/15/10](https://whales.com/another-a-beautiful-day-in-the-san-juans-whales-off-sinclair-island-71510/) **Published:** July 16, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** It was a beautiful day in the San Juan Islands yesterday – lots of sun, calm waters, whales, and snow-capped Mt. Baker in the background. This photo was taken just off San Juan Island. We’ve also included a short video taken by Eric, one of the deckhands aboard the Island Commuter 2, near Sinclair Island, right in the middle of the San Juan Archipelago. A couple of members of J-pod are shown – many more were seen though. The current forecast is for sun over the next 5 days, so now is a great time to visit the [San Juan Islands](https://whales.com/Destinations/San-Juan-Islands/Schedules-Fares.aspx), [Victoria](https://whales.com/Destinations/Victoria/Schedules-Fares.aspx), or take one of our [Chuckanut Bay Cracked Crab Cruises](https://whales.com/Destinations/Bellingham/chuckanut-crab-cruise.aspx). **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** killer whales, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, Sinclair Island, Whale Watching --- ### [Orca Whales Spotted West Of San Juan Island (7/18)](https://whales.com/orca-whales-spotted-west-of-san-juan-island-718/) **Published:** July 19, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** Both of our vessels, the Island Commuter 2 and the Victoria Star 2, found two pods of Orca whales on Sunday (7/18). J pod and L pod were traveling together off the west side of San Juan Island, between Kellett Bluff and Salmon Bank. **Categories:** Bellingham, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Victoria, Victoria San Juan Cruises, Victoria Star, Whale Watching --- ### [Orca Whales Seen Yesterday Near False Bay (San Juan Island)](https://whales.com/orca-whales-seen-yesterday-near-false-bay-san-juan-island/) **Published:** August 1, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** Despite the fog yesterday, we were able to find Orca whales on our whale watching trip yesterday. They were out in the waters between False Bay and Eagle Pt., off the west side of San Juan Island. We offer daily whale watching trips from Bellingham, Orcas Island (Lieber Haven) and San Juan Island (Friday Harbor) – you can book [online](https://whales.com/Whales/Whale-Watching/Reservations.aspx), or give us a call at 1-800-443-4552. **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** killer whales, Orca Whales, Victoria San Juan Cruises, viking star, Whale Watching --- ### [Victoria San Juan Cruises Video Feature On "Talk It Up TV"](https://whales.com/victoria-san-juan-cruises-video-feature-on-talk-it-up-tv/) **Published:** August 5, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [Talk It Up TV](http://www.talkituptv.com/) just released a feature on our company, which you can view here: **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, talk it up tv, Victoria, Victoria San Juan Cruises, Victoria Star, video, viking star, Whale Watching --- ### ["Super-Pod" Of Orca Whales Seen 8/13](https://whales.com/super-pod-of-orca-whales-seen-813/) **Published:** August 14, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** On our return trip from Victoria yesterday (8/13) we were lucky to find a “super-pod” of Orca whales – all three resident pods of Orcas seen in the same location! They were near Seabird Pt. / Discovery Island. Initial reports today are good as well – factor in the 80+ degree temperatures and it all adds up to a great time to be out on the water. **Categories:** General **Tags:** Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Victoria San Juan Cruises, Victoria Star, Whale Watching --- ### [Orcas From All 3 Local Pods Spotted Yesterday (8/18)](https://whales.com/orcas-from-all-3-local-pods-spotted-yesterday-818/) **Published:** August 19, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSCF6460-300x225.jpg "DSCF6460")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSCF6460.jpg)Yesterday we were lucky enough to spot members of all three local pods of Orca whales (J, K and L pods). They were seen just to the west of San Juan Island (Salmon Bank). We’ll be back out today aboard the Victoria Star and Island Commuter 2. **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, Victoria San Juan Cruises, Victoria Star, Whale Watching --- ### [Beneath The Salish Sea Film At The Pickford 9/22](https://whales.com/beneath-the-salish-sea-film-at-the-pickford-922/) **Published:** August 23, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/beneaththesalishseafilm.jpg "beneaththesalishseafilm")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/beneaththesalishseafilm.jpg)Join marine biologist and cinematographer Florian Graner on an underwater odyssey through Puget Sound and discover the wonders living around Whidbey Island, Hood Canal, and in the greater Salish Sea. Packed with information about life in the oceans using the latest stealth diving equipment and state of the art HD cameras, get close and personal with our local world of fish. Co-sponsored by the [Northwest Straits Commission](http://www.nwstraits.org/) and the [Whatcom County Marine Resources Committee.](http://www.whatcom-mrc.whatcomcounty.org/) Wed. 9/22 6:00 PM at the [Pickford Film Center in Bellingham](http://www.pickfordcinema.org/page/Playing-PFC.aspx) 90 minutes • 2010 • USA • In English • G **Categories:** Bellingham **Tags:** Bellingham, film, Orca Whales, Salish Sea, San Juan Islands, wildlife --- ### [Orca Baby Born In The San Juan Islands](https://whales.com/orca-baby-born-in-the-san-juan-islands/) **Published:** August 27, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4373-300x225.jpg "IMG_4373")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4373.jpg)A new baby was born in L-Pod – L-47 (Marina) recently gave birth to Orca baby L-115. Our captain got this great shot of mother and child on one of our recent trips to Victoria. **Categories:** San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Victoria, Victoria San Juan Cruises, Victoria Star, Whale Watching --- ### [Whale Sightings - Friday August 27th](https://whales.com/whale-sightings-friday-august-27th/) **Published:** August 28, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** Yesterday (Friday) we spotted a group of transient Orca whales just off Waldron Island, the found a Minke whale near Flattop Island. We’ll be out there again today, looking for whales on our whale watching trips from Friday Harbor, as well as our tours to/from Victoria, BC **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Island Commuter, Whale Watching --- ### [Orca Whales (J & L Pods) Seen Yesterday (9/4)](https://whales.com/orca-whales-j-l-pods-seen-yesterday-94/) **Published:** September 5, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** Typically Orca whale sightings start to taper off in the San Juan Islands as we enter September, but perhaps due to the strong salmon run in the area, they seem to be sticking around. As a result we’ve been seeing Orca whales every day on our whale watching trips over the last week or so. Yesterday we viewed two of the local pods (J & L) just off Kellett Bluff on San Juan Island. **Categories:** General **Tags:** killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, Victoria San Juan Cruises, Whale Watching --- ### [Island Commuter Service To The San Juans / Whale Watching Extended To 9/19](https://whales.com/island-commuter-service-to-the-san-juans-whale-watching-extended-to-926/) **Published:** September 9, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/icphoto2-300x217.jpg "island commuter 2")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/icphoto2.jpg)We have extended our [San Juan Island Commuter](https://whales.com/Destinations/San-Juan-Islands/Schedules-Fares.aspx) service from Bellingham to the San Juan Islands, as well as whale watching tours, through September 19th. Our last two trips of the season aboard the Island Commuter 2 will depart from the Alaska Ferry Terminal in Bellingham this Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 am. Now’s a great time to visit the San Juan Islands – the crowds are gone and you can have the islands to yourself! For more information visit the [schedule and fares page](https://whales.com/Destinations/San-Juan-Islands/Schedules-Fares.aspx) on our website. **Categories:** General **Tags:** Bellingham, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [Four Resident Orca Calves Receive Names](https://whales.com/four-resident-orca-calves-receive-names/) **Published:** September 16, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/neworcawhales.jpg "neworcawhales")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/neworcawhales.jpg)Courtesy of the [Friday Harbor Whale Museum](http://whalemuseum.com): After several weeks of public voting with more than 7,500 votes counted, four Southern Resident Community Orca calves have new names! The newly named babies are: Moby (J-44), Star (J-46), Sooke (L-112), and Cousteau (L-113). ([click to read more](http://whalemuseum.com/programs/orcadoption/Announcement%20of%20New%20Babies%20Names_10.html)) **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Friday Harbor, friday harbor whale museum, killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, whale museum --- ### [Victoria San Juan Cruises Is Closed For 2010 - Cruises To Resume May 2011](https://whales.com/victoria-san-juan-cruises-is-closed-for-2010-cruises-to-resume-may-2011/) **Published:** October 1, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** Thank you to everyone who took one of our sightseeing tours during the 2010 summer season. We are currently developing our schedule and pricing information for 2011, and will be updating our website shortly. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, Victoria, Victoria San Juan Cruises, Whale Watching --- ### [Best Island Destination Vacation In Washington: San Juan Island](https://whales.com/best-island-destination-vacation-in-washington-san-juan-island/) **Published:** October 6, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** I just stumbled upon a [great article](http://hubpages.com/hub/Best-Island-Destination-Vacation-In-Washington-San-Juan-Island) about the San Juan Islands – it’s packed with information on activities, accomodations, and the history of this unique section of Washington State. Although we are currently closed for the winter, we will resume service into the islands in May 2011. It’s not too early to start planning a visit – the San Juan Islands truly offer something for everyone. Natural beauty, a chance for a quiet getaway, or outstanding recreational opportunities, such as whale watching, kayaking, bicycling, and hiking. **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands --- ### [Kasakta (L-82) Gives Birth To Baby Orca (L-116)](https://whales.com/kasakta-l-82-gives-birth-to-baby-orca-l-116/) **Published:** October 18, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/neworcababy.jpg "neworcababy")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/neworcababy.jpg)L-Pod has a new member, L-116, born to Kasakta (L-82). It was sighted just off the west side of San Juan Island recently. The photo to the left, taken by [Jeanne Hyde](http://whale-of-a-porpoise.blogspot.com/) from shore near the Lime Kiln Lighthouse, shows mother and calf. For more information visit the Friday Harbor Whale Museum’s [news page](http://whalemuseum.org/museum/press/latest/New%20Baby%20in%20L%20Pod%20L116.html). More photos can be found on the [Center For Whale Research’s](http://www.whaleresearch.com/encounter_pages/2010/news_L116.html) website. The new calf brings the total number of resident Orca whales up to 90. **Categories:** General **Tags:** Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Island, whale museum --- ### [PBS Special: Fixing The Future Features Bellingham](https://whales.com/pbs-special-fixing-the-future-features-bellingham/) **Published:** November 5, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [Fixing the Future](http://www.pbs.org/now/fixing-the-future/), a new one-hour PBS special airing November 18th (check local listings), is set to [predominately feature Bellingham](http://www.pbs.org/now/fixing-the-future/Bellingham.html). Host David Brancaccio visited communities across America using innovative approaches to create jobs and build prosperity in our new economy. There will be a special preview showing at the Mt. Baker Theater, hosted by [Sustainable Connections](http://sustainableconnections.org/ "Sustainable Connections") with support from the City of Bellingham, on Nov. 18. The event is set to start at 5 pm with a reception, followed by a showing of the PBS program at 5:45 pm. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, Events --- ### [Bellingham Daily Photo - Harris Avenue In Fairhaven](https://whales.com/bellingham-daily-photo-harris-avenue-in-fairhaven/) **Published:** November 17, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/fairhavenstreet-300x248.jpg "fairhavenstreet")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/fairhavenstreet.jpg)Just stumbled across a fun and interesting photo blog called [Bellingham Daily Photo](http://bellinghamdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2010/11/harris-avenue.html "Bellingham Daily Photo") – yesterday they featured Harris Avenue, the main street that runs through the Fairhaven Historic District (and down to the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, where we’re located). (Photo courtesy of another great local website, [Fairhaven.com](http://www.fairhaven.com/)) . **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, Fairhaven --- ### [Holiday Port Festival This Weekend At The Bellingham Cruise Terminal](https://whales.com/holiday-port-festival-this-weekend-at-the-bellingham-cruise-terminal/) **Published:** November 30, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/holidayportfestival1-300x224.jpg "holidayportfestival")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/holidayportfestival1.jpg)The 20th Annual Holiday Port Festival at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal is this weekend, December 3-5. The free, family-friendly event will feature performances by local bands, choirs and dance groups, free horse-drawn wagon and fire truck rides, kids’ art activities, Santa, and of course, the gingerbread house display. This year, the festival will host our third annual food drive for the Bellingham Food Bank. More information about the festival is available at – www.portofbellingham.com/holidayport.htm **Holiday Port Festival Schedule:** (All Activities at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal in Fairhaven, 355 Harris Ave.) **Friday, Dec. 3** • Noon – 8 p.m. – Music & Dance Performances, Gingerbread House Display & Silent Auction • 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. – KAFE 104.3 Live Radio Remote • 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. – Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus • 6 p.m. – Alaska Ferry Send Off • 6:10 p.m. (After Ferry Leaves) – Bellingham Yacht Club Lighted Boat Parade. Parade route is from Squalicum Harbor to Bellingham Cruise Terminal, weather permitting. Time is approximate. **Saturday, Dec. 4** • 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. – Music & Dance Performances, Gingerbread House Display & Silent Auction • 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Horse and Wagon Rides • Noon – 5 p.m. – Fire Truck Rides • 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Children’s Art Activities • 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Santa and Mrs. Claus • 5:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Bellingham Yacht Club’s Lighted Boat Parade. Parade route is from Squalicum Harbor to Bellingham Cruise Terminal, weather permitting. Time is approximate. **Sunday, Dec. 5** • 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. – Music & Dance Performances, Gingerbread House Display & Silent Auction (Silent Auction closes at 4:30 p.m.) • Noon – 5 p.m. – Fire Truck Rides • 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. – Horse and Wagon Rides • 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Children’s Art Activities • 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Santa and Mrs. Claus The Holiday Port Festival is presented by the Port of Bellingham. Gingerbread House Contest sponsored by BP Cherry Point Refinery, Kids Arts Activities sponsored by Maxum Petroleum and horse and wagon rides sponsored by Chihuahua Mexican Restaurant. Additional support is provided by Applied Digital Imaging, Passion Audio, Bellewood Acres and Turner Photographics. Gingerbread House Contest prizes are generously donated by Bakerview Nursery, Mallards Ice Cream, DAWN’S Designs, Jake’s Western Grill, Grotto Hair Studio, Glassworks Northwest, Sorella’s On the Bay, Kid’s Northwest, San Juan Cruises, Melissa Lyn Photography, Great Harvest Bread, Urchins Children’s Boutique, and Many More! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, Christmas, Fairhaven --- ### [Gift Certificates For Our 2011 Season Available](https://whales.com/gift-certificates-for-our-2011-season-available-for-up-to-20-off/) **Published:** December 3, 2010 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcawhalesfromvictoriastar2-300x225.jpg "orcawhalesfromvictoriastar2")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcawhalesfromvictoriastar2.jpg)Treat your family, friends or co-workers to a unique Northwest experience. We are offering gift certificates for our 2011 season. Our tours will run May through September this year. –Our brand new San Juan Adventure cruise, which includes a tour through the San Juan Islands, whale watching, a 2 hour shore visit in Friday Harbor, and our Northwest salmon and chicken buffet (adult price $89). –Our popular Chuckanut Bay [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/crackedcrab-300x300.jpg "crackedcrab")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/crackedcrab.jpg)Cracked Crab dinner cruise (adult price $49). Gift certificates may be purchased by phone (1-800-443-4552) or at our ticketing office at the Alaska Ferry Terminal in the historic Fairhaven district of Bellingham. Our office is open 8am – 5pm Monday through Friday. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Christmas, Fairhaven, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, san juan islands experience, Victoria Star, viking star, Whale Watching --- ### [San Juan Cruises #1 Bellingham Attraction On Tripadvisor](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-1-bellingham-attraction-on-tripadvisor/) **Published:** February 16, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/tripadvisorlogo-300x175.jpg "tripadvisorlogo")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/tripadvisorlogo.jpg)San Juan Cruises recently made it to the top of the list on [Tripadvisor’s top attractions in Bellingham](http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g58350-Activities-Bellingham_Washington.html) – thanks to everyone who has written a review for us so far! There are lots of other great local businesses on the list too – including the [American Museum of Radio and Electricity](http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g58350-d318956-Reviews-American_Museum_of_Radio_and_Electricity-Bellingham_Washington.html), [Mindport](http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g58350-d621572-Reviews-Mindport-Bellingham_Washington.html), [Mount Baker Theatre](http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g58350-d666006-Reviews-Mount_Baker_Theatre-Bellingham_Washington.html), [Whatcom Museum](http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g58350-d150557-Reviews-Whatcom_Museum-Bellingham_Washington.html) and [Village Books](http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g58350-d582777-Reviews-Village_Books-Bellingham_Washington.html). **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** san juan adventure, san juan cruises, tripadvisor, Whale Watching --- ### [Natural History Cruise: Birds & Whales in the San Juan Islands](https://whales.com/natural-history-cruise-birds-whales-in-the-san-juan-islands/) **Published:** April 25, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/vikingstaratdock2010-300x198.jpg "vikingstaratdock2010")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/vikingstaratdock2010.jpg)Join our guest on board naturalist, David Drummond, for an insightful and lively look at the birds, wildflowers and mammals of the San Juan Archipelago.  Venture into the San Juan Islands with us aboard the Viking Star, cruising our beautiful backyard islands with wildflowers like the Nooka Rose, while watching colorful Yellow-rumped Warblers flit and sing amongst big-leafed Maple trees. We will stop and take a look around one or two of the seldom-visited islands, walking along the forest edge, viewing and discussing the flowers and birdlife. We will also visit Bald Eagle nests, seabird cliffs and rocks and since June is one of the best months for whale watching, we will look for our resident pods of Orca whales as we go. This fascinating foray will unveil the cultural and natural wonders of the unique island ecology through surface searches, intertidal meander, upland walking and interactive discussions with you, our guest explorers! We look forward to sharing our novel and innovative approach to regional eco-education. ##### **Schedule & Fare Information** June 4th, 2011 9:00am – 5:00pm Fare: $79.00 Per Person\* \* – A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the non-profit [Merlin Falcon Foundation](http://www.merlinfalconfoundation.org/). **Info/Reservations: 1-800-443-4552 or (360) 738-8099.** This tour departs from the Alaska Ferry Terminal in Bellingham, WA.