Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Minke Whales
Harbor Porpoises
Sea Lions
Bald Eagles
Harbor Seals

May 15, 2025 | 12 PM Whale Watch

We had the most marvelous minke encounter today! May is Minke Month here in the Pacific Whale Watching Association, so you can imagine our delight when we found a delightfully friendly minke whale at Salmon Bank. This rorqual was feeding amongst dozens of harbor porpoises, some harbor seals, and countless birds! All of these predators were taking advantage of the forage fish schooling at Salmon as the tides flipped from ebb to flood. Our minke friend appeared to have some fresh cookie cutter bite marks, which we got up close looks at as it repeatedly approached us while we drifted!

We also enjoyed a wildlife stop at Bird Rocks. Several bald eagles were foraging and disrupting the cormorant rookery. Harbor seals were hauled out atop all the rock weed, while black oyster catchers foraged nearby. Harlequin ducks swam nearshore, and a sleep Steller sea lion dozed on the rocks amongst the pesky flies. There was so much to enjoy as we drifted by this National Wildlife Refuge.

Later in the day we enjoyed a stop to visit with several Steller sea lions who were snoozing on a channel marker near Lawson Reef. We watched them jump onto the marker and snuggle in with the dry Steller's who’d clearly been there for a while. We also took a detour beneath the Deception Pass Bridge as the currents flooded through. We saw so many eagles here and enjoyed an exciting ride as we pushed against the ripping currents.

-Sam