Written by Ivan
The Best Time For Whale Watching in the San Juan Islands ...
September is one of our favorite months! After over a year of pandemic uncertainty, the We ...
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It was a spectacular day with an amazing encounter with “Biggs” Transient Killer Whales the T124A’s. The group is made up of T124A (1984), her daughter, T124A1 (1996) and two other offspring T124A3 (2006) and T124A4 (2010). When we first got on scene the whales were cruising the shoreline of Moresby Island in Canada. They swam along with bull kelp draped around their dorsal fins. Next they were on to hunting harbor seals. The first harbor seal popped up in several of my pictures as they hunted/harassed it. There are three pictures in this set that have the seal with the Orcas, so look closely. After the huge tail slap the seal popped up again, so they were definitely trying to injure it at that point. After this kill they picked up another harbor seal a little further off. Many passengers got pictures of two spy hops. In the first one the whale was holding the seal by the scruff of its neck, the second it was draped in it open mouth!!! What a day! We ended with a nice cruise home enjoying bald eagles, the exotic animals on Spieden Island, and a quick look at some harbor porpoise.
September is one of our favorite months! After over a year of pandemic uncertainty, the We ...
Summer in the San Juan Islands is upon us and we’re gearing up for a great season at Wes ...
UPDATE 3/17/20: Well ….. As we said, the situation is evolving rapidly. We have reas ...
This is whale watching in the San Juan Islands at its best! An incredible encounter with B ...
It was a gorgeous day aboard the Western Prince II. We cruised south and visited with so ...
We headed south for a report of a breaching humpback whale and were not disappointed! It ...
What a great day on the water! We traveled south for a report of a humpback whale and we ...
We went the extra distance on the Western Explorer II! We ventured north and spotted a h ...
We had a pretty amazing day on the Western Prince on 9/3. We ended up having 3 encounters ...
We start this foggy morning with a slow trip through Cattle Pass and out on to Salmon Bank ...
It was a beautiful day for a run to the North. We headed up towards Canada with the hope o ...
We had an amazing encounter with most of the members of J-Pod this morning. They were trav ...
We had a great trip today on the Western Prince II. We encountered both Orca and Humpback ...
What a memorable day on the Western Explorer II! We had a late afternoon report of marine ...
We had a beautiful, flat and calm journey out from San Juan Island on the Western Explorer ...
Today we watched the T65A’s, a family group of Bigg’s killer whales, hunting a harbor ...
We’ve been having spectacular sightings here at Western Prince, located right in the hea ...
As we headed north on glassy waters reports of three different groups of Bigg’s, marine ...
We had an epic day on the Western Explorer II! We left Friday Harbor with a report of mult ...
Wow! Today was a beautiful day of whale watching on the Western Explorer II! After heading ...
Report from the Western Explorer II: There were reports of animals within our range, but w ...
We encountered 2 different groups of Bigg’s also known as Transient marine mammal-eating ...
We had an exciting day out of Friday Harbor on the Western Explorer II. Not only did we se ...
We had a beautiful morning on the water with perfect conditions. After leaving the dock on ...
On this spectacular June morning, we headed out from Friday Harbor, through San Juan Chann ...
Today our tour took us north into Canadian water and Boundary Pass. An adult humpback whal ...
This lovely last day of May provided fantastic weather and….whales! We spent time wi ...
Gorgeous day with a big tidal exchange! We headed south on the search for whales and wildl ...
Friday Harbor, WA/USA – May 29, 2019 – Western Prince Whale Watching tha ...
2019 sightings start out strong! We are seeing Killer whales on nearly all our tours! Hope ...
Ready. Set. Whale!! We are very excited to start our 2019 season! Starting this Saturday, ...
Thank you for your help! For over a decade we have been committed to donating at least 5 ...
We are always excited to see what each new season will bring!!! Things have been ch ...
We had a spectacular day on the water. About ten minutes before we were set to leave the ...
We left the dock with a report of Orcas to the North. Captain Peter headed in that directi ...
Observing orcas under any circumstance is always special, but it’s a definite treat to w ...
It was truly an amazing day with non-stop action from start to finish. The Bald Eagle acti ...
Can you believe it’s nearing the end of May already!? Neither can we! But the weathe ...
Today was one of the rare days that we had a report of orcas before leaving the dock and o ...
Today was such a treat! We got to see one of the few gray whales that makes its way into ...
