Lone Humpback

Whilst heading back to Seattle from the San Juan Islands on a summer whale watching cruise I had not expected to see anymore whales. The day had been a good one with plenty of Orca sightings in small transient pods off Lopez Island and now it was just time to enjoy the scenery. As we departed Friday Harbor we…

Stellar Sea Lions – The Big Dogs of the Sea

A cruise through the San Juan Islands of Washington state is not all about whale watching. On this summer voyage, briefly after leaving Friday Harbor, I got the opportunity to see up close a large group of Stellar Sea Lions at rest, work and play on and near a rocky outcrop just off San Juan…

Wolves of the Sea IV

Whale watching cruises in the Pacific Northwest provide a great opportunity to see Orca (Killer Whales) in abundance. That first fin sighting is a rush and seeing the Orca swimming so close always puts a smile on your face. Even more so when they pop up to take a look at you too! My summer…

An Epic 12 Hours

Depart Seattle aboard a Victoria Clipper whale watching cruise at 8:15am bound for Friday Harbor and the San Juan Islands. Let 12 hours of epic adventure unfold… This cruise had it all – perfect weather, plenty of wonderful scenery, amazing wildlife and even some aircraft action overhead for good measure. A perfect day for me!

Crater Lake National Park – Down by the Water

So blue, so clean, so cold… To gain access to the lake you need to take the Cleetwood Cove trail. It starts at the northern end of the Crater Lake National Park East Rim Drive.  Be sure to stop somewhere before the trail though to take in the view above Cleetwood Cove. Now it’s pretty easy-going down…

Seattle from West Seattle

Here comes the sun! Seattle, Washington in all it’s glory on a sunny Spring day today, as viewed from the West Seattle waterfront.

Sequoia National Park – Close Encounter of the Bear Kind

If you go down to the woods today You’re sure of a big surprise. If you go down to the woods today You’d better go in disguise. For every bear that ever there was Will gather there for certain, because Today’s the day the teddy bears have their picnic. I recently took a wander in…

My Top 10 US States

Since checking off travelling to all 50 US states last year, I get asked a lot what my favourite states are? That’s a pretty tough question! So, based off my overall travel experiences here goes. Firstly, generally people are friendly everywhere and each of the 50 US states has something special to offer but for…

More Puffins!

The Alaska SeaLife Centre in Seward on the Kenai Peninsula has quite a number of Horned and Tufted Puffins that you can get up very close to in the Seabird Habitat section of The Rocky Coast Gallery. This gallery has the deepest seabird pool in the United States at 6.4 metres deep (21 feet) holding…

Puffins!

These little birds are beyond cute. Two species of Puffin live in the Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska, the Tufted and Horned Puffin. What’s the difference? The Tufted Puffin is heavier and has white feathers on its face with a colorful beak and two tufts of yellow feathers atop its head. The Horned Puffin has, not surprisingly, a fleshy…

Wolves of the Sea III

The Orca of the Kenai Fjords, Deadly hunters one and all, Yet as family oriented and caring as any human being, They are just as curious of us, as we are of them… I can tell you from personal experience it is a fantastic experience to see wild Orca and it is an amazing experience when…

Wolves of the Sea II

Cruising the scenic waters of the Kenai Fjords National Park and seeing a small pod of Orca’s (Killer Whales) was a real highlight of my trip to Alaska. The Orca is a deadly hunter, yet such a magnificent, sleek and beautiful looking creature.  First seeing that unmistakable tall dorsal fin protrude from the water’s surface does not fail to bring a…