Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Sea Lions
Harbor Seals
Glaucous-winged Gulls
Heermann's Gulls
Oystercatchers
Bald Eagle

August 28, 2025 | 1 PM Whale Watch

This morning’s rain had helped to clear some of the smoke from the air, bringing some needed relief. With blessedly overcast skies and calm seas making for ideal spotting conditions, we set out on our search for wildlife. We spied harbor porpoises here and there as we worked our way across Rosario Strait and into the heart of the islands. We slowed at Pointer, admiring the dozens of harbor seals hauled out here and listening to the high pitched calls of the newly fledged glaucous-winged gull chicks. We saw a new family of black oystercatchers camouflaged amongst the seals-- two little chicks following one of their parents.

We continued through Thatcher and Upright passes, getting different reports of whales filtering in. Opting for what seemed to be the most reliable reports, we ventured south via San Juan Channel and out towards Salmon Bank. We slowed at Whale Rocks to visit with Steller sea lions, Heermann’s gulls, black turnstones and Brandt’s cormorants. The Stellers were piled on top of one another, trying their best to snooze while a few of their peers caused ruckus amongst the colony.

As we ventured across Salmon Bank, we spied bait ball after bait ball, some with thousands of birds gathered! Common murres, rhinoceros auklets, gulls, cormorants, you name it! Not to mention all the leaping pink salmon! As we worked our way towards Hein Bank the density only increased, but sadly no whales seemed to be amongst them. We continued east towards McArthur, and then up towards Davidson Rock. Here we stopped to admire one of the seemingly few bald eagles remaining amongst the islands, their peers having flown up river with the salmon returns.

We had gotten more reports of a whale hanging out in Rosario Strait today, so we continued our thorough search in that direction. Some of our crew may have bruises from so constantly holding binoculars to their eyes today, but sadly no whales were found. It was a tough bout of bad luck, but not a poor day spent. We got to enjoy the beauty of the Salish Sea and meet many of its inhabitants along the way.

Sam