September 23, 2026

 Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg’s Killer Whales (T137A, T36’s)
Gray whale
Stellar Sea Lions
Cormorants
Gulls

September 23, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch 

Today was a wonderful reminder of Mother Nature’s unpredictability and commitment to constantly surprise us! We set off out of Cap Sante Marina and pointed into Guemes Channel, immediately on the search for some reports that had been made over two hours prior. Within 5 minutes of being on the water, we got a call from the Guemes Island Ferry captain, who let us know there was indeed a larger cetacean nearby!! We followed his directions and held our breath as we waited for our first sighting – and there it was!! We spent the first two surfacings attempting to identify which larger baleen whale species we were visiting with (placing bets in the helm), and when the animal surfaced a third time we had our answer. It was a gray whale! We spent a little while alongside this curious creature, one of the lone Grays left in the Salish Sea at this point in the year. This was a new gray to this region, not yet given a scientific ID or nickname!

Soon, we waved goodbye and ventured out of the channel and into Rosario Strait, headed west towards some newer reports. We travelled quickly, and south of San Juan Island in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, we spied our second blows of the afternoon! We met up with a pod of Bigg’s killer whales – with a surprise guest! Jack, T137A, had joined up with the T36’s (Flapjack, Tattertip, Bhotia, Greenfelder, Auk, and Maple) for the afternoon. The group displayed some impressive surface activity in the churning currents, wowing us with breaches, spyhops, and porpoising activity. At one point, 2-year old Maple (T36B1A) darted away from the rest of the pod, and had to be chased down by her mother Bhotia (T36B1).

A last tail slap was the whales’ wave goodbye as we turned and headed east once again. On the way home, we slowed by Whale Rocks for some stellar sea lion time – and whew, the rocks’ aroma was ripe today! Dozens of sea lions were hauled out on the rocks, thermoregulating in the first of the fall sunshine. We made the journey home through Rosario Strait and back into Guemes channel towards the marina! What a wild, fantastical day on the water!

 
-Juna

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September 22, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

• Bigg’s T37Bs & T37A + T37A2
• Fog
• Great birding in Swinomish Slough
• Seals and shorebirds at Seal Rocks
• Harbor porpoises

September 22, 2026 – 1 PM Private Whale Watch Event

Autumn is here, and today’s adventure was rich with fall colors, crisp air, and some moody fog to really set the mood. As we angled west in Guemes Channel, a thick fog bank greeted us. We watched Washington State Ferries dramatically emerge from the swirling mist as the banks slowly crept over both Fidalgo and Cypress Islands. Once we entered the blanket, our visibility was limited to 100-200 yards until we passed beneath the Deception Pass Bridge. Yes, we could not even see the bridge until we were nearly beneath it! It was a such a wild and unique experience, that left us with much appreciation for mariners and seafarers in the age before Radar and GPS…

Fortunately, once we were east of the bridge, the fog cleared and blue skies greeted us. We enjoyed beautiful color pops of fall foliage along the shorelines of Whidbey and Hope Islands, and truly placid conditions all the way south to Saratoga Passage. We’d slowed at Seal Rock to visit with dozens of these darling pinnipeds and were delighted to encounter a large murmuration of dunlins/western sandpipers (one of the two, or possibly both in the mix)! The little shorebirds mesmerized us with their coordinated aerial display, while flocks of double crested cormorants swam in the waters beneath them.

As we neared the Cama Beach State Park, blows appeared on the horizon. There were five Bigg’s killer whales spread across the channel. The trio of the T37Bs (Harald, Lance, and Slice) were working the Camano Shorelines and successfully executed two hunts while prowling the shallows. Mother-son duo “Volker” and “Inky” (T37A & T37A2) were spread out and seemingly searching for prey of their own near Whidbey Island. The autumn colors reflected beautifully on the still waters of the pass throughout the encounters.

The fog still had not burnt off by the time we made it back north, so we opted for an alternative route back to Cap Sante. The high tide allowed for us to traverse the Swinomish Slough and enjoy a lovely scenic cruise complete with views of the Skagit River Delta, Goat Island, and the Skagit Valley. We spied bald eagles, great blue herons, belted king fishers, cormorants and gulls as we made our way through this birding hotspot. We enjoyed passing beneath the iconic Rainbow Bridge and then the Twin Bridges, completing our circumnavigation of Fidalgo Island.

