San Juan Island Outfitters

San Juan Island sea kayak tour

2010-02-06T17:19:00.000-08:00

San Juan Island sea kayak tour wildlife update for February 6th:

I paddled out for my first trip of the season today, and what a day! The weather was perfect and the wildlife certainly on display. There were so many different kinds of winter birds-- scoters, mergasers, buffleheads, cormorants, bald eagles, kingfishers, guillemots, auklets and more. The highlight of the trip for me was when two harbor porpoise surfaced behind our boats a few times. They seemed to be feeding, but moved off before we could get some really good looks.

All in all, a great start to the 2010 season, and I look forward to paddling again soon.

Sea kayak tours in November! (San Juan Island, WA)

2009-11-02T16:02:00.001-08:00

San Juan Island sea kayak wildlife update for Monday, November 2nd.

Today I paddled out for a few hours with a lovely local couple who were celebrating their wedding anniversary. We started out under gray skies and were quickly paddling in the rain. Although it was November, and thus well after the tourist season was over, it was beautiful.

We identified all sorts of birds today, from the Harlequin duck's defined white markings to the soft gray spots of the Bonaparte's Gull in winter plumage. There were grebes, guilemots and cormorants diving for fish, gulls wheeling in the sky and four bald eagle's maintaining their watch.

The water was quiet, so it was a nice chance to slip out and see what most people miss in winter.

San Juan Island sea kayak tour sees orca whales

2009-09-05T22:53:00.001-07:00

San Juan Island sea kayak tour wildlife update for September 5th:

I paddled out today amid strong winds, and was really surprised and pleased to see some resident orca whales! We saw some of J pod traveling down the Haro Strait (we were able to confirm the identity of the whales with the help of our whale watch boat). Although July and August are the best months to see the resident orca whales, they spend time in this area year round, and so can be seen at any time.

Whale watch tour sees a very active J pod!

2009-08-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

San Juan Island whale watch wildlife update for Saturday, August 29th:

Captain Nancy and naturalist Margo just returned from a very happy whale watch tour. They reported seeing a very spread out group of southern resident orca whales-- specifically, J pod. They saw a few breaches, pedunkle throws (cartwheel-like behaviors) and lots more activity. Margo says she got some great looks at siblings Blackberry (J-27), Mako (J-39) and Tsuchi (J-31)!

The weather is beautiful down here in the harbor, and it was a great trip for all on board!!

Orca whales spotted on 3 hour sea kayak tour on San Juan Island

2009-08-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

San Juan Island sea kayak wildlife update for August 27th:

Today I paddled out of Roche Harbor on a 3 hour tour and we spotted orca (killer) whales! Thanks to our whale watch boat I received the whale report before leaving the harbor, but was not sure if we would be able to see the whales as they were already headed north in the Haro Strait. We paddled out to the kelp forest off Henry Island and as we were eating some seaweed, looking for seals and listening for eagles we saw some killer whales! There were quite a few whales visible, so I knew they were resident killer whales (which congregate in large numbers)

They were members of the southern resident orca community and were headed north at a brisk pace but we saw lots of large, dark dorsal fins slipping in and out of the water. Although the whales were out in the strait, it was a pleasant surprised to see them on our short tour!

After we saw the whales we headed down south a ways and looked for some swimming harbor seals and a bald eagle or two. The real highlight of the trip came on our way back when I was paddling alongside Kevin and his young son Ryan and a harbor seal pup decided to come check us out. It popped up alongside our boats, just inches away from Ryan! It swam to their rudder, popped up underneath the paddles and swam belly up under my boat. I could even hear its claws click on the underside of my kayak as it went underneath. This is the time of year when the weaned seal pups are starting to investigate their surroundings on their own, so I was excited to see it upclose!

Harbor Seals swim by San Juan Island sea kayak tour

2009-08-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

San Juan Island sea kayak wildlife update for Friday August 29th:

Yesterday I paddled out on a 3 hour sea kayak tour with guests from Idaho. The water level was so high that most haul out rocks were covered so I wasn't sure we'd see any harbor seals but as we paddled down the west side of Henry Island we were suddenly surrounded by harbor seals. 6 or 7 of them surfaced all around us, curious and calm but wary too. One large adult repeatedly surfaced eating a HUGE fish. With each appearance a little more of the fish disappeared! At one point a little pup came over to investigate us and surfaced both between our boats and alongside my bow. It was neat to see the little one, but I was glad it kept its distance.

