September 4, 2026

 

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg’s killer whale (T65A3 Amir) 

Steller sea lions 

Harbor seals 

September 4, 2026 – 10 AM and 3 PM Whale Watches

10 AM 

This morning we angled for Thatcher pass before turning down Upright Channel and breaking out into San Juan channel. This route is always a favorite of mine, as you get to take in so many sights, like the Washington state ferries in transit and well known islands like Lopez, Shaw, Orcas, and San Juan. Just north of Cattle Pass, we spotted a tall black fin.

This whale turned out to be recent loner, T65A3 Amira! As a member of the Bigg’s killer whale population, Amira has been participating in his cultural practice of family abandonment quite a lot this summer. All jokes aside, we know Bigg’s killer whale family dynamics are incredibly flexible, and it is not uncommon for individuals to separate from their family temporarily before later reuniting. So, it was no cause for concern that Amira was by himself today. He’s just tapping into his free will and going off on a solo adventure before most likely meeting back up with his mom soon. Although, Amira has been spending more and more time away from home this season. Perhaps he’s taking notes from his younger brother, Indy, who is almost always seen traveling away from the family. Towards the end of our encounter, Amira made a hard turn towards us and we got an absolutely heart stopping close pass as he swam under the boat and even turned on his side to look up at us as he passed!! When he was far enough away, we re-engaged and got our last looks before turning back down towards Cattle Pass. 

Once out, we visited at Whale rocks and checked out a few Steller sea lions. Continuing on, we made one last slow down at Colville island where some smaller pinnipeds– our harbor seals– were resting at the waterline. Turning back up Rosario Strait, we made an almost complete circumnavigation of Lopez Island before turning back into Guemes channel. What a morning! 

3 PM 

This afternoon, we pushed up along the east side of Guemes, then scooted up towards Pt. Lawrence and cruised along the Orcas island shoreline. Approaching the outer islands, captain Carl spotted something strange on the horizon. When we went over to investigate, we found none other than T65A3 Amira, the same Bigg’s killer whale from this morning! He’d made it all the way up from Cattle Pass to Sucia island in just a few hours, pushed by the flood tide and traveling at about 5-6 knots. We hung out with Amira as he made his way along the Sucia shoreline, perhaps looking for some food. During our encounter, we had soft, glassy conditions, which made each surfacing absolutely dreamy. 

After our visit with Amira, we cruised down to Sinclair where we spotted a few Steller sea lions resting on a navigational marker, and also got to watch one jump up from the water and land on the marker (after a few failed attempts)! On our return, we talked more about Amira’s family and how, in their pod, separating from the group is commonplace. Such a lovely afternoon on the water with a very famous whale! 

– Amy 

from Blogger https://ift.tt/7dqoJmT
via IFTTT

September 3, 2026

 

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg’s killer whale T-Party

September 3, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch

Cups and saucers were passed around this afternoon, because we had ourselves a T party! Before getting down to a group of around 13 Bigg’s killer whales in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, we made a small stop at bird rocks where we spotted harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and loads of gulls and cormorants. Continuing south, we ran down towards the Olympic mountains until we saw black dorsal fins on the horizon.

After getting oriented, we identified three different families and three matriarchs on scene! Leading this massive social party were T100 Hutchins, T123 Sydney, and T46B Raksha. Stand out whales included Sydney’s massive 26 year old adult son, T123A Stanley, as well as Hutchins’ 24 year old boy, T100C Laurel. Honorable mentions included T46B8 Pi, who graced us with several full baby breaches and lots of splashing! Pi’s older sister, T46B2 Akela, also gave us an absolutely stunning spy hop while she swam with her younger sister T46B7 Tala and her own daughter, 3 year old T46B2B Takaya.

We were also witnessing an extended family reunion, as it’s assumed that Sydney and Raksha are sisters! While we learned about the inspiring story of T46 Wake, Sydney and Raksha’s mother, we watched these whales frolic and splash, twirling around below the surface and socializing. It was so sweet to see these whales in such a community-oriented mood!

Below is a recap of the whales present!

T100 Hutchins

T100C Laurel

T100F Estrella

T46B Raksha

T46B2 Akela

T46B2B Takaya

T46B4 Quiver*

T46B6 Sol

T46B7 Tala

T46B8 Pi

T123 Sydney

T123A Stanley

T123C Lucky

T123 Darcy

*I’m sure Quiver was present, though the only photo I have that could be him is at an awkward angle, so I cant say for certainty if he was there. But he’s usually not far from his momma, so I’m sure he was hangin around!

