Gray Whales

See whales that traveled over 3,000 miles to be here.

Gray whales have one of the longest migrations of any mammal – right up there with the humpback whales! We are lucky enough to see these seasoned travelers as they feed in these waters on their trek north. Some gray whales return year after year and our crew can identify individuals by their different markings and scars!

The tail of a whale emerging from the water.
Two whales in the ocean, one showing its blowhole and exhaling, and the other partially submerged.
A whale surfacing in the ocean with part of its back and tail visible above the water.
A whale surfacing in the ocean, with only part of its body visible above the water.
A whale's head emerging from the water in the ocean.
A whale's tail emerging from the water in the ocean.
A gray whale breaching the water, with only its head visible above the surface.
A whale spouting water from its blowhole in the ocean.
A whale's tail emerging from the water, with water cascading off it, in the ocean
A whale swimming in the ocean with a snow-capped mountain in the background.

Trip Highlights | 2021 Gallery

Two orcas swimming in the ocean with their dorsal fins visible above the water.

Trip Highlights | 2020 Gallery

A close-up of a killer whale (orca) surfacing through water, with part of its head and dorsal fin visible.

Trip Highlights | 2019 Gallery

An orca whale breaches the water surface in the ocean with a dorsal fin visible, surrounded by water droplets.

Trip Highlights | 2018 Gallery

Orca whale breaching the water with seabirds flying above and around it, distant shoreline with hills and some boats.

Trip Highlights | 2017 Gallery

A whale breaches the surface of the water with part of its body visible above the waterline, in a calm body of water with a distant shoreline and trees in the background.

Trip Highlights | 2016 Gallery

A large white boat with several levels of decks on calm water, with people on board. In the water, two orcas are visible near the boat, with their dorsal fins above the surface. Distant land and hills are in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Building the Island Explorer 5 Gallery

An orca whale swimming in the ocean, partially submerged with its dorsal fin and part of its body visible above the water surface.

Killer Whale Gallery

A whale breaches the ocean surface, with water spraying from its blowhole, in front of a forested hillside and a sailboat in the distance.

Humpbacks Gallery

Dorsal fin of a dolphin or orca surfacing in calm water

Minke Whales Gallery

A seal laying on rocks near the water's edge, with the ocean in the background.

Pacific Northwest Wildlife Gallery

View of a snow-capped mountain, likely Mount Rainier, in the distance over a calm body of water with a boat or barge in the foreground, during sunset or sunrise with a clear sky.

World-Class Scenery Gallery