Sam

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September 21, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

• triple header!
• Humpback WA park
• Minke Partridge Bank (Trotsky II)
• T49A1 eastern bank area
• Stellers in bird rocks, harbor seals, birds

September 21, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch

Triple Header!

Today’s trip lucked into encounters with three different whale species: a humpback, minkes and a Bigg’s killer whale. The fun started as we rounded the coastline of Washington Park and crew spied an exhalation amidst the current lines. It was such a small blow, we weren’t initially sure what caused it… until gorgeous flukes lifted high above the ripples and sunk gracefully back beneath the surface. No mistaking that for anything but a humpback! It turned out to be a new visitor to the area, a little two-year-old humpback first sighted in Glacier Bay Alaska in 2024 by the name of SEAK-2782.

Hearing reports of more activity to the south, we let the Olympic Mountains guide us towards Partridge Bank. Conditions were glassy and the sun was shining bright, so bright that a minke whale’s exhalation was brilliantly illuminated as it plowed through a bird mill. That gave us pause, it’s rare to see that notable of an exhalation from a minke, but sure enough it was none-other-than beloved minke “Trotsky II”, a whale who has been returning to the Salish Sea since at least 2013. They were zigzagging all over the place amongst hundreds of common murres and gulls, making their movement a bit difficult to track, so we continued on our search for other reports nearby.

Our guests were on it today with the whale sightings, and before long they’d spied a tall dorsal fin on the horizon. It was Bigg’s killer whale “Noah” T49A1. This lone male seemed to be behaving erratically at first, but the longer we watched it became clear that there was a definite pattern to his unique swimming style. Noah would surface several times in a tight circle, allowing for looks at every angle of his impressive dorsal fin. He would then face northwest and take several rhythmic breaths before diving down and booking it onward (as evident by the rapidly forming fluke prints). This pattern repeated itself every five minutes or so throughout the encounter and left us with so many questions about what was going through his mind. We also caught a brief glimpse of a second minke whale while on scene with Noah.

The cruise home was scenic and smooth sailing. We passed bird mills and harbor porpoises as we worked our way towards the towering peak of Kulshan. We made a finale wildlife stop at Bird Rocks, where we found black oyster catchers, black turnstones, cormorants, gulls and many dozing harbor seals. We’d heard growling while viewing the west side of the islands, and upon rounding the corner we found the source of the noise. Several Steller sea lion bulls were hauled out and drying in the sun. Unfortunately, one clearly had a flasher stuck in its mouth, so we reported the gear to our local marine mammal stranding response team in hopes that they might be able to help the pinniped.

What a memorable afternoon on the water.
Sam

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September 20, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

T123’s (Sidney, Stanley, Darcy, Lucky)
Brandts and Pelagic Cormorants
Stellar Sea Lions
Harbor Seals

September 20, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch

Warm, sunny skies…rapidly disappearing fog bank…AND whales in our backyard? Luck was on our side today! We ventured out of Cap Sante Marina and headed to the backside of Guemes Island, towards some early-morning reports. Up ahead, we could see the edge of a fog bank that had been the gossip over the radios all morning. Fog can make boating conditions difficult, and increase the challenge of spotting far-off wildlife. But as we continued to approach, the fog receded, until we realized it had nearly vanished! We slowed by a red channel marker to visit with its tenants – four stellar sea lions! Three were snoozing out of the water, and one circled the can, searching for a spot to sneak in. We heard many impressive grunts from the three up top, declaring the can was full! Brandt’s and Pelagic Cormorants roosting in the marker watched the scene from above.

Just north of Sinclair Island, we met up with the T123’s pod of killer whales! A very well known family in the Salish Sea, we watched as Sidney, Stanley, Lucky, and Darcy cruised below Mount Baker, while demonstrating multiple behavior patterns. We witnessed these whales in travelling mode, with slow and rhythmic surfacings. Towards the end of our encounter, we witnessed some distinct splashing and surface activity, with quick direction changes and a spread among the group. A hunt very likely occurred below the waves, and appeared to be successful as the family once again resumed their rhythmic travelling.

