Healthy Boat Living

12/24/2025

Merry Christmas to the Healthy Boat Living community! 🎄⛵ 🛥

As we celebrate the beauty of the Salish Sea and the coastal lifestyle we love, it’s the perfect time to remember that our holiday spirit can extend beneath the waves.

Following the Be Whale Wise guidelines and maintaining legal distances from orcas and humpbacks ensures they can hunt and rest undisturbed during these colder months.

We are proud to advocate for the shift toward whale-safe fishing gear, such as ropeless technology and low-breaking-strength lines. These innovations are vital in reducing entanglement risks, helping to ensure our local waters remain a safe haven for every fin and fluke.

Wishing you a peaceful holiday and a safe, whale-friendly 2026 on the water! 🐋❄️

Maria & George Naumann
Healthy Boat Living

12/17/2025

Vessel Strikes are a Leading Cause of Whale Mortality.

But you have the power to help protect these magnificent giants every time you boat.

Download and use The Whale Alert App that turns your phone into an early warning system.

🐋 How the App Saves Lives:

Real-Time Alerts: Get pop-up notifications based on your GPS when you enter protected speed zones.

Report Sightings: Easily log live, dead, or distressed whales. Your report is instantly shared with maritime authorities and the Whale Report Alert System (WRAS).

Feeds the WRAS: This is the critical step! Your sighting feeds into the secure WRAS, which then sends real-time, high-priority restricted alerts to verified professional mariners (like ferry captains and freighter crews) within a 10-nautical-mile radius. This reduces the risk of collisions where it matters most.

Know the Rules: Access marine rules, speed limits, and regional approach guidelines right in the app to keep your journey safe and compliant.

Citizen Science: Every data point you contribute helps scientists map migration and feeding patterns, leading to more effective conservation policies.

The app displays recent sightings but they are delayed to prevent people rushing to the location.

Don't just watch the whales; protect them.

🐋 Download the free Whale Alert App today and join the worldwide effort to reduce collisions.

12/09/2025

Shhh! Want to know the biggest secret on the Celebrity Xcel? It's called IYKYK (short for "If You Know You Know"). It is more than a bar—it's an exclusive, immersive 1920s speakeasy experience that you need to find. ✨️

🤫 The Secret Tour & Experience
• How to Access: The entrance to IYKYK is discreetly hidden behind a photo booth located in The Club (Deck 4). You need to step inside, take a few pictures, and if the speakeasy is open and there is room, a secret door will open to invite you in.
• The Theme: Once inside, you are transported to a Prohibition-era setting, complete with 1920s Art Deco decor, jazzy music, and entertainers dressed as flappers and mobsters.

🥂 What to Expect:
• Exclusive Cocktails: Creative signature craft cocktails are served.
• Performances: You may see close-up magicians, singers, musicians, dancers, or jugglers.
• Time Limit: Guests are given an hour before they are asked to go back to the future and are ushered out—adding to the fun, secretive atmosphere.
• No Photos/Videos: To maintain the mystery and ensure guests are fully present, photos and videos are strictly prohibited inside the venue.
👀 P.S. I may have posted a reel that subtly hints at this secret speakeasy... but shhh! You have to go find the magic yourself. 😉

➡️ Follow for more cruising and boating adventures with a healthy twist from your favorite Dietitian and Trainer! CLICK HERE ➡️ Healthy Boat Living

12/09/2025

A reminder - they are still here. 🐋 Go slow while boating! The safest speed to travel in a boat to avoid striking humpback whales is 10 knots or less in known whale areas, as studies show this dramatically reduces the probability of a fatal collision.

Whales are often spotted by maintaining vigilance and scanning the water for their telltale blows (spouts of mist) and the characteristic shape of their dorsal fins as they surface to breathe and travel.

Many Humpbacks are still feeding off the coast of BC and have not yet migrated to the warm water breeding grounds of Hawaii, Mexico, or Central America.

Humpbacks do not all migrate at they same time. They have staggered departures and returns. Some leave much later and some return much sooner. As a result, boater vigilance is needed year round.

In fact, the research of McMillan et al (2025) found that there are the MOST Humpbacks in the Salish Sea from October to December. 🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋
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This stunning photo of Ghost (BCX1333), her 2025 calf, and a whale for who we still have to conclude the ID is by MERS.

Ghost is known to migrate to Hawaii thanks to . Of the 4 sightings known for her near Hawaii, the earliest she has been sighted is February 8.
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Gift the whales by signing up for MERS free, online, self-paced Whale-Safe Boating course:

🐋 www.WhaleSafeBoating.org

Even if not a boater, by taking the course, you can help educate others about the whales’ behaviour and how to increase safety for marine mammals and vessel operators.
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Research: McMillan CJ, Keppel EA, Spaven LD, Hrushowy SM, Doniol‐Valcroze T. 2025 Aug 27. Seasonal Abundance and Distribution of Cetaceans in a High Traffic Shipping Corridor. Marine Mammal Science. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mms.70061

11/17/2025

🤩 EXCITING MAGAZINE FEATURE ALERT! 🤩

I am so thrilled to share that I am featured in the latest edition of our local Sammamish Magazine!

I'm excited for everyone to read it!

Here is the link to the full article:

https://www.myactivenutrition.com/blog/sammamish-neighbors-magazine-feature

Follow me: Healthy Boat Living

Follow me: Active Nutrition Fitness and Nutrition Consulting

11/17/2025

🤩 EXCITING MAGAZINE FEATURE ALERT! 🤩

I am so thrilled to share that I am featured in the latest edition of the local Sammamish Magazine!

