Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg's Killer Whale (T65A2 Ooxja)
Harbor Seals & Pups!
Gull Chicks
Steller Sea Lions
Bald Eagles

July 14, 2025 | 9 AM and 1 PM Whale Watch

With strong winds blowing in from the north and west this morning, and fog blanketing southern Rosario Strait, we opted for smooth seas and clear visibility off the eastern side of Guemes Island to start our adventure. The seas were glassy back there, allowing us to easily spot pigeon guillemots swimming about and plenty of eel grass drifting in the current lines. We slowed along the eastern coast of Guemes for a couple of bald eagles, a nest and some seals. We also visited with some sleepy Stellers and nesting pelagic cormorants on a nearby navigational marker.

The search took us north, along the southern side of the outer islands. Near Parker Reef we got a taste of what the extreme ebb tide and nothermly winds were doing to the Strait of Georgia. It was rolly! We weathered the turbulence and worked our way towards calmer waters in Boundary Pass. We made a scenic detour up to Monarch Head, one of the most geologically stunning coastlines around the area. This route brought us to Java Rocks, where we found at least a dozen harbor seals pups, even more mature seals, and some active black oyster catchers. It was a true highlight!

We angled back towards the San Juan’s from here, cruising past Jones Island and through Wasp Passage. We took Peavine, crossed Rosario Strait where the fog had burned off, and worked our way towards Eagle Cliff. The Cypress shoreline is one of our favorites, and we enjoyed spotting eagles and other birds as we worked our way down Bellingham Channel. Sadly no whales were found this morning, but we sincerely hope our guests from today’s trip with join us for another adventure in the future.

We knew leaving the dock this afternoon that wildlife sightings in the Salish Sea can change by the minute, as species travel with or against the tides seeking out their next foraging opportunity. We kept our eyes on the binoculars, scanning hard as we cruised across Rosario Strait and into the heart of the San Juan’s. We made a stop at Pointer Island and were delighted to see that many gull chicks had left the nest and were cautiously wandering about the colony. Their speckled gray floofy forms looked like moving cotton balls. Beneath them, close to the water’s edge, many harbor seal pups rested with their mothers, hauled out and sunbathing. It was a wonderful wildlife stop to begin the trip with.

We worked our way through Wasp Pass and north towards Green Point then Boundary Pass. Conditions had calmed a bit, so every harbor porpoise was visible. We rounded Turn Point, admiring the lighthouse and Madrona tree lined cliffs. We knew scanning Haro was our best bet at finding whales, since this intersection between the straits had not been thoroughly searched of late. Just as we were losing hope, a call came in from our stern: Captain Michael had found a whale! And not just any whale, “Ooxjaa” T65A2, was swimming circles off Turn Point, his family nowhere in sight. We marveled as he explored the current lines, his waving dorsal slicing the surface dramatically with every breath. At one point, our fellow whale watchers heard him vocalizing at the surface! Was he reaching out to his family? Trying to communicate with us? We may well never know. While we were surprised to find him on his own, we were not concerned. The T65A kids have a habit of spending time away from mom, and we knew from morning reports that his family had been seen further north in the area. We would learn late that evening that he did indeed meet back up with the rest of the pod, the family reuniting and continuing their travels down San Juan Channel.

The ride home was smooth sailing back through Wasp and Thatcher passes. We slowed along Spieden Island to visit with a beautiful bald eagle and a herd of Mouflon Rams.

-Sam