What a wonderfully sunny day at sea! We got a report of a humpback whale in Canadian wat ...
Today we were joined by middle schoolers from Lafayette, CO. These teens were eager to s ...
Wow! What a day. A series of fortuitous events led us to Orcas almost in our backyard. ...
When we left the dock on May 8th we did not know what the day would bring. We headed north ...
As whale watch enthusiasts it can be easy to forget the other creatures that live in our b ...
It’s finally starting to feel like spring in the San Juans! The weather was sunny wi ...
As our naturalists like to say, “any day on the water is a good day.” As a new natur ...
Our guests today joined us from as close as Seattle to as far away as Florida for a whale ...
Spieden Island was the highlight today. Wildlife galore, Steller Sea Lions, Harbor Seals, ...
Wow! It’s been an incredible spring so far since we started operating! Not every sin ...
We had our first trip of the season on the Western Prince II today! And wow, did we ever l ...
What an incredible whale watching season 2017 was! We look forward getting back out on t ...
Wow! Well, it’s been a super busy summer season for us! We are now rolling into fall ...
It was a day of non-stop wildlife, wild beauty and wild water on Tuesday. We headed sout ...
Sunshine, calm seas, Bald Eagles, Harbor Seals and Bigg’s Killer Whales…a perfect set ...
With a Humpback whale report to the north and lots of wind to the south, north we went! We ...
The enthusiasm expressed when we caught sight of the 2 humpback whales, known as BCX01057 ...
Our tour began with several sightings of Humpback whales south of San Juan Island. Off we ...
What a fantastic day with Bald Eagles, Steller sea lions, Harbor seals, and of course thos ...
Today was one for the history books! We left the dock in Friday Harbor to start our whale ...
It was fun to experience so much of what the Salish Sea has to offer in one afternoon. O ...
Our whale watch trip start with fantastic news even before we left the dock in Friday Harb ...
When we left the dock at Friday Harbor today we had no idea what an adventure we were abou ...
It was fun to experience so much of what the Salish Sea has to offer in one afternoon. W ...
What an amazing day on the water we had today with not one but TWO species of whale ...
Orca Awareness Month, started by long-time orca education and advocacy group Orca Network, ...
The day started with no whale reports, but that quickly changed! We got word that quite a ...
We survived the elements and a very long run to have this great encounter with the T124A2 ...
Today’s whale watching trip from Friday Harbor led us into Canadian waters where we had ...
A beautiful evening on the water. We hooked up with the T101’s along the Salt Spring Isl ...
From the Western Explorer: Celebrating Memorial Day weekend in style!!! As we left Friday ...
We got some great action as we headed out of Friday Harbor. A Steller Sea Lion had just ca ...
It was a day to remember! We departed Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. We got word that ...
May 16th was quite a special whale watching trip. I’ve been out in the islands for o ...
A little bit of rain could not take away from an exciting encounter with the T123s, a grou ...
Perfect wildlife viewing weather made for an incredible day! The sky was slightly overcast ...
It was a beautiful and flat calm day on the water. We headed north, seeing harbor porpoi ...
I love spending time on the water here in the San Juan Islands. Especially on days like to ...
It was a great northwest kind of day on the Western Prince. We were honored to see Biggs ...
April 11, 2017 It was a fabulous day on the Western Prince. We were so lucky to see Stelle ...
Today was a wonderful adventure out into the Salish Sea! It was sunny and just slightly wa ...
It was a little windy and bumpy but the sights of a pod of Killer whales amazed us all! We ...
I hate to admit it, but we have been super spoiled. Our luck with whale sightings has been ...
April 2, 2017: Today’s encounter with the T36As & T99s! Make sure you keep your ...
While each encounter we have with any wildlife is special, there are some moments that sti ...
Our first whale watching tour from Friday Harbor is scheduled for Saturday, March 4th and ...
We had a wonderful visit with a Humpback whale at Turn Point Lighthouse! It has been anoth ...
Such a treat! Not only did we get to spend time with Js and Ls, we got to see 2 Humpback w ...
We started out tour with a report of Bigg’s Killer whales (transient) up north into ...
On a beautiful September evening, we headed out to catch up with the T60’s. Beautifu ...
A stunning afternoon on the water with members from J and K Pods! We headed north into Bou ...
We left the dock with a report of one humpback up north. As we headed in that direction ...
Happy 1st day of fall!!! And what a perfect fall day it was. We left Friday Harbor heading ...
