Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg's Killer Whales (T46s)
Humpback Whale (Victory)
Harbor Seals

August 11, 2025 | 1 PM and 5 PM Whale Watch

With wicked winds howling in from the north, we turned south in Rosario Strait aiming for calmer seas. We made a stop at Bird Rocks first, where much of the intertidal zone was exposed due to the extreme ebb tide. The harbor seals were taking advantage of the opportunity to haul out, and the black turnstones were foraging amongst the rockweed. We also saw gulls, nesting cormorants, pigeon guillemots, harlequin ducks and flowing bull kelp.

We cruised into the Strait of Juna de Fuca, and met up with a beautiful humpback whale near Salmon Bank. With a stunning lift of her tail she revealed her ID: CRC-16262 “Victory”. This Salish Sea mama was first documented in 2008 and is mother to at least one calf. We enjoyed spending time with her, and cheered when she would grace us with each lifting of her flukes.

We ventured down to Smith Bank next, and found several gutted puffins! Two were very friendly, showing off their gorgeous colors to us while swimming side by side. The Fata Morgana continued to play tricks on our eyes all the way home, some serious heat distortion across the horizon with the heat wave that’s rolling through this week.

What an evening! Stunning conditions in the Strait of Juan de Fuca made for smooth sailing west to visit with the T46s near Victoria. We marveled at these four siblings as they spread throughout the strait to hunt. The Olympic mountains cast in golden hour lighting made for the perfect setting, and surrounding the Bigg’s killer whales were hundreds of leaping salmon! At times, we could see the salmon swimming beneath the surface right beside us, while a couple hundred yards away the six-foot dorsal fins of Strider and Thor sliced through the surface. What a memorable encounter!

We let Koma Kulshan guide us back to the east, passing flocks of common murres as we went. We slowed near McArthur Bank where Victory the humpback whale was lunge feeding!!! This beautiful female took our breath away with a dramatic lunge, ventral pleats expanded, amongst the flocks of common murres. It was incredible! On her deeper dives, we listed to the baby murres call out for their dads, a sound that is difficult to mistake. With the sun now setting over the Salish Sea, we ventured back to Cap Sante, excitedly recounting all the epic moments of our evening adventure.

-Sam