After spending over an hour with these whales, we waved goodbye and headed to Peapod rocks, where we spent time with dozens of lounging harbor seals, unphased by the rising of the tide and the receding of the coastlines. On the way home, we realized the T123’s were just around the corner from Guemes Channel, so we journeyed to visit them one last time! Yet again swimming below the majestic peak of Mount Baker, we watched as the family engaged in yet another (theoretical) hunt below the water, and then bid them farewell as we pushed off into Guemes Channel and back home!
-Juna

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September 18, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg’s killer whales –
T65B pod
Huge herd of Sika deer
Fallow deer
Beautiful weather

September 18, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch

We headed west this afternoon toward reports in Haro strait. Making our way through the San Juan islands we passed a few groups of harbor porpoise before slowing down in Pole Pass. We continued west from there passing many large groups of common murres before reaching Kelp reef and joining the T65B pod of Bigg’s killer whales. They were traveling south and at one point Birdsall T65B1 gave a lazy breach and looked to be playing in the kelp a little. We waved goodbye to the orcas after that and headed up to Spieden island where we found a fallow deer to start things off. Suddenly a herd of Sika deer came charging out of the forest and we followed them along the island. They passed a few feeding turkey vultures and many groups of mouflon sheep. It was pretty amazing to see such a large grouping of these deer, especially mid day. We headed back to the east after that and enjoyed a wonderful cruise back to the dock.

-Tyson

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September 17, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

T65B’s (Chunk, Birdsall, Nettle, Rook)
Harbor seals
Stellar sea lions
Pelagic and Brandt’s cormorants
Great Blue Herons

September 17, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch

Sunny September days are a well-kept secret in Washington – and this afternoon was nothing short of breath-taking. Cerulean skies and warm breezes beckoned as we departed Cap Sante Marina and headed into Guemes Channel. Glass calm seas greeted us as we made the turn into Bellingham channel, up the coasts of Guemes and Cypress Island. We basked in the sunshine at slow speeds, scanning the coastlines for madrona trees and nesting bird species as we slowly made our way north. Spying an occupied red channel marker up ahead, we slowed to visit with three snoozing stellar sea lions, one of whom perked up with a pose as we gently approached. The thermoregulating trio managed to fit on the marker with no trouble, as they were juveniles and not fully grown yet! At the top of the marker, Pelagic Cormorants and a lone Brandt’s
Cormorant (showing off its brilliant blue throat) tended to their nests. Making a turn to the south just past Sinclair Island, we sailed by peapod rocks, which were filled with harbor seals! Every corner we turned, a new group appeared on the rocky pilings.

As we passed the last of the peapod rocks, we spied the blows and dorsal fins of some early morning reports just ahead of us! Slowly catching up to our fellow whale-watching vessels, we fell into line to visit with the T65B’s family of killer whales. The family was tightly grouped together, swimming in travelling mode with frequent surfacing and decreased down-times. Chunk, the matriarch, led the family, and Birdsall, Nettle, and Rook followed close behind their mama. Mount Baker loomed majestically in the backdrop, with not one cloud covering the foothills. Stunned by the scenery, glassy seascape, and sunshine, we followed the pod as they slowly crossed in front of the mountain. Towards the end of our encounter, the pod appeared to be hunting and prey-sharing, with quick changes of direction and increased surface activity.

Deciding we wanted to enjoy this stunning September day for a bit longer, we made the turn and headed south to Deception Pass. The pass was as serene and still as could be, with brilliant green waves and nearby lounging harbor seals inviting us through. Learning about the history of the area as we slowly cruised, every passenger joined us on the deck to admire the coastlines and the looming 180-foot bridge. Several Great Blue Herons soared alongside us, with impressive wingspans hovering just above the water surface. The journey home brought us into Burrows Bay and back into Guemes Channel. What a beautiful way to spend one of the last days of Salish Sea summer!