It was a gorgeous, calm day out on the west side and there were few boats to be seen or heard. Simply lovely.

Sea Kayaking Family Tour San Juan Island--August 24th

2009-08-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

This morning on our 3-hour family sea kayak tour we had a veritable feast of native wildlife! Apparently the animals were hungry, because we saw ochre sea stars eating barnacles, harbor seals eating fish, as well as a sighting of a bald eagle catching a fish! One of the kayaks had a baby seal pup come up and stare at the paddlers, from less than a paddle's reach away from the boat! Beautiful paddling weather today, no wind and warm!

Don C

Sea Kayaking San Juan Island August 22

2009-08-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

Excellent Weather for kayaking today from our Roche Harbor Hub. First day in several there were no Killer Whale sightings by our sea kayak tours. Flat calm waters, and lots of wildlife in the normal locations. Guides today were Noelle, Kaitlyn, Don, Joe, and Blake. All reported smooth waters, blue skies, and lots of critters. Noelle reported seeing a rare Stellar Sea Lion near the Kelp Forest off McCracken point. More updates to follow.

Whale Watching San Juan Island - Captain's Log

2009-08-23T14:04:00.000-07:00

Whale Watching Update for 8/21. Captain Brian P and Noelle were fortunate that two groups of our Southern Resident Community were in the vicinity. Our vessel Sea Hawk observed J-Pod in the morning not far from the harbor, and then K-pod and J-pod joined in the afternoon. Once the two groups joined, there were lots of percussives (breaching, lob tailing), and lots of milling and socializing. Good viewing all afternoon. Both sightings today were withing 5 miles of our home port.
Lots of other great wildlife, including Harbor seals, Harbor porpoise, and Dalls Porpoise.

Check in for more whale observations.

San Juan Island Sea Kayaking Updates August 21

2009-08-21T17:51:00.001-07:00

Aileen and I are preparing an overnight tour departing tomorrow, and Joe called to tell us he saw a great whale show by kayak this afternoon on his 2:00pm 3-hour tour from Roche Harbor. Probably the same whales Blake saw on his 5-Hour tour a little South of Joe. The report was lots of whales, grouped up tight. Lots of socializing. The reports of grouped up whales and socializing are really great! As I've said before, it normally means they are well fed. Let's hope the trend continues through September.
Joe also reported other great wildlife. Lots of Seals in the Kelp Forest between McCracken Point and Battleship Island. Eagles becoming rare as they make their way to fresh water rivers to take advantage of spawning salmon. Good water in Haro Strait. Good weather forecast going into the weekend.

Sea Kayaking San Juan Island - August 21

2009-08-21T17:47:00.000-07:00

Amazing day for sea kayaking in the San Juan Islands says 5-hour guide Blake Hough. We were correct in predicting Blake would encounter northbound whales this afternoon. Moving in northbound past Kellet Bluff on Henry Island, the whales were well grouped up close to shore. Excellent views!!
Lots of other wildlife as well, not to mention a blue bird day by 12:30pm. Enough breeze to keep the paddlers cool. Lots of bird life, and lots of seals. Distant view of Harbor Porpoise. This is the 5th day in a row we've observed Killer Whales by kayak!!

Sea Kayaking San Juan Islands August 21st

2009-08-21T17:43:00.000-07:00

Excellent tours this morning with Kaitlyn and Aileen as guides. A little overcast early on, which can be good weather for sea kayaking. As the day progressed, the sun pushed out the high marine cloud layer and ushered in a beautiful day. Lots of seals, eagles, river otters and more today. The jellyfish blooms continue to cloud the water with hundreds of jellies, all shapes and sizes. The Kelp Forests are now at the their peak, and are as think as a fire hose. No whales this morning, but the prospect looks good for our 5-hour with Blake, as well as Joe's afternoon 3-hour. Will report on both later today.

