We've had great success this week on our whale watching trips. For the most part, the whales have been traveling in and through Haro Strait which is quite convenient as our whale watching boat departs out of Roche Harbor daily and is located on the West Side of San Juan Island. We are just minutes from Haro Strait which means that we haven't had to travel too far.

Our kayaking trips have also had some success seeing the whales. Just a few evenings ago our 6:00...

Last night I headed out of Friday Harbor with Madeline, Henry, Karina and Eric. We were fortunate to see some great views of Bald eagles and auklets among other sea birds, but the highlight of the trip came when we rounded Turn Island and started seeing a good number of harbor seals. We were excited to see all sorts of seals including mothers and pups that surfaced to check out our kayaks up close. As we paddled along we saw some splashing right next to Karina and...

I just spoke with Captain Brian and Naturalist Kendall after their 11:00 AM whale watching trip. They reported this trip as "amazing" and with "excellent views of the killer whales". When they departed at 11:00, the orca whales (J-pod and a sub-group of L-pod) were quite a distance away but as the trip progressed, the whales moved towards our location and it didn't take the boat long to reach them. They said the seas were a little rough today but it was such a great...

Captain Brian just called into the reservation desk to report on his whale watching trip today. It sounds as though Captain Brian and Naturalist Kendall had a really fantastic trip. Brian reported that the seas were flat and calm and I can add that the sun is shining! The day started off with serious fog though which could've hindered the trip. Luckily, it burned off with the afternoon heat and Brian was able to navigate down the west side of San Juan Island to...

I paddled out on our six o'clock sunset tour the other day and was rewarded with excellent animal sightings!
As we paddled south by Henry Island we saw a few large tight groups of gulls screaming, whirling and diving into the water. It was a bait ball! As we drew close Rhinocerous Auklets and a few types of cormorants started to surface nearby, as well as some seals. They were working together underwater to surround and herd those schools of fish up towards the...

The weather this week has been beautiful as well as comfortable. That is one of the many aspects of San Juan Island that I love. We are in a rainshadow, so we don't get much rain; probably under 20 inches per year. Also, in the summer months of July and August the temperature is usually in the 70's or 80's. In addition to the great weather, we have had great success on our kayaking and whale watching trips. Our boat trips have been consistently seeing the...

Yesterday's 5 hour trip included myself, a school teacher from Spokane and our dockhand Nick(a.k.a Biscuit). We left the docks at Roche and headed up Mosquito Pass, quickly earning our lunch with a flood tide and a stiff Southwesterly leaning against us..

On our approach to Kellet bluff we were passed by a handful of Northbound Orcas from the J-Pod. We were treated to a few tail slaps , a breach, and several instances where we held our breath as Orcas swam...

Today was a beautiful day to go kayaking out of Roche Harbor. One of our kayak guides, Blake, reported seeing many interesting things out on the water today. He mentioned sighting several bald eagles, a sandpiper, and he even saw his first harbor seal pups for the season. It's currently pupping season here and as the next few weeks go on, we will start seeing more and more on our trips.

What a beautiful day in the San Juan Islands... blue skies and in the 70's. We had a morning whale watching trip depart out of Roche Harbor and at the point of departure, we didn't know where the whales were. Luckily, Captain Brian was the first captain of the day to find the whales up north in Canada, near Saturna Island. According to the crew, J Pod, K Pod and part of L Pod were breaching and porpoising across boundary pass. Good reviews all around!

It always amazes me how a cloudy day often clears up just in time for our 6pm Sunset Kayaking Tour. In fact, the 6pm trip is my favorite of all the kayaking trips for this very reason. So often, the sun creeps out, the wind and waters calm down, the boat traffic dissapears and the wildlife comes out. Last night I had a chance to hop in a boat with a single guest and get out from behind the desk and on the water. After a cloudy, somewhat chilly day, the weather...