Whale Watching Reports from Island Adventures Whale Watching Tours in the San Juan Islands

Orca Whales Off Edmonds!

Orca Whales sighted this morning in the south sound near Edmonds, just north of Seattle. That's a great sign for our next tour on Saturday, November 1st from Everett!

65 Tours In A Row With Whales!

Our guests are on scene onboard the Island Explorer 3 watching Humpback Whales! That means we've sighted whales on the last 65 tours in a row! Stay tuned for updates on today's tour from Naturalist Kate Janes.

Watchful Pair

Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes

Playful Porpoise

Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes

Side-by-Side

Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes

Sounding a Deep Dive

Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes

"It is nearly November, yet today resembled a day from the middle of the summer! Under a blue sky and traveling on water that looked like a mirror we enjoyed this fortunately fantastic gift!! Just outside of the marina we were pleasantly surprised to find a Common Loon in its winter plumage, a Double-crested Cormorant perched high on a piling, and a mature Bald Eagle high atop a conifer just around the point looking down upon us!! We continued through Guemes Channel towards Rosario Strait when we found Pigeon Guillemots flying close to the water line and Harbor Porpoise quickly rolling through its water! Our journey brought us into the Strait of Juan de Fuca where we found 2 mature Bald Eagles (a mated pair!!) perched on top of the Lawson Reef marker!! Our guests were able to see the size difference between a male and female Bald Eagle! The females are actually 25% larger than the males!! After a visit with these large raptors we ventured further into the strait where we found Common Murres and Dall's Porpoise!! From a distance the porpoise where displaying feeding behaviors, as the slowly rolled through the water, then after presumably sensing our presence they quickly began rooster tailing towards us in a very excited manner!! For a while a couple of the porpoise began bow riding to the excitement of all on board! After a quick ride the group was seen playing in our wake! It appeared as if they were surfing! We circled back to see if they were interested in another play session, but instead were able to see up close their feeding behaviors!! We continued on our quest for whales! Then at Hein Bank, "there they blow"!! Two very large Humpback Whales were feeding on the very shallow bank! This was the first trip of the year that we've found Humpback on this bank!! Proving that the wildlife never fails to surprise us! When we first approached on scene with the two giants we waited patiently and at a distance to determine direction and behavior! To our delight they quickly got use to us and gave us some great close looks!! Swimming in close proximity to one another the two feed moving in tight circles on the bank! With their slow rising out from the watery depths, allowed us great looks at their tubercles! There was even one respiration cycle that were we able to hear their exhalations! After an amazing visit we had to start our trip back towards home port. We stopped one last time before docking at our favorite passage! We snuck in the narrow waters between Lopez Island & Castle Rock! It was the perfect day to end our time in Anacortes for the 2008 season! Next Saturday, November 1st at 11 AM will be our first trip of our Winter Orca Program out of Everett!" - Naturalist Kate Janes

Orcas Still Close to Home!!

The Orcas of K Pod were found moving northward up Admiralty Inlet yesterday no doubt enjoying the beautiful fall weather under blue skies!! Even without being out on the water for a trip, news travels fast when it comes to whales! Our last trip from our Anacortes location will be this Saturday, October 25th departing at 11 AM! We kick off our Winter Orca Program out of Everett Saturday, November 1st at 11 AM!

K-pod surprises us today!

Backflips!!

Our wildlife viewing started today as we exited Guemes Channel and watched two California sea lions, each on their own channel marker. Next we found a bald eagle perched on a dead tree in Washington Park, on Fidalgo Island. Then we got a treat close to home that we always hope for. We spotted orcas heading north in Rosario Straits just west of Burrows Island!! Its always awesome to find orcas this quickly. It turned out to be K-pod, with one L-pod orca tagging along. That L-pod orca was Onyx, L-87, and we got to see lots of him during our visit. At one time he was swimming around in circles as if to be chasing a salmon around. L87 was spending allot of time with Scoter, K25, and Georgia, K11. K-pod was pretty well spread out across Rosario Straits. We did get to see some playful activity as one orca cartwheeled, and others breached in the distance. Later as the orcas swam north toward Blakely Island we also saw Spock, K20, and Comet, K38. Knowing we could eventually come back to visit our orcas again we decided to peel off to look for more wildlife. We found another bald eagle on Cypress Island. Next we drove up to Peapod rocks where a pair of bald eagles were perched on a marker, and several harbor seals were hauled out on the shoreline. We started to see lots of bird activity north of Peapod rocks, and we drove up to investigate. We found several Steller sea lions were swimming around looking for food amongst the Bonaparte's gulls. We got to see a couple of them up close as they cruised along, and we also spotted several harbor porpoises. Finally we decided to catch up with K-pod again. They had worked their way up to the north end of Blakely Island by that time. The highlight of our second visit when we saw Lobo, K26, swimming with and babysitting the newest calf in K-pod, K42. K42 was breaching like crazy!! At one point he breached and flipped completely over in the air, landing squarely on his back (see photos above). What an ideal day we had today, with orcas very, very close to the dock, and lots of other wildlife on top of it. Naturalist Bart Rulon

Orca Whales Just Off Our Dock!

