October 11, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

• Humpback Whale: Raptor
• Steller sea lions
• Harbor seals
• Common Murres
• Active bird mills!

October 11, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch 

We had the privilege of visiting one of the longest returning Salish Sea humpbacks today: “Raptor” CRC-16031. This experienced mother has been returning to the region since 2005, and has shown extraordinary loyalty to the Salish Sea feeding grounds. Middle Bank, where we encountered her, was teeming with activity. Active bird mills dotted the horizon, with thousands of gulls, cormorants, and alcids in the mix. This much activity signaled the density of the forage fish beneath the surface—the very prey humpbacks like Raptor seek out. It won’t be long before these giants turn south for the breeding grounds, so we were thrilled to visit with Raptor before she leaves for the season. Where she’s off to, no one knows! She has yet to be formally documented in any breeding ground. 

We visited a couple of National Wildlife Refuges during our exploration. First was Bird Rocks, where a group of Steller bulls were basking in the afternoon sun. They were all quite impressive in size, truly dwarfing the harbor seals hauled out one island over. Cormorants and gulls covered the rocks, and bull kelp flowed beautifully just offshore. On our journey back east, we stopped at Castle Island. The calls of belted kingfishers echoed against the dramatic cliffs, and a little harbor seal spied up at us from amongst the kelp blades. By the time we made it back to Cap Sante, the northern winds had settled down a bit and Kulshan was nearly visible, only a cap of cloud cover remained. 

– Sam 

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October 10, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

• Biggs killer whales (T19s)
• Steller sea lions
• Harbor seals
• Bald eagles
• Harbor porpoise

October 10, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch 

Truly such a splendid day out on the water. We began our quest for whales cruising down Rosario Strait. Outside of Guemes Channel, we were surrounded by foraging harbor porpoise darting this way and that. A little further south at Bird Rocks, we spotted harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and lots of cormorants. Turning around south Lopez, we skirted between Castle and Colville Island and then pushed out west towards Salmon Bank. Coming out of Cattle Pass right around the time we slowed down to investigate Salmon Bank was a lovely family of Bigg’s killer whales known as the T19s. 

We scooted over towards San Juan Island and met up with the mother son duo, T19 Mooyah and T19C Spouter. These two swam side by side, giving us a really great example of the strength of mother-kin relationships in Bigg’s culture, particularly mothers and sons. By contrast Spouter’s big brother, T19B Galiano, swam along a bit further inshore, perhaps enjoying some alone time away from his family.

At about 65 years old, Mooyah is one of our oldest matriarchs and it’s such a privilege to be able to spend time with her. Her two sons, 31 year old Galiano and 25 year old Spouter, are also some of the largest males of the population. All together, this makes for an incredibly impressive family. While on scene we discussed family dynamics, Bigg’s social culture, and ID history and research.

After our visit with Mooyah and her two not-so-small sons, we briefly stopped by Whale Rocks to check out some Steller sea lions. Then, we cruised back by Castle Island and were lucky enough to spot two bald eagles (we heard them before we saw them– gotta love their iconic chatter!) perched on the cliffside. After our visit here, we slipped back into Rosario Strait and up towards Guemes channel. While cruising home, we talked more about how to ID a killer whale, what dynamics might shift when older matriarchs pass away, and father figures (or lack-there-of) in Bigg’s families. Such a 10/10 day!!

– Amy

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October 8, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

• Bigg’s Killer Whales: T19s, T35As, T49As, T50s
• Steller Sea Lions
• Harbor Seals
• Black Oyster Catchers
• Harbor Porpoises

October 8, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch 

Today’s adventure was a great reminder that while we can’t control the wildlife or where we find it, patience and perseverance often pay off!

With thick fog rolling in and out throughout the day, we knew our best bet was to head west toward clear skies and open water. We were reassured of this decision when we heard reports of whales in Haro Strait. We cut through the fog banks in Rosario Strait, spotting common murres and cormorants amidst the mist. Slowing at Pointer Island, we spied black oystercatchers, a single harbor seal and flocks of cormorants (Brant’s and double crested) and gulls. Cruising through the islands was smooth, with hardly a ripple until we reached Canadian waters. We’d slowed at Pole Pass where bull kelp flowed and jellies drifted past, then again at Flattop Island where dozens of harbor seals were hauled out atop the sculpted sandstone shorelines and an eagle perched in the treeline. As we crossed into Canadian waters, blows dotted the shoreline of Pender Island. It was a large group of Bigg’s Killer Whales, including the T19s, T49As  (minus A1 &A2) and members of the T50s (T50D confirmed). We viewed them from a distance as they hugged the western Pender shoreline; Galliano and Spouter’s fins were easy to see even from afar.

