Whales, Birds, and a Little Offshore Magic This morning, Captain Mike had a spot in mind. He took us about 11 miles offshore, leaving time to slow down and look once we arrived. On the way out, we spotted several harbor porpoises, a few brown pelicans, and more birds than we are used to seeing on a tour. As we neared our destination, the bird activity grew louder and busier. We sailed through a chorus that seemed to come mostly from cormorants, with a few higher notes from gr

It was a beautiful day to be out on the Bay, with clear skies, warm sunshine, and weather comfortable enough for shirtsleeves. Fortunately, the whales seemed to be enjoying it just as much as we were! Captain Mike took us directly toward Mussel Shoal, where whale activity had been reported the previous day. As we approached the area, a few guests spotted what appeared to be a distant spout. Within minutes, the possibility became a reality when a good-sized humpback whale brea

While we didn’t spot any whales on this trip, it was still a gorgeous day out on the Bay. We enjoyed full sunshine and encountered plenty of other marine life, including harbor porpoises, harbor seals, and sea lions. We also spotted some of our familiar pelagic seabirds, including common murres and terns. Recent reports of orcas hunting porpoises about 12 miles offshore have us especially excited about what we might encounter on a future trip. Every cruise is different, and w

Today brought gorgeous conditions on the Bay, with calm waters and plenty of sunshine. We headed toward the open water in search of whales, spotting harbor porpoises and sea lions along the way. The excitement began when two thresher sharks suddenly leapt from the water just feet from the bow! As we approached an area where salmon fishermen had gathered, we spotted a spout a few hundred yards away. We moved in for a closer look and watched as a humpback slapped its tail fluke