Whale watch report from Roche Harbor, San Juan Island, WA

San Juan Island whale watch wildlife report for April 30th:

Captain Brian G. and I went out for a private charter this morning, and what a gorgeous morning it was! Some spectacular highlights were watching a peregrine falcon in flight (3 different times!) off Turn Point, watching a school of harbor porpoise race towards an oncoming boat and bow ride (not typical behavior), and getting some amazing views of a large herd of male mouflon sheep. They were off by themselves, and we saw some good examples of aggression between males too!

Also, confirmed whale reports put our local resident orca whales headed our way! They hadn't been spotted in over 45 days, so this is a break in the dry spell. I hope they are sticking around now, as they surely have been missed.

San Juan Island 3 day sea kayak tour spies dozens of porpoise!

San Juan Island sea kayak wildlife update for April 2nd:

Well Noelle and I just returned from our first multi day sea kayak tour of 2010! We had a great, cheerful group and were both happy to get out on the water and dust some cobwebs off our paddling skills. We left Friday Harbor, paddled north and on Day 3 arrived at Roche Harbor-- all without retracing our steps.

Despite varying inclement weather our cheerful group made the best of each day. We were able to paddle around the Wasp Islands, hike around Jones Island State Park and explore the west side of San Juan and Henry Islands. It's definitely springtime here in the San Juan Islands, and the blossoms are in bloom!

I think I can safely speak for the group when I say everyone's highlight was setting off across San Juan Channel on Day 3, and stopping to listen to the dozens of harbor porpoise that were surfacing quietly on all sides of us. We got some great looks at a few pairs just a few hundred feet away, and could hear them breath as they surfaced. It was such special moment, and I was grateful for the chance to share a little island magic.

Spring at San Juan Outfitters, Friday Harbor

San Juan Outfitters' wildlife update for Saturday March 13th:

It's springtime here on the island-- which means the weather is likely to change at a moment's notice, the animals are all getting ready for courtship or mating, and it's simply gorgeous out. Today I saw an adult bald eagle fly by with a large stick in it's beak-- building a nest I presume. Although bald eagles are believed to mate for life, each year they will make 'improvements' to their nest by adding on more and more sticks until the tree can no longer support the nest.

One of the most amazing looks at wildlife I've ever had here on San Juan Island was when I saw two bald eagles performing courtship aerials of swoops and spins in the sky, all while crying out. The highlight of the display was when the two eagles locked talons and spun down towards the ground. At the last second they let go and flew up again.

Keep those eyes on the sky, and you too might be lucky enough to glimpse these magnificent birds in flight (and courtship!)

Wildlife abounds on San Juan Island

San Juan Island wildlife update for February 16th:

This morning I spent some time hiking trails around the southern tip of the island, and was excited to see two different bald eagle pairs. The birds were alternately resting at the very top of some pines, and soaring high above the prairie. I often see other raptors hunting above the tall grass, so it was a nice change to see so many eagles out too! One juvenile came in quite close, so I got a great look at its mottled brown and white feathers and bright yellow talons.

The songs of various birds were abundant today, and I couldn't move by a thicket without setting off the calls of some gorgeous springtime warblers.

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

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!

San Juan Island Sea Kayak-- Foxes, Eagles and Mink...Oh My!

San Juan Island sea kayak wildlife report for July 8th:

As our morning 3 hour sea kayak tour pushed off from the dock there was a slight drizzle but as they continued on their tour the sky cleared and they were treated to a wildlife extravaganza. They spotted two bald eagles on a beach, a mink scurrying along the shoreline, a raccoon lurking in the grass and two red foxes resting under a madrona tree. The guide, Joe, said that today shaped out to be one of his best days of paddling so far.

Whales are a July 4th treat for San Juan Island sea kayak tour

San Juan Island sea kayak wildlife update for July 4th:

Yesterday Deborah set off on a 5 hour "Orca Search By Kayak" sea kayak tour and boy did they find whales! Deborah reported that the southern resident killer whales were spread out across the Haro Strait, and her group was in the perfect position to see a lot of activity from the whales as they swam past. While normally the protocol (for kayaking when whales are present) is to paddle offshore, yesterday the currents were so strong that it would have been potentially dangerous to have her group spread out and paddling separately so as the whales came closer Deborah brought her guests into a forest of bull kelp and had everyone sit tight. Once there the whales came closer than even she expected. The whales came into the kelp, and at one point surfaced so close to Deborah that "she could have reached out her 6ft paddle and touched it".

Truly a spectacular whale encounter for the whole group, and what a treat during such a celebratory weekend!

