Puffin Cruise on the Salish Sea

I am lucky to live in a spot where Tufted Puffins can be seen throughout the breeding season, but in my quest to tick off all the puffin species, there is still one on my list: Horned Puffins. One has been repeatedly spotted mingling with the Tufted Puffins at Smith Island in northern Washington, so we decided to see if we could catch a glimpse of them.

There are several operators to choose from that offer boat trips from various locations along the Salish Sea. We chose the Salish Sea School for these trips because they are fundraisers for their work in educating kids and adults about the nature found along the Salish Sea. They are based out of Anacortes and conduct trips throughout the summer. We secured space on a cruise at the end of June and checked eBird frequently to see if the Horned Puffin had been reported. Finally, on June 21, 2025, it was first seen for the year.

Smith Island, along with several other adjacent islands, is part of the San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge and is closed to the public. From 1858 to 1950, it was home to the Smith Island Light that helped alert sailors to the dangerous sandbars throughout this area. When it was built, the lighthouse stood 200 feet away from the edge of the cliff; however, erosion ate away at the bluff, leading to the dismantling of the lighthouse. The area has also been designated as the Smith and Minor Island Aquatic Reserve due to the significant species it supports, including Tufted Puffins, Rhinoceros Auklets, bull kelp, and various rockfish species, as well as important habitats such as kelp beds, seagrass, and bluffs.

So, on the day of the boat tour, we arrived at the Salish Sea School office 15 minutes before the kick-off and donned our pelagic gear – just in case. Folks started to trickle in, and after a few minutes, we headed towards the dock and climbed aboard. My husband, I, and a couple of friends gathered in the back with plenty of elbow room, and the boat took off from the crowded marina.

Right off the bat, we were seeing Pelagic and Double-crested Cormorants and Rhinoceros Auklets flying low and fast over the water. We quickly passed by a small, rocky outcropping filled with Pigeon Guillemots, which were climbing the rocks and swimming in the water, and a raft of Harlequin Ducks.

A little while later, Smith Island was on the horizon, a low island sloping into the sea. Our first birds here were Bald Eagles of various ages, who prey on harbor seals that were hauling out with their babies. The boat glided over the tangle of bull kelp, providing a rich habitat for fish and other critters to hide and grow. Then we started seeing the Tufted Puffins! Where we live, they occur high up on rocks or flying above you, so it was a rare treat to see them so close and on the water. There were a few within 50 feet of the boat that sat on the water and then dived below.

Now that we had a chance to see those, my attention turned to looking for my target: the Horned Puffin! The boat skirted the edge of the kelp forest where there were puffins and auklets swimming. The onboard educator informed us that someone had recently taken a photo of a Horned Puffin poking out of a burrow dug into the cliffs. The Tufted Puffins dig burrows just beneath the edge of bluffs for nesting. No puffin there…. so, I stared out towards the horizon searching for a glimpse of a bird with a white face.

Unfortunately for us, not everyone onboard was as single-minded about seeing the rare puffin, so the boat continued with the tour, passing by the next island: Minor Island. Here, we saw a few locally uncommon birds, including an out-of-season Long-tailed Duck and seven Brown Pelicans loafing on the beach. The harbor seals at the water’s edge were also fun to watch, with lots of babies between the larger females.

At that point, we had about 30 minutes left to get back on time, so the boat headed towards the marina. It was disappointing not to see the lifer I had hoped for, but we had the opportunity to explore a beautiful area in our local area that we had not seen. The trip was worth it to see the beautiful San Juan Islands with mist rolling over the green forests at the edge of the sea.