-Juna

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September 16, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

• Bigg’s killer whales: T60 brothers & T123s
• Steller sea lions
• Harbor seals
• Common murres
• Harbor porpoises

September 16, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch

Conditions were glassy as we cruised south down Rosario Strait this afternoon, and harbor porpoises surfaced around us as we let the Olympic Mountains guide us towards the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The deeper into the strait we got, the more flocks of common murres we encountered. We slowed to visit with a couple dozen harbor seals who were hauled out and sunbathing at Colville Island, the beautiful blades of bull kelp flowing in the currents just offshore. We visited with their larger pinniped cousins, Steller sea lions, at Whale Rocks. The rocks were bustling with activity today as Stellers vied for space atop the islands, using both vocalizations and body language to get their point across. A great blue heron used the bull kelp stipes as a makeshift dock, and cormorants and gulls mingled with the pinnipeds.

We ventured across Salmon Bank and over towards Hein, the placid conditions making it easy to spy any disturbance at the surface. As we neared Hein Bank, two tall dorsal fins rose from the depths. It was the T60 brothers, Onca and Lynx! These two were on a set course north, and we cruised with them as they determinedly made their way towards Eagle Cove, San Juan Island. Kulshan watched over the scene, her dramatic snow-capped peak the perfect backdrop for this intimate encounter.

We waved farewell to the boys and let Kulshan guide us home. We passed bird mills as we neared Iceberg Point, then slowed to admire the sights at Castle Island. As we entered Guemes Channel, and prepared for our return to the dock, the crew’s interest was piqued when Captain Carl took a ninety degree turn up Bellingham Channel. Interesting…that surely could only mean one thing…WHALES!

A bonus pod of Bigg’s were making their way south down Bellingham Channel, aiming right for us! As the six-foot dorsal of a male erupted from the water, we had to laugh at the irony. While it looked a lot like T60C “Yelnats”, the older brother of Onca and Lynx, we knew it to be his doppelganger T123A “Stanley”. Hey there Stanley! We knew that must mean Sidney, Lucky and Darcy were nearby. Sure enough, Sidney and Darcy raced south after Stanley, wowing us with a close pass as they porpoised past. Lucky was doing her own thing today, ranging half a mile to a mile off from her family.

Just when we thought the encounter was coming to an end, the trio turned into Guemes Channel, as if guiding us home. How delightful! We enjoyed an extended encounter with them, Darcy playing with something in the shallows while Sidney and Stanley surfaced side by side.

What a stellar conclusion to a beautiful day on the water!

Sam

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September 15, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

– Humpback Whale: “Aerie” CRC-17560
– Steller Sea Lions
– Mouflon Sheep
– Common Murres
-Harlequin Ducks

September 15, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch

We love serene September days out on the Salish Sea, and today was a beautiful example of why. Calm conditions persisted throughout our journey through Thatcher Pass, Cayou Pass, Pole Pass, and then Spieden Channel. We’d slowed a few times along the way, first at Pointer Island where cormorants, gulls, harlequin ducks and black turnstones
were gathered. A sharp-eyed guest had also spotted black oystercatchers at this National Wildlife Refuge. We slowed again at Pole Pass to admire Pacific madrona trees along shore and the flowing bull kelp in the shallows.

As we worked our way south down Haro Strait, skirting the border, we spied blows on the horizon. “Aerie” (CRC-17560) was working their way north up the strait. Their gorgeous flukes lifted high on every dive and a constellation of cookie-cutter shark scars dotted their sides. The dramatic bluffs of Henry Island made for a gorgeous backdrop to
the encounter, and the water was mirror-like. The calls of common murres punctuated the calm when Aerie was down deep; these calls were drowned out by the humpback’s forceful exhalations with each surfacing.

All too soon, it was time to leave Aerie. We worked our way over to Spieden Island, where small groups of mouflon sheep were out and
grazing and turkey vultures soared overhead. A pair of harlequin ducks swam past the bull kelp, while several Steller sea lions played within
its blades. Our return journey east took us through Wasp Pass and back through Thatcher, with harbor porpoise sightings along the way.