3 hour sea kayak tour sees killer whales!

San Juan Island sea kayak wildlife update for June 22nd:

Joe was pleased to report back that he spotted whales (for the third time this week!) during his 3 hour sea kayak tour departing from Roche Harbor. Although he and his guests had to contend with a strong running tide and a brisk wind, everyone was delighted to glimpse those large critters.

This past week has been full of fantastic wildlife sightings-- from new seal pups to killer whales just feet away. Between our whale watch tours and our hourly, daily and multi-day sea kayak tours, we've had a lot of killer whale sightings in the past few days, and as the resident orca whales are all in the area now, and we hope they'll find enough salmon here in our waters to keep them close by for the months ahead.

Rain doesn't deter San Juan Island sea kayak trips

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

This week's bout of rain couldn't dampen the spirits of some intrepid sea kayakers, and good thing too! The rain really changes the atmosphere and overall look of our local paddling route. As long as everyone is adequately prepared and geared up, paddling in the rain can be absolutely fantastic. The rain seems to dampen the neighboring sounds and low clouds obscure the farther islands, allowing us to really concentrate much more on our immediate scenery. On a day like today there are still great chances to see wildlife-- in fact, the local harbor seals were out and about as usual and even seemed surprised to see us!



The best part of the day was after all that rain, the clouds lifted and an absolutely gorgeous sunset emerged!! (Photo: guide Joe Gardner)

Whale watch boat has amazing orca encounter

San Juan Island whale watch wildlife update for May 15th:

Captain Brian just reported back from today's whale watch trip this afternoon, and he described it as "one of his Top 3 wildlife encounters- ever!" The boat left Roche Harbor and headed out in search of the transient Orcas that were in the area. Upon arriving they saw harbor porpoises "everywhere" and Brian and Kendall were on the alert and watching the hunting transient whales. Suddenly both transients dived down and disappeared. Everyone was scanning the waters, looking madly for the whales. Brian heard a splash, but when he looked two porpoises were missing. The actual kills occurred underwater; evidenced when the transients resurfaced a ways a way, leaving the entrails of the porpoises to float on the surface.

Some might say that this was a gruesome scene, but it's just another part of life. Not only being able to glimpse these whales in the wild, but also seeing firsthand what incredible predators they truly are is a gift. That rare sighting won't easily be forgotten by the guests and crew aboard the Sea Hawk today.

Taking a closer look at sea stars on San Juan Island sea kayak tour

San Juan Island sea kayak tour wildlife update for April 26th:

Today was the most beautiful day on the water-- and quite warm too! I paddled out with two couples from the Northwest and we took advantage of the incredible low tide and spent our morning investigating the tidal zones. There were clams, jellies, anemones and crabs galore, but the real highlight was seeing almost all of our local sea stars. We saw purple and orange ochre sea stars, a few orange and purple sunflower stars and a pale orange and gray leather star. We were able to pick up one of each kind and realized up close how different they all are.

The hand-sized ochre sea stars are quite rough and firm, and almost always have 5 rays. Sunflower sea stars can grow up for a few feet across, have up to 27 rays, and are very malleable with hundreds -if not thousands- of tube feet. The leather sea stars are quite heavy with 5 rays, few tube feet and soft, slippery and smooth leathery backs.

It was great to see fine examples of the Sound's biodiversity, and go so far as to hold them in our hands!

San Juan Island sea kayak-- Spring has sprung!

San Juan Island sea kayak weather update for Thursday April 23rd:

Well folks, spring is definitely here! The past few days have been absolutely gorgeous here on San Juan Island. Buds on trees are emerging, flowers are sprouting up, birds are busy building their nests and the wildlife is out in abundance. Something is definitely in the air...

Spring is a fantastic time of year to visit the islands, as we often have the sunshine of the summer without the crowds. This week in particular-- on both our whale watch trips and our sea kayak trips-- we've had good sightings of killer whales along with all of our local critters: harbor seals, sea lions, shore birds, eagles, river otters, porpoises and more!

Sea Kayak tour spies on some seals

San Juan Island sea kayak wildlife update for April 22nd:

Today we ventured out under gray skies and undertook a long paddle all the way down the west side of Henry Island. The pelagic cormorants which had begun nesting in the rookery there just a few days ago have disappeared-- without a trace of their presence remaining. Hopefully biologists and naturalists here on the island will share the answer with me, as I'd very much like to know where these birds have gone!

And to one of our chattiest guides, Joe Gardner, we wish a very happy 25th birthday!!