Orca EXTRAVAGANZA: A Long Weekend Deep Dive for “Dorcas”

START DATE: Friday October 4th

END DATE: Sunday October 6th

Fall 2024

Small Group Courses | Max Participant Size: 11

COURSE BOOKINGS CLOSE: Friday Sept 13th, 6PM (PST)

  • You consider yourself a passionate “dorca” (lover of all things killer whale!) and you desire to deep dive into Southern Resident orcas and Bigg’s orcas through talks, activities, stories, excursions, and experiences with other like-minded orca enthusiasts.

  • Hope to learn and/or experience something new! Desire some sneak peeks that only San Juan Island can provide.

This excursion is for you if -

Course & Excursions Price (TOTAL):

$299/per person +tax

  • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4th - In-person evening for an Orca Deep Dive

    • Talk: Orca Culture & Connections

    • Activities: identification methods through observations and sketching; “eat like a Southern Resident”; storytelling; a silent auction fundraiser to support Orca Behavior Institute and Center for Whale Research.

  • SATURDAY OCTOBER 5th: Ferry to San Juan Island, WA - shuttle to Lime Kiln Lighthouse for a private lighthouse tour with F.O.L.K.S. Founder and Program Director Erin Corra; viewing and lunch from Whale Watch Point; head back to downtown for a private visit to Center for Whale Research’s Education Center.

  • SUNDAY OCTOBER 6th: Vessel Excursion: Whale Watch Charter from Anacortes, WA (12PM-4:30PM* time to be confirmed). Social to follow - 6pm-8pm

Schedule:

  • Snacks, drinks, and all supplies for activities on Friday evening;

  • Walk-on ferry ticket, shuttle fare, private tour(s) expenses/fees/tips on Saturday;

  • Whale watch excursion on Sunday.

    • This EXTRAVAGANZA weekend offers participants roughly 17 hours of education, exploration, behind-the-scenes access, guided community discussions, in-person experience!

  • Guided Naturalizing with a focus on orcas, where applicable - roughly 3-4 hours aboard a whale watch charter equipped with an experienced Captain and knowledgeable Sea to Sky Guiding Naturalist. While we’re charting a course to observe orcas in the Salish Sea, we’ll also watch for other wildlife, whales, birds, and marine mammals during the entirety of the excursion. Our chartered vessel leaves from Anacortes, Washington. *Please note: as with all wild animals, we commit to doing our best to locate orcas but cannot make any promises—these wild animals move about and can travel 70-100 miles in a single day. Community networking through the Pacific Whale Watch Association and knowledge of the previous days sightings and wildlife patterns help strengthen our chances for an encounter!

  • Optics - Binoculars: Nikon PROSTAFF P3 8x42 (4 pair available for use).

  • Educational Materials Available While Onboard: 2019 Bigg’s killer whale guide; *2023 Southern Resident killer whale guide. Laminated behaviors and identifying the basics, created by Sea to Sky Guiding.

  • Trip Report - within two weeks of the end of the last excursion, a detailed trip report with photos will be shared for participants to enjoy. Details will also be found on our blog!

  • *2023 Southern Resident orca catalog is on hand strictly for educational values and comparisons to Bigg’s killer whales; we will not be striving to actively watch these critically endangered orcas if around, and if a chance encounter were to happen, by law we are not permitted to be closer than 1,000 yards to them, must report our findings, and then safely transit out of their immediate area.

Included in the price:

  • Parking Fee at Anacortes Ferry Terminal; Food, Beverages, Snacks on Saturday and Sunday - participants are responsible for parking expenses and packing their own food and drink for our day on San Juan Island and our vessel excursion.

  • *Tips - captains and crew work hard to ensure we have the best day on the water that we can. While never expected, if you feel so inclined, tips for the vessel Captain and crew are always appreciated!

NOT Included in the price:

  • Fill out the information block with all the required information.

  • ADD: amanda@seatoskyguiding.com to your email contacts — I have had a rough go at my emails heading to “junk” and “spam” inboxes!

  • Trip Policies and Procedures, Trip Contract, and Deposit/Payment Requirements will be emailed back to you *within 24-48 hours if the number of spots you request to reserve are available.

  • *I am working aboard the Snow Goose in SE Alaska for about 3 weeks this summer (June 14th-July 7th); it is likely I will not have access to internet at this time. Emails will be responded to in the order they are received as soon as it’s possible! Thank you for your patience during this time!

Ready to Book?