The Island Explorer 3 is on-scene with Orca Whales in Rosario Strait, right in front of Anacortes! Seas are calm on this cool, October day with a mix of sunshine and clouds - a great day on the Salish Sea for our guests to watch Orca Whales! Stay tuned for an update from Naturalist Bart Rulon.

Humpback and Minke Whales Sighted!

Stay tuned to the Whale Report for details on today's tour from Naturalist Kate Janes! "Our day started out on a fantastic note as we found 3 California Sea Lions hauled out each on a different channel marker while Harbor Porpoise swam in the surrounding waters! We continued into Rosario Strait heading southward towards the Strait of Juan de Fuca! At Colville Island we found a couple of Harbor Seals hauled out on the rocks! In the calm waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca we found Rhinoceros Auklets, Common Murres, Pacific Loons attempting to take flight with full bellies weighing them down, and even some Dall's Porpoise! We first found these very friendly porpoise at a distance showing off their "rooster tails" and as we approached they began displaying slow feeding dives. Then without warning their speed accelerated and one came over for a quick bow ride before rejoining the pod!! The Island Explorer 3 continued on its way towards Canadian water where we found a juvenile Humpback whale!! From a distance the young whales exhalation could be seen just moments before dissipating very quickly! In the glass calm water we where able to follow the whales movement by watching its footprints at the surface! Then expectantly the young whale spyhopped in the middle of a raft of Bull Kelp! The Humpback Whale's kelping activity was a first for the crew, resulting in gasps & shouts of excitement from the entire boat!! Surfacing multiple times in a spyhop fashion the whale repeatedly enjoyed the Bull Kelp!! After watching this amazing youngster steadily move eastward towards American waters and enjoying its consistent respiration rates we unfortunately had to start the journey home! Although homeward bound our wildlife excursion was far from over, because at the south end of Lopez Island we found a Minke Whale!! Smaller in length than the Humpback Whale, the Minke has a larger sickle shaped dorsal fin!! Also at the south end of Lopez we found a mature Bald Eagle!! It is always a treat to be able to show our guests two different species of whales!! It is what we like to call a double header!!" - Naturalist Kate Janes

Orca Whales Headed Toward Anacortes!

Even though we are not out on a tour today, resident Orca Whales have been sighted heading into the Salish Sea from the Pacific Ocean. Our next tour will be Thursday, October 16th, and the Island Explorer 3 will be searching for Humpback, Orca, and Minke Whales!

Active Humpback Whales!!

Guardian of Colville Island

Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes

Huge Humpback Hello

Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes

"Once again we found ourselves enjoying a beautiful Fall day out in the San Juans with some spectacular wildlife! It wasn't long after leaving the dock that our guests got a taste of what was in store for them!! Perched high in a conifer was a majestic Bald Eagle watching the day tick on by! Coming around the point Mount Baker was glowing white with fresh snow on its peaks! Our first stop on our journey was at Channel Marker #5 where a snoozing California Sea Lion lounged seemly uninterested in us! We took some photos before leaving him to his nap! Heading southward down Rosario Strait we found Harbor Seals swimming about in its waters, Common Murres resting at the surface before making another deep dive, Pigeon Guillemots and even Harbor Porpoise were enjoying a beautiful day! As we rounded the south end of Lopez Island we spotted yet another Bald Eagle on Colville Island who was perched on the Wildlife Refuge Sign!! How appropriate! To top it off we found its mate just on the other side of the island sitting atop the island, just above some hauled out Harbor Seals! Our journey lead us into Canadian waters just in view of the Race Rocks Lighthouse!! It was there we found 3 very large Humpback Whales who seemed rather pleased to see us!! Our guests enjoyed seeing repeated taillobes, fluking, and there was even a period where one did a bellyroll bringing its huge pectoral fins out of the water waving in our direction!! We continued watching as the graceful giants moved easily through the water, creating footprints in their place! At one point Captain Carl even positioned the boat so our guests could experience the unforgettable smell of their breath! Once was definitely enough for most!! Their backs glistened in the sun as they rose out of the water, while their exhalations sparkled!! It was a captivating day out on glass calm waters!! Our next trip will be departing from Anacortes on Thursday, October 16th at 11 am! You can book your own adventure online or simply call our toll free number (1-800-465-4604) for an unforgettable time!" - Naturalist Kate Janes

Humpback Whales Sighted From Island Explorer 3!