This afternoon we had a great encounter with a large number of Southern Resident Orcas, al ...
Wow—what a great trip we had on the Western Explorer…. Heading out west HOPING to fi ...
A nice day on the water! Here are shots from our trip with the T65As and Steller Sea Lions ...
The Southern Resident Killer Whales that we saw that day included L94 – Calypso, a 2 ...
Pictures include the Turn Point Lighthouse on Stuart Island with the Olympic Mountains in ...
We sure had an amazing encounter with those transients!! To get to see them meandering a ...
Some days just take your breath away. This mornings trip was no exception! We got to hang ...
I love spending time with the T65As and this day was no exception. Gorgeous lighting condi ...
That was a great day on the water with K Pod, and those really awesome Steller Sea Lions! ...
What a fantastic day we had with all those Transient Orcas in Rosario Channel. Especiall ...
Another exceptional day on the water today! What added to watching the Endangered Southern ...
Any day on the water with orcas is a good day in my book. The longer you are out on the wa ...
My goodness! Was this a pretty amazing encounter! We had multiple whale reports in the are ...
A beautiful morning on the water searching for whales! A Humpback whale was found that we ...
As promised, here are your photos from our trip around Speiden Island with the Transient O ...
Wow!! I’m still smiling from our encounter with Transients way up in the Strait of Geo ...
Very cool encounter with some of J and K pods. While watching a couple different groups of ...
The timing was perfect to check out the kids (harbor seals) in the pool. Approximately 2 ...
An awesome morning on the water with part of J and Kpod! The whales were being pretty acti ...
A beautiful morning on the water with Southern Resident Killer whales! We got to see a bit ...
Today was one of the hottest days of the year and what better way to spend the day then on ...
A beautiful day in the Salish sea with Southern Resident Killer whales! ...
We definitely don’t get many days like the one we had on the 22nd!!! Great seals and t ...
What a fantastic day we had out on the water. Harbor seals, Stellar Sea Lions and of cou ...
What an amazing day this was with K Pod!!! On behalf of Captain Dennis, Katie, and mysel ...
We left the dock quickly as we knew that the whales were heading away from us and into rou ...
Ever wonder how many whales are too many or what a Steller sea lions teeth look like? The ...
WOW! An incredible day with three species of cetaceans. We first got to see a Gray whale i ...
The Bigg’s encounters have been just amazing lately! We caught up with the T46’ ...
Another fantastic day in the Salish sea with a large group of Bigg’s Killer whales ( ...
A beautiful afternoon with Js and Ks! Fantastic conditions and foraging whales made for a ...
A fellow whale watch operator’s boat was having issues as they left the dock, so our ...
Such a fantastic day! We started out with a rumor of a few orcas inter-island near Friday ...
Wow….what a magical day. To be able to sit in flat calm water watching J Pod foraging ...
That was a great encounter with J Pod—getting to see them pass by the Turn Point Lightho ...
So great to see the T18/T19s with “Mr. Floppy Fin”. He’s still hanging around whic ...
That was a great encounter with the T75s. Getting to see them take a seal was amazing, a ...
What a fantastic day we had with the transients up in the Strait of Georgia. ...
Here are the highlights of my pictures from our trip with the T65As….we sure did have to ...
T19B Rocked my world today! Fabulous day on the Western Prince. We had a large group of T& ...
We left the dock knowing we had a group of Bigg’s Killer whales in the area, so to t ...
It was a very still and beautiful morning when we set out in search of whales. We went all ...
We were so fortunate that later in the afternoon J pod and part of L pod had moved just in ...
What a special treat!! For only the second time in 10 years I got to see another Gray whal ...
We were very lucky to have whales close by today and 2 species no less! On the way down ...
We started our morning with no sightings, which turned into Bigg’s (transient) Kille ...
It was a fantastic morning on the Western Explorer with Captain JB at the helm! We started ...
Our second departure of the day took us down to the south end of San Juan Island. Most of ...
We started out our trip heading north and watching Harbor seals and their new pups at Sent ...
Today brought unexpected delights! We first caught up with at least 2 Minke whales that we ...
What a great day we had with the L22’s and L12’s, two subgroups from L-pod. My pictu ...
What an amazing trip with orcas fishing and spyhopping, followed by that tremendous encoun ...
What an amazing day we had with not only those active orca whales but also the amazing hum ...
We started out checking out the many seals sunbathing on Goose island. Also on Goose islan ...