As it turns out, just as we reached this report of whales, another pod was seen offshore of Washington Park in Anacortes. Sometimes I think Mother Nature has a sense of humor. After some time with the Pender Bigg’s, we wanted to try our luck relocating the report so close to home, so we booked it back through the islands, taking Peavine Pass towards Rosario Strait. We enjoyed a close pass by a bald eagle in flight near Jones State Park and glimpsed a speedy belted kingfisher in Peavine Pass. As we entered Rosario, we split up the search with some of our fellow PWWA captains. The boat that searched Rosario came up empty, as did the vessel that searched Bellingham Channel. We crossed our fingers that our search of the waters around Viti and Vendovi Islands would prove fruitful. We scanned and scanned, but there were no fins to be seen. Just as we were about to give up hope, Captain Carl’s voice rang out from the speakers: “We got ‘em!”

Carl had found the pod near Saddlebag State Park, and we enjoyed an incredible and intimate encounter with the T35As, a quickly growing pod. It’s not very common to see a Bigg’s pod with two young calves, but both Lester (T35A) and her eldest daughter Opal (T35A1) were sighted with new babies in July of this year. They have officially been given the designations T35A5 & T35A1A, T35A5 appears to be the older of the two. These little whales were full of energy, and very playful with one another during the encounter. We suspect based on their behavior, and the smell that hung in the air, that the pod successfully completed a hunt before we arrived. They were in high spirits; we witnessed a dramatic spyhop, cartwheels, tail slaps and more. We also watched them take interest in a crab pot or two, the buoys disappearing beneath the surface as the orcas tugged at the lines. It was a truly epic conclusion to an adventurous afternoon spent exploring the Salish Sea.

Sam

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October 4, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

• Biggs killer whales (T49C, T37Bs, T65Bs)
• Minke whales 
• Steller sea lions 
• Harbor seals

October 4, 2026 – 1 PM UW Physical Therapy Fundraiser

Bigg’s killer whales and multiple minke whales!! We headed out into some beautiful conditions today as October seemed to be welcoming us with warm weather and calm seas. Heading south we stopped at Coleville Island where we found a nice group of harlequin ducks and a few very well hidden harbor seals. We continued west after that and as we crossed Hein Bank we stumbled upon a couple minke whales. We got a few looks before we continued on toward a report of a lone killer whale. 

The report was good and we ended up on scene with T49C known as Janet. He is a large male Bigg’s killer whale and as usual he was alone. We hung out for a while before waving goodbye and heading back to Hein Bank. We ended up finding another minke whale while we were there and found a lone Steller sea lion camped out on the Hein Bank marker buoy. We continued making our way home but we were intercepted by two different pods of Bigg’s killer whales. They ended up being the T37Bs and the T65Bs with great looks at some of the big males in the group as they were all traveling southwest into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. 

This tour was extra-special as it was a fundraiser for the University of Washington Physical Therapy Program. Thank you to everyone who joined us – the ocean provided some beautiful encounters and you helped support the next generation of healthcare professionals!

-Tyson

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October 3, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

• Biggs killer whales (T19s, T60D, T60E, T37s)
• Four humpback whales
• Harbor seals
• Fallow deer
• Mouflon sheep

October 3, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch

Three groups of Bigg’s killer whales and four humpback whales… does it get any better? We began our cruise jetting down Rosario Strait, curving around the corner of Lopez and stopping briefly at Colville for some seal and cormorant action. From here, we plunged west to reports around Darcy Island. Once in Canada, we got on scene with the T19s! This lovely family of three Bigg’s killer whales made their way slowly north. Matriarch T19 Mooyah led the way while her two massive adult sons, T19B Galiano and T19C Spouter, brought up the rear. Most likely, they were spread out to scout for food.

Just a little ways away, we  received reports of more killer whales, so we waved goodbye to Mooyah and her sons after a few good looks and turned off to investigate. A few minutes later, we found ourselves briefly on scene with the T60 brothers– 22 year old T60D Onca and his 18 year old little brother, T60E Lynx. These two brothers have been regularly dispersing from their mom and other siblings since 2021, so it was no surprise to see them by themselves and without parental supervision. They have each others backs, and have proven to be quite the successful hunting duo through the years, so we don’t have to worry about them despite their prolonged separation from the family. Onca and Lynx were in the mood to be sneaky, so we only got peak at a few surfacings, but they were beautiful nonetheless.