I'm excited for everyone to read it!

Here is the link to the full article:

⚓️ https://www.myactivenutrition.com/blog/sammamish-neighbors-magazine-feature

Follow me: Healthy Boat Living

Follow me: Active Nutrition Fitness and Nutrition Consulting

Shared with Dropbox

11/12/2025

🚨 Protect Our Whales: Stop Vessel Strikes Now!

DID YOU KNOW? In just one recent six-week span, three Humpback Whales (including known individuals Midnight, Skipper, and Wisp) were involved in reported vessel strikes in BC waters, resulting in two deaths and one injured calf.

This tragedy is a direct result of increasing vessel traffic overlapping with whale habitat. Vessel strikes are preventable.

Humpback whales are feeding off our coast year-round—especially from October through December in the Salish Sea. The knowledge gap must close to protect them.

The single most important action you can take today:

👉 TAKE THE FREE WHALE-SAFE BOATING COURSE.

Whether you operate a commercial vessel, a recreational boat, or even if you just share the message, this course provides the critical knowledge needed to:

•Understand Humpback behavior.
•Recognize signs of their presence.
•Learn crucial collision avoidance measures.
•Protect whales and yourself!

➡️ Course Link: www.WhaleSafeBoating.org

10/29/2025

Boat Hack Alert! Stop Wasting Food!

Tired of your fruits and veggies spoiling too fast? 😩

I am obsessed with Debbie Myers Green Bags. 💚

These little green heroes are a must-have for small-space living (hello, RVs and Boats! 👋).

They dramatically extend the life of your produce, so you can stock up once and focus on the fun. No more soggy lettuce three days into your trip!

Ready to upgrade your on-the-go kitchen? 🥗 Tap the link in my bio to find them in my Amazon store: Boat Hacks!

P.S. They work amazing in tiny fridges and coolers!

10/23/2025

In a groundbreaking move for animal welfare, Nova Scotia has officially approved Canada’s first-ever seaside whale sanctuary, marking a major victory in the fight to end the captivity of marine mammals. 🙏🐋

The sanctuary, to be established in Port Hilford Bay, will provide beluga whales with a permanent, peaceful home in a natural ocean environment, far from the concrete tanks they have been held captive in for years.

The Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP) will transform a sheltered cove into a refuge that is 100 times larger than the cramped enclosures at Marineland in Niagara Falls. This ocean sanctuary will allow the whales to swim freely, experience natural rhythms like tides and seasons, and finally live in an environment that resembles the wild, while still receiving the care they need after years of confinement. 🌊🐋

READ MORE: 🌍👉 https://worldanimalnews.com/2025/10/22/major-victory-canada-approves-first-whale-sanctuary-offering-hope-a-future-beyond-captivity/

10/15/2025

⚓️ PNW Boaters: Used Boat Parts ⚓️

Waggoner Cruising Guide has compiled a list of the best spots for used and consigned boat parts across the Pacific Northwest. Check out these local gems for that specific piece of hardware.

➡️ http://bit.ly/4nP4hF3

Be sure to follow us here for more boating tips!

10/01/2025

What is your favorite appetizer pairing with your docktails? 🍸🍷🥂 Tell me in comments!!

Skewers & Quick Finger Foods
• Caprese Skewers: Grape tomatoes, fresh basil & mozzarella. Drizzle w/ balsamic glaze.
• Antipasto Skewers: Thread cherry tomatoes, olives, mozzarella & prosciutto on skewers.
• Veggie Skewers: Chunks of bell pepper, zucchini, cucumber & mushrooms. Serve w/ light yogurt/cottage cheese dip.
• Prosciutto-Wrapped Melon/Peaches: Sweet & salty classic.
• "Sailor" Eggs: Deviled eggs or tuna salad-filled egg whites w/ a tortilla chip "sail."

Fresh & Healthy Dips
Easy, make-ahead dips served w/ fresh dippers.
• Vibrant Crudité Platter: Focus on crunchy veggies like jicama, radishes, snap peas & bell peppers.
• Homemade Hummus & White Bean Dip: Blend cannellini beans w/ rosemary & lemon, or make hummus. Serve w/ cucumber spears or whole-grain pita.
• Guacamole & Avocado Dip: Serve w/ jicama sticks & baked whole-grain tortilla chips.
• Texas/Cowboy Caviar: Fresh dip of beans, corn & vegetables, served w/ sturdy tortilla chips.

Protein-Focused Bites
Filling options that are great prepped ahead & served chilled or at room temp.
• Grilled Shrimp Cocktail: Grilled/steamed shrimp w/ light cocktail sauce (fresh horseradish & lemon).
• Salmon & Tuna Tartare Bites: Seasoned diced fish on cucumber slices (instead of crackers).
• Edamame: Steamed & lightly salted pods; high in protein.
• Mini Frittatas: Baked ahead w/ vegetables; served at room temp.
• Turkey & Chicken Lettuce Wraps: Seasoned ground poultry filling served w/ crisp lettuce cups.
Classic Platters & Spreads
Traditional spreads offering variety & crowd-pleasing flavors.
• Cheese & Charcuterie: Simple board w/ cheddar, prosciutto, olives, crackers & sliced fruit.
• Fruit Platter: Simple, colorful & refreshing seasonal berries, melon & grapes.
• Watermelon Cubes w/ Feta & Mint: A cool, hydrating bite.
• Pinwheels: Tortillas w/ cream cheese, herbs & fillings (turkey/veggies), rolled & sliced.
• Crostini: Toasted bread slices w/ toppings like herbed cream cheese & olives, or fresh mozzarella & roasted red pepper.