Who We Are

Western Prince was the first company from the San Juan Islands to share the wonder of Orca whales with the public in 1986 and has continued to maintain the highest quality viewing experience with over 2500 tours to date. We have dedicated years to observing and understanding marine wildlife here in the San Juan Islands and our entire crew enjoys sharing their knowledge and insight with you. Our company operates on a smaller scale with a personal touch, providing a superior tour while still showing our utmost respect for the whales and wildlife we encounter. We pride ourselves on always observing federal and Pacific Whale Watch Association whale watching guidelines.

 

Meet Our Crew

Our crew makes all the difference. We are very passionate about what we do and where we live and we love to be able to share it others.

 

Captains

Ivan Reiff is the proud owner and operator of Western Prince Whale Watching & Wildlife Tours. Ivan resides in Friday Harbor with his wife Jacquelyn, son Brendan, and their two dogs, Jesse and Zoe.

Ivan holds a USCG Master 100 Ton License and is a full time captain on the Western Explorer and Western Prince II. Ivan’s appreciation for marine wildlife began in childhood, working on his father’s commercial fishing vessel from the age of 9. “Commercial fishing taught me to appreciate the beauty and diversity of the marine environment. It also showed me the need for conservation and education. Our hope is that we will have a positive impact by sharing this incredible marine ecosystem with our guests."

 

Captain Alan "Hobbes" Buchanan was born in London's East End, in England. At the age of 14 he began helping run the family Tug and Barge business. After spending years on the ocean, he earned his unlimited Master's license of Towing vessels on any ocean. After coming to the US in 1981, he worked in the capacity of Captain on large tugs and supply vessels in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska, until coming to the San Juan Islands. For the past seven years he has operated pilot boats in Anacortes, Port Angeles, and Neah bay and Whale watching vessels around the San Juan and Canadian Gulf Islands. In 2008 he was captain of the Soundwatch vessel encouraging good and safe whale watching practices by vessel operators.

 

 

Captain Pete has been going to sea since 1981, when he and his wife, Nancy went on their first trip to Alaska in a 30-foot sailboat. Since then they have cruised over 20,000 miles including an extended two-year cruise to Boston, Massachusetts via Central America and the Panama Canal, and a second cruise to Alaska. These adventures provided the perfect environment to become familiar with the amazing wildlife one sees along the Pacific Coast of North America. As a Captain aboard the Western Prince since 2001, he has been able to introduce traveling guests to an incredible array of wildlife and has added a few special “Captain Pete” features (ask him about doing “donuts” in Cattle Pass).

 

Naturalists

Alison has had a life long passion for animals and the out-of-doors. Growing up in Washington State has provided her the opportunity to live in the city, the mountains and now the Islands at the center of the Salish Sea. Alison completed the Marine Naturalist Training class in 1998 and has been a working Naturalist in Friday Harbor ever since. She has continued her informal education by attending lectures, workshops, volunteering with local whale researchers and Soundwatch. Alison is also a charter member of Salish Sea Association of Marine Naturalists. For Alison every day on the water is another learning experience and she looks forward to sharing these experiences and her local knowledge with all who visit the San Juan Islands.

Chris Cassidy fell in love with the islands on a visit in 2001, and moved here 2 months later. Her first experience seeing orcas in the wild was life changing and enhancing and led her to complete The Whale Museum's Naturalist Training in 2002 and begin working on the Western Prince in 2003. Currently our office manager and naturalist, Chris feels she has the best of both worlds and is passionate in sharing the Salish Sea experience with our guests from first phone inquiry through to the breathless wonder of our wildlife encounters. A member of SSAMN and committed to providing an educational and enlightening tour experience.

 

 

 

John Boyd "JB" comes to us from Texas, where he got his Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education and Biology.  He taught for two years at Houston ISD Outdoor Education Center before moving to the Pacific Northwest.  JB completed the Marine Naturalist Training class in 2002, and has been working as a Marine Naturalist ever since. JB has also been a volunteer with The Whale Museum's Soundwatch boater education program since 1997.  JB is also a charter member of Salish Sea Association of Marine Naturalists.  When he's not out with Western Prince, JB can be found on various research boats in the area assisting and learning first-hand about important research in our area.

 

 

Monika Wieland is an avid bird-watcher, wildlife photographer, and whale lover. In 2007, she graduated from Reed College with a degree in biology, and her senior thesis was on acoustic communication in Southern Resident killer whales. She is actively involved with The Whale Museum, where she works on acoustics projects at Lime Kiln Lighthouse. Monika also recently published a book of killer whale photographs called "Orca Encounters".

 

 

 

 

Nan sailed into the San Juan Islands in 1980 and the anchor is still set. She has a BA from U. of Wisconsin and education credentials from U. of Colorado. She taught at Friday Harbor Elementary School for 23 years and participated in developing the K-12 Marine Sciences Program. Living in Friday Harbor has made it easy to focus on her passionate interests in marine biology. She has been working on the water as a Marine Naturalist since 1996 and in 2004 became a USCG Licensed Captain. When not aboard the Western Prince you can find her at The Whale Museum Board meetings, teaching local children about the wonders of the marine world in their “backyard,”, cruising the Northwest waters with her husband aboard their 37’ ketch, photographing wildlife or kayaking Mexican waters in winter months.

 

Shann has a life long passion for whales and marine life. She has a Masters of Science in Natural Resources from the University of Alaska. In her nine years on the islands, she has worked for The Whale Museum, the University of Washington SeaGrant, San Juan Nature Institute, Elderhostel and Friends of San Juans. When she's not working on the Western Prince, Shann teaches environmental science at the high school and community college level.