WhaleTales

  • PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG
  • By Ken & Laurel

Each Spirit of Orca tour is a beautiful and unique experience, an ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’. This is a bucket list item for many people to see whales and orcas in the wild. If this is you, we would love to make your dreams come true. 

Call or reserve online and let us make an ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’ happen for you! 

T65As Friday Harbor to Point Roberts

T65As Friday Harbor to Point Roberts

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text] Killer Whales All Day Long We knew we were seeing Orca

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We have several pods of Orca in the area to choose from today for our viewing. The viewing today of Orca both North and South of the San Juan Islands was an enjoyable experience. On the morning tour, we started north and saw some Harbor Seal mama's with their pups, some younger than others. There were sea birds to see including Black Oyster Catchers, Black Turnstone, and I expected to see Bald Eagles on Java Rocks, but instead, there were a bunch of Turkey Vultures there. We were viewing the T46's in Boundary Pass as they moved up the channel. We stayed with them until they reached the Saturna Island Rich Folks Protection Zone. It is supposed to be a critical habitat area for the protection of the Southern Resident Killer Whales. Doesn't matter that the Southern Residents are nowhere within a hundred miles from here. The Saturna folks cried, and politicians jumped to protect the islanders' views of the sea. The T46B's were not with the T46's today but about 38 nautical miles to the south. This pod includes Casper, T46B1B. Casper is the more white than it is black calf with a pigment disorder. It is not a true albino though he is a beautiful whale to view. There was a great deal of tidal turbulence at Boiling Reef today as we crossed into the Strait of Georgia. After the whales cleared the no go zone in front of the Saturna island cliff dwellers homes, we again were able to start viewing the pod. The afternoon tour we made our way south into the Strait of Juan de Fuca to view the T65A's. On the way, we stopped to see Harbor Seals and pups. We pulled into Shark Reef Cove and saw a couple of Bald Eagles sitting proud gazing for fish to dive for. We were headed for the T65A's when I noticed there were too many boats around them. I decided to take our tour to an island where I knew we would see Tufted Puffins. It was beautifully calm today, with the tufted puffins. I love these little birds. I think my favorite is the Black Oystercatcher, followed by the Tufted Puffin, then maybe Great Blue Heron. However, I can't leave the Red Neck Phalarope from the list of my favorites. I will include a pic of a Phalarope in this post so you can see why. We did meet up with the T65A's after most of the boats had left. They gave us some excellent viewing, especially the young calf with lots of energy. As I was departing I let a pleasure boater know he was not legal tailing the whales and that he needed to move off to either side and stay out with the professional boat operators. On the way back in we stopped off at Salmon bank to see a couple of Minke Whales spotted in the area. We did not see them so made our way to some rocks to view Stellar Sea Lions. While shutdown and taking pics a pair of them that were in the water swam underwater and showed up under the boat checking us out. These huge beautiful creatures are a curious lot. The big bulls grow up to 2500 pounds. Again, the vOrca both North and South

Orca Both North and South

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text] Orca Both North and South We have several pods of Orca

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Sleepy Humpback & Pretty Puffins

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text] A Sleepy Humpback There was plenty of wind and waves today.

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patos island lighthouse

Breaching Humpback & Ugly Chicks

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text] Heather in the Strait of Georgia On the first tour of

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Georgia Sunset

Lots of Biggs Orca

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text] Biggs Orca up North I had two great tours today and

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Way past butchart gardens

Way Past Butchart Gardens

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text] T124s in San Juan Channel This morning was one of those

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many biggs orca nearby

Many Biggs Orca Nearby

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text] Many Biggs Orca Nearby We had many biggs orca nearby today.

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tufted puffin

Biggs Orca near Port Townsend

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Our day started off with two options. Go north and search for

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turn point lighthouse and mount baker

Casper and Other Family

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text] I Failed to look Right. Today as I left the harbor,

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Porpoising Orca

Three Pods of Orca

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text] Three Pods of Orca Spirit of Orca left the dock this

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San Juan Channel Sunset

Four Pods Beautiful Day

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text] Four Pods Beautiful Day An excellent day for Spirit of Orca

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Orca Pods T65As & T77s

Orca Pods T65As & T77s

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]We had another tour today with return guests from prior tours. They

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Biggs-T60s and Humpback Whale

Biggs-T60s and Humpback Whale

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text] Biggs-T60s and Humpback Whale We had two tours today. Both were

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Biggs Orca in Georgia Strait

Biggs Orca in Georgia Strait

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text] Good to see Orca Again The last two days have been

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Egg Yolk Jellyfish

Humpback Whale & Gray Whale

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text] Humpback Whale & Gray Whale The weather was rough down south

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