2008 San Juan Islands

One Day Adventure Cruise

The San Juan Islands come back to life in the early spring months.  The weather in the San Juan Islands stays mild allowing fabulous cruising through early fall.

The resident orca whales now number 87.  As adults they range in size from 20 to 35 feet and weigh 5 to 7 ton.  There have been 6 new calves in the past 2 years.  The new calves weigh about 300 pounds at birth.  The resident orca whales are grouped in their matriarch families and are designated pods J ,K, and L.  They start returning from the ocean in April and generally stay in the San Juan Islands through the first two weeks of October.  Every so often they do leave for a few days and follow the salmon out to the ocean.

Besides our orca and minke whales returning for the season, the gray whales and stellar sea lions can often be seen as they migrate back to Alaska.  The Alaska stellar sea lions are normally only in the San Juans in April and May and then again in September and October.  Female stellar sea lions weigh in at a mere 800-1200 pounds, the males tip the scales between 2000-2400 pounds.  The Alaska stellar sea lions are a phenomenal site.  Besides viewing these magnificent creatures, you can also hear a symphony of roars, growls, and grumbles in the distance.

On our day whale watching trips in 2007 we had a 95% sighting rate of Orca whales. On our three day to two night trips we achieved a 100% sighting rate. If one of your main goals is to see the Orca whales in there natural habitat April and May are good and June through September are excellent. My favorite month is September as the whales are much more active-mating season and the Stellar Sea Lions have returned. The weather in September is usually still in the 60’s and 70’s and the sunsets are exceptional.

A Sample Itinerary

One, complimentary ticket, with each group booking.

Have the organizer of your group give us a call to put together the perfect package to create memories of a lifetime.

Starting at $165 per person