Stay tuned to the Whale Report for an update on today's adventure from Naturalist Kate Janes! "The eleventh day in October was day one dreams of when picturing the perfect Fall day! Wispy clouds were scattered through portions of a blue sky background and as we rounded Cap Sante Point the ever beautiful Mount Baker came into view!! To our delight the mountain stayed in view throughout our entire journey!! Not long outside of the marina we found a Harbor Seal swimming casually by the boat, a Pelagic Cormorant using the water as a runway and a Common Loon kept a close eye on us as we passed on by!! Our journey lead us into Rosario Strait where we encountered some very surface active Harbor Porpoise and even a Steller Sea Lion feeding on a Salmon at the surface!! His feeding frenzy, involving thrashing about in the water, definitely caught not only our attention but also some curiously hungry gulls!! We continued southward, after a visit with the fast eating Sea Lion! At Colville Island we found some lounging Harbor Seals hauled out on the rocky shoreline while a mature Bald Eagle fed on the hill side of the island!! It was not only lunch time by human standards, but today the wildlife's stomachs must have also be growling!! We continued westward through the Strait of Juan de Fuca towards Canadian waters, enjoying Common Murres, Pacific Loons, and more porpoise along the way before encountering 3 massive Humpback Whales!!! Even from a distance we could see their exhalations lingering in the air 30 feet up!! Once on scene our guests really got to see just how large these cetaceans really are as they slowly rolled through the water! After a series of short respiration's the whales, who were swimming closely together, would all sound, bringing their flukes (tails) out of the water! With an average long down time of about 3 minutes, it wasn't long before they came back to the surface for us to enjoy!! Just before having to leave our guests got the opportunity to hear their exhalations! Which is one of the most beautiful sounds on the planet! It was definitely an amazing Fall day with perfect conditions while we enjoyed the company of some outstanding wildlife with the brilliant Olympic Mountains as a backdrop!!" - Naturalist Kate Janes

Orcas...Orcas....Everywhere!!!

Excitement Surrounds Ruffles!

Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes

Skanna Rising Reflects

Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes

Rose Colored Spyhop

Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes

"Just as we were leaving the marina on a beautiful October day we found 2 Black-tail deer bedded down on a bluff located on Cap Sante Point!! Proving to our guests that the wildlife can appear anywhere, especially in the least expected! As we rounded the corner we were surprised to find about a dozen Harbor Seals hauled out on a private dock!! This was a first for the year and quite a sight as one seal squirmed towards the edge for a drink of the salty water! We continued on our way through Guemes Channel where we found a lounging California Sea Lion on channel marker #5, following suite of its smaller cousin the Harbor Seal! After a nice visit with the rather sleepy penniped we ventured north bound up Rosario Strait! In its waters we found swimming Harbor Seals, feeding Harbor Porpoise and even a Parasitic Jaeger harassing some Bonaparte's Gulls!! Enjoying the blue skies accented by the occasional fluffy cloud just added to the magic of the day and made for an outstanding backdrop to watching Orca Whales!!! Near Point Roberts we found ALL 3 Pods of the Southern Residents swimming southward!! The activity was incredible!!! Our guests enjoyed a double breach (which has only happened a handful of times this season), spyhops, taillobs, porpoising and even some fishing occurring as the Orcas chased some delicious salmon!! We had some great looks at Mega, Ruffles, Skanna, Spirit, Polaris, Raggedy, Princess Angeline, and so many more dorsal fins could be seen as far as the eye could see!! In glass calm waters, resembling a July summer day with a crisp edge to the air, we watched the grace of these amazing cetaceans! With little wind the sound of their exhalations carried across the water! A beautiful day with the incredible Orcas- what more could one ask for?!" - Naturalist Kate Janes

