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… Continue reading Whales & Wildlife Report – June 30, 2013
Blog
Bird Watching Cruise Report – June 29, 2013
As 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… Continue reading Bird Watching Cruise Report – June 29, 2013
Whales & Wildlife Report – June 29, 2013
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… Continue reading Whales & Wildlife Report – June 29, 2013
Bird Watching Cruise Report – June 22, 2013
Our 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… Continue reading Bird Watching Cruise Report – June 22, 2013
Glass Calm and A Double Header
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.… Continue reading Glass Calm and A Double Header
The Residents are back!
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… Continue reading The Residents are back!
Feeding Time With Transient Orca Whales (June 16, 2013)
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… Continue reading Feeding Time With Transient Orca Whales (June 16, 2013)
Bird Watching Cruise Report – June 15, 2013
Our 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… Continue reading Bird Watching Cruise Report – June 15, 2013
A whale of a Crab Cruise!
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… Continue reading A whale of a Crab Cruise!
Whales & Wildlife Report – June 15, 2013
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… Continue reading Whales & Wildlife Report – June 15, 2013
