Recent whale sightings in the Salish Sea
(Puget Sound, Northwest Straits, Gulf Islands and Georgia Strait)
Sightings Summaries Archives
Sighting report archives
Be Whale Wise - Whale Watching Guidelines
To report whales please go to the Orca Network Sightings Report Page, or email Orca Network.
The purpose of Orca Network's Whale Sighting Network and Education Project is to encourage shorline observation and increase awareness and knowledge about the Southern Resident Community of orcas (J, K and L pods), and foster a stewardship ethic and motivate a diverse audience to take action to protect and restore Puget Sound.
The orcas' steep population decline is a reflection of the problems and issues facing the greater Puget Sound marine and watershed ecosystems: declining salmon runs, PCB contamination, and the effects of a rapidly increasing human population including habitat loss and resource depletion. Through a volunteer Whale Sighting Network, sightings and observations of this orca community are gathered and disseminated to researchers and volunteers, and posted on our website.
For information on the Southern Resident orcas, go to
Orcas of the Salish Sea.
Click here to find out about Offshore orcas,
and here for information on Transients.
Click here to learn about Gray whales.
Commonly found marine mammals of Puget Sound
Other sightings networks can be found on the Orca Network Links page.
Or this link to the Center for Whale Research ID Guide
For whale watch information, contact the
Whale Watch Operators Association - North West
To hear orcas underwater in real time, when they're around, go to
OrcaSound - real-time underwater sound
To report stranded marine mammals, please contact
Marine Mammal Stranding Network
Summarized Sightings map HERE
Interactive Map with recent sightings
(move cursor over icons for dates and details)
provided courtesy of MapMate
February 5, 2010
I found the big group of Transient orcas that have been around the past few days again today this time east bound in 3 groups near Race Rocks at 1430.
Mark Malleson, Prince of Whales, Victoria B.C.
*
6:35 am: Very faint calls at Lime Kiln hydrophone - sounds like the Transients again?
Suzy Roebling, Florida
*
Hearing faint calls on Lime kiln Hydrophones - 6:39 am.
Cathy Bacon, Texas
*
I'm visiting my parents who live near Belfair on the South Shore of Hood Canal. At about 3:30 we were looking out towards the water and by god a grey whale blew! My folks have lived here for nearly 60 years and this is the first I've ever seen on this far end of the Canal. It was obviously feeding and moving slowly. One whale and not large as close as I could tell.
Ginger Miller, Whidbey Island
*
I'm not an expert, but I think this might have been that Grey Whale that has been seen around these parts. 1 whale, traveling south at 2:12:26 PM PST, sighted from Golden Gardens Beach (near Shilshole). It was going South, blew a short and wide spray that persisted no more than a second, and quickly submerged again. The dorsal fin was short and devoid of markings that I could see. It seemed to appear in the same general area several times over the next fifteen minutes, always traveling south as it surface, but never appearing farther south. As such, I wasn't sure if this was several animals or one. At one point I thought I got a good look at what seemed like a small black dolphin to my untrained eyes. I never saw any large dorsal fins or black/white markings or large numbers that I would expect with Orca.
Joe Melberg
February 4, 2010
Brad Hanson of NOAA Fisheries NWFSC called with a report tonight. After receiving the call from Orca Network, they were able to get out in the NOAA boat and found the transient orcas in two groups in the vicinity of Point No Point, N. Kitsap Peninsula this afternoon, observing a sea lion kill. They were successful in deploying satellite tags on T100B & T100C, and will be posting maps of their movements on the Cascadia Research website in the next few days. They left the orcas at around 4:30 pm, the orcas were heading both north and south.
*
Dick and I left the whales at 4.15 pm, still in two groups, one to the south of Foulweather Bluff, one to the north. Those 'at the south end' were in the vicinity of two boats (NOAA maybe?) and less distinct. Those 'at the north end' were making their way slowly north, and appeared to be foraging or milling with some breaching and spyhopping behavioural activity.