Whale Watching San Juan Island August 20

2009-08-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

Our 3PM Whale Watching Tour saw whales again today. We were fortunate that the group of whales we observed this morning didn't move too far away, and were joined by a group coming in from the Northwest. The Northwestern Group (J-Pod) had been feeding as far north as the Frazier river that morning. The two groups joined up and continued north together eventually, after much socializing (breaching, spyhopping, lob-tailing and more). Lots of socializing usually means fully stomachs, so we're excited about the whales going into winter time with fully blubber layers and fat reserves. More info to follow. This will be the 40th day out of 42 days with whales. Very high probability of seeing whales this summer.

Whale Watching Tour San Juan Island

2009-08-21T17:23:00.000-07:00

Our 11AM Whale Watching tour saw whales this morning, traveling from Pile Point to Andrews Bay. We're lucky large fish numbers are keeping the whales close to San Juan Island. This is not always true. Early season trips often send us to Point Roberts, Deception Pass, Race Rocks, and everywhere in between. Having the whales close to our departure point takes the pressure off, and allows us to take our time observing the whale's behavior.
Lots of breaching, socializing, lob-tailing and more today. Multiple pods have been traveling together, many times in large social groups. It's a very exciting time to be whale watching!

Sea Kayaking San Juan Island August 20th

2009-08-21T17:20:00.000-07:00

Excellent 5-hour tour for Aileen today. Aileen's trip report came in a little later than Tim's, but she also saw Killer Whales on her sea kayak tour!! Similar area to Tim, except it sounds like she saw a different group of whales. The stretch of water between Kellett Bluff on Henry and McCracken Point on Henry is just spectacular this time of the year. We've been really lucky this summer with lots of salmon runs keeping the whales close to our main kayaking hub at Roche Harbor. More reports to follow.

San Juan Island Kayaking August 20th

2009-08-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

A quick post from our 5-hour kayak tour today. For the 3rd day in a row, our guide Tim saw killer whales on his kayak tour. Today Tim was paddling on the west side of Henry Island, and saw J-p0d swimming north just after our lunch break. Seeing whales swim along this shoreline is truly one of the most spectacular sites in nature. Undeveloped shorlines, views of the Olympics to the south, and beautiful water all around.
This season has been one of our best for seeing whales from our sea kayak tours. One of the best I can remember. I look forward to catching up with the fish biologists to see what the salmon runs have been, and which species are most abundant. I understand the research shows that the Southern Resident Killer Whales consume 90% King Salmon, but the Pink Salmon run this year must be a big one, and I can't imagine these whales passing those fish by.
Check in any time to learn about what we're seeing on the tours.
Brian Goodremont

Whale Watching San Juan Island

2009-08-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

Wow our guide Tim is having a killer whale sighting streak. This is his third day in a row seeing whales on his kayak tour. Today he was the guide for our 5-hour sea kayak around Henry Island. All of our guests came back pumped to see J-pod. Also they were fortunate enough to see a California Sea Lion which a rare sight to see. It seems that abundant salmon runs are keeping the whales close to the islands, which is great for both the whale watching and kayak tours departing from Roche Harbor. Lots of social behavior, and group traveling. This usually indicates good feeding. Check back to learn more.

San Juan Island 5 hour orca search sea kayak tour sees whales galore

2009-08-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

San Juan Island sea kayak wildlife update for August 19th:

Kayak guide Blake was proud to report that he and his guests saw LOTS of whales today during his 5 hour tour. They were paddling down the west side of Henry Island when they came across a small group of whales. They hung out in the kelp bed and watched those whales go by. Then they paddled to a beach for lunch. A perfect day!

San Juan Island 3 hour sea kayak tour spots whales again!

2009-08-19T15:40:00.000-07:00

San Juan Island sea kayak wildlife update for August 19th:

Whales were spotted along the southern and western sides of the island today, and one of our guides Tim reported back that he'd seen 6 or 7 individual orca whales during his 3 hour kayak tour. It's always exciting to see the whales, whether from a kayak or from our whale watching boat, but it isn't always possible during our 3 hour tour, so we're especially pleased that he and his guests were able to see them as well!

Family embarks on San Juan Island 3 day sea kayak tour

2009-08-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

San Juan Island sea kayak wildlife update for August 16th:

Yesterday I returned from a multi-day sea kayak trip with a family of three from Oregon. We paddled out of Friday Harbor and headed north to Jones Island state park. We were looking forward to relaxing, exploring and looking for wildlife for a few days. We saw a ton of jellies (formerly known as jellyfish), including lion's mane and water jellies. We even saw a few glimpses of a California sea lion! It happened just as we departed our slips in Friday Harbor, and was a good omen for our trip. Although thunderstorms were predicted, we only got rain and were able to stay pretty dry under our tarp and in our tents.