On our way back home, we stopped at south Lopez where we spotted a turkey vulture soaring above us and three more harbor seals hauled out  underneath Castle Island. After our turn into Rosario Strait, we discussed the photo ID process and how we are able to tell all these whales apart as individuals. We were then able to discuss the different personalities, family dynamics, and parenting styles of individual whales based on behavioral observations we’ve gathered over the years. Such a fun day!!

Amy

from Blogger https://ift.tt/u6FWy8h
via IFTTT

September 1, 2026

 

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg’s killer whales

Sea lions

Harbor seals

September 1, 2026 – 1PM Whale Watch

report write-up coming soon…

from Blogger https://ift.tt/x02P56G
via IFTTT

August 31, 2026

 

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg’s killer whales (T49A2 and T65A3)

Steller sea lions 

Harbor seals 

Nazca Booby! 

Horned puffin 

Tufted puffins 

August 31, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch

The Butcher Boys are back! I Was so excited to see this iconic Bigg’s killer whale duo reunited. But before we met up with these two, we made our fist stop at Bird rocks where we spotted a loose raft of Steller sea lions in the water and lots of harbor seals hauled out along the shoreline. We were also greeted with cormorants and gulls before we continued south. 

We cruised by south Lopez and then into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Soon, we spotted two massive fins in the distance, and slowed to find none other than T49A2 Jude and T65A3 Amira. A few summers ago, these two teamed up and spent the season massacring seals, and earned themselves the name “The Butcher Boys”. Now four year later, their friendship has rekindled and the two 19 year olds are back at it again. 

Jude and Amira both come from larger families, (as far as Bigg’s families are concerned) so they might have a tendency to wander away from their moms and siblings to get some peace and quiet. Jude has a new younger sibling at home too, so he might be skirting babysitting duty. And Amira’s family has a long history of family desertion, his own younger brother T65A5 Indy choosing to spend almost all of his time away from his pod. Perhaps Amira was inspired by Indy and chose to go on a more extended side quest as well. All anthropomorphism aside, these two males have indeed found each other again and have proven to be a formidable team in the past. We’ll have to wait and see what they get up to.

After our visit with Amira and Jude, we crusied over to Smith island to look for tufted puffins. But dare I say we found something even more rare… a Nazca booby!! These boobies are supposed to stick to a southern range between Peru and Mexico, often favoring the Galapagos islands. This juvenile seemed to be blown off course though, and ended up all the way up north with us. Welcome to the Salish Sea, little friend! On top of this ultra rare sighting, we also spotted tufted puffins and our horned puffin! Such an insane day for birds. After our visit at Smith, we cruised home– an unreal day now under our belts. 

We’re also counting down the days until our final Full Day Tour of the season on September 11th. Join us for a wildlife-packed day like this one with double the time out on the water for even more possibilities! 

-Amy 

Curious why Jude sports a floppy fin? Although rare, dorsal fin collapse can occur in wild orca populations. Sometimes complete dorsal fin collapse can come from malnutrition or a physical trauma, but partial collapses like Jude’s are more often due to rough housing, minor predation injuries, or socializing with other orcas. Jude’s fin has leaned slightly to the right for years, and now this small droop makes him even more recognizable. Jude looks very healthy overall, and this new hook isn’t a cause for concern. 

In captivity, around 90% of killer whales face partial or complete dorsal fin collapse because of inadequate hydrostatic pressure and unnatural, lengthy logging behavior at the surface. Because there are no bones in these fins, when an orcas dorsal fin is exposed to gravity for extended periods of time (logging at the surface) or exposed to inadequate hydrostatic pressure (resting stationary in a shallow tank) it will collapse over time. 

from Blogger https://ift.tt/IJ835GB
via IFTTT

August 28, 2026

 

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg’s killer whales (T100s, T101s) 

