This was a wonderful sunset trip. We started at 5.30 and were back just before 9 p.m.The scenery was simply gorgeous, and the weather cooperated, giving us brilliant skies.
It was hot at first, and then turned chilly on the water. The crew handed out blankets to anyone who needed them. We'd come prepared, with multiple layers of clothing in a backpack. I started with a t-shirt, added an overshirt, added a travel vest, added a windcheater coat and a knit cap and a scarf. (Others did a lot less.)
We had a couple of small kids aboard, including one in our own party. The boat had toys and books to keep them entertained. The inside cabin made a safe space for them to play out of the wind, though of course with adult supervision. On the deck, they needed to wear the provided life vests.
The MV Sealion was small enough to be fast, but large enough to be stable. The two naturalists on board, Jordan and Rachel, were knowledgeable and friendly and good with answering questions. I learned about the transient and resident orca populations, and why they don't interbreed despite overlapping ranges.
We saw harbor seals, bald eagles, and best of all, a pod of 4 adult and one baby orca, from the transient population. (Rachel afterward showed us precisely which ones they were, from a whale identifier.)
All in all, as near perfect a trip as I can imagine.