After getting a look at these rascal brothers, we pushed further north towards Turn point. Here, we came across a spectacular scene– four humpback whales all traveling together and keeping each other company and the T37s rolling through the scene at that exact moment! Talk about timing!! We got a phenomenal look at T37B1 Lance and his little sister T37B3 Slice as they passed by our starboard side. As soon as these orcas had swam by, we got absolutely stunning looks at these four humpbacks as they surfaced several times and then dove. All of these whale sightings took place in the same small area of about a mile or two, and it was so fun and exciting to get to jump from group to group. It was truly whale soup!

On our return journey, we stopped by Spieden island and checked out herds of fallow deer and mouflon sheep grazing on the bluffs. From here, we cruised through Pole pass and sped east, getting some beautiful looks at the Orcas island ferry terminal and several Washington State ferries in transit. This was such a phenomenal day out on the water absolutely jam packed with whales, and one I won’t soon forget!!

– Amy

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October 2, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

• Bigg’s killer whales (T65Bs, T65A3, T19s)
• Harbor seals
• Steller sea lions
• Deception Pass bridge

October 2, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch

Wow, wow, wow. What a spectacular day with calm seas, sunshine, and an 8-whale T party!! With rumored reports of the T19s– a family of three Bigg’s killer whales– somewhere in Rosario Strait, we began scanning outside Guemes Channel. It wasn’t long before our friends to the south spotted them, so we turned and aimed for Lopez. We made a small stop at Bird rocks on the way and checked out some seals and lots of cormorants. Near iceberg point, we spotted the T19s cruising west, but they weren’t alone… We counted four, five, six, seven, and eight individuals total, soon recognizing that the T65Bs had joined forces with the T19s! The T65Bs are led by matriarch T65B Chunk, born in 1993. Traveling with her were her kiddos, T65B1 Birdsall, T65B2 Nettle, and T65B3 Rook. Crashing the party was Chunk’s nephew, T65A3 Amir, who has been having himself quite the adventurous summer. This spunky 19 year old has been bouncing from pod to pod and maximizing his social life. Most recently, it seems he’s decided to catch up with his aunt and cousins.

These whales were movin’ and groovin’, at one point separating into a “bro group” (naming rights to captain Tyson), which included all the big boys. (T19B Galiano, T19C Spouter, T65A3 Amir, and T65B1 Birdsall). Meanwhile, our two matriarchs, T19 Mooyah and T65B Chunk, led the way along the Lopez shoreline. Chunks two little ones, Nettle and Rook, followed close behind.

During this T party, we witnessed porpoising, a massive full breach from Spouter, a few baby breaches from 3 year old Rook, tail slaps, and a double porpoising breach from two of the males in the party– absolute insanity!! We hung with this group as they rounded Castle Island, then peeled off to investigate the Lawson reef markers. Here, we witnessed the trials and tribulations of a Steller sea lion attempting to jump onto an already jam-packed navigation can.

To round out our trip, we made a quick stop at Deception Pass, then on the way home we discussed killer whale IDs, family history, and matriarch parenting styles in the Bigg’s killer whale population. Such a stellar day!!

– Amy

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September 30, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

•T30 A and C
• T37B’s
•harbor porpoise
•Steller sea lions

September 30, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch

We ended September with a wonderful day on the Salish sea. Heading north along the shores of Orcas island as we searched for the ever illusive whales and other wildlife. As we cruised we found many large groups of murres, glaucous wing gulls and cormorants near the outer islands. We ended up at boiling reef just off of Saturday island and immediately got a wonderful look at T30A and his sister T30C. We got a few more looks at these Biggs orcas before they turned back to the north and handed us off to another pod. It was the T37B’S, Harald, Lance, and Slice, all traveling together. We hung out with them for some time and enjoyed the flat conditions they took us into. As with all good things this too had to end and we waved goodbye to travel back to the south, swinging in to Sucia island to scope the shores before stopping at Boulder reef to watch some very playful Steller sea lions. We headed home after that with calm seas all around.

-Tyson

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September 28, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg’s killer whales (T109As)

Humpback whale new to science!

Steller sea lions

Harbor seals 

Common murres & rhinoceros auklets 

September 28, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch 

Double header! We enjoyed an incredible amount of wildlife diversity on today’s adventure, including sightings of killer whales and a humpback new to science. 

Kulshan was out and sporting a fresh dusting of snow after last week’s storm, guiding us out of Cap Sante at the start of our adventure. Hearing reports of activity in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, we let the Olympics guide us south as we scanned the waters of Rosario Strait. Common murres swam past in pairs, flocks of Heermann’s gulls gathered at current lines and the occasional harbor porpoise rocketed through the light chop. We slowed at Colville to visit with a dozen harbor seals that were hauled out and sunbathing, some harlequin ducks around them amidst the flowing bull kelp forest. As we continued west across the banks we passed white-winged scooters, more murres and a mixture of gulls and cormorants. 

