The transients are here and they have been putting on quite the display for us this past week! We’ve seen numerous tail slaps, spy hops, and even a few breaches out there. We’ve been seeing seals galore, and have had some incredible bird watching, too! The summer season is really starting to pick up, so be sure to make your reservations soon if you plan on coming out within the next couple of months. Spaces are going fast!

06/25/2016

06/20/2016

This time of year is always so magical here in the San Juan Islands. We’ve recently been lucky enough to have a couple of humpback whales in the area – a mother and her young calf. Known for their rounded backs and deep dives, it is truly majestic to see their large tails come fully above the water line. Unlike orca whales, which will migrate in order to follow the fish, the humpbacks follow a set migration pattern during the year. Here in the San Juans, it’s typical to see them here as they pass through, but not for very long!

June 06, 2016
Another great day aboard the Odyssey with resident orcas! Today wasn’t quite as hot as yesterday, but the whale watching was on fire. We again had our resident orcas in the area. We also were able to spot a humpback whale from a distance. We saw a mix of J pod and L pod today. The first group of whales that we saw were the “Cookie Crew”. This group is made up of Oreo, who is the mother and her offspring, Doublestuff and Cookie! We also saw a group of L pod whales. It was another great day here in the San Juan Islands!

This morning, 06/05/16, our resident orcas returned to the area. It was the first time since May 11th that they have visited us. J pod, parts of K pod and parts of L pod all came back! We watched the L4 family group and the L47 family group. We also saw L90 and 92. There were about 19 total members of L pod that we fortunate enough to see in the natural environment. What an amazing day. The weather was absolutely spectacular and we wound up circumnavigating San Juan Island. At one point we were able to deploy our hydrophone and hear the whales vocalizing and communicating with each other. It sure was nice to see our residents!

Captain Pete