A Bounty of Wildlife

"On this crisp fall day in October the area was just teaming with wildlife! As we left the marina we found a mature Bald Eagle soaring towards Cap Sante Point! This quick look wasn't going to be our only chance at seeing eagles for the day only got better! We rounded the point finding Common Loons sitting at the surface in between dives, Cormorants flying close to the waters surface and near the end of Guemes Channel we even found a California Sea Lion hauled out on a channel marker waiting to pose for a few photos!! Our wildlife adventure continued as we made our way south down Rosario Strait where we found Harbor Porpoise, Western Grebes, Common Murres, Glaucous-winged Gulls and Heerman's Gulls!! It was just East of Colville Island where we found a mated pair of mature Bald Eagles perched on the Lawson Reef marker!! The two sat regally atop the marker as our guests rattled off frame after frame of photos of the two who appeared to be posing just for us!! After our eagle fix, we continued towards Salmon Bank where we found a Harbor Seal thrashing about the surface with a nice sized Salmon hanging out of his mouth! This activity not only grabbed our attention but also the attention of some gulls flying overhead! We watched as a scene right out of National Geographic unfolded before our eyes!! After his last bite we continued on, and it was only moments later that a Minke Whale was spotted up ahead! Rather shy at first the Minke appeared to be playing hard to get!! We waited patiently and finally the patience card paid off when he reappeared and decided to become more friendly!! It seemed the longer we watched the more interested the whale became in us!! Maybe this Minke was partaking in a little people watching?! With some great looks because of some close passes our guests became expert Minke spotters! We even got a great look at his 2 blow holes and even heard his exhalation as it surfaced!! The glass calm water helped in tracking the whale as footprints were created after every surfacing and the percussion from its tail left rings at the surface!! After a considerable amount of quality time with the Minke we continued our search for more wildlife! Our journey brought us to Whale Rocks where more than a dozen Steller Sea Lions were hauled out on the rocks and swimming about in the waters surrounding the island! Their grunts and roars carried across the water as a couple where involved in a battle over a piece of prime real estate!! Soon it was time to head back towards home port but along our journey we also saw Pacific Loons, Surf Scoters, Great Blue Herons, Rhinoceros Auklets, Pigeon Guillemots and even some Harbor Seals hauled out on the rocks!!" - Naturalist Kate Janes

5 Humpback Whales Sighted!

"Humpback Whales sighted!" reports Captain Carl from onboard Island Explorer 3. Stay tuned to the Whale Report for an update from Naturalist Jami Nagel. "We headed out with our first sighting today of a California Sealion taking a snooze on on of the channel markers in Guemes Channel. He barely looked up at us as we cruised passed. We headed around the southend of Lopez Island and found ourselves at Constance bank watching 3 humpback whales as they were in resting mode. We had some amazing fluke shots as they made their deep dives and we even got the experience of smelling them (not quite as smelly as a minke whale but it will get your attention). We headed off for a look at 2 more humbacks also in rest slowly make their way toward the other 2 whales. They were nice enough to show their flukes off to!!! As we made our way back we encountered a bald eagle and several harbor seals hauled out at Coville Island. Making our way back into Guemes channel we again encountered our lazy California sealion and a friend taking up 2 of the channel markers!" -Naturalist Jami Nagel

Orca Whales Near Pile Point!

The Island Explorer 3 and our guests sighted J and K Pods on today's tour. Stay tuned to the Whale Report for details from Naturalist Kate Janes! "Today after leaving the marina we found ourselves heading northward up Bellingham Channel where we found Harbor Seals swimming (possibly checking out the young Coho Salmon in the pens along Cypress Islands shoreline), Harbor Porpoise quickly making their way through the water and lots of Bulls Kelp hugging the shoreline! From there we entered into the inner islands via Peavine Pass, allowing our guests a glimpse of the back country air stripe on Blakely Island! We continued our journey watching the Washington State Ferries make their way through the inner islands as we traveled through Harney Channel! The inner islands proved not only beautiful backdrop to our trip but also provided protected waters as we traveled towards whales!! Just before entering into Haro Strait we found a pair of mature Bald Eagles! The eagles were perched across a channel from one another watching the water intently! At the south end of Haro Strait is where we found the Orcas playing in the waves, which seemed to be a three dimensional playground for the whales!! Our guests eagerly watched the tall 6 foot dorsal fins of the males rise out of what appeared to be nowhere, a couple of younger whales appeared to be surfing the waves, while others used the surge to catapult their flukes high into the air creating quite a splash!! After only a few moments it became quite clear that we were surrounded!! Whales could be seen in all directions! The bit of swell that had built allowed us a unique look at the whales, since every surfacing required each whale to lift their head further than normal out of the water in order for them to inhale safely! It was quite an exhilarating visit and sadly it had to come to an end. We said our goodbyes and returned back to the inner islands and the protected waters!! Another great day spent with whales ended with a fantastic sunset that set the sky on fire with brilliant reds, golds and pinks!!" - Naturalist Kate Janes

Humpback Whales in sight!

The Island Explorer 3 is on scene near Constance Bank watching Humpback Whales! Stay tuned to the Whale Report for details on today's tour from naturalist Kate Janes.