At Middle Bank, a young humpback was traveling west. It graced us with some looks at its flukes, which allowed us to compare them to known whale IDs via the HappyWhale database. It turns out, this whale is new to science! That’s not a very common occurrence in the Salish Sea these days, as most of our humpbacks are returnees who have fed in the area before. Welcome to the region little one! What’s more exciting, thanks to the quick work of our friends at HappyWhale, this whale has already been given a new scientific designation: HW-MN0510951. We’re happy to have been able to contribute some ID photos to this whale’s new bio. 

After waving farewell to our humpback friend, we angled back to the east. We crossed Salmon Bank and slowed at Whale Rocks, a bustling haul out site for Steller sea lions. They were out in full force today, and busy vying for the most favorable spots on the islands. Their growls carried easily over the water, and so did the smell…

We made our way to Griffin Bay next, first cruising through the turbulent currents of Cattle Pass. The T109A family of orcas was working the coastlines, scoping out the shallows for pinniped prey. We arrived in time to witness a very dramatic attempted predation, where all six whales encircled an exposed reef covered in dozens of harbor seals. It was a tense several minutes as the whales flushed the seals from their rocks, but we never could confirm if they made a successful hunt. The photos offered a unique perspective of the size of these apex predators, as they were so close to the rocks we could measure their dorsals against the height of the glaucous-winged gulls and pelagic cormorants in the pictures from the encounter. Eventually the pod moved on, spooking common and pacific loons as they traversed the coastline of the bay. Oh, and we had some lovely looks at a flock of rhinoceros auklets here as well! 

We enjoyed a scenic cruise through the heart of the islands on our journey east, taking Upright Channel and Thatcher Pass. The gentle cloud layer that hung above the mountain peaks when we left this afternoon, had gradually sunk lower, foretelling the storm to come later that night. By the time the crew had finished washing down the boat that evening, it looked as if you could reach up and touch the clouds, which had taken on a wave-like texture. The golden hour lighting played off the formations in the most spectacular fashion. Another reminder that the dynamic weather conditions here are part of what make the Salish Sea such a stunning region. 

– Sam

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September 27, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg’s killer whales (T19s & T65A3)

Humpback whale (BCY1553)

Bald eagle 

Harbor seals 

Mouflon sheep 

September 27, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch 

Report coming soon! 

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September 26, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg’s Killer Whales: T49A2 & T49C

Steller Sea Lions

Harbor Seals

Marbleled Murrelets 

So many birds!

September 26, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch 

It was a stunning September day out on the Salish Sea. Sunny skies, placid seas and so much rich biodiversity right in our backyard. Our adventure started with a slow cruise north up Bellingham Channel. It was hard to pick up the pace with all the life showing itself! Bird mills gathered along the southern Cypress shorelines, and the calls of common murres rang across the still sea. Dainty marbled murrelet pairs dotted the coast from Cypress Head to Toehead Island, their little white tails contrasting the emerald waters beneath them. A flock of gulls showed off fish-laden bills in the currents off Cypress Head and belted kingfishers flitted from branch to branch above them. Harbor seals expertly camouflaged themselves against the rocky shoreline of the Cone Islands, with Pacific Madrona tree branches hanging above them. As we moved toward the reefs around Sinclair Island, harbor porpoises’ dorsal fins broke the surface and the rowdy vocals of Steller sea lions carried towards us. Four Stellers were actively vying for position on the navigational marker, and their interactions were quite heated. Biting, growling, and shoving—all were intent on getting out of the water, as if they knew Bigg’s lurked nearby…

A mile or so away, Bigg’s duo Jude (T49A2) and Janet (T49C) were working the shoreline of Orca Island. We arrived in time to see them make quick work of a meal and celebrate with a dramatic spyhop that showed off the immense pectoral flippers of these grown males. They proceeded to lead us up and around Point Lawrence, and along the breathtaking and rugged shoreline of northern Orcas Island. The fall foliage and the steep stony cliffs, combined with the brilliantly illuminated blows of the orcas, made for some truly memorable visuals. What’s more, Jude showed off two more spyhops! 

Our cruise home was scenic, Captain Carl took us towards the slopes of Lummi Island and along the forest-rich shores of Vendovi Island. Here we found a mated pair of bald eagles, a rare sight at this point in the season when so many eagles have moved on with the salmon runs. It was a lovely finale to our incredible afternoon spent exploring the Salish Sea. – Sam

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