Starting off with low tide of -1.2 vertical ft, our morning tour had amazing access to a colorful display of red, green and brown seaweeds, purple Ochre sea stars and bright orange anemones. We also got to see lots of fuzzy harbor seals hauled out on high rocks in the kelp forest, and a juvenile bald eagle greeted us from a snag on our way back into Roche Harbor. Later, we saw two adult bald eagles holding high posts on the west side of Henry Island, accompanied by more...

This afternoon, M/V Sea Hawk headed north to meet K-Pod. We met up with the group right at Turn Point on Stuart Island. The group that we were watching was traveling close to shore and guests asked how that was possible. Haro Strait is the deepest body of water in the San Juans. At the deepest point, it gets to over 1,300 feet, so there are dramatic drop offs right close to the shore.

Once getting around Turn Point, K-pod had a decision to make, they could turn and head...

We were caught by surprise after a mellow paddle through Mosquito pass to find a large pod of Orcas swimming North just off Henry Island. Foregoing an early lunch,  and bracing ourselves for rough waters, our group pushed forward toward Kellet Bluff, keeping  a generous distance between us and the whales, as well as getting the ultimate panorama view of the traveling Orcas. With our hearts racing, the screams at every whale breach, and the pace we had set for ourselves...

What a picture perfect day we had!  Departing from County Park, we paddled south towards Lime Kiln State Park to drink in savory views of the Olympic Mountain Range with a dash of Mount Rainier on the horizon.  Turning our course north we rode on glassy water with the flooding tide as our conveyor belt, seeing circling bald eagles, purple ocher sea stars, and a few curious harbor seals.  The views of the Canadian coastal ranges shone as clear as they've ever appeared this...

The whales were at it again in this gloriously sunny day. Captain Pete, guests, and myself, headed out of Mosquito pass in search of the the resident killer whales that had been spotted earlier in the day right off of Lime Kiln Whale Watching Park. The resident, or fish-eating orcas, hadn't moved to much from their earlier position. They appeared to be in a milling position- basically, just a fancy word for chillin. Some were off giving whale hugs, others were searching...

Today was a spectacular trip around Henry Island. My guests were blessed with many sightings of multiple types of marine life. Around McCracken Point we saw some Harbor Seals relaxing and sunning in the Bull Kelp. As we continued down the west side of Henry Island I was able to point out the many types of sea-stars nestled in the rocks as well as the huge Bald Eagle nest perched above the water. It was really cool to hear the baby Bald Eaglets squawk about 60 feet above...

Today we had a great trip filled with awesome wildlife and beautiful scenery! Our family tour had a chance to stop on Posey Island, Washington's smallest state park (about an acre large) and do some tidepooling. From rock crabs to limpets, as well as a few oystercatchers who put on a show for us, it made for a great tour! We even had a curious harbor seal approach one of our boats to check us out. Just another great day out on the water!

Kayak Guide Callie, 3 hour...

Roche Harbor was still a buzz with the Fourth of July festivities, and apparently so were the whales. Reports had whales from Turn Point Lighthouse all the way down to Salmon Bank on the Westside of San Juan Island. Quite a large area to scan for whales, but no worries, Captain Chris and myself were on the lookout. The water was nice and calm with only a little bit of fog burning off with the afternoon heat.  It made it perfect conditions to scout for whales. Immediately...

Today we left Roche Harbor and headed out Mosquito Pass to Haro Strait.  It was an absolutely beautiful day on the water.  The lighting was perfect for spotting whales and other wildlife.  Also, the water was about as calm as it can get.  We headed down the West side of San Juan Island and found the whales at False Bay.  There were so many whales in all different directions that all we needed to do was turn off our engines and enjoy the beautiful day.  We saw breaching...

Today was sweet! It literally only took us 10 minutes to be on scene with whales. It was awesome, and had to be a record encounter. And even better it was a super pod! All 3 resident pods were in the area, that gave us a chance to see 80 whales. They were pretty active as well with many surfacings, spy hops, and breaches.

We also did a tour around some other San Juan Islands; Stuart, John, Cactus, and Spieden and saw countless bald eagles and harbor seals. Overall it was...