Sea otter 

Steller sea lions 

Harbor seals 

Bald eagles 

August 28, 2026 – 10 AM and 3 PM Whale Watches

10 AM 

This morning we began our search up a stunning and sunny Bellingham channel. At Peapod rocks, we stopped to view harbor seals hauled out along the shore, turkey vultures hunkered in the grasses, and a single mature bald eagle perched atop the rocks. Continuing north, we wrapped up towards the outer islands, pausing at Parker reef for some more seals and another bald eagle just in time to see it take flight and land a short distance away on top of the reef marker. At Waldron, we received exciting reports and turned down Presidents channel towards Spieden Island. Here, we spotted six Bigg’s killer whales, which we soon identified as the T100s and T101s! Our two matriarchs, a presumed mother daughter pair, were T101 Reef and T100 Hutchins. Now a mature individual, Hutchins spends most of her time away from Reef, traveling with her own two boys, T100C Laurel and T100F Estrella. However today, it seemed Hutchins was in the mood for some family time. She also got to catch up wither her massive brother, T101B Lagoon, born in 1997. Lagoon and 24 year old Laurel swam together while little Estrella tagged along behind. Their dorsal fins towered high out of the water and left us all in awe after each surfacing. 

After visiting with these whales, we took an inner island route home through Wasp and Thatcher pass. Such a stunning route and a lovely cruise home! 

3 PM 

This afternoon, we pointed for Thatcher pass to get back into the islands. Turning down Upright Channel, we paused at turn rock to check out a rare species… a sea otter tangled in the bull kelp! Continuing down into San Juan channel, we met back up with our whales from this morning, the T100s and T101s. T100 Hutchins is the presumed mature daughter of T101 Reef, and usually travels separately from mom with her two boys in tow. Today though, we witnessed a family reunion. It was so sweet to see these three generations traveling together, seemingly confused on which direction they wanted to set a course for as a massive flood tide surged around them. 

After they finally decided to cruise back up San Juan channel, we waved goodbye and turned back east for Peavine Pass. Outside of Peavine, we made a stop at Peapod rocks for some harbor seals, then continued on to the top of Sinclair where we spotted several sea lions hauled out and resting on a navigational marker. Such a wildlife packed afternoon! 

Amy 

from Blogger https://ift.tt/m13OTQn
via IFTTT

August 30, 2026

 

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg’s killer whales  (T99s with T37A4) 

Steller sea lions

Harbor seals 

Mouflon sheep

Bald eagles 

August 28, 2026 – 10 AM and 3 PM Whale Watches

10 AM

This morning’s adventure took us far from the docks and into the heart of the San Juan islands. Our first stop was Pointer island to check out a nice group of harbor seals and a whole bunch of cormorants. We continued west from there and made our next stop at Spieden island where we found some big herds of mouflon sheep climbing the steep rocky shores and galloping along the dry grassy hillsides of the island. We also found two bald eagles, one perched in a tree and one down near the waters edge of the island. 

We put on an exhaustive search from there until reports came in from the east. We headed back through the islands and north up Rosario strait, finally joining up with the T99’s who were joined by a guest whale, T37A4. We cruise with them for a while before waving goodbye and heading south east toward Anacortes. Along the way we stopped at Sinclair island to check out some Steller sea lions on a navigational buoy before we headed back to the dock. 

3 PM 

We headed north this afternoon up Hale’s pass toward Cherry point. As we cruised we spotted lots of harbor porpoise feeding around the area and it wasn’t long until we passed Lummi island and joined the T99’s and T37A4. As we hung out we watched them go into a bit of stealth mode and then begin to teach some hunting skills to the youngsters in the pod. That didn’t last long before it was time to divvy up the food and prey sharing began. Tail slaps and spy hops from Bella were enjoyed by everyone as the animals circled and devoured whatever prey they had taken down. Soon dinner was over and they were once again heading north, and it was time for us to say goodbye. We headed down to the Point Migley marker buoy and found a lone Steller sea lion pretending to be uninterested in our company. We got our looks and continued down the west side of Lummi island stopping at Viti rocks where we found a few harbor seals but didn’t stick around long because of the foul smell– thanks to the local birds resting on the rocks. We swung  by Vendovi island to check out a couple bald eagles in the trees before we headed back to Anacortes.

– Tyson  

from Blogger https://ift.tt/WRxEZBk
via IFTTT

August 29, 2026

 

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Biggs killer whales: T100s, T101s, T60s, T37A4, T99s

Steller sea lion

Harbor seals

Common murres

Sabine’s gull!