The second day we paddled over to Flattop Island, a National Wildlife Refuge, and check out the bald eagles, pigeon guillemots, harbor seals and gulls all resting and roosting there. The exposed rock formations gave us a great opportunity to consider the natural history of the island, and carefully look for nesting sea birds along the cliffs. As we paddled in the San Juan Channel we saw quite a few harbor porpoises. They were spread out along our route and surfacing 2, 3, 5 at a time. Watching them quietly forage was pretty neat! Later that night the clouds parted long enough for us to hike out to the west side of the island and catch a beautiful sunset.

My personal highlight of the trip was snatching a few minutes to hike along the perimeter of the island by myself. As I rounded the cliffs on the northwest side of Jones, I heard some splashing from the water below and looked down to see a female harbor seal with her pup. From my vantage point above them I could see far down into the water and was able to watch them swim and play gracefully underwater. It was SO neat to be able to spy on them for a few minutes unobtrusively.

On our third, and last, day we paddled over to the west side of Henry Island and ate lunch overlooking the Haro Strait. The kids were especially excited to get an up close look at a few harbor seals as they popped up by our boats. Their father was pretty awed by a bald eagle which had returned to the rocky shore to eat a fish. This eagle was just feet away! It was a nice conclusion to a lovely three days.

San Juan Island Sea Kayak- Eagle

2009-08-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

Greetings all!

Our guide, Joe, just returned from his 10am 3-hour sea kayak tour and had an amazing tour. While they were near Henry Island's McCracken Point they saw an Eagle swoop down, land in the water and fifteen seconds later pulled itself out with a fish in it's talons. It was an amazing sight. Shortly there after our guests, Jim and Marylynne paddled near a huge lion's mane jellyfish.

Transients Spotted!!!

2009-08-12T15:38:00.000-07:00

Today on the Whale Watch boat we got to observe 3 Transient Whales. They were spotted off Patos Island. The Transient Orca whales are always a treat to see because they are very stealthy travelers. They navigate the waters around the San Juans in search of their prey, which consists of porpoise, seals, and even other whales. The individuals spotted today were T-18, T-19A and T-19Bs. Yet another beautiful day on the water in the San Juans.

Weather: Partly Cloudy, minimal wind and currents. 67 Deg. F

Superpod!!!

2009-08-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a wet one here on San Juan Island, but the whales didn't mind. Captain Brent and I had a 1:00 trip yesterday out of Roche Harbor and were able to see J, K, and L pod on the west side of San Juan Island. They were spread out along a huge portion of the island so we did not see every single animal but we did have great looks at several small groups of whales including a particularly close look at a male in L-pod. In addition, we saw a few close breaches as well as some nice tale slaps.

Brian and Kevin just headed out for the 3 pm trip today and their destination is Turn Point which is the most northwestern point of Stuart Island as well as the contiguous United States. The 3 pods are still traveling together in a superpod and since yesterday when I saw them, they have traveled north up near the city of Vancouver, Canada. It's likely that they went up there to look for salmon that are preparing to spawn up the Frasier River. They are now on their way back down from Vancouver, headed southwest through Boundary Pass and headed for the U.S. Typically when all three pods are together, we get some very interesting "socializing" behavior.

Superpod!!!

2009-08-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

Harbor Seal Mania!

2009-08-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

All three of my kayak trips had excellent harbor seal shows! The water was glassy enabling us to see every little seal head. This time of the year harbor seal pups are starting to leave their mothers and are more adventurous than ever! We had one particular pup who was very interested in our kayaks and continually popped up next to and behind us. It is also harbor seal mating season and we watched many seals launch their bodies out of the water and lob their tails on the surface putting on quite a show! On my 6:00 sunset tour we had a harbor seal pop up next to us in the kelp bed and haul itself up on top of the kelp no more than two feet from us. We sat munching on our kelp watching our seal friend do what harbor seals do best, snooze! All day was gorgeous and calm on the water, great for viewing wildlife!