We went out on an 11am "Adventure Whale Watch" tour on the Kestrel boat on a Sunday in mid May and had a really great time. Captain Gabe and naturalist Alexandria were fantastic.
Although there were no orca sightings yet that day when we left Friday Harbor, we heard from the spotting network that there were transients just across the Canadian border not long after the tour started. It didn't take long at all to get there, and when we arrived there was a group of 5 or 6 very active orca having a meal (lots of birds swarming overhead for scraps). There were lots of tail slaps, some wonderful breaches, and plenty of swimming around giving us good views of saddle patches, dorsal fins, and eye patches. Alexandria did a great job narrating what we were seeing and was very informative; her passion for her work really came through. We also saw at least half a dozen bald eagles, including a couple that had a mid-air fight over a carcass on Spiden Island! We also saw some harbor seals, and it was touching to hear Alexandria tell us about her work rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing pinnipeds in Southern California.
The Kestrel was excellent -- pretty smooth ride on a slightly windy day, with very good viewing from every seat. It was nice that the crew kept the number of passengers below the maximum that would fit (and there were people showing up in the office looking to join), which kept it from feeling crowded and allowed for movement to get good views. (Although there are no bad seats, we also liked how Captain Gabe and Alexandria boarded the passengers in order that they'd booked, which seems like a nice idea to reward early booking and keep people from rushing to the front of the line.)
Captain Gabe was very respectful of the orca when we were observing them, and as marine mammal fans we appreciated that he and Alexandria explained why we were viewing them the way he were (i.e., from a certain distance, for the length of time that we did, etc.). Overall, a great trip. Highly recommended!
Odpowiedź od gospodarza
Jun 2019
Hi Justin!
Thank you so much for your kind review. We are so happy that you had an excellent experience on our Adventure Tour, it sounds like you saw some amazing wildlife! We are so lucky to work within the Pacific Whale Watch Association and our sighting network that encompasses all of these waters surrounding the San Juan Islands. Thank you for acknowledging Alexandria's educational narration as well as Captain Gabe's respectful operation around wildlife. We take great pride in respecting this environment and providing an excellent educational and fun experience out on the water!
Thank you for joining us, hope to see you again soon!
Brian Goodremont
Owner & Operator
San Juan Safaris