Our afternoon took us to the south end of San Juan Island where we got to watch part of L ...
A beautiful morning encounter with some of Lpod! L85 “Mystery” and L89 “ ...
On our afternoon tour, we caught back up with some of Lpod who were still socializing on t ...
We had a fantastic tour this morning! We had lots of little groups from L pod on the sout ...
We started our tour on a lovely sunny morning! We heard some of J pod and L pod were movin ...
We met up with part of J-pod as they came around Turn Point and headed South. We had the ...
Timing as they say is everything. Today that was surely the case. There has been a large g ...
A day of surprises and special encounters close to home. On our first trip of the day, we ...
What’s a whale watching tour with Western Prince like? Check out our new video highl ...
What a fun adventure today! We saw some wonderful wildlife today in more flat calm conditi ...
What a wonderful trip!! We were very fortunate a Humpback whale was not far from Friday Ha ...
Beautiful conditions and lots of whales made for a fantastic Western Explorer trip! We wer ...
Another fantastic day on the water in the Salish Sea! We had an encounter with Bigg’ ...
Boiling reef was boiling yesterday afternoon. Crazy water – just lovin’ these ...
WOW WOW WOW!! While it’s always great out on the water every day, our trip on Tuesday ...
Such a wonderful adventure today! Our suits might have been dampened, but it was pretty ...
So cool to see L87 Onyx (the big guy in the photo below) hanging out with J2 Granny (105 y ...
We had a wonderful day out on the water with several groups of Bigg’s Killer whales, ...
Our day started off with a little drizzle and overcast skies with a report of orcas a bit ...
We left the dock knowing there were several groups of Killer whales spotted! What a terrif ...
What a great day we had with these two adult male Biggs (Transient) Killer Whales. They ...
It was a long and beautiful boat ride deep into Canadian waters…and it was more than wor ...
What a wonderful day of whale watching in the San Juan Islands! We had the T75B’s an ...
There is nothing quite like leaving the dock here in Friday Harbor with absolutely no whal ...
I decided to ride along on my day off as I heard there were some whales in the area. Katie ...
We headed north from Friday Harbor into the Canadian Gulf Islands to catch up a family of ...
It was a beautiful day on the water with a group of Bigg’s (transient) Killer whales ...
To start off the day with no reports, and end up with an amazing “Biggs” Transient Kil ...
What a perfect day on the water, sunshine, calm waters and lots of wildlife! We got to enj ...
It was a pretty breezy day on the water in some spots, but we got word that 2 Humpbacks wh ...
Today we saw lots of wonderful wildlife including Harbor seals, Steller sea lions, Bald ea ...
Despite it being a bit windy in the San Juan Islands today, all our whale watching guests ...
WESTERN PRINCE WHALE & WILDLIFE TOURS EARNS 2016 TRIPADVISOR CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE ...
Here are some highlight photos from our whale watching tour on the Western Prince on Mond ...
What an incredible encounter we had today! There has been a large group of Bigg’s (t ...
We started our day with a report of Bigg’s (transient) Killer whales north of San Ju ...
It was such a beautiful day as we left the dock in Friday Harbor. We did not have any whal ...
Life in the Salish Sea is Humpback rich right now! A morning charter on the Western Pri ...
It was a beautiful Mother’s day with the J16’s and the other amazing wi ...
Another great day on the water with Captain Nancy! We enjoyed Steller Sea Lions hauled ou ...
A beautiful day on the water with a Humpback whale named “Big Momma” who broug ...
It started out as a beautiful sunny day in the San Juan Island with a brisk wind. No repor ...
We left the dock with a rumor of whales to the south of San Juan Island and headed that wa ...
What a delight to catch up with a larger group of Bigg’s Killer whales. (transients) ...
Today was EPIC! We took a bit of a gamble and headed south on a long run towards a group o ...
What a day!! Sunny, hot, whales and wildlife and it is only April!! Fun day with Katie, Pe ...
We left the dock trekking south towards a very far report of whales. If they kept coming o ...
We had a glassy calm encounter with the T49A’s and T123 family groups of transient ( ...
Our day started with an abundance of sunshine with hardly any wind. What a wonderful way t ...
This is one of the most asked questions that we get! There is a reason so many peop ...
We had reports of Killer whales in the area on the west side of San Juan Island and these ...
The fantastic spring weather in the San Juan Islands continues! With no reports of any wha ...
March is generally not when we expect to see Killer whales on a regular basis around the ...