Sandra Pollard & Dick Snowberger, Freeland, Whidbey Island
*
Ivan Reiff of Western Prince whale watch called at 4:15 pm to report he had been flying from San Juan Island to Seattle, and timed it right to see the pod of orcas between Point No Point (N. Kitsap Peninsula) & Double Bluff (Whidbey Isl) at about 3:45 pm. There were ~10 north of Pt. No Point, and a few more south of Pt. No Point, and he observed them making a kill. The NOAA boat was with the whales.
*
John Fortin of Hansville called to report 3 orcas between Foulweather Bluff and Bush Pt, including a male, a female and a calf at 3:45 pm. He reported 2 boats and the KOMO news chopper on site.
*
This is Heather Hoins on Marrowstone - I just saw them (orcas) as well - 3:30 pm - they appear to be going in small circles - right smack in the middle of the shipping channel - I only saw 3 maybe 4 individuals and no male. Heather also called in a report of 4 orcas, including 1 male, off S. Marrowstone at 11:58 am, heading south, nearing Foulweather Bluff.
*
I have them (the orcas) at Double Bluff at 3:20. Looks like maybe a half dozen transients, including at least one juve?
John Herman
*
After receiving a call from Rick Huey of orcas southbound in Admiralty Inlet, we headed over to Bush Pt. to see if we could find and ID them. At around 10:20 am we caught our first glimpse of the orcas - a male, 2 females and a calf midway down Marrowstone Island heading south. At 11:05 am another group of 4 - 5 came through, closer to the Whidbey side. At 11:07 we spotted more whales to the north heading our way! 11:15 am, we spotted 6 - 7 orcas just north of Bush Pt, circling & hunting close to the Whidbey side. 11:30 am, the last large group (we thought....) was heading south past Bush Pt. At 11:45 am, ~6 orcas were in a resting line between Skunk Bay and Mutiny Bay, heading south. At 11:50 am, the last group was off Foulweather Bluff (~10+). At this point we estimated we'd seen 16 - 20 whales total. Then, at noon, we saw 8+ blows way on the other side off Foulweather Bluff & the entrance to Hood Canal. At 12:15 pm we saw 6 blows off Foulweather Bluff - all whales seemed to be traveling south at a good pace, & were moving out of our line of sight, so we headed back home - after having observed 25+ orcas pass by! After viewing our photos and video, we were able to confirm our suspicions that this was the pod of 27 Transients observed off Victoria B.C. on Weds. What a thrill to get to see them all - a rare Transient Superpod!
Susan Berta & Howard Garrett, Orca Network, Whidbey Island
*
Pat Scott of Bush Pt, Whidbey Island called to report 5 - 6 orcas, including 1 calf off Bush Pt, heading south toward Mutiny Bay at 10:25 am.
*
Orca Network received a call from a woman reporting orcas off Lagoon Pt, Whidbey Island at 10:15 am heading south.
*
Karen Edelblute called Orca Network at 9:56 am to report 4 orcas off N. Lagoon Pt., mid-channel, heading south toward Bush Pt.
*
Rick Huey of Washington State Ferries called Orca Network at 9:15 am to report observing several orcas mid-channel off Marrowstone Island, heading south. Rick called again at 10:30 am to report another group of 4 - 6 orcas heading past the haul out off Marrowstone Island, heading south, closer to the east side of Admiralty Inlet.
*
We did see Transient orca T100's calf and a lot of rolling around with the prey. We are pretty certain it was a minke from our photos.
Candi Emmons, NOAA Fisheries NWFSC, Seattle
*
Not sure what kind of whale I saw (still green at whale ID), but it crossed in front of the ferry while it was still docked at Mukilteo around 3:30 p.m. It was dark colored, short dorsal fin and I saw its back surface several times. It was alone as far as I could tell. Maybe a minke? Perhaps someone else who could identify it saw it and reported it? If so, I'd love to know what it was. Sorry I'm not much help on the ID, but wanted to share my magical moment!
Margi Hartnett, Clinton, WA
Both these reports sound like Minke whales to us, given the small dorsal fin, & the small, non-persistent spout in the first report - S&H
*
At 10:30am a gray was spotted traveling south about 100 yards off shore directly in front of Tulalip Shores. We heard and saw the gray surface twice before it was out of sight. About about 4 minutes elapsed between the two sightings. The last time it sufaced and gave two quick blows and then dove, exposing the tail.