Butterfly...Fingerprint

Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes

Why Hello There!

Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes

"Through the liquid sunshine of Washington state we began our journey by entering into Rosario Strait! The rain didn't stop the wildlife, our guests enjoyed a Harbor Seal racing a sailboat, feeding Harbor Porpoise in the current and Pelagic Cormorants perched on channel markers! Once in the Strait of Juan de Fuca the rain subsided as we continued on towards Canadian waters! Near Constance Bank a beautiful sight lay before us: 3 Humpback Whales swam closely grouped!! The long journey paid off as the 3 where having a whale of a time! Their heart-shaped blows lifted high in the air slowly dissipating just as their backs rolled through the water leading up to their dorsal fin! Moments after arriving on scene with the whales we noticed that one whale appeared to be getting quite agitated with the other two, as it cartwheeled and repeatedly taillobed!! Then after their deep dive the whale that was acting a little frustrated created quite a splash as it breached out of the water!!! What a display! Apparently the other whales got the hint for they surfaced right by the boat, away from the breaching whale!! Eventually we had to leave the 3 giants and begin our journey back to the port. Our return trip took us northward up Haro Strait into more protected waters where we found Dall's Porpoise feeding in its calm water and 2 pairs of Bald Eagle near Battleship Island! Also seen on todays journey included: Common Murres, Glaucous-winged Gulls, Heereman's Gulls, and Great Blue Herons!" - Naturalist Kate Janes

Friendly Minke Whale Makes Close Passes!!

Making A Splash (Dall's Porpoise)

Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes

Breaking the Surface

Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes

Lunch

Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes

"The Island Explorer 3 existed the marina and entered into Guemes Channel where we found Harbor Seals and Harbor Porpoise swimming searching for food in its water! Our journey today lead us southward into the Strait of Juan de Fuca and towards the sunshine! In the Strait of Juan de Fuca hundreds of Common Murres sat in lines on the water, pairs of Marbled Murreletts dove quickly as we continued on our adventure and the loud smacking of Pacific Loon's feet as they took off from the water could be heard as we searched for whales! We made our way to the south end of San Juan Island when we found Dall's Porpoise rooster tailing in the distance! As we approached the 6 foot long porpoise they quickly became engaged with the boat!! Their black and white bodies could be seen bow riding moving fast from side to side, while others went to our stern to play in the wake!! After a few minutes the porpoise disappeared. A quick turn of the boat caused the porpoise to regain interest in the boat!! This thrilling interaction between the porpoises and the boat continued for quite awhile before we departed looking for whales! It was venturing back to Lopez Island where we found a very friendly Minke Whale who wanted to check us out!! Slowly making its way through the water allowed our guests great looks at the grey banding patterns on its back leading up to its small dorsal fin! At one point the whale turned from us placing us downwind from the whale, resulting in us smelling the whales foul breath!! The water being flat calm also allowed our guests to see the formation of the footprints as the whale reentered the water!! As we left our friendly Minke after a great visit, another Minke appeared moments later! This much smaller whale surfaced a few times before disappearing! We ended our journey with a pass between Lopez Island & Castle Rock where we saw a couple of Harbor Seals hauled out, a Belted Kingfisher flying along the shoreline and a Great Blue Heron fishing from on top of some Bull Kelp!" - Naturalist Kate Janes

Orca Whales Near Stuart Island!

Today is our annual crew appreciation picnic that we have for our SUPER hard working crew!! The location of the Orca Whales today should make for a great tour tomorrow! Our next tour will be Thursday, October 2nd at 12PM and we do have space available. We are open until 1PM today, Wednesday October 1st and will re-open tomorrow at 8AM. You can call our toll free number 1-800-465-4604 and make reservation by leaving a message - we will return your call first thing Thursday morning.

Thank you,

Island Adventures Staff

Whale Watching Report

Friday, October 31, 2008

Orca Whales Off Edmonds!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

65 Tours In A Row With Whales!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Orcas Still Close to Home!!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

K-pod surprises us today!

Orca Whales Just Off Our Dock!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Humpback and Minke Whales Sighted!

Monday, October 13, 2008

Orca Whales Headed Toward Anacortes!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Active Humpback Whales!!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Humpback Whales Sighted From Island Explorer 3!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Orcas...Orcas....Everywhere!!!

Monday, October 6, 2008

A Bounty of Wildlife

Sunday, October 5, 2008

5 Humpback Whales Sighted!

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Orca Whales Near Pile Point!

Friday, October 3, 2008

Humpback Whales in sight!

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Friendly Minke Whale Makes Close Passes!!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Orca Whales Near Stuart Island!

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