Red-necked phalaropes 

August 28, 2026 – 10 AM and 3 PM Whale Watches

10 AM 

What a morning! Early reports of whales brought us south to Lawson Reef, where we were delighted to find the T100s (minus T100E) and T101s (minus T101A) enjoying a family reunion. These five Bigg’s were very surface present as we arrived, then we gradually watched them transition into hunting mode as they neared the shorelines of Lopez Island. It was sweet to see Uncle Lagoon spending time with his nephew Estrella. As we were leaving the scene, the pod started porpoising southwest with a purpose! We would soon hear that several miles away another pod was porpoising northeast directly towards them! Clearly there had been communication between the two groups of Bigg’s, but exactly what was said we may never know. The two groups got within half a mile of each other, the T101 matriline tightly grouped, the T60s spread over a quarter of a mile. Whether they physically met is unclear, as nothing was observed above the waterline, but what we can say is mature male Yelnatz had led the rush, and was the first to take a 90 degree turn in the opposite direction of the T101 matriline. Fascinating! 

We spent the second half of our trip with the T60s as they cruised through the bull kelp forests off the southern side of Lopez Island. We then worked our way back to the east, where we slowed at Castle Island for belted king fishers, harbor seals, and bull kelp. We slowed again at Bird Rocks to visit with a proud male Steller sea lion, dozens of harbor seals, and nesting cormorants and gulls. Other highlights of the day included a Sabines gull sighting near McArthur Bank, many common murres and their young, and the distant vocals of marbled murrelets. 

What a spectacular morning on the water! 

Sam

3 PM 

This afternoon, we received new reports of orcas coming down Hale pass, and decided to point north to investigate. As we cruised past Guemes and Sinclair, we were greeted by stunning afternoon light and  calm, pastel waters. Up in Bellingham Bay, we spotted a small black fin and went over to check it out. This little fin popped up on our left, then our right, then our left again, and we rushed back and forth from port to starboard each time… is this what it feels like to get pranked by a killer whale? 

Soon enough, the culprit showed herself: the trouble maker, 11 year old T37A4 Crinkle. Almost certainly, she was laughing at us below the surface. We also got glimpses at her partner in crime, 19 year old T99B Holly. These two have been absolutely loving each others company recently, and we’ve observed them swimming together often in the last few days. I don’t blame them, who doesn’t love a bit of girl time? During our time with these two, we also spotted a few red necked phalaropes floating in an eelgrass raft!

After visiting with Crinkle and Holly, we scooted over to another pair of whales, Holly’s little brothers. T99C Barakat and T99D Puck were engaged in some pray sharing, logging for short periods at the surface and wiggling back and forth, most likely processing their catch. It was so fun to see the physical difference between these two. Barakat, being 17, has a much larger dorsal fin that we were able to see wobbling at the surface. His little brother Puck, at 11 years old, hasn’t quite reached puberty yet and still has a small fin similar to his sisters and mom. You’ll get there in a few years, Puck. 

After our visit with these boys, we slowly made our way over to the last members of the T99s, mom T99 Bella and her youngest daughter, 5 year old T99E Qwiin qwiin oo qwii la. Slowly, Barakat and Puck made their way over to mom and little sister, and at the very end of our encounter, Crinkle and Holly began to make their way over as well. After our visit with the T99s (and guest star Crinkle, who is currently taking a vacation from her own family), we turned back south. Stopping at Eliza Island, we spotted lots of harbor seals hauled out and resting, and were able to discuss the important connection between our Bigg’s and our seals. After, we set a course for home along the back side of Guemes island. Such a lovely afternoon! 

Amy 

from Blogger https://ift.tt/NKJ1Sn9
via IFTTT

August 28, 2026

 

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg’s killer whales (T100s, T101s) 

Sea otter 

Steller sea lions 

Harbor seals 

Bald eagles 

August 28, 2026 – 10 AM and 3 PM Whale Watches

10 AM 

This morning we began our search up a stunning and sunny Bellingham channel. At Peapod rocks, we stopped to view harbor seals hauled out along the shore, turkey vultures hunkered in the grasses, and a single mature bald eagle perched atop the rocks. Continuing north, we wrapped up towards the outer islands, pausing at Parker reef for some more seals and another bald eagle just in time to see it take flight and land a short distance away on top of the reef marker. At Waldron, we received exciting reports and turned down Presidents channel towards Spieden Island. Here, we spotted six Bigg’s killer whales, which we soon identified as the T100s and T101s! Our two matriarchs, a presumed mother daughter pair, were T101 Reef and T100 Hutchins. Now a mature individual, Hutchins spends most of her time away from Reef, traveling with her own two boys, T100C Laurel and T100F Estrella. However today, it seemed Hutchins was in the mood for some family time. She also got to catch up wither her massive brother, T101B Lagoon, born in 1997. Lagoon and 24 year old Laurel swam together while little Estrella tagged along behind. Their dorsal fins towered high out of the water and left us all in awe after each surfacing. 