[![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/sucia2-300x225.jpg "sucia2")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/sucia2.jpg) You may bring food and beverages (non-alcoholic, in non-glass containers) on board. The Viking Star also has a snack bar with food and beverages available for purchase. Bring with you binoculars, a camera, walking shoes, sun screen and rain jacket/windbreaker. ##### About David Drummond [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/daviddrummond-300x249.jpg "daviddrummond")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/daviddrummond.jpg)David Drummond is an Ornithologist, and Wildlife biologist. David’s enthusiasm and expertise has opened numerous hearts and minds to natural and cultural history around the world. This “gift for guidance” and passion for travel has found him working with small cruise ships and land tours, leading groups researching the bio-synergies of the Antarctic, South to North Pacific Islands, Canadian High Arctic, Northwest and Continental America, Central and South America, Caribbean, Svalbard, Greenland, Iceland, Europe and Israel ecosystems. His B.S. in biology/environmental studies included a minor in cultural history at Western Washington University. He wakes up with the birds and a “quest to know and share” everyday! Mr. Drummond is also founder, executive director and principal investigator with the non-profit Merlin Falcon Foundation’s Coastal Forest Merlin Project. This passionate and dedicated 26 year pioneering bio-ecological study in Washington, British Columbia and Alaska is providing invaluable conservation stewardship insights on this uncommon raptor. **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** bird watching, David Drummond, killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, sucia island, Victoria San Juan Cruises, viking star, Whale Watching, wildflowers --- ### [Morning Showers Give Way To Sun On Our First Cruise Of The Season](https://whales.com/morning-showers-give-way-to-sun-on-our-first-cruise-of-the-season/) **Published:** May 7, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** ![Victoria Star 2 in Friday Harbor - 5-7-2011](https://whales.com/uploads/images/victoriastar2-5-7-2011.jpg) We kicked off our 2011 season today with our first San Juan Adventure cruise into the San Juan Islands. After some early morning showers, the skies cleared and we’ve even seen a little bit of sun. If you’re looking for a last-minute Mother’s Day gift, why not take her for a fun day in the San Juan Islands? Our cruise on Sunday leaves at 9:30 am from the Alaska Ferry Terminal in Bellingham – in addition to beautiful scenery, a couple of hours in Friday Harbor and our delicious Northwest salmon and chicken buffet, we’ll have mimosas for mom. If you already have plans for Mother’s Day, but need a gift, we have gift certificates available for our [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) and [Chuckanut Bay Cracked Crab](https://whales.com/Cruises/Cracked-Crab-Evening-Cruise.aspx) cruises. **Categories:** Blog, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, san juan adventure, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [San Juan Islands / Whale Watching Report - 5/08/2011](https://whales.com/san-juan-islands-whale-watching-report-5082011/) **Published:** May 9, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/humpbackwhale-5-8-11-300x225.jpg "humpbackwhale-5-8-11")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/humpbackwhale-5-8-11.jpg)Our second trip of the season started off on a discouraging note when we heard that the Orca whales were going to be too far for us to see. However, we later heard that there were a couple of Humpback Whales off Mandarte Island in Haro Strait, so we were on our way. The photo taken by our crew really shows how big these magnificent creatures are! **Categories:** Bellingham, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Friday Harbor, humpback whale, san juan adventure, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Islands / Whale Watching Report - 5/14/2011](https://whales.com/san-juan-islands-whale-watching-report-5142011/) **Published:** May 14, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/minkewhale-5-14-11-300x225.jpg "minkewhale-5-14-11")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/minkewhale-5-14-11.jpg)Today ended up being a great day in the San Juan Islands, with rain only coming for a short spell in the afternoon. The day started off with a group of Harbor Seals and Bald Eagles on Viti Rocks. [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/stellarsealions-5-14-11-300x225.jpg "stellarsealions-5-14-11")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/stellarsealions-5-14-11.jpg)Later, we found a fun group of Minke whales south of Lopez Island, several Dall’s porpoises in Rosario Strait and a group of 12-15 Stellar Sea Lions on Whale Rock. Passengers also enjoyed a beautiful day in Friday Harbor. We will be back out in the islands tomorrow (5/14), as well as Monday (5/15). If you’re looking for a fun day out on the water, join us on our [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruise. **Categories:** Bellingham, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** dalls porpoise, Friday Harbor, Minke whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, stellar sea lions, Whale Watching --- ### [San Juan Islands / Whale Watching Report - 5/15/2011](https://whales.com/san-juan-islands-whale-watching-report-5152011/) **Published:** May 15, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcatailslap-5-15-11-300x194.jpg "orcatailslap-5-15-11")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcatailslap-5-15-11.jpg)The weather could have been better – it was a rainy, foggy day out on the water (calm though – winds were light). However, that didn’t matter much when we were treated to the sight of Minke Whales at Salmon Bank (west of San Juan Islands) and later, Orca Whales (J-Pod). They were breaching, splashing, spyhopping and frolicking, just south of Salmon Bank. We were able to stay with them for nearly an hour today. We also made our regular stop in Friday Harbor, and on the way home our guests were treated to our delicious Northwest salmon and chicken buffet. Over the next week we have trips going out tomorrow (Monday – 5/15), Friday – 5/20, Saturday 5/21 and Sunday 5/22 – click [here ](https://whales.com/#)for more information and reservations. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Friday Harbor, Minke whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [San Juan Islands / Whale Watching Report - 5/16/2011](https://whales.com/san-juan-islands-whale-watching-report-5162011/) **Published:** May 16, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** We are underway doing our San Juan Adventure cruise for a tour group, and just 1 1/2 hours into the trip we are already on the scene with a group of Orca whales (J-pod) right in the heart of the San Juans. Check back later for photos! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Orca Whales, orcas, san juan adventure, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [San Juan Islands / Whale Watching Report - 5/19/2011](https://whales.com/san-juan-islands-whale-watching-report-5192011/) **Published:** May 20, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** We went out on a educational whale watching field trip today with 3 Western Washington schools and had a great day out in the islands. We found a group of playful seals out on Matia Island, but the highlight of the day was a group of Orca whales up north near Active Pass. We were able to spend close to an hour with them. Beautiful weather and lots of wildlife in the islands – looking forward to our three [San Juan Adventure ](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx)cruises this weekend! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** educational field trip, field trip, Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, seals, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Islands / Whale Watching Report - 5/21/2011](https://whales.com/san-juan-islands-whale-watching-report-5212011/) **Published:** May 22, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** It was a great day for whale watching in the San Juan Islands! We normally pick a route in the morning, on the way to Friday Harbor, that has the best chance for seeing Orca whales. Well, we did that, finding a group just off the west side of San Juan Island. After watching them for about 45 minutes we made our way to Friday Harbor for our 2 hour shore visit. Then, on our way back to Bellingham, we saw them again – just a few minutes outside Friday Harbor! We’ll be going back out today, then start our daily whale watches on May 27th. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [4th Of July Fireworks Cruise Aboard The Victoria Star](https://whales.com/4th-of-july-fireworks-cruise-aboard-the-victoria-star/) **Published:** May 23, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/fireworks-300x225.jpg "fireworks")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/fireworks.jpg)There is no better place to view the big 4th of July fireworks show than on the Victoria Star 2. Our 100 foot vessel be going out from 8:30 – 11:00, cruising around the bay before setting in close to Squalicum Harbor for the extravaganza. We’ve got plenty of indoor and outdoor viewing areas, a snack bar, and beer/wine/cocktail service, [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/vs2sunsetphoto.jpg "vs2sunsetphoto")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/vs2sunsetphoto.jpg) including beverages from Northwest breweries and vineyards. Tickets are on sale now for just $25/person and may be purchased by phone (360-738-8099 or 800-443-4552) or in person at our office at the Alaska Ferry Terminal in Bellingham. These cruises have sold out the last few years, so reserve your tickets right away! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General **Tags:** 4th of july, Bellingham, bellingham bay, Fairhaven, fireworks, fireworks cruise, july 4th --- ### [San Juan Islands / Whale Watching Report - 5/28/2011](https://whales.com/san-juan-islands-whale-watching-report-5282011/) **Published:** May 28, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcanearpatos-5-28-11-300x223.jpg "orcanearpatos-5-28-11")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcanearpatos-5-28-11.jpg)The Victoria Star 2 is still out on our [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruise today, but we just got word from our captain that they found a group of playful [transient Orca whales](http://www.orcanetwork.org/nathist/transients.html) just off [Patos Island](http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=103) this afternoon. Check back later, when we will have photos of this group. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, Whale Watching --- ### [Victoria Star 2 Salad Dressing Recipe](https://whales.com/victoria-star-2-salad-dressing-recipe/) **Published:** May 30, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** ![](http://blog.whales.com/wp-content/uploads/image/Blog%20Images/salad.jpg)For many years, our guests have raved about the Victoria Star Salad Dressing featured on all of our dinner cruises. We posted our salad dressing recipe here a few years ago, but after recent requests for the recipe we’ve decided to post it here again. **Victoria Star Salad Dressing**½ cup Sugar ½ tsp Salt 2 tbsp Celery Salt ½ tbsp Dry Mustard 1 ½ cup Salad Oil ¼ cup Onion ½ cup Cider Vinegar Mix all ingredients in a blender for 2 – 3 minutes. Re-blend before serving if ingredients separate. Makes 1 Pint. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, San Juan Islands **Tags:** recipe, san juan cruises, Victoria Star --- ### [San Juan Islands / Whale Watching Report - 6/04/2011](https://whales.com/san-juan-islands-whale-watching-report-6042011/) **Published:** June 4, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Lots of Minke whales in the islands today, with two sightings this morning – a few seen just south of Lopez Island, and another group at Salmon Bank, near San Juan Island. It’s been a beautiful day out in the islands, and is supposed to be equally nice over the next couple of days! Nice to see signs of summer approaching! **Categories:** Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/05/2011](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-6052011/) **Published:** June 6, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/mtbakersanjuanislands-6-6-11-300x225.jpg "mtbakersanjuanislands - 6-6-11")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/mtbakersanjuanislands-6-6-11.jpg)Sunday was another great day in the San Juan Islands, with glassy smooth waters most of the day. We were first on the scene with a group of playful Minke whales, that circled the boat for about 45 minutes. As we made our way towards Friday Harbor for our daily 2 hour shore visit, we saw a couple of Stellar sea lions sitting on the Salmon Bank marker. All-in-all it was a great day in the islands! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, Minke whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/10/2011](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-6102011/) **Published:** June 11, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** The whales were back on Friday! They were too far out of our range to reach the past few days, but on Friday our passengers witnessed an active J-pod of Orca whales jumping and spy-hopping just to the northwest of San Juan Island. We were able to spend a good amount of time with them, and also got to see lots of other wildlife during our tour. Looking forward to some sun on our cruises this weekend! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Victoria San Juan Cruises, Victoria Star, Whale Watching --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/11/2011](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-6112011/) **Published:** June 11, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Another great cruise today, with resident Orca whales (J-pod) viewed by our passengers SW of San Juan Island. It’s been a nice day, with clouds and fog giving way to blue skies on our return trip through the islands back to Bellingham. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/12/2011](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-6122011/) **Published:** June 13, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Another great day out in the islands on Sunday – sun was out and we saw a group of Orca whales just south of Lopez Island. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/15 & 6/16](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-615-616/) **Published:** June 16, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** We were able to see a transient group of Orca Whales in nearly the same location two days in a row, up near Echo Bay / Sucia Island. Lots of other wildlife were seen on the cruises, and the weather has been great, especially in the afternoons after the morning clouds have burned off. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/18](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-618/) **Published:** June 18, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Lots of whales in the San Juan Islands today! Our passengers looked beyond the initial rain and fog this morning and were greeted by a nice day out in the islands. Not much sun, but the rain stopped and the fog lifted. We made our way out west of San Juan Island and found Orca whales (J-pod) and Minke whales. We’ll make a 2 hour stop in Friday Harbor, then head back to Bellingham with our delicious salmon and chicken buffet served on board. For more info on our San Juan Adventure cruise, now running daily, click [here](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx). **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Minke whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/20](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-620/) **Published:** June 21, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Lots of whales again today, including our first look at K-pod (one of the three resident pods of Orca whales), just off the west side of San Juan Island. We also saw a Minke whale on a day where the waters were flat calm and the sun was bright overhead. Sounds like the weather is supposed to be like this all week! For more info on our San Juan Adventure cruise, now running daily, click [here](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx). **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Minke whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/23 & 6/24](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-623-624/) **Published:** June 24, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Lots of Orcas out in the islands the last two days – J-pod were spotted just west of San Juan Island yesterday, then today they were in the center of the islands, just north of Sinclair. They were very active this morning, leading our captain to describe the scene as “black & white popcorn”. We were able to spend nearly 1 1/2 hours with the group, before heading over to Friday Harbor for our daily visit there. We’re running our San Juan Adventure day cruise daily. If you’re looking for a shorter trip on the water this weekend, we have our Chuckanut Bay cracked crab dinner cruises tonight and tomorrow. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/25 (Whales Everywhere!)](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-625-whales-everywhere/) **Published:** June 26, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Wow, it was a great day yesterday! We started off the day by finding J-pod during our [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruise, out near the Canadian Gulf Islands. The weather was beautiful, with plenty of sun and temperatures up near 70. In the evening we were back out with two of our boats, one on a private charter, and the other on our [Chuckanut Bay Cracked Crab dinner cruise](https://whales.com/Cruises/Cracked-Crab-Evening-Cruise.aspx), and surprise! We found J-pod again, this time near Lummi Rocks on the west side of Lummi Island. It’s pretty rare for us to find them on our evening cruises so close to Bellingham (although seeing seals and bald eagles happens quite often). We’re back out today, with glassy calm waters and not a cloud in the sky. We took a bunch of photos this week – to view more of them visit the [San Juan Cruises Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/sanjuancruisesbellingham) page. [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/crabcruisesunset-6-25-11-300x225.jpg "crabcruisesunset-6-25-11")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/crabcruisesunset-6-25-11.jpg) **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, chuckanut cracked crab dinner cruise, crab cruise, Friday Harbor, killer whales, lummi island, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/26](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-626/) **Published:** June 27, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** It was a picture-perfect day in the San Juans yesterday, with lots of sun and glassy-smooth waters. We went out quite a ways yesterday, up towards the Canadian Gulf Island, in search of Orcas. One group of resident Orcas, J-pod, has been fairly easy to find recently, but we were also able to see part of K-pod as well! Our passengers had a great time watching this group. Afterward we headed off to Friday Harbor for a 2-hour shore visit, then had dinner on board on the cruise back to Bellingham. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/28 & 6/29](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-628-629/) **Published:** June 30, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** We keep seeing whales – recent sightings have included members of J-pod and K-pod out west of San Juan Island. The weather was just s0-so, but there’s nothing that makes people happier than seeing lots of whales jumping and playing out in their natural habitat. Weather is looking better over the next few days – come out on a cruise with us! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/30](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-630/) **Published:** July 1, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Lots of whales yet again yesterday (6/30) – we wound our way through the islands, before coming across a group of Orca whales just west of San Juan Island. If you don’t have plans for the weekend, come join us on our [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) day cruise, or our [Chuckanut Bay Cracked Crab](https://whales.com/Cruises/Cracked-Crab-Evening-Cruise.aspx) dinner cruise. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/1](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-71/) **Published:** July 1, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** It wasn’t the best of starts today – a little cloudy and gray, but we heard reports of whales out in the San Juan Islands, so we knew it’d be a good day. Since it looked like we would cross paths with the Orcas in the afternoon, we made an earlier-than-normal 2 hour stop in Friday Harbor, giving us the whole afternoon to look at whales. As luck would have it, the early morning clouds burned off, giving way to beautiful clear, sunny skies and lots and lots of whales (primarily K-pod). There were so many whales we had difficulty making our way back home, since we need to maintain a safe distance from them. All-in-all, an outstanding day in the San Juans! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/2](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-72/) **Published:** July 2, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcawhale-7-2-11-300x201.jpg "orcawhale-7-2-11")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcawhale-7-2-11.jpg)Our cruise today left just an hour ago, and we are already watching a group of Orca whales (J-pod) just west of Lummi Island. It’s a beautiful day out in the islands – clear skies and lots of sun! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, lummi island, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/3](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-73/) **Published:** July 4, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/j-podorcas-7-3-11-300x225.jpg "j-podorcas-7-3-11")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/j-podorcas-7-3-11.jpg)The weatherman forecast rain on Sunday, and I guess he was right because it did rain overnight. However, for our day cruise in the San Juan Islands, it was beautiful from start to finish. It was topped off with watching the entire J-Pod orca whale group, just west of San Juan Island. It’s been a great couple of weeks for whale watching! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/6](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-76/) **Published:** July 7, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Summer’s finally here – lots of sunshine out in the San Juan Islands, and lots of Orca whales! We saw members of K and L pods on Wednesday, just south of Lopez Island. Preliminary reports from the boat today (Thursday 7/7) say that there’s a chance we may see a “Super Pod” today – members of J, K and L pod together – stay tuned…… **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/7 - SUPERPOD!](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-77-superpod/) **Published:** July 8, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Yesterday we had our first Superpod sighting, which is when we see members of all three resident pods of Orca whales (J, K and L pods) in the same spot. It was an exciting to watch they swim and frolic, an experience that normally only happens a few times each season. If you’re on the fence about doing a trip out to the San Juan Islands, now is a great time to go. The whale sightings have been consistent, and the weather should be great through the weekend. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/9 Whales On Our Crab Cruise!](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-79/) **Published:** July 10, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Lots of whales yet again out in the San Juans on our 8 hour [San Juan Adventure cruise](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) – we found all three resident pods (J, K and L) in the waters just north of Stuart Island. They weren’t together, so we can’t technically call this one a “Superpod”, but they were especially active. Then, on our evening [Chuckanut Bay Cracked Crab dinner cruise](https://whales.com/Cruises/Cracked-Crab-Evening-Cruise.aspx), we saw J-pod, just off the west side of Lummi Island. That doesn’t happen too often on our dinner cruise, but they were in the area so we had to take a quick look. We’ll have photos here, as well as on our [Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/sanjuancruisesbellingham) page, soon! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [K Pod Has A New Calf - K-44!](https://whales.com/k-pod-has-a-new-calf-k-44/) **Published:** July 10, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** One of the three resident pods of Orca whales, K-pod, now has a new member! Here are the details, courtesy of the [Friday Harbor Whale Museum](http://www.whale-museum.org/museum/press/latest/K-44.html): “On July 6, a new calf was spotted by Jeanne Hyde, The Whale Museum’s Orca Adoption Program Coordinator, at 6:47 a.m. from shore on the west side of San Juan Island. The Center for Whale Research later confirmed the calf, K-44, belongs to Deadhead, K-27. This is the first known calf for Deadhead. While The Center was photographing the whales and getting ID shots of the new calf, Deadhead obligingly rolled under her new baby and lifted it up so the markings on the underside could be seen. From this, K-44 was determined to be a male. This is exciting information as it can sometimes take months or even years to discover the gender. The calf also appears to have an open saddle patch. K-44 joins the K-13 matriline which includes grandmother Skagit (K-13), auntie Spock (K-20), uncles Scoter (K-25) and Cali (K-34), and cousin Comet (K-38). The birth of K-44 unofficially brings the number of the Southern Resident killer whales up to 88. Of Special Note: According to research paper by Mike Ford et al, K-44 is the grandson of Ruffles (J-1)!” **Categories:** San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Friday Harbor, Orca Whales, whale museum, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/10](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-710/) **Published:** July 11, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** We heard reports all morning with the locations of all three resident pods of Orca whales (J, K and L pods). Unfortunately, they weren’t all in the same place, so we had to pick which group to see. We decided to look for K pod, which was out on the west side of San Juan Island. We were able to find them and they were quite energetic, making for an entertaining afternoon for our passengers. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/12 & 7/13](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-712-713/) **Published:** July 14, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** It’s great when all three resident pods of Orca whales are centered in the San Juan Islands, as they’ve been for the past 3 weeks or so. Over the last two days we’ve seen members of all three pods, a group (J Pod) just south of Lopez Island off Davidson Rocks, and K & L Pod up east of Saturna Island/East Point. It’s a little overcast this morning (7/14), but we’re already hearing reports of whales not too far from Bellingham, so once again (despite the weather) it’ll be a great day in the San Juan Islands! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, whale museum, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/14 & 7/15](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-714-715/) **Published:** July 16, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** More Orca whales out in the San Juans the last two days, capped off with a great show from J-pod just off the west side of San Juan Island yesterday. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/16](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-716/) **Published:** July 17, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** On Saturday’s cruise there was a bit of fog, so we went straight over to Friday Harbor for our 2 hour shore visit. Afterwards, the fog had cleared, allowing us to have great views of two groups of Orca whales just west of San Juan Island – J-Pod and L-12’s. While it wasn’t a typical July day, it was great that the saying “the weather’s always better out in the islands” held true. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/17](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-717/) **Published:** July 18, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Whale sightings have been very consistent over the last week, with lots of Orca sightings just west of San Juan Island over the past week. On Sunday’s cruise we were able to watch members of J-pod and L-pod for quite a while. Looks like great weather over the past few days, so if you don’t have plans come on down to the Alaska Ferry Terminal and join us on our [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruise. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Bellingham Alive - Best Of The NW 2011 Voting](https://whales.com/bellingham-alive-best-of-the-nw-2011-voting/) **Published:** July 21, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/bestofthenorthwest2011-300x300.jpg "bestofthenorthwest2011")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/bestofthenorthwest2011.jpg)If you have a minute, please visit the [Bellingham Alive / KAFE](http://kafe.com/pages/10249146.php) website and vote for San Juan Cruises in several categories: Best Event Venue Best Wedding Venue Best First Date Spot **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** san juan cruises --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/18-23](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-718-23/) **Published:** July 24, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** We fell a little behind with our recent whale & wildlife sighting reports, but it wasn’t due to a lack of whales in the area. It’s been a great week, with Orca whale sightings each day, mostly on the west side of San Juan Island. The weather’s been absolutely perfect the last couple of days too – temps in the mid 70’s and glassy waters. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/24](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-724/) **Published:** July 25, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** You couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day in the San Juan Islands on Sunday – clear skies and calm waters. We met up with a fun, playful Minke whale just south of Lopez Island that entertained the passengers for quite a while. The Orca whales were just out of range, but initial reports today (Monday) are that they are back in the area and we should be able to see them today. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/29](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-729/) **Published:** July 30, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/passengersonbowofvs2-7-29-11-256x300.jpg "passengersonbowofvs2-7-29-11")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/passengersonbowofvs2-7-29-11.jpg)More whales in the San Juan Islands yesterday – J & K pods were spotted just west of San Juan Island. We stuck with K pod most of the time. It was a beautiful, sunny day – it took a while but summer seems to have finally arrived! [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcawhales-7-29-11-300x239.jpg "orcawhales-7-29-11")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcawhales-7-29-11.jpg) **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/3](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-82/) **Published:** August 4, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** This is what summer’s all about – sun, blue skies, and salty ocean breezes. For us it also means beautiful scenery in the San Juan Islands and Orca whales. This is definitely *the* time of the season to take a trip with us! Yesterday we saw lots of Orca whales, members of J & K pods, just west of San Juan Island. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/4](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-84/) **Published:** August 5, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Yesterday was a beautiful day on the water, with Orca whales spotted just west of San Juan Island. We found the L-12 subgroup of Orca whales and were able to spend close to 40 minutes with them, before heading over to Friday Harbor for our 2 hour shore visit. The forecast is calling for at least 5 more days of sunshine, so give us a call to schedule a [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruise. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/5-8/7](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-85-87/) **Published:** August 8, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Lots and lots of whales in the San Juan Islands over the weekend. We had sightings of J-pod each day, and also saw K-pod 2 of the 3 days, mostly out on the west side of San Juan Island. It was a little foggy each morning, but that eventually burned off, leaving us with lots of sun and blue skies in the afternoon. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Fairhaven, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/8 (Humpbacks!)](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-88-humpbacks/) **Published:** August 8, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Just got a report from our captain saying they found 2 Humpback whales today out west of San Juan Island – we don’t see them too much this time of year, so it was a rare treat for our passengers. We will have photos soon – we’ll post them here, as well as our Facebook and Flickr pages. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, humpback, humpback whale, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/10](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-810/) **Published:** August 11, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Another great day with the whales yesterday! The bulk of the adult whales we saw just went about their business, although it’s always exciting to see dorsal fins rise out of the water all around the boat. However, there was a baby in the group that had energy to spare, jumping out of the water many times and thrilling our passengers on board. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/11](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-811/) **Published:** August 12, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** There’s been all kinds of whales in the San Juans over the past few weeks. Yesterday we had a chance to watch several Minke whales, just off the west side of San Juan Island (Salmon Bank). We’re back out today (8/12) on another [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) tour through the San Juan Islands, then in the evening we have our popular [Chuckanut Bay Cracked Crab dinner cruise](https://whales.com/Cruises/Cracked-Crab-Evening-Cruise.aspx), which goes from 6:30 – 9:00 every Friday and Saturday evening. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, crab cruise, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/13](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-813/) **Published:** August 14, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcawhales-8-13-11-300x205.jpg "orcawhales-8-13-11")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcawhales-8-13-11.jpg)On Saturday we saw a group of four transient Orca whales just off San Juan Island – another great show on what was a beautiful day out in the islands. Today (Sunday) we are seeing transient Orcas again – we will post a full report when the boat returns this evening. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/14](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-814/) **Published:** August 15, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcaandharborseal2-8-14-11-300x225.jpg "orcaandharborseal2-8-14-11")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcaandharborseal2-8-14-11.jpg)The best day of the season so far! We ended up going south of the islands for our whale watch/nature search. Not only did we get a chance to watch a transient group of Orca whales spy hop, tail slap and breach all around the boat, we also witnessed a harbor seal scurry and hide amongst a clump of bull kelp to avoid being eaten. All of this happened up close to the boat with our engines stopped – the action came to us. Oh, in case you are wondering, the seal survived the encounter! The waters were calm and the sun was out, making for the perfect day out in the San Juan Islands. We have posted a few pictures taken by our captain and crew here, but to view a bunch more click on our [Flickr page](http://www.flickr.com/photos/victoriasanjuancruises/archives/date-posted/2011/08/15/) for the day. We have hit a nice, consistant stretch of whale sightings, so if you haven’t been out with us yet, now’s the time to go![![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcawhales2-8-14-11-300x224.jpg "orcawhales2-8-14-11")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcawhales2-8-14-11.jpg)[![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/harborsealinbullkelp1-8-14-11-300x225.jpg "harborsealinbullkelp1-8-14-11")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/harborsealinbullkelp1-8-14-11.jpg) **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/15-8/17](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-815-817/) **Published:** August 18, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcawhalecluster-8-17-11-300x225.jpg "orcawhalecluster-8-17-11")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcawhalecluster-8-17-11.jpg)We’ve had lots of whales this week to go along with some outstanding weather. We saw members of L pod on Tuesday, then yesterday we saw J & K pods near Jones Island. Sounds like we’ll be seeing them today as well. Our cruise this coming Sunday is currently sold out, but we still have plenty of space aboard our [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruise this Friday and Saturday, with plenty of sun in the forecast. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/18](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-818/) **Published:** August 19, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcawithsailboat-8-18-11-300x223.jpg "orcawithsailboat-8-18-11")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/orcawithsailboat-8-18-11.jpg)Once again we found J & K pods, up near Turn Point in the NW corner of the San Juan Archipelago. We were able to spend quite a bit of time with this group. Looking forward to a great weekend of sun, and whales! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/19 & 8/20](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-819-820/) **Published:** August 21, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Our San Juan Islands/Whale Watching tours could not have been any better the last couple of days. We didn’t just see whales, we saw all 3 resident pods of Orcas – over 80 of them in all! They were spotted up in the NW corner of the San Juan Archipelago. With sun and temperatures just over 80 degrees, it has been a great weekend so far. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/22](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-822/) **Published:** August 22, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Unfortunately, we’ve got a temporary break in summer today, with cooler temps and rain. However, rain doesn’t affect the whales one bit and we found a group of transient Orcas today, just off the east side of Orcas Island. We happened to catch them having a bit of lunch, a real Animal Planet style experience for our passengers. If it was a bit wet for you to join us today, the forecast is for sun the rest of the week. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Fairhaven, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/23](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-823/) **Published:** August 24, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Another great day of whale watching yesterday (Tuesday). This time it wasn’t Orca whales, it was Humpbacks! We found a pair of them just off Clark Island on our way out to the islands, then after our stop in Friday Harbor we saw them again near Peavine Pass. It’s pretty rare to see Humpbacks this time of the year, and even rarer to see them in this part of the San Juans. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Fairhaven, Friday Harbor, humpback whale, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/25](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-825/) **Published:** August 26, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** On Thursday (8/25) we were able to see all three pods of resident Orca whales (J, K and L pods), up in the NW corner of the San Juan Islands. The warm weather is expected to continue all the way through the weekend – a great time to cool off and enjoy some great scenery in the San Juans! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Fairhaven, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/27](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-827/) **Published:** August 28, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** It was an Orca whale double-header on Saturday (8/27) – we found members of K and L pods on our way out to the San Juan Islands, then after our two hour visit in Friday Harbor, we saw them again just a few minutes after departure. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/28](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-828/) **Published:** August 29, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** The resident Orca whale pods were just outside our range today, but we were able to find a group of 5 transient Orca whales, up in the Canadian Gulf Islands (near Saturna). This group were fun to watch and we had a good amount of time with them, before we continued our journey on to Friday Harbor. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 9/3](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-93/) **Published:** September 4, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** We’ve seen lots of wildlife over the past few days – porpoises, Stellar sea lions, Minke whales and bald eagles. The highlight though was yesterday, when we were able to see all 3 resident pods of Orca whales, up by Turn Point in the NW corner of the islands. We’re out on a [private charter](https://whales.com/Cruises/Private-Parties.aspx) today, but will be back out doing our [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruise tomorrow. For the rest of September we will be going out every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 9/4](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-94/) **Published:** September 5, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Lots of whales out in the San Juan Islands yesterday – J’s and K’s were spotted up in the NW corner. Beautiful weather all day long as well! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, killer whales, Orca Whales, Whale Watching --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 9/9](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-99/) **Published:** September 10, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** We are currently offering our [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruise Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, so we didn’t have any tours over the last few days. It was great to get back out there yesterday though – amazing weather and two pods of resident Orca whales (J & K pods), spotted in the southwest corner of the San Juans. We’ll be back out there today and tomorrow as well, with lots of sun and temps in the lower 80’s! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 9/10](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-910/) **Published:** September 11, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** On Saturday (9/10) we were able to find the L-12 group of Orca whales just off Eagle Pt. on the west side of San Juan Island. They were too far out of our range in the morning, so we cruised over to Friday Harbor for our 2 hour shore visit first, but were able to spend a good amount of time with this group in the afternoon. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, San Juan Island, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 9/11](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-911/) **Published:** September 12, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Yesterday, without a doubt, was the best day of the season. Clear skies, temperatures in the low 80’s, calm waters and a “super-pod” of Orca whales. A super-pod is when members of all 3 resident pods of Orca whales (J, K and L pods) are all gathered in one place. This only happens a few times each season, but we were able to see them all yesterday just off the west side of San Juan Island. We are currently running Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through the end of the month. We still have space available on our upcoming [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruises, so if you’d like to get out on a whale watching tour before the end of the season, you can [book online](https://whales.com/rates-schedules.aspx), or call us at 800-443-4552 for reservations. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises / Whales & Wildlife Report - 9/16](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-whales-wildlife-report-916/) **Published:** September 17, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** At this point of the season we’re just running our tours Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, so we haven’t been out in the islands for a few days. Yesterday we were welcomed back by all three pods of resident Orca, just off the west side of San Juan Island. We’ll be back out today and tomorrow, then next weekend, with September 25th being our last day for the season. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises Featured In Professional Mariner Magazine](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-featured-in-professional-mariner-magazine/) **Published:** September 28, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/vs2professionalmariner2011-300x199.jpg "Victoria Star")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/vs2professionalmariner2011.jpg)Our company was recently featured in Professional Mariner Magazine – it’s a trade publication, but it gives a nice overview of our San Juan Adventure cruise, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into operating our tour. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Gift Certificates For Our 2012 Season Available](https://whales.com/gift-certificates-for-our-2012-season-available/) **Published:** September 29, 2011 **Author:** **Content:** Treat your family, friends or co-workers to a unique Northwest experience. Our tours will run May through September next year. There are two options available: –Our 8-hour San Juan Adventure day cruise, which includes a narrated tour through the scenic San Juan Islands, whale watching & wildlife viewing, a 2 hour shore visit in Friday Harbor, and an on-board meal (adult price $99). –Our popular Chuckanut Bay Cracked Crab dinner cruise aboard the Victoria Star 2 (adult price $59). Gift certificates may be purchased by phone (1-800-443-4552) or at our ticketing office at the Alaska Ferry Terminal in the historic Fairhaven district of Bellingham. Our office is open 8am – 5pm Monday through Friday. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, crab cruise, Fairhaven, Friday Harbor, gray whales, humpback whale, killer whales, Minke whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, whale museum, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [New Orca Calf In J-Pod Born In December](https://whales.com/new-orca-calf-in-j-pod-born-in-december/) **Published:** January 2, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/neworcabornnoaanwfsc.jpg "neworcabornnoaanwfsc")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/neworcabornnoaanwfsc.jpg)In mid-December J-16 (aka “Slick”) gave birth to her fifth calf (J-48). There are now 89 resident Orca whales in the San Juan Islands. Photo (Photo by Candace Emmons / [NWFSC](http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov)) **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** baby, calf, j-pod, orca, Orca Whales --- ### [Our 2012 Season Is Just A Few Months Away](https://whales.com/our-2012-season-is-just-a-few-months-away/) **Published:** February 10, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/SanJuanCruises-300x225.jpg "SanJuanCruises")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/SanJuanCruises.jpg)We’re busy gearing up for the 2012 season, which will start on May 5th this season for our [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruise, and June 1st for our [Chuckanut Bay Cracked Crab](https://whales.com/Cruises/Cracked-Crab-Evening-Cruise.aspx) dinner cruises. We will also be doing several holiday cruises, including our popular 4th of July Fireworks cruises aboard the Victoria Star 2 and Viking Star. For outdoor recreation enthusiasts, there will be a new series of [San Juan Islands Bike Tours](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Islands-Bike-Adventures.aspx) on Lopez, San Juan and Orcas Islands. There’s more to come as well – lots of different ways to get on the water, or out in the islands this summer! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** bay, Bellingham, Fairhaven, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Minke whales, Orca Whales, Orcas Island, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, viking star, whale museum, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Vote For Us In King 5's "Best NW Escapes" Contest](https://whales.com/vote-for-us-in-king-5s-best-nw-escapes-contest/) **Published:** April 13, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/king5logo.jpg "king5logo")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/king5logo.jpg)The deadline is Sunday, April 15th! Please take a second and vote for San Juan Cruises as the “Best NW Whale Watch” in King 5’s “Best NW Escapes” contest. If you’ve taken one of our cruises, or just want to support a local Bellingham/Whatcom County business, we’d love to have your vote. Just click on this link to vote – it’s simple and quick - . By voting, you may even win a 7 day vacation in Lake Chelan! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [Bellingham Bay Rendezvous - April 28 & 29](https://whales.com/bellingham-bay-rendezvous-april-28-29/) **Published:** April 20, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/zodiac.jpg "zodiac")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/zodiac.jpg)Cruise season in the San Juan Islands opens **April 28-29, 2012** at the 2nd annual Bellingham Bay Rendezvous. Charter vessels from throughout the Salish Sea travel to Bellingham for this two-day celebration to show off their boats and honor maritime history at the [Bellingham Cruise Terminal (355 Harris Ave)](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=355+harris+ave+bellingham+wa&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&hnear=355+Harris+Ave,+Bellingham,+Washington+98225&gl=us&t=m&z=16 "Link for Directions to the Bellingham Bay Rendezvous"),which also hosts the Alaska Ferry. ### TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR SUNSET SAIL AND SCHOONER RACE **Sunset Cruise – Saturday April 28 from 6-9pm** is your chance to cruise Bellingham Bay aboard your choice of participating boats at the Bellingham Bay Rendezvous. Tickets on one of this historic boats are $39 and include a boxed dinner. For a relaxing family cruise choose the Victoria Star for only $29 adults/$15 kids (age 3-17) and also includes a boxed dinner. **Schooner Race! Sunday April 29 from 1-4pm** – Be a part of the action by reserving your space on one of the [participating schooners](http://bellinghambayrendezvous.wordpress.com/boats-at-the-2nd-annual-bellingham-bay-rendezvous/ "Link to Participating Boats") (Zodiac, Spike Africa, Dirigo II, Mycia or Suva) that will be racing in Bellingham Bay or on either the  *M/V David B* or *Victoria Star* which will be course markers for the race. Tickets for the *Victoria Star* are $15 adults/$7 kids age 3-17. All other boats tickets are $25 **Tickets are available by calling [San Juan Cruises](https://whales.com/ "Link to San Juan Cruises") at 360-738-8099** **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands --- ### [First Day Of The Season / Whales & Wildlife Report - All 3 Pods! - 5/5/12](https://whales.com/first-day-of-the-season-whales-wildlife-report-all-3-pods-5512/) **Published:** May 5, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** What a day so far on the Victoria Star 2! The boat is still out on this season’s first [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruise, and we just got a report that we were able to see members of all 3 local pods of Orca whales (J, K and L pods). There’s been a little light drizzle, but it looks like the sun is going to win out on our afternoon cruise back to Bellingham. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - Whales Again! - 5/6/12](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-whales-again-5612/) **Published:** May 6, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Another beautiful day out in the San Juan Islands! Just heard from the captain that we saw Orca whales again – 2-for-2 for the season so far. Today the crew brought a camera, so we hope to update this post with a few photos from today’s tour. We’ll be out again next weekend – hope to see you aboard for our San Juan Adventure cruise: **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 5/19/12 & 5/20/12](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-51912-52012/) **Published:** May 21, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** After seeing a Gray whale on a private charter we did on Friday, we were excited to get into the weekend for our public tours, in hopes of seeing more whales. We didn’t find any Orca or Gray whales on Saturday or Sunday, we did find some active Minke whales at Salmon Bank (just off San Juan Island), as well as some Stellar sea lions, porpoises and lots of seals. We are getting reports of K pod (from our resident group of Orcas) coming back into the area, just in time for some school field trips we are doing this week. Our next public tours will be on May 26 & 27 – for more information, [click here](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx). **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Minke whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 5/21/12 (Orca Whales - K-Pod)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-52112-orca-whales-k-pod/) **Published:** May 22, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** We had a local middle school on board today for a 6 hour whale watching field trip (I don’t remember going on field trips this fun when I was a kid!). It was an overcast day with occasional rain, but shortly after getting underway we started to hear reports of one of the resident Orca pods, K-pod, in the area. Unfortunately they were pretty far to the north, up near the US/Canadian border. So we decided to stay in the San Juans for a bit and see what other wildlife we could find. The highlight was a group of Stellar sea lion – always fun and interesting to watch. Then we began to hear updates on K-pod – they were heading south! So we switched gears and headed north to (hopefully) meet up with them. We had to go near Point Roberts, but we found ’em! We had a full boat, so it was great to be able to watch them for a while, and return home happy. We’ll be doing school trips all week, and then offer our public [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruise this Saturday and Sunday. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan cruises, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 5/26/12 (Orca Whales - Transient Group)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-52612-orca-whales-transient-group/) **Published:** May 26, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** It’s a bright, beautiful day in the San Juan Islands today. With a full boat of passengers anticipating a warm, fun filled day we were excited to hear reports of a transient group of Orcas coming through the area. Sure enough, we found them just 1 1/2 hours into the trip. A group of approximately 7 Orcas was busy feeding, something you often see on Animal Planet, but it’s something completely different to see in person, in the wild. We’ll be out again tomorrow (Sunday), then we begin our daily service next weekend. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Cruises' Ski To Sea Team Finishes 188th](https://whales.com/san-juan-cruises-ski-to-sea-team-finishes-188th/) **Published:** May 29, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Ski-to-Sea-2012-009-300x225.jpg "Ski to Sea 2012 009")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Ski-to-Sea-2012-009.jpg)Ski to Sea weekend was a blast this year, with lots of activity all along the course, as well as the finish line in Fairhaven. The weather cooperated and towards the end it was sunny and warm for all of the kayakers coming into Marine Park. We were proud to have sponsored the San Juan Cruises team, which finished in 188th place overall (out of 500 teams). Hope you all had a great Memorial Day weekend! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, memorial day weekend, race, ski to sea --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 5/30/12 - 6/01/12 (Orca Whales - Transient & Resident Groups)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-53012-60112-orca-whales-transient-resident-groups/) **Published:** June 2, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Our public [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) whale & wildlife cruises run daily starting today, so if you’re looking for a fun day trip in the San Juan Islands give us  a call. There have been plenty of whales in the area – we took out several school groups this week, where we were able to see J & K pods, as well as a group of transient Orcas. Hope to see you on board! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/8/12 (Orca Whales - J-Pod)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-6812-orca-whales-j-pod/) **Published:** June 8, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** It was a little gray this morning, but things brightened up quickly as the clouds began to dissipate and the sun came out. It wasn’t too long before we found Orcas. Just about 30 minutes into the cruise J-pod was spotted near Viti Rocks on the west side of Lummi Island. Since we found them so early we were able to spend quite a while with them – nearly 1.5 hours. We waved goodbye and continued our cruise through the islands, where passengers enjoyed our delicious BBQ chicken lunch, before stopping in Friday Harbor for a sunny afternoon in town. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/9/12 (Orca Whales - J-Pod)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-6912-orca-whales-j-pod/) **Published:** June 10, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** It was another great day in the San Juan Islands – we spotted J-pod once again near the Lime Kiln lighthouse on the west side of San Juan Island. All in all a great, mostly sunny, day in the islands! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/10/12 (Orca Whales - J-Pod)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-61012-orca-whales-j-pod/) **Published:** June 11, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** It was another sunny, beautiful day in the San Juan Islands aboard the Victoria Star 2. We had a great group of folks on board as we meandered through the islands, heading towards the north end of San Juan Island. Once there, we found our friends from J-pod again, thrilling our passengers as they swam and frolicked in front of us. Lets keep our fingers crossed that we get more of this Northwest sunshine over the coming weeks! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/10-6/15 (Orca Whales - J-Pod)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-610-615-orca-whales-j-pod/) **Published:** June 16, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** It’s been a great week of whale watching, with Orcas seen on our [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruise every day this week. It was our friends in J-pod that were seen in various locales in the San Juans, primarily in the waters to the west of San Juan Island. Sounds like they’re in the area again today, and the rain is starting to clear, so it should be a great day in the islands! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/16-6/17 (Orca Whales - J-Pod & A Humpback Whale)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-616-617-orca-whales-j-pod-a-humpback-whale/) **Published:** June 18, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Another great weekend of whale watching in the San Juan Islands. On Saturday and Sunday we saw J-Pod, one of the three resident pods of Orcas. We’ve gotten to know this pod very well over the past two weeks, with sightings just about every day. However, while watching a group of Orcas off to one side of the boat, we were pleasantly surprised by an appearance of a Humpback whale on the other side of the boat. We had the opportunity to stay with them for quite a while, before heading off to Friday Harbor for our 2 hour shore visit. With the weather improving, school nearly out for the year, and lots of whales to be seen, it’s a great time to join us on our [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruise. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, humpback whale, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island Commuter, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/21 (Orca Whales - J-Pod & Transient Group)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-621-orca-whales-j-pod-transient-group/) **Published:** June 22, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** It’s been an outstanding week for whale watching, topped off with a double-header of Orcas yesterday. We spotted J-Pod near Kellett Bluff on San Juan Island, then later stumbled across a group of transient Orcas in San Juan Channel. Our boat’s back in the islands today, with initial reports looking favorable once again. We’ve had consistent sightings over the last two weeks, so if you don’t have plans for the weekend, we hope you’ll join us on a tour of the San Juan Islands. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/22 (Orca Whales - J-Pod)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-622-orca-whales-j-pod/) **Published:** June 22, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Our boat is still out on today’s [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruise, and the news from the captain has been great so far. We were able to find J-pod again, this time off the west side of San Juan Island. He mentioned that there have been reports of other whales in the area, so we might get two opportunities to see them again today. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/23 (Orca Whales - Transient Group)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-623-orca-whales-transient-group/) **Published:** June 23, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Today we saw the best whale show of the season! A group of transient Orcas passing through the islands were spotted between Lopez and Blakely Islands. For nearly an hour it was just us and them – no other boats in the area, as we watched them jump out of the water all around us. They were full of energy, and so active that our captain, who’s been driving boats for a long time, said it was one of the best sightings he’s seen. If you want to see whales this summer, there is no time better than the present! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** bellingham herald, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/24 (Orca Whales - J-Pod)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-624-orca-whales-j-pod/) **Published:** June 24, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** After a day with a transient group of Orcas yesterday, we were back with our friends in J-pod today. We spent close to an hour with them up near Stuart Island. They were fairly active today, thrilling our passengers in calm, partly sunny conditions. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/25-6/29 (Orca Whales - J-Pod, L-Pod & Transient Group)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-625-629-orca-whales-j-pod-transient-group/) **Published:** June 30, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** We are a little behind on our whale and wildlife report this week, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been seeing Orca whales on our cruises. It’s been an outstanding week for sightings in the San Juan Islands. Here’s what we’ve seen this week: 6/25 – Orca Whales: J-Pod near Deception Pass 6/26 – Orca Whales: L-Pod W of San Juan Island 6/27 – Orca Whales: 10+ transient Orcas near Stuart Island 6/28 – Orca Whales: J-Pod sighted S of Lopez Island 6/29 – Orca Whales: J-Pod sighted just NW of San Juan Island **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 6/30 (Orca Whales - J-Pod)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-630-orca-whales-j-pod/) **Published:** July 1, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Yesterday was the 9th day in a row that we saw Orca whales out in the San Juan Islands. It was J-Pod once again – we had a great time watching them just off the NW side of San Juan Island. Looking forward to another great day in the islands today! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/1 (Orca Whales - J & L Pods)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-71-orca-whales-j-l-pods/) **Published:** July 2, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Light morning clouds made way for afternoon sun and blue skies yesterday (7/1) as we wound our way through the San Juan Islands. It’s been a great week for whale watching, with Orca sightings every day, so we were full of optimism that we’d see them once again. With the help of our spotting network, we were able to find not just one, but two, pods of Orca whales – J and L Pods. We had lot of time to spend with them as they swam and frolicked just off the west side of San Juan Island. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/2 thru 7/6 (Orca Whales - J & L Pods)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-72-thru-76-orca-whales-j-l-pods/) **Published:** July 6, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Another great week of Orca whale watching – whales were seen every day, mostly off the west coast of San Juan Island, and mostly J-pod (with members of L-pod being seen on occasion). What made these trips even better was the bright sunshine and warm temperatures – summer is finally here! Other wildlife seen along the way include seals, a couple of sea lions, porpoises and bald eagles. It just doesn’t get much better than this! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island Commuter, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/7 (Orca Whales - J Pod)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-77-orca-whales-j-pod/) **Published:** July 8, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Lots of whales and lots of sun in the San Juan Islands yesterday. We had a great time on our [San Juan Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruise with J-Pod yesterday (one of three resident pods of Orca whales). Then, during our [Chuckanut Cracked Crab Dinner Cruise](https://whales.com/Cruises/Cracked-Crab-Evening-Cruise.aspx), we saw them again, just off the west side of Lummi Island. It’s pretty rare for us to see Orca whales during our evening crab cruise, but it does happen a few times each season.  