Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Humpback Whale (Cerulean)
Harbor Seals
Steller Sea Lions
Bald Eagles

July 7, 2025 | 1 PM Whale Watch

This afternoon we decided to start our search to the north, passing up the shoreline of Lummi Island and taking a brief look at some harbor seals hauled out on Lummi Rocks. Moving further north, we got beautiful looks at Sucia, Matia, and Patos Island, as well as gorgeous Mt. Baker rising up into clear blue skies. Continuing north, we pressed deeper into the Strait of Georgia until we finally met up with a humpback whale. We'd had reports of this animal for a little while but it was moving fast towards Canada, so by the time we met up with it, we were close to Point Roberts. It was the furthest north I'd been in a while and we were able to see amazing views of the Canadian Gulf Islands, multiple BC ferries in the distance, and the soft, calm seas of the vast Strait.

It took some teamwork with other vessels in the area, but we were finally able to ID this whale as Cerulean, a calf of Split Fluke. We hung with Cerulean as they slowly continued their way north. Then, we saw a behavior change as this whale hit the breaks and began diving in a more circular pattern, leading us to believe that they had found some baitfish or krill and were feeding. Unexpectedly, we even got to see a massive lunge-feeding behavior off our port side as Cerulean hit the surface fast, inflating their ventral pleats in an impressive display of power. Being so far from home, eventually we waved goodbye to Cerulean and began the journey back south. We passed in between Barns and Clark Islands and curved around Orcas Island to Peapod Rocks, where we spotted no less than six bald eagles gathered together around the wildlife refuge. Most likely there was a carcass nearby that these birds were scavenging. Further south, we also got to check out some sea lions resting on a red navigational marker. We took the back side of Guemes on our way back to the dock, marveling at the steep cliff sides and pigeon guillemots gliding through the air. We covered a lot of water today but it was all worth it to hang out with Cerulean and check out lots of other species along the way!

-Amy