After visiting with these whales, we took an inner island route home through Wasp and Thatcher pass. Such a stunning route and a lovely cruise home! 

3 PM 

This afternoon, we pointed for Thatcher pass to get back into the islands. Turning down Upright Channel, we paused at turn rock to check out a rare species… a sea otter tangled in the bull kelp! Continuing down into San Juan channel, we met back up with our whales from this morning, the T100s and T101s. T100 Hutchins is the presumed mature daughter of T101 Reef, and usually travels separately from mom with her two boys in tow. Today though, we witnessed a family reunion. It was so sweet to see these three generations traveling together, seemingly confused on which direction they wanted to set a course for as a massive flood tide surged around them. 

After they finally decided to cruise back up San Juan channel, we waved goodbye and turned back east for Peavine Pass. Outside of Peavine, we made a stop at Peapod rocks for some harbor seals, then continued on to the top of Sinclair where we spotted several sea lions hauled out and resting on a navigational marker. Such a wildlife packed afternoon! 

Amy 

from Blogger https://ift.tt/yd4Gmqb
via IFTTT

August 27, 2026

 

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg’s Killer whales (T99s, T37A4) 

Steller sea lions 

Harbor seals 

Bald eagles 

Turkey vulturesAugust 27, 2026 – 10 AM Whale Watch

What a morning! Based on a secondhand report of whales near Vendovi, we pointed north and began scanning. About 20 minutes into the trip, we spotted a towering black dorsal fin and knew we’d found what we were looking for. After getting turned around and on scene, we recognized these whales as the T99s, a well known pod in the Bigg’s killer whale population. The T99s are led by matriarch T99 Bella, who is about 40 years old. Traveling with her were her kiddos. We got great looks at her teenage son T99C Barakat, who traveled slightly to the west of his mom. Bella stuck close with her two youngest: 11-year-old T99D Puck and 5-year-old T99E Qwiin qwiin oo qwii la. Her older daughter T99B Holly swam slightly separated from the family off our 12 O’clock in the distance. These whales led us into a small rain squall, but the views were worth it!

After visiting with these whales, we peeled off and began searching to the north. We traveled almost up to Point Lawrence before turning towards Peapod rocks. Here, we spotted two mature bald eagles, five turkey vultures (something was on the menu), and many harbor seals hauled out in the exposed intertidal zone. After getting lots of good looks we cruised south towards Bird Rocks, skirting along the inside of James Island on the way. At Bird Rocks, we spotted more harbor seals and some Steller sea lions wrestling in the water! 

After Bird Rocks, we angled towards Guemes channel, getting stunning looks at the Burrows Island Lighthouse. Just before we returned to the dock, we got one last look at Bella and her family. This time, we noticed another whale in the mix: guest star T37A4 Crinkle! Although Crinkle is not confirmed to be related to the 99s, she’s been spending a lot of time with them lately, taking a break from her own family this summer. Crinkle has been loving hanging out with Holly, getting some girl time as she travels with Bella and her crew. It’s always so fun to see different family groups mixing and mingling, and we were so excited to get a glimpse of Crinkle before we turned back towards the dock. Such a great morning! 

Amy

from Blogger https://ift.tt/RaCvBk5
via IFTTT

August 26, 2026

 

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

T99’s with T37a4

Harbor seals

Lots of seabirds

August 26, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch

It was a fine day to be out at sea as the westerly winds blew in and began to clear the smokey air for us. We headed up through the Saddle bags into Bellingham Bay where we joined the T99’s who were settling in for a nap. After some great looks we noticed there was an extra orca whale in the mix, T37A4 “Crinkle” was traveling close to Holly as the pod of six orcas slowly moved through the calm waters of the bay. After some time we headed over to Eliza island and found a nice big job of harbor seals, dozens of cormorants and even a belted king fisher out fishing. The weather got really nice at this point with the sun coming out and Kulshan finally climbing out of her smokey blanket to greet us as we circled back to the whales for some final orca time. We headed back to the dock after that with blue skies all around.

Tyson

from Blogger https://ift.tt/1LjOKY6
via IFTTT