With nothing but sun in the forecast, now’s a great time to hit the water! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, crab cruise, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Bike Tours, Beer Tasting Cruises, Whale Watching & More!](https://whales.com/bike-tours-beer-tasting-cruises-whale-watching-more/) **Published:** July 10, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/brochureorca-1-300x199.jpg "brochureorca")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/brochureorca-1.jpg)We have lots of great ways to get out on the water this summer. In addition to our popular [San Juan Adventure cruise](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) (whale watching, 2-hour stop in Friday Harbor and complimentary BBQ chicken lunch) we have our [Chuckanut Bay Cracked Crab dinner cruise](https://whales.com/Cruises/Cracked-Crab-Evening-Cruise.aspx) going out every Friday and Saturday evening. We will be offering 8 “[unWINEd On The Bay](https://whales.com/Cruises/unWINEd-On-The-Bay.aspx)” cruises on Wednesday evenings during July and August. Several of these have already sold out, but tickets are still available for our wine cruises in August. It wouldn’t be fair to leave beer drinkers out though, so we’ve partnered with Boundary Bay Brewery for a series of beer tasting cruises, scheduled to go every Thursday evening during the month of August. We’ll have more information on our [website ](https://whales.com/)and [Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/sanjuancruisesbellingham)pages soon. If you are looking for something more active, we have two [San Juan Bike Adventures](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Islands-Bike-Adventures.aspx) out to Lopez Island – one on Saturday, July 14th, and another on Saturday, August 18. The sun’s finally here to stay, and there are few places better than Lopez Island to go for a bike ride. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, Whale Watching --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/10 (Orca Whales - J & L Pod)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-710-orca-whales-j-l-pod/) **Published:** July 10, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** We had to go a bit further than usual today, into the Canadian Gulf Islands, but we were able to find Orca whales on this bright, sunny Wednesday. We found J-Pod, as well as a few members of L-Pod, up by Pender and Saturna Islands. Looking forward to more great days of sun and whales this week, and into the weekend. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/11 - 7/13 (Orca Whales - J-Pod) / Chuckanut Crab Cruise](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-711-713-orca-whales-j-pod/) **Published:** July 14, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/crabcruisesunset-7-13-12-dp-300x200.jpg "crabcruisesunset-7-13-12-dp")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/crabcruisesunset-7-13-12-dp.jpg)Three more outstanding days of Orca whale watching this week – J-Pod each day! On the 11th we found them at Salmon Bank, SW of San Juan Island. The next two days we saw them further north. On the 12th they were near Turn Point, and yesterday they were up near Saturna Island (in the Canadian Gulf Islands). In the evening we did our [Chuckanut Bay Cracked Crab dinner cruise](https://whales.com/Cruises/Cracked-Crab-Evening-Cruise.aspx) and our passengers were treated to an amazing sunset (photo courtesy of David Pillinger). What a way to cap off a brilliant day in the San Juan Islands and Chuckanut Bay! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, crab cruise, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/14 (Orca Whales - J-Pod)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-714-orca-whales-j-pod/) **Published:** July 15, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** This time we went south, finding J-Pod between Davidson Rock and Salmon Bank (just off Lopez and San Juan Islands). It was a beautiful day in the islands, and we all had a great time watching whales for close to an hour. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/15 & 7/16 (Orca Whales - J & L-Pod)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-715-716-orca-whales-j-l-pod/) **Published:** July 16, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Not even noon yet and we’re getting reports of “black n’ white popcorn” to the north of the San Juan Islands – Orca whales spotted by the Victoria Star, jumping all over the place, on our San Juan Adventure cruise. . Today it was J & L pods that we spotted – yesterday it was J pod, just off San Juan Island. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/17, 7/18 & 7/19 (Orca Whales - J, K & L-Pods)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-717-719-orca-whales-j-k-l-pods/) **Published:** July 20, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** It’s been another fabulous week of whale watching, topped off by a “Super Pod” – a gathering of all three local pods of Orca whales. We found them just west of Lummi Island, not too far away. It gave us over an over to view them, thrilling our passengers with an abundance of activity. It was a fun, and beautiful, day to be out in the San Juan Islands! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, Victoria Star, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/20 & 7/21 (Orca Whales)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-720-721-orca-whales/) **Published:** July 21, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Two more great days of whale watching! Yesterday it was L-Pod, seen off the SW coast of San Juan Island, and today (Saturday) under sunny skies we found members of two pods of Orca whales up near the Canadian Gulf Islands. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/25 & 7/26 (Orca & Minke Whales)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-725-726-orca-minke-whales/) **Published:** July 27, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Our successful run of seeing whales on our tours continued this week – we’ve seen them every day during the month of July! On Wednesday (7/25) we saw a group of Minke whales just off the SW coast of San Juan Island, then on Thursday (7/26) we went north of the San Juans to see K-pod (one of three resident pods of Orca whales). **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/27 & 7/28 (Orca Whales - Super Pod!)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-727-728-orca-whales-super-pod/) **Published:** July 29, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Two more amazing days out in the San Juan Islands – beautiful weather and lots of whales! On Friday we found two pods of Orcas (J and K) up near Spieden Island, but that was topped yesterday with a Super Pod sighting – all three pods of Orca Whales (J, K and L) near Burroughs Island / Deception Pass. It was a thrill to watch so many whales in one spot! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, San Juan Island, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 7/31 (Minke Whales)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-731-minke-whales/) **Published:** July 31, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** There isn’t a cloud in the sky – an absolutely gorgeous day in the San Juans. While the Orca whales are just a bit out of our range today, we were able to see a group of about 6 Minke whales off the SW coast of San Juan Island. Our passengers got some great views of these whales, which measure 23-30 feet in length and are quite common in the San Juan Islands. The drawing at left shows the size of a Minke whale in comparison to a human. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, Minke whales, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [First Bellingham Bay BREWS Cruise A Big Hit!](https://whales.com/first-bellingham-bay-brews-cruise-a-big-hit/) **Published:** August 3, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** We had the first of 5 [Bellingham Bay BREWS Cruises](https://whales.com/Cruises/Beer-Tasting-Cruise.aspx) last night, and it was a great time on the water. Each brewery brought 3-4 different beers to sample – a variety of their most popular beers, as well as beers unavailable in their bars. A delicious assortment of snacks was included as part of the cruise. It was a beautiful, sunny evening as we cruised along the shorelines of Bellingham Bay and Chuckanut Bay. Many thanks to [Boundary Bay](http://bbaybrewery.com/), [Chuckanut ](http://chuckanutbreweryandkitchen.com/)and [Kulshan ](http://www.kulshanbrewery.com/)breweries for making the first cruise a huge success. We have 4 more cruises planned this month – [tickets are still available](https://whales.com/Cruises/Beer-Tasting-Cruise.aspx), but going fast. Boundary Bay Brewery will be on each cruise, joined by two other Washington breweries. Here’s what each brewery served last night: Boundary Bay: Scotch Ale, IPA, Ginger Peach Blonde Ale Chuckanut: Rauch Marzen Lager, Pilsner, British Brown, British IPA Kulshan: IPA, Porter, Pale Ale, CDA **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General **Tags:** beer cruise, Bellingham, bellingham bay brews cruise, boundary bay, boundary bay brewery, brews cruise, chuckanut, chuckanut bay, chuckanut brewery, kulshan, kulshan brewery, san juan cruises --- ### [Other Wildlife That We See In The San Juan Islands](https://whales.com/other-wildlife-that-we-see-in-the-san-juan-islands/) **Published:** August 3, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** While one of the main goals on our San Juan Adventure cruise is to see whales, there is lots of other wildlife that we see quite often. Bald eagles are abundant in the region, as are Steller sea lions, Harbor porpoises, Harbor seals and a variety of sea birds. Speiden Island, home of exotic wildlife such as Mouflon sheep from Corsica, fallow deer from Europe, and Sika deer from Asia after being a short-lived big game hunting spot in the early 70’s, is an island we often like to take a look at on our cruises. Speiden Island has an interesting history – to learn more, check out this [article that ran in the Seattle Times](http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19940619&slug=1916258) a few years ago. [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/baldeagle-speidenisland-300x211.jpg "baldeagle-speidenisland")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/baldeagle-speidenisland.jpg) **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands **Tags:** Bellingham, San Juan Island, San Juan Island Commuter --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/3 (Humpback Whale)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-83-humpback-whale/) **Published:** August 3, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** As if beautiful, blue skies, warm sun and amazing scenery weren’t enough, we were able to find a Humpback whale on our San Juan Adventure cruise today, up on the north end of the San Juan Islands. It took a bit of searching, but it was well worth the effort. After having a great time watching it, we’re now on our way to Friday Harbor for our 2 hour shore visit. We hope to have photos soon! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, humpback whale, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/4 & 8/5 (Minke Whales)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-84-85-minke-whales/) **Published:** August 6, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** We’ve had a couple of great days out in the San Juans, with lots of sun and warm temperatures (it’s always refreshing to be out on a boat when it’s 85 degrees out!). We’ve had good views of Minke whales over the weekend. Lots of other things to see too – lighthouses, bald eagles, seals and sea lions. The resident Orca whales have been a bit out of our range recently, but early reports this morning (Monday) say they are back, just off the west side of San Juan Island. With recent sightings of Minke whales, a humpback a few days ago, and Orcas back in the area, it’s a great time for whale watching! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/6 (Orca Whales - J-Pod)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-86-orca-whales-j-pod/) **Published:** August 7, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Orca whales are back in the San Juan Islands – we found J-Pod up off to the NW of San Juan Island. We had a great time with them, with whales seen all around the boat. After a bit of morning cloudiness, the skies cleared, making for a nice, warm afternoon in Friday Harbor and the return cruise through the islands back to Bellingham. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/8, 8/9 & 8/10 (Minke Whales & Orca Whales)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-88-89-810-minke-whales-orca-whales/) **Published:** August 10, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** We’ve had three great days of whale watching to close out the week. Minke whales were seen on Wednesday’s cruise, Orca whales on Thursday, and Minkes again today (Friday). The Orca sighting was particularly special, because we had our first look at a [new calf J-49](http://www.whalemuseum.org/museum/press/latest/New%20Baby%20in%20J%20Pod.html). This brings the resident Orca whale population up to 86. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/11 (Minke Whales & Orca Whales)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-811-minke-whales-orca-whales/) **Published:** August 11, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/B8BE6637-300x165.jpg "B8BE6637")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/B8BE6637.jpg)The last few days we’ve seen either Orca whales or Minke whales, but not both on the same trip. That changed today – we did see both, with the Orcas spotted SW of San Juan Island (J-Pod) and a Minke whale seen SW of Lopez Island. Clear skies and plentiful wildlife made this an outstanding day in the San Juans! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Minke whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/13 (Orca Whales)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-813-orca-whales/) **Published:** August 14, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Another beautiful, warm day in the San Juan Islands. After meandering through the islands, taking in the incredible scenery, we found Orca whales (L-Pod) up off the NW end of San Juan Island. We had quite a bit of time with them, before heading into Friday Harbor for our two hour shore visit and our return cruise back to Bellingham. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/17 (Harbor Porpoises & Bald Eagles)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-817-harbor-porpoises-bald-eagles/) **Published:** August 17, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** It was a hot, sunny day in the San Juan Islands, but it was a bit cooler on the boat as we cruised around Patos and Spieden Islands today. We were able to find a playful group of Harbor porpoises up near Patos Island, and bald eagles were seen several times throughout the day. There was also a bunch of interesting wildlife seen out on [Spieden Island](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spieden_Island). **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/19 (Transient Orca Whales)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-819-transient-orca-whales/) **Published:** August 19, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** After a few days seeing porpoises, bald eagles, seals, sea lions and other wildlife, it was great to find Orca whales once again. We found two transient groups – the first was up near the Turn Pt. lighthouse, then we ventured toward Gooch Island just over the border and found another group. To learn more about transient Orca whales, you can visit [this page](http://www.orcanetwork.org/nathist/transients.html). **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/20 (Orca Whales - K-Pod)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-820-orca-whales-k-pod/) **Published:** August 20, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Beautiful day in the San Juan Islands today, with Orcas spotted near Kellett Bluff at the north end of San Juan Island. K-pod, one of three resident pods of whales, was found under sunny skies. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/22 (Orca Whales - J & K Pods)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-822-orca-whales-j-k-pods/) **Published:** August 24, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** We had a great day in the San Juans yesterday, spotting two resident pods of Orca whales (J & K Pods) near False Bay, off the west coast of San Juan Island. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** bellingham herald, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/25 & 26 (Orca Whales - Transient Orcas & L-Pod)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-825-26-orca-whales-transient-orcas-l-pod/) **Published:** August 26, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4422-300x191.jpg "IMG_4422")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4422.jpg)What a great weekend for whale watching in the San Juans! On Saturday we found a transient group of Orcas just north of Lopez Island, in Upright Channel. Then today, we had spent a long time with most of L-Pod, over 30 whales, near Battleship Island in the north end of the San Juans. Now’s a great time for a cruise in the islands – [click here](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) to make a reservation on our San Juan Adventure cruise. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/27 (Orca Whales - J-Pod)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-827-orca-whales-j-pod/) **Published:** August 27, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** What a day! We were only a couple of hours into our cruise when we found J-pod in the Strait of Georgia, about halfway between Pt. Roberts and Patos Island. They were very playful today, with lots of breaches (whales jumping out of the water) and spy-hopping (where they come straight up out of the water and hold their position for a few seconds). Pleasant weather too, with blue skies and a few clouds, with temps in the low 70’s. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/28 (Minke Whale)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-828-minke-whale/) **Published:** August 28, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** The Orca whales were just a bit out of our range today, but we were fortunate enough to find a Minke whale just off the south end of San Juan Island. Overall it’s been a great day in the islands so far, with a bit of sun and calm waters. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, Minke whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 8/30 (Orca Whales - J & K Pods)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-830-orca-whales-j-k-pods/) **Published:** August 31, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** We were able to find two pods of Orca whales, J & K pods, close to each other just off False Bay on San Juan Island. We spent quite a while watching them, before heading into Friday Harbor for our daily 2 hour shore visit, and the 2 hour cruise through the islands back to Bellingham. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 9/1 (Orca Whales - L Pod + Steller Sea Lions)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-91-orca-whales-l-pod-steller-sea-lions/) **Published:** September 1, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** A beautiful, sunny day in the San Juan Islands – we found members of L-Pod SW of San Juan Island, then on our way into Friday Harbor we watched a group of about 16 Steller sea lions on Whale Rocks. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 9/6 (Orca Whales - L Pod)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-96-orca-whales-l-pod/) **Published:** September 7, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** A glorious day in the San Juans yesterday – sun, blue skies and warm temperatures. Absolutely amazing! To top it off we found Orca whales – the L-12 group, in the False Bay area on the west side of San Juan Island. The weather’s supposed to be the same today and tomorrow – hope you’ll join us! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 9/10 (Orca Whales - J & L Pods)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-910-orca-whales-l-pod/) **Published:** September 10, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Just heard from our captain on today’s [San Juan Adventure cruise](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) – we saw Orca whales twice before our stop in Friday Harbor. The first group (J-Pod) was found near the US/Canada border, just north of Stuart Island. After watching them for a while we turned south for our shore stop in Friday Harbor, and found another group of 14 Orca whales (L-Pod). So two sightings in 4 hours – not too bad a day. This is our last week of daily cruises to the San Juan Islands – we’ll be running every day through Sunday, then just the last two Saturdays and Sundays of the month after that. Hope you’ll join us! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 9/11 (Minke Whales & Dall's Porpoises)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-911-minke-whales-dalls-porpoises/) **Published:** September 11, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** A stunning day in the San Juans today – sun, blue skies and lots of wildlife. We have seen Minke whales and Dall’s porpoises on today’s cruise, and the day isn’t finished yet! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 9/12 & 9/13 (Pacific White Side Dolphins & Orca Whale "Super Pod")](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-912-913-pacific-white-side-dolphins-orca-whale-super-pod/) **Published:** September 14, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Two spectacular days in the San Juans! As if the sun and beautiful scenery in the 172 island archipelago weren’t enough, we found lots of wildlife the last two days. On Wednesday we had a rare sighting of 6-8 Pacific White Side dolphins – one of our crew members took some video, which we hope to share here soon. On Thursday it was all about the Orca whales – all three resident pods together – a SUPER POD! Looking forward to another amazing day in the islands today. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 9/14 (Minke Whales & Steller Sea Lions)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-914-minke-whales-steller-sea-lions/) **Published:** September 14, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** We headed out to Salmon Bank on the SW side of San Juan Island and found a group of 4-6 Minke whales who were feeding. Had a chance to watch them for a while before heading in for our stop in Friday Harbor, pausing a bit to take a look at some Steller Sea Lions. Overall a great day for sun and wildlife. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, Minke whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 9/16 (Orca Whale "Super Pod")](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-916-orca-whale-super-pod/) **Published:** September 16, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** All of the resident Orca whales were back today and we were lucky enough to see what we call a “Super Pod” – all three resident pods were seen in the same area. Boundary Pass on the NW side of the San Juans was the place to be today – blue skies, sunshine and lots and lots of whales! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 9/22 (Orca Whales - J & L Pods)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-922-orca-whales-j-l-pods/) **Published:** September 22, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** It was nice to be back in the San Juan Islands with a group of resident Orcas today. We found J and L pods off the SW side of San Juan Island, with the clouds giving way to sunny skies and flat-calm conditions on the water. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, San Juan Island, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - 9/24 (Orca Whales - J & K Pods)](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-924-orca-whales-j-k-pods/) **Published:** September 24, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Another beautiful, calm day in the San Juan Islands, with two of the three resident pods of Orca whales spotted in the NW corner of the archipelago. We had a great time watching J and K pods from all sides of the boat, before our 2 hour shore visit in Friday Harbor, and the leisurely cruise home. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Gift Certificates For Our 2013 Season Available](https://whales.com/gift-certificates-for-our-2013-season-available/) **Published:** October 5, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** Treat your family, friends or co-workers to a unique Northwest experience with a San Juan Cruises gift certificate. Our tours will run May through September next year. There are several options available: –Our 8-hour San Juan Adventure day cruise, which includes a narrated whale watching tour through the scenic San Juan Islands, a 2 hour shore visit in Friday Harbor, and a delicious Northwest salmon & chicken lunch. –Our popular Chuckanut Bay Cracked Crab dinner cruise aboard the Victoria Star 2. –We will also be running our popular Bellingham Bay BREWS cruise and our unWINEd On The Bay wine tasting cruise in 2013. Gift certificates may be purchased by phone (1-800-443-4552) or at our ticketing office at the Alaska Ferry Terminal in the historic Fairhaven district of Bellingham. Our office is open 8am – 5pm Monday through Friday. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** beer cruise, beer tasting cruise, Bellingham, crab cruise, Fairhaven, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Minke whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales, wine cruise, wine tasting cruise --- ### [Book The Victoria Star For A Holiday Party!](https://whales.com/book-the-victoria-star-for-a-holiday-party/) **Published:** October 15, 2012 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/victoriastar2christmasship.jpg "victoriastar2christmasship")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/victoriastar2christmasship.jpg)The Victoria Star is available for holiday parties this December. With festive decorations and hundreds of twinkling lights, the vessel is perfect for a family or company party. You can bring on your own food, use a caterer, or leave the cooking to us with one of our delicious meal options (including cracked crab, BBQ chicken, salmon & more). We have two bars (one on each level of the boat), serving a variety of Northwest beers and wines, as well as mixed drinks (including some holiday favorites). Charters start at just $1000 and the boat can comfortably accomodate up to 120 people. The boat is heated, and as the largest passenger vessel in Bellingham, it’ll be smooth sailing as we cruise around Bellingham and Chuckanut Bays. For more information, and reservations, please call us at 1-800-443-4552 or (360) 738-8099. You may also view information and photos online on our [Private Parties](https://whales.com/Cruises/Private-Parties.aspx) page. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog **Tags:** Bellingham, Charters, Christmas, Victoria Star --- ### [UnWINEd On The Bay Schedule For 2013](https://whales.com/unwined-on-the-bay-schedule-for-2013/) **Published:** January 7, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/unwinedcruiselogo-300x300.jpg "unwinedcruiselogo")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/unwinedcruiselogo.jpg)We’ve released the schedule of our popular unWINEd On The Bay wine tasting cruise series. There will be even more cruises this season, due to popular demand, for a total of 10 cruises every Thursday throughout the summer. Many of the favorite themes will be back from last season, as well as a couple of new ones. We’ll have “showdown” cruises featuring Chardonnays vs. Cabernets, followed by another duel, this time featuring domestics vs. imports. Individual tickets and season passes are now available for purchase: **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, San Juan Island, unwined on the bay, wine cruise, wine tasting cruise --- ### [$5 Off Adult Whale Watch Adventure Tickets In 2013](https://whales.com/5-off-adult-whale-watch-adventure-tickets-in-2013/) **Published:** January 11, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/jumpingorca-254x300.jpg "jumpingorca")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/jumpingorca.jpg)This season, if you book your Whale Watching Adventure cruise with us at least a day in advance, either [online](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) or by phone, you’ll receive a $5 discount off each adult fare. Just use code **W5** when booking [online](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx). All reservations made over the phone at least a day in advance will automatically receive this discount. There’s other big news – we’re bringing salmon back to our lunch menu! Our complimentary lunch served on-board will include wild salmon, BBQ chicken, a variety of delicious side dishes, and dessert. We look forward to having you aboard the Victoria Star this summer! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, whale watching adventure --- ### [New Bird Watching Cruises On Saturdays Throughout The Summer](https://whales.com/new-bird-watching-cruises-on-saturdays-throughout-the-summer/) **Published:** February 12, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Great-Blue-Heron-Victor-Burgett-Photo-300x225.jpg "Great Blue Heron - - Victor Burgett Photo")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Great-Blue-Heron-Victor-Burgett-Photo.jpg)We are excited to announce a new series of [Bird Watching Cruises](https://whales.com/Cruises/Bird-Watching-Cruise.aspx) aboard the newly-remodeled Salish Sea this summer. On these day cruises you’ll have a chance to view an amazing variety of birds while we cruise through Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands, under the Deception Pass bridge, and through the Swinomish Channel. Naturalists on board will talk about the birds we see and answer any questions you might have. Cruises will start on Saturday, May 4th and go through Saturday, August 24th – we hope you’ll join us! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands **Tags:** Bellingham, bird watching, birds, Salish Sea, San Juan Islands --- ### [Sucia Island Picnic Cruises On Sundays From Bellingham](https://whales.com/sucia-island-picnic-cruises-on-sundays-from-bellingham/) **Published:** March 4, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/107_0798-300x225.jpg "107_0798")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/107_0798.jpg)One of the true island gems of the San Juan’s lies up north on the Canadian border. San Juan Cruises can take you out to this exclusive jewel that is only accessible by private yacht or charter vessel. Bring your friends and family out for a beach picnic and nature walk on this stunning island. Depart the Bellingham Cruise terminal aboard our newest vessel the Salish Sea. You’ll spend up to 2 hours on this scenic cruise to Sucia Island watching for wildlife as your captain tells you interesting stories and explains the natural history of this unique part of the San Juan Islands. Once on the island we’ll serve a delicious picnic lunch on the island, including fried chicken, potato salad, chips, fresh fruit, dessert, and a mini-bottle of champagne or sparkling cider. [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/salishsea-300x200.jpg "salishsea")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/salishsea.jpg) For more information and reservations, please visit our [Sucia Picnic Cruise](https://whales.com/Cruises/Sucia-Island-Picnic.aspx) page, or call us at 1-800-443-4552. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands **Tags:** Bellingham, picnic cruise, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, sucia island --- ### [Evening Magazine "Best Northwest Escapes" Contest](https://whales.com/evening-magazine-best-northwest-escapes-contest/) **Published:** March 19, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/VotingPlatformLogo.png "VotingPlatformLogo")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/VotingPlatformLogo.png)It’s that time of year again – King 5 / Evening Magazine in Seattle are running their “Best Northwest Escapes” contest. If you’ve taken one of our cruises in the past, we’d really appreciate your vote! Here’s the link: **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Fairhaven, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Minke whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [San Juan Island Voted Top Island In The US By TripAdvisor](https://whales.com/san-juan-island-voted-top-island-in-the-us-by-tripadvisor/) **Published:** March 27, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/fridayharborflickr-18-in-x-12-in-300x200.jpg "fridayharborflickr - 18 in x 12 in")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/fridayharborflickr-18-in-x-12-in.jpg)Big news from TripAdvisor yesterday! **San Juan Island Voted Top Island** **2013 TRIPADVISOR TRAVELERS’ CHOICE ISLANDS AWARD** **Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands, Washington, March 26 –** Good things come in pairs, today San Juan Island was acknowledged as the top Island in the United States by TripAdvisor® Travelers’ Choice® Islands awards. Yesterday, President Obama established the San Juan Islands National Monument, which includes 955 acres of cherished land throughout the San Juan Islands archipelago. Travelers’ Choice® awards honor top islands around the world, based entirely on the millions of valuable reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travelers. In total, more than 100 winning islands were named across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, South America, South Pacific and the U.S. “Whether you’re looking for idyllic palm-lined islands, or islands that offer a more cultural experience, you’ll find inspiration in these lists,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. “From the world famous to the hidden gems, what unifies every award winner is the fantastic feedback from travelers across the globe.” The San Juan Islands are a magnificent 172-island archipelago in the heart of the Salish Sea in Washington State. Washington’s newest scenic byway, the Islands attract visitors year-round to the three main islands of Orcas, Lopez and San Juan. Extensive national, state and county parks, and new national monument status, preserve a coastline renowned for whale and wildlife viewing. Boat and kayak tours offer up-close views of wildlife and uninhabited islands. The complete list of 2013 Travelers’ Choice Islands can be found at: All rights reserved. SOURCE TripAdvisor \# # # **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, san juan cruises, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, tripadvisor, Whale Watching, whale watching adventure, Whales --- ### [The Chrysalis Inn & Spa / San Juan Cruises Whale Watching Package](https://whales.com/the-chrysalis-inn-spa-san-juan-cruises-whale-watching-package/) **Published:** April 25, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/chrysalisinndeluxeroom-300x199.jpg "chrysalisinndeluxeroom")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/chrysalisinndeluxeroom.jpg)The Chrysalis Inn & Spa and San Juan Cruises have teamed up for a great overnight hotel & whale watching package. Enjoy a night or two in one of Bellingham’s finest hotels, with an amazing view of Bellingham Bay, Lummi Island and the San Juan Archipelago. Then hop aboard the Victoria Star 2 for [a fabulous day cruise](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) that includes whale watching, a 2 hour shore visit in Friday Harbor, and our delicious NW salmon lunch. Get all the details on the Chrysalis’ website: **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Minke whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, San Juan Islands, Victoria Star, Whale Watching, whale watching adventure --- ### [Opening Weekend - Whales, Birds & Lots Of Sunshine!](https://whales.com/opening-weekend-whales-birds-lots-of-sunshine/) **Published:** May 6, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** It was a great opening weekend for our [Whale Watching Adventure cruise to Friday Harbor](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx), as well as our first [Bird Watching / Deception Pass cruise](https://whales.com/Cruises/Bird-Watching-Cruise.aspx) of the season. On the bird watching cruise we saw nearly 50 varieties of sea birds, several of which are shown here. We also did two whale watching tours this past weekend, finding Minke whales, Stellar sea lions, seals, and more. Perhaps the highlight of the weekend though was the weather – absolutely stunning blue waters and endless sunshine. What a great kick-off to the season! May 4th Bird Watching Cruise: It was our first bird watching cruise of the season. We had wonderful springtime sunshine and the sightings were great!. We sighted 45 different species of birds. Flocks of Bonaparte Gulls were in the thousands. They will start their migration north shortly along with other species. However, as the season progresses, we will have birds that will arrive to spend the summer here. The birds we see will be changing all through the season. We also had numerous sightings of Harbor Porpoise and Harbor Seals. These marine mammals live here year round. (From our on-board naturalist Victoria Souze) (Photos: Ben Stalheim) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/4-300x245.jpg "4")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/4.jpg) **Categories:** Bellingham, bird watching cruise, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Victoria San Juan Cruises, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - May 11, 2013](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-may-11-2013/) **Published:** May 12, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** It was a bright, beautiful day in the San Juans yesterday. After hearing a few reports from our spotting network, we headed north towards Sucia and Patos Islands. Although we searched and searched, we were unable to find whales. However, we did see LOTS of other wildlife, including seals, Bald eagles, Stellar sea lions and porpoises, plus a wide variety of animals on Speiden Island (in the 70’s the island was used for big game hunting, with animals imported from throughout the world. That only lasted for a short time, but many of the species of animals imported still live on the island today). Since we didn’t find whales we gave all of our passengers “bummer cards”, which can be used for 50% off a future [Whale Watching Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruise with us. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, whale watching adventure, Whales --- ### [Bird Watching Cruise Report - May 11, 2013](https://whales.com/bird-watching-cruise-report-may-11-2013/) **Published:** May 12, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/3-300x225.jpg "3")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/3.jpg)Another beautiful Saturday cruising through the scenic San Juan Islands, looking for birds, rewarded us with a number of interesting avian encounters. While most of the wintering waterfowl have now moved north to their breeding grounds, thousands of Brant were still present in Padilla Bay; an important wintering area for them, where the sheltered, shallow waters provide them with productive eelgrass grazing. Other birds present now in large numbers included hundreds each of our two common breeding Alcids: the Pigeon Guillemot and the Rhinocerous Auklets, along with half a dozen pairs of their tiny cousin, the Marlbed Murrelet. These birds are now all wearing summer plumage. The Guillemots are tuxedoed in crisp black and white, and flash vivid pink feet and legs. The Auklets are sporting white “whiskers,” and we got many good looks at the rubbery protrusion atop their bills for which they are named. The Murrelets have traded their black-and-white winter attire for a subtley-patterned brown.  We also saw one single Common Murre (most are now nesting on sea stacks off the outer coast), foreshadowing their expected infiltration of our area as summer progresses – eventually becoming one of the most numerous birds out in the deeper channels. Another bird with striking breeding plumage is the Brandt’s Cormorant; we were treated to close looks at a perched individual who must have wandered in from the outer coast, where most Brandt’s Cormorants are nesting on sea stacks at this time. Pelagic Cormorants, on the other hand, breed locally throughout the Salish Sea, and we enjoyed an up-close look at a nesting colony on a jagged and inacessible cliff. The Pelagic Cormorant also looks its best at this time of year, with bright red faces, large white flank patches, and glossy, dark iridescent greet plumage. They build their nests on extraordinarily narrow ledges on the cliff face. Shorebirds have also mostly gone north, but a surprise find was a Black-bellied Plover in full breeding plumage on Viti Rocks. It’s speckled back blended in perfectly with the barnacle-covered rocks. A few remnant Dunlin flew by the boat at one point, and a Spotted Sandpiper put in a brief appearance as we passed through the Swinomish Channel. Three Surbirds were near Chuckanut Rocks, where more than forty were sighted the previous week. But Black Oystercatchers remain, as they nest locally throughout the islands, mostly on small, predator free islands and offshore rocks (predator free – except from the Eagles). We found at least two active nest sites, attended by pairs of these noisy, eye-catching birds with tons of personality. At least twenty Bald Eagles put in appearances for us, including on and around three active nests, one of which has been added to year after year and has become quite a behemoth. An Osprey spotted near the Swinomish Channel was a nice find, as Ospreys are much less numerous around the Salish Sea than one might expect for a cosmopolitan fish-hawk. The Bald Eagle definitely dominates in our area. Another predatory bird we encountered was a nice adult Parasitic Jaeger, a gull relative who makes a living by stealing the fish caught by hardworking Gulls and Terns. We all “oohed and ahhed” as it mercilessly harassed a young Glaucous-winged Gull. Jaegers pass through our area much less commonly in the spring than the fall, so it was a nice bit of a bonus! Every outing is a little different, with the exact mix of species changing as the season progresses, but there are always be something memorable to see. (pictures and blog by Victor Burgett) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/11-300x225.jpg "Parasitic Jaeger Harassing A Glaucous Wing Gull")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/11.jpg)Parasitic Jaeger Harassing A Glaucous Wing Gull[![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/2-300x225.jpg "Pigeon Guillemotts")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/2.jpg)Pigeon Guillemotts[![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/3-300x225.jpg "Brandt’s Cormorant")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/3.jpg)Brandt’s Cormorant[![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/51-300x225.jpg "Harbor Seals")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/51.jpg)Harbor Seals![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/42-300x225.jpg "Rhinocerous Auklet")Rhinocerous Auklet[![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/7-300x225.jpg "Harbor Seals")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/7.jpg)Harbor SealsCommon Loon: 8 Red-throated Loon: 1 Brandt’s Cormorant: 3 Pelagic Cormorant: 200 Double-crested Cormorant: 15 Brant: 2000+ Canada Goose: 15 Mallard: 1 Northern Pintail: 30 Harlequin Duck: 6 Surf Scoter: 800+ Long-tailed Duck: 2 Common Merganser: 1 Greater Scaup: 4 Surfbird: 3 Dunlin: 30 Spotted Sandpiper: 1 Black Oystercatcher: 8 Black-bellied Plover: 1 Killdeer: 1 Caspian Tern: 15 Glacuous-winged Gull: Many California Gull: 6 Parasitic Jaeger: 1 Marbled Murrelet: 15 Rhinocerous Auklet: 300+ Pigeon Guillemot: 400+ Great Blue Heron: 50 Bald Eagle: 20 Osprey: 1 Rock Pigeon: 20 Belted Kingfisher: 4 Barn Swallow: 5 Cliff Swallow: Many around colony Northern Rough-winged Swallow: 12 Violet-green Swallow: 50 Northern Flicker: 1 Crow Spp. : 20-30 American Robin: 1 Orange-crowned Warbler: 1 Starling: 30 White-crowned Sparrow: Several Heard Song Sparrow: Many Heard House Finch: 3 House Sparrow: 2 **Categories:** Bellingham, bird watching cruise, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, bird cruise, bird watching cruise, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - May 12, 2013](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-may-12-2013/) **Published:** May 13, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** 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 wildlife! We started the day up near Sucia and Patos Islands, and eventually made our way towards the Canadian Gulf Islands. We spotted Stellar sea lions, Harbor porpoises, seals, Bald eagles and lots of different sea birds. Orcas were a bit elusive during our morning cruise. However, after our 2 hour shore visit in Friday Harbor we caught up with a group of 6 transient Orca whales, just north of town. It was definitely the highlight of what was already an amazing Mother’s Day. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, whale watching adventure, Whales --- ### [T63 "Chainsaw"](https://whales.com/t63-chainsaw/) **Published:** May 16, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** Great view of transient Orca whales off East Point just now. Chainsaw is a 35 year old male with notches in his dorsal that look like a saw blade. [![20130516-130653.jpg](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/20130516-130653.jpg)](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/20130516-130653.jpg) **Categories:** San Juan Islands, Whale Watching --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - May 16 & 17, 2013](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-may-16-17-2013/) **Published:** May 18, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Orca-Whale-Chainsaw-300x214.jpg "Orca Whale - Chainsaw")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Orca-Whale-Chainsaw.jpg)Orca Whale In The San Juan Islands – "Chainsaw" T-63We 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 of our three resident pods) had returned to the San Juan Islands on Wednesday evening. J Pod typically stays here year round, while K and L pods live here from June to the fall/winter season and spend the rest of the time on the outer coast.  Everyone was very excited since J pod usually isn’t absent from the islands for such a long period. However, on Thursday morning, J pod was not to be seen. If they were on the west side of San Juan Island, it was pretty fogged in, so no one would have been able to spot them. We headed north along the mainland coastline as there had been an early morning sighting by the B.C. ferry terminal of some Orcas. The harbor porpoise sightings were numerous. Looking out in any direction there were small pods of 2 to 6 porpoise feeding and travelling. It was literally like a porpoise “soup” out there! We left the coastline and headed west to East Point on Saturna Island. There we encountered 3 transient orcas. Transients orcas differ in many ways from our residents. They eat marine mammals, whereas our residents eat fish. Our residents travel in family groups that stay with each other their entire lives. Transients have family ties that are not as tight and sometimes do not last for life.  We saw T063, an adult male born in 1978. He was travelling with a female and her calf. His nickname is “Chainsaw”, and from the picture you can see why. We also saw numerous Steller sea lions and California sea lions hauled out on Boiling Reef.  Male Steller sea lions can get up to 2,200 pounds and 12 feet long. Harbor seals also shared the reef. It was a another great day in the San Juans with numerous wildlife sightings. On May 17th we took another school group out, and were able to find resident Orca group J-Pod, near Iceberg Pt. on the south end of the San Juan Islands. We’re looking forward to more whale sightings on our [Whale Watching Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruises this weekend. [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Stellar-Sea-Lions-300x225.jpg "Steller Sea Lions")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Stellar-Sea-Lions.jpg)Steller Sea Lions[![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Orca-Whale-Chainsaw-21-300x168.jpg "Orca Whale - Chainsaw 2")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Orca-Whale-Chainsaw-21.jpg)Orca Whale – "Chainsaw" T-63 **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - May 18, 2013](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-may-18-2013/) **Published:** May 19, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** 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 seals, but no sign of Orca whales. After a bit of rain in the morning, the weather improved throughout the day and overall it was a beautiful day in the San Juan Islands. We dropped into Friday Harbor for our 2 hour shore visit, then made our way back to Bellingham. At that point we began to hear reports of Orca whales on the west side of San Juan Island. Unfortunately, it was too late for us to see them, so all of our passengers received 50% off passes for a future cruise with us. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, Whale Watching, whale watching adventure --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - May 19, 2013](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-may-19-2013/) **Published:** May 19, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** We’re still underway on today’s [Whale Watching Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) 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 next weekend. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, san juan cruises, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Bird Watching Cruise Report - May 18, 2013](https://whales.com/bird-watching-cruise-report-may-18-2013/) **Published:** May 20, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/bird-cruise-1.jpg "bird cruise 1")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/bird-cruise-1.jpg)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 (“Puget Penguins”) are squeaking and chirruping in groups near their nesting sites; they can be observed perched on cliffsides now, as well as diving for fish nearby. Rhinoceros Auklets are seen repeatedly throughout the day, often actively fishing where small baitfish have congregated. And we also saw at least 40 Marbled Murrelets, more than on previous trips, and this time some of them gave us good, prolonged looks at the tiny Alcids. Slightly comical Black Oystercatchers were found in some of their favorite haunts, including one active nest, but others were absent from expected sites due to the presence of hungry Bald Eagles. While Bald Eagles do favor fish as prey, experienced Eagles are opportunists and clever hunters, and do take everything from Oystercatchers to Ducks and Guillemots when they can. We saw as many as twenty five Eagles throughout the cruise, which is fairly typical. We also watched a pair of lazily soaring Ospreys near the south entrance of the Swinomish Channel. Not far away, we passed a sandbar with a surprising mix of “puddle ducks” including dozens of Northern Pintail and American Wigeon, along with Mallards, a lone Northern Shoveller, and a pair of Gadwall. I suspect that these birds could have been late migrants, on their way north. The flocks of Brant (see last week’s post) were, surprisingly to me, still present and very visible as we passed out of the channel into the Padilla Bay area to the north, streaming by the boat by the dozens and by the hundreds. Any day now they will pick up and head north, en masse, to their Alaskan breeding grounds. Also seen at the north end of the channel were many Caspian Terns (later we would watch [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/California-Sea-Lion-on-Buoy.2-300x225.jpg "California Sea Lion on Buoy.2")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/California-Sea-Lion-on-Buoy.2.jpg)California Sea Lion Resting On A Buoythem dive, plunging like arrows after fish, in Bellingham Bay), and well over a hundred Great-blue Herons stalking the sandbars and mudflats exposed by the ebbing tide. Not far beyond the Heron convention was a somewhat amusing sight: a California Sea Lion hauled out on a buoy, looking to me just like a giant russet potato. So if we call the Harbor Seals “Rock Sausages” when they are basking on the rocks, should we call Sea Lions “Buoy Potatoes?” We also sighted many Harbor Porpoise and Harbor Seals throughout the day. These marine mammals are numerous and can be seen year round. These are, of course, only a few of the many interesting birds and creatures we encounter on our Bird Cruise, as the boat slowly weaves its way through incomparable island scenery. What a great way to spend a Saturday! 50 species today! Common Loon: 8 Brandt’s Cormorant: 6 Pelagic Cormorant: 150-200 Double-crested Cormorant: 20 Canada Goose: 10 Brant: Large flocks still present! Mallard: 15 American Wigeon: 80 Northern Pintail: 120 Northern Shoveller: 1 Gadwall: 2 Harlequin Duck: 6 Surf Scoter: 350 White-winged Scoter: 1 Black Scoter: 1 Female Barrow’s Goldeneye: 4 (after docking) Common Merganser: 8 Dunlin: 2 Black Oystercatcher: 10 Killdeer: 1 Caspian Tern: 70 Glaucous-winged Gull: Lots California Gull: 25 Mew Gull: 2 Marbled Murrelet: 40 Rhinocerous Auklet: Hundreds Pigeon Guillemot: Hundreds Common Murre: 1 Great Blue Heron: 110 Bald Eagle: 25 Osprey: 2 Red-tailed Hawk: 1 Rock Pigeon: 20 Belted Kingfisher: 6 Rufous Hummingbird: 1 Barn Swallow: 50 Cliff Swallow: 3 VG Swallow: 70 Crow: 20 American Robin: 6 Orange-crowned Warbler: 5 Red-winged Blackbird: 4 Brown-headed Cowbird: 1 Starling: 10 White-crowned Sparrow: Many singing Song Sparrow: A few singing Savannah Sparrow: 4-5 heard singing House Finch: 8 Pine Siskin: 2 House Sparrow: 10 **Categories:** Bellingham, bird watching cruise, Blog, General, San Juan Islands **Tags:** Bellingham, bird watching, bird watching cruise, Fairhaven, Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands --- ### [San Juan Explorer 3-Day San Juan Islands Cruise June 10-12](https://whales.com/san-juan-explorer-3-day-san-juan-islands-cruise-june-10-12/) **Published:** May 21, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** 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](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-3-Day-Experience-Tour.aspx) 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 and crew about the biology and geology of the area, and enjoy two nights in the town of Friday Harbor, the heart of the San Juan Islands. Your tour includes most meals, including our famous Cracked Crab Lunch aboard the Viking Star, a stop in historic Roche Harbor, an organ concert in the Moran Mansion / Rosario Resort on Orcas Island, a beach walk and picnic on Sucia Island, three days cruising throughout the San Juan Archipelago, and two nights in Friday Harbor. #### Trip Overview[![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSCN0712-300x225.jpg "DSCN0712")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSCN0712.jpg) - Lodging: 2 nights at the Earthbox Motel & Spa in Friday Harbor. - Meals: 2 breakfasts and 3 lunches included - Whale Watching - Afternoon shore visit in Roche Harbor - Organ concert and tour at Rosario Resort - Beach walk and picnic on Sucia Island - All taxes and port fees #### 2013 Season Package Pricing $795 per person, based on double occupancy $995 per person, based on single occupancy For more information, and reservations, please call our office at 1-800-443-4552. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Minke whales, Orca Whales, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, san juan islands experience, sucia island, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - May 23 & 24, 2013](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-may-23-24-2013/) **Published:** May 25, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** 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 transient Orca whales near Beaumont Shoal, out in the waters between San Juan Island and Vancouver Island. We’re back out today (Saturday) on a public [Whale Watching Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx) cruise, with another cruise to follow tomorrow. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, humpback whale, killer whales, san juan adventure, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Had a great look at 4 Minke Whales!](https://whales.com/had-a-great-look-at-4-minke-whales/) **Published:** May 26, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** 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. **Categories:** General --- ### [Bird Watching Cruise Report - May 25, 2013](https://whales.com/bird-watching-cruise-report-may-25-2013/) **Published:** June 1, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/great-blue-heron-2-300x199.jpg "great blue heron 2")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/great-blue-heron-2.jpg)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 Rocks, where we “oohed and ahhed” at the several resplendent males, who showed to advantage both in the water and sitting on the rocks, in the company of Pigeon Guillemots, Pelagic Cormorants (now on nests), Surf Scoters, and Black Oystercatchers. The Salish Sea is one of the best places to observe this uniquely patterned duck with unusual habits. Harlequin Ducks nest in alpine habitats, preferring fast-flowing mountain rivers and streams, particularly throughout British Columbia, the Yukon, and Alaska – but also high in our own Cascade Mountains. The rest of the time, they spend feeding close to relatively quiet rocky and gravelly saltwater shores – habitats which abound in our area. Not all Harlequin Ducks depart for their mountain breeding grounds; a very few do tend to linger around the island throughout the summer, and with luck, we will keep finding them. They are certainly one of the most attractive birds seen on the cruise! Pelagic Cormorants are nesting on the east side of Guemes Island. This rookery can only be seen from the water. The cormorants nest on rocky bluffs that are inaccessible to predators such as raccoons and other land mammals. However, Bald Eagles can predate on these nests, and when they appear, the cormorants will scatter, leaving the nests unattended and vulnerable. The Great Blue Herons are seen by the hundreds in the mudflats north of the Swinomish Channel. There is a rookery nearby. These herons nest in large noisy colonies in trees. This colonial lifestyle protects the nests from predators. When not nesting, they are solitary birds. Their life span can be up to twenty years. They feed in the mudflats and marshlands that are abundant with crustaceans and other aquatic animals. (blog by on-board naturalist Victoria) [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Great-Blue-Heron-300x199.jpg "Great Blue Heron")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Great-Blue-Heron.jpg)Great Blue Heron **Categories:** Bellingham, bird watching cruise, Blog, General, San Juan Islands **Tags:** Bellingham, bird watching cruise, Victoria San Juan Cruises --- ### [Fantastic views of J-Pod today!](https://whales.com/fantastic-views-of-j-pod-today/) **Published:** June 8, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** We just arrived in Friday Harbor after some fantastic looks at J-pod on the southern end of San Juan Island. They were pretty spread out when we first arrived but we sat with a large male, J26, and watched him chase some fish. Then a female and calf joined in on the frenzy and the youngster started breaching! Another great show! **Categories:** General --- ### [It was sunny and warm with the whales today!](https://whales.com/it-was-sunny-and-warm-with-the-whales-today/) **Published:** June 9, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** After leaving Bellingham in windy overcast conditions, the clouds parted over the islands. By the time we found J-Pod on the south end of San Juan, the wind had died to almost nothing, and the whales put in a heck of a show! Breaching, spy hopping, and tail slapping repeatedly throughout our time with them. Our engines were shut down as we watched and listened to the whales feeding, when J17, a female orca went on a long dive and surfaced near the boat several times before heading back inshore to feed. Another amazing day! [![20130609-141456.jpg](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/20130609-141456.jpg)](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/20130609-141456.jpg) **Categories:** General --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - June 10 & 11, 2013](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-june-10-11-2013/) **Published:** June 11, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day in the San Juan Islands. Orca whales turned out to be a bit elusive, but we were able to find an active group of Minke whales out on the west side of San Juan Island. Today, passengers on two of our boats had a great time watching a group of transient Orca Whales in Rosario Strait, just north of Obstruction Pass. The day started off a bit cloudy, but by the time we were in the sunny San Juans it had cleared quite a bit. We caught the Orcas during “feeding time”, so that added a bit of excitement. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan cruises, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - June 12 & 13, 2013](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-june-12-13-2013/) **Published:** June 15, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** There weren’t any Orca whales to be found on the 12th or 13th, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t whales out there. On Wednesday we found a group of 3 Minke whales out on the west side of San Juan Island. That was topped by a rare sighting (for this time of the year) of a Humpback whale, just south of the San Juans. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, humpback whale, Minke whales, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, whale watching adventure, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - June 15, 2013](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-june-15-2013/) **Published:** June 15, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** It’s a beautiful, sunny day in the San Juan Islands today. The resident Orca groups were out of range today, but were first on the scene with a group of transient Orca whales up near Sucia Island. We had a good half hour or so with them, with no other vessels around. We followed them on south for a bit, before heading on in to Friday Harbor for our 2 hour shore visit. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [A whale of a Crab Cruise!](https://whales.com/a-whale-of-a-crab-cruise/) **Published:** June 16, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** We had quite the evening on Bellingham Bay for our Chuckanut Bay Crab Cruise. The seas were flat calm and the sun was shining. Instead of heading straight into Chuckanut, we altered course for the south end of Lummi Island for an extra bonus on the cruise, Orca whales! They were Transient Orca, the same ones we located and watched on our whale watch trip earlier in the day. As we approached them, we saw that they were chasing Harbor Porpoise, so we stopped and shut down the boat to watch and hear them. After a few minutes they appeared right next to the boat, one with a porpoise in its mouth! We sat motionless for the next few minutes as they continued into Rosario Strait. It was amazing! Guests were ecstatic over the evening. Beautiful sunset, scenery and orca whales, all with a belly full of crab! [![20130616-082238.jpg](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/20130616-082238.jpg)](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/20130616-082238.jpg) **Categories:** General --- ### [Feeding Time With Transient Orca Whales (June 16, 2013)](https://whales.com/feeding-time-with-transient-orca-whales/) **Published:** June 16, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** It’s not everyday that we get to see the Transient Orca whales, but for guests aboard today’s whale watch we got a great look and the whales were here to impress. As the captain eased the boat on scene, the whales were reluctant, but as the time passed it got a bit more interesting. With some unlucky seals in the water, the transients had food on their minds and after a few moments they were rolling on the surface and breaching. Lunch was had by both the whales and the passengers as we got to watch them actively feast. With their bellies full and the waters stained a little more red, these Transients swam off in search of more food while the Victoria Star 2 made its way around beautiful Turn Island and cruised into Friday Harbor. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Bird Watching Cruise Report - June 8, 2013](https://whales.com/bird-watching-cruise-report-june-8-2013/) **Published:** June 8, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Osprey-Pair-300x225.jpg "Osprey Pair")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Osprey-Pair.jpg)Osprey PairIt 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 wings) cliffsides. Pigeon Guillemots most frequently nest in burrows, with both parents taking turns incubating the eggs. Their shrill cries are heard around many of the spots we visit on our bird cruise. Rhinocerous Auklets, one of the most numerous species we encounter, nests in large numbers at just a few locations in Washington State, such as Protection Island. These birds visit their nests at night, and spend the daytime feeding in the deeper channels throughout the San Juan Islands. Marbled Murrelets, of which we usually see a few, also return to their nests at dusk, although in their case, their nests are placed high up in old growth timber, often many miles from the coast. Black Oystercatcher is another nesting resident at this time of year, and we visit several islands with ongoing nesting activity for this charismatic bird. Harbor Seals don’t build nests, but many have now given birth, and we’ve been finding many dewey-eyed pups at the seals’ favorite hangouts. But it’s the giant nests of the Bald Eagles that are the most impressive nests seen on the cruise. We’ve been visiting two active Bald Eagle nests on our cruises – one of which is quite enormous. Bald Eagles mate for life (which can be several decades long), and add to their nests year after year. Nests as heavy as two tons have been recorded. We have also found, on the most recent two cruises, three active Osprey nests. The Osprey is the fish specialist among raptors, even more so than its larger cousin, the Bald Eagle. In the Salish Sea area, Ospreys are not as numerous as one might expect, given the abundance of favorable habitat, and this is probably due to the robust presence of our Eagles. Soon, within not too many weeks, all of this nesting activity will produce its fine crop of juveniles, and we will enjoy watching the antics of the young who will swell the bird populations quite noticeably. We can look forward to fuzzy Oystercatchers awkwardly taking their first steps away from the nest on wobbly legs, and to Eagles and Ospreys delivering dripping fresh fish to their begging offspring, just in time for the warmer days of summer. **Categories:** Bellingham, bird watching cruise, Blog, General, San Juan Islands **Tags:** Bellingham, bird watching cruise, San Juan Islands --- ### [The Residents are back!](https://whales.com/the-residents-are-back/) **Published:** June 21, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** We headed out to Salmon Bank to confirm a report of Transient Orca traveling down the west side of San Juan Island. We were able to locate the whales and after a couple of surfacings of a large male, we were able to identify him as L41 Mega! We started seeing other whales in the area and concluded that we had the L-12 pod in our midst. Hopefully the rest of the pods are close behind. Another wonderful day on the water with calm seas and sunny skies! **Categories:** General --- ### [Glass Calm and A Double Header](https://whales.com/glass-calm-and-a-double-header/) **Published:** June 22, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** To say that it was calm today would be an understatement, as smooth as glass, it made whale watching with local resident orca whales quite the treat. Today the L-12 subgroup put on an exciting show, with a few of the whales slapping their tails on the surface and some of the younger calves breaching. And to add a little bit of icing to the cake, on the way in to a sunny Friday Harbor we got a few great looks at two Minke whales. Guests who were out on deck even got the opportunity to experience why these baleen whales get the nickname “stinky minke”. Just another beautiful day in the smooth as silk waters of the San Juan’s aboard the Victoria Star 2. **Categories:** Whale Watching --- ### [Bird Watching Cruise Report - June 15, 2013](https://whales.com/bird-watching-cruise-report-june-15-2013/) **Published:** June 16, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Black-oystercatcher-with-chick.jpg "Black oystercatcher with chick")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Black-oystercatcher-with-chick.jpg)Black Oystercatcher With ChickOur June 15 bird cruise was blessed both with beautiful weather and many interesting encounters. Four different active Bald Eagle nests and three active Osprey nests along our route hold the promise of wobbly-legged fuzzy young soon to come; for now, it is a treat just to see the impressive adult raptors incubating their eggs and standing guard nearby. One Osprey flew up to its nest atop a channel marker with a fat sculpin clutched in its talons, which it quickly gulped down. Some of the Black Oystercatchers’ eggs have already hatched, however, and we were treated to the “awww”-inspiring spectacle of two youngsters at one nest site. Still too young to wander more than a few feet from the nest, the somewhat awkward babies were fiercely hovered-over by a nervous parent, wary of the intentions of a nearby gull. Of course, for many on board, the highlight of the trip was the Orcas. Even though our primary focus for this cruise is birds, we will never pass up a good marine mammal sighting when available. After receiving reports of a group of Orcas off the west side of Cypress Island, we deviated slightly for our usual route and headed there. There were eight Bigg’s Killer Whales (transients) travelling down Rosario Strait. Bigg’s Killer Whales are the community of orcas that eat marine mammals, rather than fish like our resident orcas. We came across a group known as the T65As and some of their friends. Up in the lead with its mom was T65A4, a little calf first spotted in April of 2013. We were able to spend some time with them and were afforded some excellent views. What a great bonus! Pacific Loon: 2 Brand’ts Cormorant: 6 Pelagic Cormorant: 110 Double-crested Cormorant: 45 Canada Goose: 50 Brant: 6 Mallard: 75 Northern Pintail: 4 Gadwall: 2 Harlequin Duck: 6 Surf Scoter: 12 Spotted Sandpiper: 1 Black Oystercatcher: 14 including 2 chicks Caspian Tern: 130 Glaucous-winged Gull: omnipresent California Gull: 40 Ring-billed Gull: 3 Turkey Vulture: 4 Marbled Murrelet: 8 Rhinocerous Auklet: hundreds Pigeon Guillemot: hundreds Great Blue Heron: 100+ Green Heron: 1 Bald Eagle: 21 incl. 3 nests Osprey: 3 active nests Red-tailed Hawk: 3 Rock Pigeon: 30 Mourning Dove: 1 Belted Kingfisher: 5 Rufous Hummingbird: 2 Olive-sided Flycatcher: 1 Barn Swallow: 60 Cliff Swallow: 20 N. Rough-winged Swallow: 2 Violet-green Swallow: 85 Crow Spp.: 20 Marsh Wren: 1 American Robin: 10 Swainson’s Thrush: 1 Common Yellowthroat: 1 Orange-crowned Warbler: 3 Yellow Warbler: 1 Black-headed Grosbeak: 1 Red-winged Blackbird: 3 Brown-headed Cowbird: 5 Oregon Junco: 1 White-crowned Sparrow: many singing Song Sparrow: many singing Savvanah Sparrow: 6 House Finch: 3 Pine Siskin: 2 American Goldfinch: 4 House Sparrow: 15 Starling: 25 **Categories:** Bellingham, bird watching cruise, Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, bird watching cruise, san juan cruises --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - June 29, 2013](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-june-29-2013/) **Published:** June 29, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** Lots and lots of Orca whales today – all of L pod was spotted just off Kellett Bluff on San Juan Island. Lots of breaching and feeding activity, all on flat calm and sunny skies. What a fabulous day in the islands – can’t wait to get back out there tomorrow on another [Whale Watching Adventure](https://whales.com/Cruises/San-Juan-Adventure-Full-Day-Cruise.aspx)! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, Whale Watching, whale watching adventure, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - June 30, 2013](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-june-30-2013/) **Published:** July 1, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** Under bright blue skies, sailing through calm waters, we toured through the islands before finding a group of Minke whales near Hein Bank, SW of San Juan Island. Passengers enjoyed non-stop sunshine throughout the day, and with temps in low 80’s (cooler on the water though). Looks like this beautiful weather is supposed to last throughout the week! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Minke whales, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, whale watching adventure, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - July 5th, 2013](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-july-5th-2013/) **Published:** July 5, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** Another beautiful, sunny day in the San Juan Islands! Today we found the L-22 group of resident Orca whales, just off the west side of San Juan Island (near False Bay). Several whales were spotted, in a playful mood on glassy calm waters. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, Whale Watching, whale watching adventure, Whales --- ### [Bird Watching Cruise Report - June 22, 2013](https://whales.com/bird-watching-cruise-report-june-22-2013/) **Published:** June 23, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Marbled-Murrelets-300x225.jpg "Marbled Murrelets")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/Marbled-Murrelets.jpg)Marbled MurreletsOur June 22 bird cruise was blessed again with pleasant weather, interesting folks, breathtaking scenery, and repeated encounters with the typical summer avifauna of the salish sea. Eagles and Ospreys are still incubating their eggs; we check three active Eagle nests and three active Osprey nests during our cruise, and are eagerly anticipating the sight of young birds any week now. The Black Oystercatchers are a bit further along in their schedule, and we spent some time observing babies at two nests. We visited with the young birds found the previous week and were pleased to find them robust and healthy, and more than half the size of the watchful adults already. Interestingly, there are several Glaucous-winged Gull nests within a few feet of the Oystercatcher’s nest, but the young Oystercatchers seem to have eluded their ravenous bills. At a second Black Oystercatcher nest, we spotted two tiny fuzzy chicks that could not have been more than a day or two out of the egg! Alcids continue to be a main focus of our bird cruises, with two species seen by the hundreds (Rhinocerous Auklet and Pigeon Guillemot) and usually 6-20 Marbled Murrelets as well. This week we had some better-than-usual looks at the Marbled Murrelets fairly close to the boat in calmer seas, which was a treat. Marbled Murrelets are rather charming tiny stocky diving birds, most often seen in pairs or small groups feeding in the deeper channels. Marbled Murrelets have, sadly, been declining in our region for many years. In our area, Marbled Murrelets require old-growth forest for their nest sites, which can be many miles from the coast. Pigeon Guillemots are present at almost every site we visit on the cruise, and we all got to learn alot more about them thanks to Govinda Rosling of the Guillemot Research Group from Whidbey Island, who joined us this past week (thank you!). These handsome “Puget Penguins” nest in loose colonies on many of the smaller islands and rocks, as well as select sites (usually cliffs) along the shores of some of the larger islands. The Guillemot nests are placed in burrows, holes, and crevices, so we cannot see them directly, but soon we ought to see adults bringing food to begging hatchlings inside. The Guillemots are very noisy and active right now and we see them to advantage; swimming, diving, flying, perched on rocks, and flashing their bubblegum feet. Bird List for June 22 Cruise: 45 Species Brandt’s Cormorant: 9 Pelagic Cormorant: 100+ Double-crested Cormorant: 75 Great-blue Heron: 100+ Canada Goose: 4 Mallard: 25 Harlequin Duck: 50+ Black Oystercatcher: 20, including 4 chicks at 2 nests Caspian Tern: 135 Glaucous-winged Gull: Omnipresent Western Gull: 1 California Gull: 75 Marbled Murrelet: 12 Rhinocerous Auklet: 100’s Pigeon Guillemot: 100’s Turkey Vulture: 6 Bald Eagle: 17, incl. 3 nests Osprey: 3 active nests Cooper’s Hawk: 1 Red-tailed Hawk: 2 Rock Pigeon: 18 Eurasian Collared Dove: 1 Belted Kingfisher: 8 Rufous Hummingbird: 2 Olive-sided Flycatcher: 3 Pacific-slope Flycatcher: 1 Barn Swallow: 25 Cliff Swallow: 40 N. Rough-winged Swallow: 4 Violet-green Swallow: 45 Pileated Woodpecker: 1 Crow Spp.: 15 American Robin: 4 Bewick’s Wren: 1 Orange-crowned Warbler: 4 Yellow Warbler: 1 Red-winged Blackbird: 3 Brewer’s Blackbird: 1 Brown-headed Cowbird: 1 White-crowned Sparrow: Many singing Song Sparrow: Many singing Savannah Sparrow: 2 House Finch: 2 American Goldfinch: 2 House Sparrow: 12 Starling: 15 **Categories:** Bellingham, bird watching cruise, San Juan Islands **Tags:** Bellingham, bird watching, bird watching cruise, San Juan Islands --- ### [Bird Watching Cruise Report - June 29, 2013](https://whales.com/bird-watching-cruise-report-june-29-2013/) **Published:** June 30, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/violet-green-swallow.jpg "violet green swallow")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/violet-green-swallow.jpg)Violet Green SwallowAs one would expect of a birding cruise, our primary focus is on waterbirds, and the trip is, of course, full of Auklets and Guillemots and Murrelets and Oystercatchers and Gulls and Terns and Cormorants and Harlequin Ducks and others. This past saturday we also spotted a few Common Murres, just beginning to wander back into the Salish Sea from their breeding colonies along the outer coast – and also a rather early Heermann’s Gull. However, our (very beautiful and scenic) route meanders through islands and near shorelines, and consequently we do encounter quite a few land-based birds as well, and I thought they deserved a mention in the blog. Raptors we’ve already discussed a bit – especially the Ospreys and the Bald Eagles. The Ospreys were observed again at one of the three nest sites we check – they put on a bit of a show for us, gathering sticks to enhance their nest by plucking them from the surface of the bay. And at one of the Eagle nests we were excited to see a scruffy juvenile Eagle at last, staring defiantly down at the boat as we floated below. Red-tailed Hawks are also fairly common, especially soaring as we putt through the Swinomish Channel, and we’ve seen the odd Northern Harrier or Cooper’s Hawk now and again. A Merlin or Peregrine Falcon would be a lucky encounter. The Swinomish Channel is a very narrow stip of water separating Fidalgo Island from the mainland, and we tend to pass slowly through this interesting and picturesque area, leaving the alcids temporarily behind in favor of birds of field and forest. Of course, it helps to have good birding ears, because many species are detected by voice more than they are seen. White-crowned Sparrows and Song Sparrows are singing everywhere, as well as Savannah Sparrows in open country. Marsh Wrens, Common Yellowthroats, and Yellow Warblers sing here and there, while birds seen passing over the channel or flying nearby sometimes include Morning Dove, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, American Robin, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, or Spotted Towhee. It’s nice to sit back and relax in the sun and just watch and listen as we travel. Many of the shoreline houses in the LaConner area have bird feeders, and we usually see a few House Finches, American Goldfinches, Oregon Juncos, or Pine Siskins. We’ve spotted both Rufous and Anna’s Hummingbirds as well, although the former is more frequent. Swallows are a fascinating and sometimes under-appreciated group of birds – on some trips, five species of swallow can be identified, especially in the Swinomish Channel. Barn Swallows and Violet-green Swallows are very numerous. The Violet-green in particular is seen at many of the sites we visit, although to appreciate its colors properly, one must be lucky enough to see it perched in good sunlight and from the right angle. In flight they are best identified by the pattern of the white flank patches. The colonially-nesting Cliff Swallow is found under the rte. 20 bridge at the northern end of the channel, where the swirling mass of birds is noted as we pass below. The very non-colonial, mud-bank nesting Northern Rough-winged Swallow occurs in much smaller numbers, and Tree Swallows are occasionally seen. Purple Martins also nest very locally in small numbers at sites near our route, and should be kept in mind. Orange-crowned Warblers have been singing loudly since April and are often heard, even from the scrubby growth on some of the smaller islets. But other neotropical migrants have been in full song for several weeks now too, and the voices of forest birds frequently drift out to the boat. The Olive-sided Flycatcher’s loud whistle carries well out over water, and sometimes we also hear its smaller cousin, the Pacific-slope Flycatcher. Bewick’s Wren, Pacific Wren, and the migrant House Wren have all sung for us. But the prettiest song of all is that of the Swainson’s Thrush, the “salmonberry bird” whose lovely tones are the most characteristic sound of the wet Pacific forest in June. Bird List for June 29 Cruise. 49 Species. Brandt’s Cormorant: 6 Pelagic Cormorant: 100+ Double-crested Cormorant: 85 Great-blue Heron: 100+ Canada Goose: 12 Mallard: 4 Harlequin Duck: 50+ Surf Scoter: 45 Black Oystercatcher: 18 Caspian Tern: 300+ Glaucous-winged Gull: Omnipresent California Gull: 60 Ring-billed Gull: 3 Heerman’s Gull: 1 Marbled Murrelet: 9 Rhinocerous Auklet: 100’s Pigeon Guillemot: 100’s Turkey Vulture: 4 Bald Eagle: 11 (incl. 3 nests) Osprey: 3 active nests Northern Harrier: 1 Rock Pigeon: 25 Belted Kingfisher: 6 Rufous Hummingbird: 1 Olive-sided Flycatcher: 1 Barn Swallow: 75 Cliff Swallow: 40 N. Rough-winged Swallow: 2 Violet-green Swallow: 60 Northern Flicker: 2 Crow Spp.: 25 Red-breasted Nuthatch: 1 American Robin: 4 House Wren: 1 Orange-crowned Warbler: 3 Yellow Warbler: 1 Common Yellowthroat: 1 Red-winged Blackbird: 2 Brewer’s Blackbird: 1 Brown-headed Cowbird: 1 Black-headed Grosbeak: 1 Spotted Towhee: 1 White-crowned Sparrow: Many singing Song Sparrow: Many singing Savannah Sparrow: 3 House Finch: 6 American Goldfinch: 2 House Sparrow: 10 Starling: 300+ **Categories:** Bellingham, bird watching cruise **Tags:** Bellingham, bird watching, bird watching cruise, san juan cruises --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - July 6th & 7th, 2013](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-july-6th-7th-2013/) **Published:** July 8, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** Our captain said it’s been like Groundhog Day out there, with sightings of the L-22 resident group of Orca Whales, as well as Minke Whales, in the same location both days this weekend. With sunny skies and lots of whales seen, it was a great weekend in the San Juan Islands. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan cruises, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Sucia Island Picnic Cruise - July 7, 2013](https://whales.com/sucia-island-picnic-cruise-july-7-2013/) **Published:** July 8, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_8279-300x199.jpg "DSC_8279")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_8279.jpg)A Delicious Picnic Lunch On Sucia IslandThirty-five people joined us on our first [Sunday Picnic Cruise to Sucia Island](https://whales.com/Cruises/Sucia-Island-Picnic.aspx) yesterday.  It was tons of fun – we arrived at 10:45 with sunny blue skies and flat water after first observing the harbor seals and bald eagles on Puffin Island. Arriving at low tide, crew/naturalist Victoria took the children and some of the adults on a exploration of the inter-tidal zone of Fox Cove and looked at fossils on the south beach of Point Henry.  Others enjoyed a self guided walk to Henry Point, Johnson Point and Shallow Bay, all in brilliant sunshine. A hearty lunch of baked chicken, potato salad, chips, fruit and cold drinks awaited the walkers upon their return to our sheltered campsite in Fossil Bay.  We returned to Bellingham via the beautiful Lummi Rocks and and Carter Point observing no less than 10 Turkey Vultures gorging themselves on a Stellar Sea lion carcass on the remote west side of Lummi Island. [![](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_8272-300x199.jpg "DSC_8272")](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_8272.jpg)The Salish Sea Docked At Fossil Bay **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General **Tags:** Bellingham, san juan cruises, sucia, sucia island --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - July 8th & 9th, 2013](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-july-8th-9th-2013/) **Published:** July 9, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** Two more great days of whale watching in the San Juan Islands. Sunday we saw our L-22 friends just west of San Juan Island, then today we found a larger group from L-pod – about 10 Orca whales up by Battleship Island. With plenty of whales and plenty of sun in the forecast, we hope you’ll join us for a cruise soon! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan adventure, Whale Watching, whale watching adventure, Whales --- ### [J's and K's in Rosario Strait! (July 12th)](https://whales.com/js-and-ks-in-rosario-strait/) **Published:** July 12, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** Shortly after we got underway from Bellingham this morning we received a report that a group of orcas had been sighted off of Orcas Island moving in a southerly direction. We quickly went to find out if the report was true, and to everybody’s delight, it was. As we rounded Sinclair Island we could see several breaches from four miles away, and they kept it up until we arrived. We quickly identified several members of J pod as we followed them down Rosario Strait. They all grouped up in a tight group as they travelled slowly south. After spending some time with J pod we meandered over to the group of orca on the other side of the channel and identified them as K pod! We watched them as they hurried down Rosario and then departed for the beautiful scenery of Lopez pass on our way to Friday Harbor. Another fantastic day in the Salish Sea! [![20130712-141816.jpg](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/20130712-141816.jpg)](https://whales.com/wp-content/uploads/20130712-141816.jpg) **Categories:** General --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - July 13th, 2013](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-july-13th-2013/) **Published:** July 13, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** Another perfect day in the San Juans – we had a nice Orca Whale viewing near Eagle Pt on the west side of San Juan Island. It was L-Pod today, with several whales spotted. Lots of sun and not much in the way of wind to report – doesn’t get much better! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - July 14th, 2013](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-july-14th-2013/) **Published:** July 15, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** Yet another amazing day out in the San Juan Islands. We had a great time viewing Orca Whales (the L-22 group) out near Pile Pt. on the west side of San Juan Island. Blue skies, sun and whales – doesn’t get much better! **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, san juan cruises, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - July 18th & 19th, 2013](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-july-18th-19th-2013/) **Published:** July 19, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** Two more outstanding days in the San Juan Islands. On Thursday we spotted a group of transient Orca whales off the west side of San Juan Island, near False Bay. Then today we found two of the resident groups of Orcas, K and L pods up north in Boundary Pass. **Categories:** Bellingham, Blog, General, San Juan Islands, Whale Watching **Tags:** Bellingham, Friday Harbor, killer whales, Orca Whales, Whale Watching, Whales --- ### [Whales & Wildlife Report - July 20th, 2013](https://whales.com/whales-wildlife-report-july-20th-2013/) **Published:** July 20, 2013 **Author:** **Content:** Local Orca whale group K-pod was seen by our passengers on today’s