Vicki & Jim Mattson, Tulalip Shores
February 3, 2010
Mark Malleson and I have made a preliminary review of our photos and it appears that there were 27 Transients, including the new calf of T100 which Graeme Ellis and Jared Towers have given the designation T100E. Great day!
Ken Balcomb, Center for Whale Research, San Juan Island
*
I started hearing Transient calls again this morning just before 6 a.m. The calls continued and continued, something that seemed unusual for transients. As it turned out I found the Ts at about 8:30 a.m. coming south 4+ miles from shore and 1+ miles south of Kelp Reef - there were evidently more whales behind them and that would explain the sounds on the hydrophones, which ended at about 9:30 a.m. I went out the Jim Maya this afternoon and we saw the transients south of Race Rocks. After arriving they turned and headed back in toward Pt. Angeles. There was pinkish calf in the group. There were a lot - at least 15. I have posted some pics from the day on my blog. I also posted a recording - one of the calls sequences it sounds like there are a bunch of cats fighting - very interesting.
Jeanne Hyde, San Juan Island
*
One just had to be out on the water this special day when it was reported that a big group pf Transients were heading this way past Oak Bay, Victoria BC. Mark Malleson and Ken Balcomb were out there first in the morning, so by 2pm when the Prince of Whales zodiac, skippered by Mark, left the harbour I was wondering which direction those whales might be traveling and how much distance they had made. Luckily the exact location was known and we found them south and east of Race Rocks in American waters. It was impressive to see so many Transients together. Initially, we found them in resting formation, and then doing what transients do best, Zig-Zagging all over. It was lovely to see a brand new calf with the T100's. Eventually we left them while they headed back east. It was an amazing sight to see so many transients together.
Marie, Orca-Magic, Prince of Whales, Victoria BC.
*
Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research called at 12:35 pm to report 20 - 25 Transient orcas in Oak Bay, Victoria. They observed at least 1 kill.
*
5:51 am: very faint transient calls being heard on Lime Kiln hydrophones, San Juan Isl.
5:58 am: loud calls on OrcaSound now.
8:12 am: There they are again.
8:33 am: visual on Transient orcas going down - 4+ miles from shore 1+ m south of Kelp reef marker - visual of 4 fins up at same time.
Jeanne Hyde, San Juan Island
*
7:40 am: The WHO_listener automatic detection started picking up orca calls at Lime Kiln at 4:21 this morning. By 5:03 the detections had shifted to OrcaSound where many calls were recorded up until 6:33.
Val Veirs, OrcaSound/The Whale Museum
*
I am a new user of the hydrophone network, but this morning, from about 0910 to 0920 Eastern Time (0610 - 0620 Pacific time), I heard some echolocation coming from the hydrophones at both Lime Kiln and the OrcaSound hydrophone on San Juan Island. The calls were stronger at the OrcaSound hydrophone, not Lime Kiln, but came in stronger at Lime Kiln towards the end of my listening bout. I am not certain these are killer whales; like I said, I am a new listener and cannot identify everything I hear. But this is the first time I have ever heard anything of note on the hydrophone network, and I am excited about it.
John Rohrback
*
Transient calls loud and clear on both Lime Kiln and OrcaSound hydrophones at 6:23 am.
Cathy Bacon, Marine Mammal Research Assistant
*
0615 PST - ORCA'S LOUD AT LIME KILN.
Lon Brocklehurst
February 2, 2010
At 12:16 I began picking up transient calls on the Lime Kiln hydrophones. Most were faint but within the next 1/2 hour the volume increased a surprising amount on a couple of the calls.
Jeanne Hyde, San Juan Island
*
1342 PST I hear faint Orca call at Lime Kiln. I have been hearing calls for about a hour or so -- in and out depending on the back ground noise.
Lon Brocklehurst
Interactive Map with recent sightings
(move cursor over icons for dates and details)
provided courtesy of MapMate
|
Join Our Sightings List
