Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg's Killer Whales (T46Bs)
Harbor Seals
Tufted Puffin
Common Murres

August 27, 2025 | 1 PM Whale Watch

This afternoon we had the match up of the century... In one corner: the fiesty 2 year old T46B2B Takaya. And in the other corner: a very confused and appalled juvenile common murre. Who will win? There's only one way to find out. Ladies and gentlemen, let's get ready to rumble!!

Before we witnessed this iconic match up, we jetted down Rosario Strait towards Whidbey Island following reports of killer whales to the south. Cruising into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, we met up with one of my all time favorite families, the T46Bs! Right as we got on scene, we noticed birds circling in the air and whales circling in the water, which indicated that it was lunch time for these killer whales. After they'd gotten their fill, a small split formed in the family. Leading one group was the lovely T46B Raksha, who swam with her daughters, T46B2 Akela and T46B6 Sol, and her son T46B4 Quiver. Closer to us, Raksha's third born daughter, T46B3 Sedna was on babysitting duty with the youngest members of the family, 2 year olds T46B2B Takaya and T46B7 Tala as well as Sedna's newborn calf T46B3A Monroe.

With so many kiddos in this group, we were bound to see some goofing off, and little Takaya seemed keen on showing us her new hunting moves. Sneak-attacking a small common murre, Takaya lept and back flopped, flaunting her agility and coordination. We see you Takaya, and we're impressed! This poor little bird was no match for the energy of an orca toddler, and it tried its hardest to escape while Takaya nipped playfully at it's feet below the surface.

It's always such a treat to see the next generation of killer whales honing their skills. Takaya and other members of the Bigg's killer whale baby boom have big shoes to fill, and will need to be expert hunters in order to participate in their role as apex predators.

After our encounter with the T46Bs, we jetted over to Smith Island and spotted a tufted puffin among larger groups of rhinoceros auklets, pigeon guillemots, and more common murres that were fortunately out of range of the bird-tormenting Takaya. On our way home, we made one last stop at Bird Rocks to check out some harbor seals, gulls, and cormorants. While cruising back through Rosario Strait, we discussed the significance and size of the T46 extended family, as well as Raksha's very famous mother, T46 Wake, and her impact on the population!

Amy