Sam

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September 14, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg’s killer whales (T60s & T59A4)

Steller sea lions 

Harbor seals 

Common murres

September 14, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch

It’s incredible how much the sea state can differ from one day to the next. The absolutely lake-like conditions in the Strait of Juan de Fuca today were such a juxtaposition to yesterday’s wind and swell. It was hard to see where the sea ended and the sky began, as the horizon was all a hazy shade of gray. It was like something out of a painting, and every little common murre and harbor porpoise dorsal fin stood out in stark contrast to the gray hues. We worked our way south towards the latest reports of whales, passing the Burrow’s Island Lighthouse with its new vibrant red cap and the red navigational marker marking the western shallows of Lawson Reef. Two sea lions were hauled out atop it. One stretched to dip its hind flippers into the water while warming in the sun, as if to cool off a bit. As we pushed south towards Smith Island, massive bird mills were forming across the horizon, a clear sign of bait schooling just beneath the water. As we passed Minor, we heard word from a friend that whales had been sighted along Lawson Reef. Welp. We made a 180 degree turn and hurried back the way we’d come. 

Sure enough, a group of five Bigg’s killer whales were working the shallows of Lawson Reef. It was no wonder we’d missed them, as their down times were extended, their surfacings subtle and the five were spread out across a half mile. Panthera and Uncia traveled as a duo, while Tigris and their cousin T59A4 traveled in tandem and T60C “Yelnats” traveled off on his own. We were spoiled with some incredible looks at Yelnats, his six-foot fin dramatically sliced through the glassy conditions with each breath. The five were in apparent hunting mode, and the boat held a collective breath as the pod passed close to the eastern Lawson Reef marker, where several Stellers were resting. The sea lions woke up as they spied their predator’s dorsals nearby, and two in the water quickly tried to assess if there was safe space on the channel marker. The pod passed them by, but the Stellers’ barking and antics did not abate for some time after. Meanwhile, the pod swam through a patch of bull kelp and past some growing bird mills. There was so much potential for predation, with sea lions, harbor porpoises and likely seals amongst the birds, but they passed it all by. 

 We waved farewell to the pod as they turned for NAS Whidbey, and made our way to the Deception Pass Bridge. We glided through the pass with ease, flowing with the flood tide. Harbor seals were feeding on fish and belted kingfishers yelled from the treetops. On our way back through the pass, we felt the force of Mother Nature as we fought the flood tide. It was smooth sailing home through Rosario Strait, with looks at cormorants, murres and harbor porpoises all the way home. – Sam 

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September 13, 2026

Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg’s killer whales (T109As)

Steller sea lion 

Harbor seals 

Common murres

September 13, 2026 – 1 PM Whale Watch

It’s not every day we are in the right place at the right time to witness a Steller sea lion predate on a Pacific Spiny Dogfish! As we drifted next to the bull kelp forest surrounding Bird Rocks, the water erupted when a Steller bull surfaced with a dogfish thrashing between its impressive canines. The sea lion appeared to make quick work of the shark. Nearby, two more bulls were hauled out and lounging on the rocks, with dozens of harbor seals lining the shoreline beneath them. A mixture of cormorants (Brant’s Double-Crested, and Pelagic), gulls, and black turnstones covered the islands.

We continued south, the peaks of the Olympics guiding us towards the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Thea seastate was lumpy, but it was nothing the Island Explorer 5 couldn’t cut through with ease. We pushed west into Canadian waters, passing flocks of common murres all along the way. When we reached the Discovery Islands, we paid tribute to Takaya the sea wolf just before coming upon the “wolves of the sea”, a pod of Bigg’s killer whales. It was the T109As, a family of six, working every shallow area and shoreline in their search for prey. Inky dorsal fins surfaced near watchful harbor seals hauled out atop the reefs. They wowed us with a close pass that included some inverted tail lobing, then proceeded to search the next little archipelago. Ultimately, the pod worked its way over to Harris Island and then toward Mary Tod Island, just offshore of Vancouver Island itself. Canadian flags flew taut as the wind raced in from the south, and we enjoyed a close cruise along the waterfront acreage of Victoria City.

We turned back to the east, working our way through the growing swell and wind chop. We passed bird mills containing hundreds of gulls and alcids on Salmon Bank, then hugged the southern shoreline of Lopez Island from Iceberg Point onwards. Slowing at Castle Island, we admired some well-camouflaged harbor seals and the gorgeous, flowing bull kelp. It was smoother sailing once we reached Rosario Strait, and we enjoyed sheltered waters all the way home to Cap Sante. – Sam

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