Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg's Killer Whales
Harbor Seals
Nesting Cormorants
Pink Salmon

August 12, 2025 | 9 AM and 1 PM Whale Watch

9AM

The salmon activity continues! Today’s adventure was full of salmon sightings as these incredible anadromous fish leapt from the water left and right. We also had another day with some serious heat distortion across the horizon, Fata Morgana once again playing tricks on our eyes. With various reports filtering in from around the region, we began with a careful search of Rosario Strait and Lawson Reef.

We slowed at Colville Island to visit with dozens of hauled out harbor seals, watching as forage fish leapt amongst the flowing blades of bull kelp. Next, we continued west to Salmon, towards Middle, and then north up Haro. There were many harbor porpoises between Middle and Haro, but we had our hearts set on larger cetaceans… As we approached Kelp Reef, we were delighted to see inky black dorsal fins slice through the water. It was the T37As! Volker, Inky and Crinkle to be exact. Siblings T37A2 & T37A4 seem pretty inseparable, and they were certainly sticking close to one another this morning. They wowed us with a surprise close look, then we watched as they met up with mom and continued towards the western coastline of San Juan Island.

Our return trip home took us along a totally new route. We enjoyed coastal views through Spieden Channel, Wasp Passage and then Thatcher Pass. Koma Kulshan guiding us home all the way.

Sam

1PM

With the whales from our morning tour moving out of range, but new reports moving in from the west via the Strait of Juan de Fuca, we made a turn down Rosario and aimed for the Olympics. We stopped at Colville Island on the way, visiting with dozens of harbor seals hauled out along the rocky shoreline and admiring the bull kelp flowing amidst schools of forage fish.

As we approached Port Angeles, wild shapes started materializing within the mirage up ahead. The heat distortion can certainly play tricks on your eyes, and today’s heat masked everything more than a few miles away. As we approached, stranger blobs turned into our fellow whale watchers and dorsal fins became visible. It was the T46Bs (minus T46B3s who were reported nearby). It is always so special to visit with this ever-growing family, and little Takaya and Tala melted our hearts.

South a couple of miles, another special family was working their way east. The T36s, now a four generation pod of Bigg’s killer whales, were swimming closely together. With two little calves in their midst, Maple and Auk, we were truly spoiled with cute energy today.

On the cruise home we caught some brief rorqual views on the fly. There was a minke and humpback whale on Hein Bank amongst hundreds of birds. These baleen whales seemed to be working the shallows for prey.

Mount Baker led us back to the east, her towering peak too tall even for the Fata Morgana to full obscure. It was smooth sailing all the way home to Cap Sante.