Island Adventures Whale Watching

10/27/2026

No tricks, just treats on our Halloween whale watch… and maybe some eyes watching from the trees 👀

We’re just a few days away from our 1 PM tour on October 31st! Join us for a frightfully fun 3-4 hour trip, whales and wildlife, and tasty treats. Remember to wear your favorite costume!

📸 Naturalist Sam

Book now: https://reservations.island-adventures.com/reservations/17

10/26/2026

October 25, 2026 | 1 PM Whale Watch

- Bigg's killer whales (T36A1 and her new baby)
- Humpback whale (BCY0983 Aerie)
- Steller sea lions
- Harbor seal
- Sika deer, fallow deer, mouflon sheep
- Bald eagles

A classic October day on the water with two types of whales! Out west, we joined a humpback whale known as Aerie, who we identified after a few soundings of their flukes.

To the north, we met up with T36A1, her oldest calf T36A1A, and her brand new baby, first spotted in September!! It was such a privilege to get to hang with this new bundle of joy 🥰

📸 Captain/Naturalist Tyson

Bigg's killer whales (T36A1 and her new baby) Humpback whale (BCY0983 Aerie) Steller sea lions Harbor seal Sika deer, fallow deer, mouflon sheep Bald eagles

10/25/2026

October 24, 2026 | 1 PM Whale Watch

- Bigg's killer whales (T34s, T37s, T37As, T137s, T65A5)
- California sea lion
- Steller sea lions
- Bald eagles
- Deception Pass

Our adventure south took us into Saratoga Passage, where we encountered a big mix of Bigg’s killer whales! Multiple pods were traveling together and sharing prey. There’s something special about seeing so many different families coming together in one place!

📸 Captain/Naturalist Tyson

Bigg's killer whales (T34s, T37s, T37As, T137s, T65A5) California sea lion Steller sea lions Bald eagles Deception Pass

10/24/2026

Orcas are taking over October 🎃

It’s been a big month for Bigg’s killer whales, with orcas on nearly all of our tours! We’ve had the opportunity to spend time with an incredible lineup of familiar fins. Check out the Bigg’s we’ve seen so far:

T19s
T35As
T37s
T37Bs
T49As
T49C
T50s
T60D & T60E
T65A3
T65Bs

And October isn’t over yet! With 1 PM tours today, tomorrow, and on Halloween, there’s still time for our list to grow 🫍

📸 Naturalist Sam

10/22/2026

Over the moon for the yellow-billed loon 💛

You can imagine our excitement when this rare visitor made an appearance on a recent whale watch! Yellow-billed loons are a more uncommon sight in the Salish Sea, but our nearshore marine waters are one of the regions where they can be spotted during the cooler months!

Looking to check some birds off your bucket list? Our 1 PM trips this weekend have the potential to view migratory and resident species 🪶

📸 Naturalist Sam

10/21/2026

Hump day with humpback whale BCY1037, Hornet 🐋

Fall is our last chance to spot these incredible whales before they begin their journey to warmer winter breeding grounds. Based off previous sightings in 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2024 documented in Happywhale, Hornet may be heading south to Mexico again!

📸 Naturalist Amy

Come search for these ocean giants on our 1 PM tours this Saturday and Sunday 😎

10/20/2026

Cozy season is here 🦦

Sightings like this fuzzy friend always warm our hearts! There’s something extra magical about being out on the water in the fall, soaking in the crisp air and watching our marine life thrive as the seasons change.

Grab your favorite cozy layers and hop on our next 1 PM whale watch this Saturday, October 24th 🍂

https://reservations.island-adventures.com/reservations/17

📸 Naturalist Amy

10/19/2026

October 18, 2026 | 1 PM Whale Watch

- Bigg's killer whale (T49C)
- Yellow-billed loon!
- Steller Sea Lions
- Harbor Seals
- So many birds

TWO big surprises on our tour... T49C Janet/Nielson was still in the area, and we spotted an incredibly rare yellow-billed loon!

With high hopes, we searched the Strait of Juan de Fuca with the possibility of finding Bigg's killer whales. As we crossed McArthur Bank, a vigilant guest spied a tall black dorsal fin off our port side!! It turned out to be T49C, cruising through the glassy waters between the banks.

Waving goodbye to Janet/Nielson, a smaller animal grabbed our attention - a yellow-billed loon!! Its pale yellow bill helped us make the id match, and our birders onboard were over the moon 🤩

📸 Naturalist Sam

Bigg's killer whale (T49C) Yellow-billed loon! Steller Sea Lions Harbor Seals So many birds

10/18/2026

October 17, 2026 | 1 PM Whale Watch

- Humpback whales (CRC-23332, CRC-22818)
- Bigg's killer whale (T49C)
- Common murres
- Bald eagles
- A lucky harbor seal

Humpbacks, Bigg's, and some beautiful bird sightings made for another rich day on the water!

A sharp-eyed guest spotted our first whale of the day: a young humpback CRC-23332 that we encountered last summer near Victoria. Not long after, we found another familiar fluke in the water. It turned out to be Humpback CRC-22818 who has been documented both here and Hawaii.

After receiving reports of a lone male orca in Burrow’s Bay, we experienced a little déjà vu when we came across T49C Janet/Nielson in nearly the same region where we spotted him a few days ago! This time, a harbor seal narrowly escaped as it swiftly maneuvered out of the area. Nice try, Nielson 🦭

📸 Naturalist Sam

Humpback whales (CRC-23332 & CRC-22818) Bigg's killer whale (T49C) Common murres Bald eagles A lucky harbor seal

10/16/2026

The spookiest tour of the year is almost here 🎃

Join us on October 31st for a Halloween whale watch packed with whales and wildlife, tasty treats, discounted retail, and a spooktacular raffle!

👻 Departure: 1 PM

⏰ Duration: 3–4 hours (back in time for an evening of trick-or-treating)

🧙‍♀️ Costumes highly encouraged!

Don’t miss out on this fang-tastic tour… book now on our website!

https://reservations.island-adventures.com/reservations/17