Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg's Killer Whales
Humpback Whale
Harbor Seals
Mouflon Sheep & Fallow Deer

September 11, 2025 | 12 PM Whale Watch

With reports floating in from out west, we maneuvered through the thick fog in Rosario Strait and aimed for Thatcher Pass. We made a stop at Pointer Island first, finding harbor seals, black oyster catchers, black turnstones, cormorants and gulls. As we continued through the inner islands, we spied turkey vultures soaring over the tree line of Crane Island and spied bull kelp flowing with the currents in Pole Pass. We aimed for the Cactus Islands, and met up with our first whales of the day!

Brothers T60D & E, Onca and Lynx, were working the reefs around the Cactus Islands. We collectively held our breath as a large Steller bull swam counterclockwise around the islands while the brothers circled it clockwise. The Steller swam free, but predator and prey could not have been more than thirty yards from each other. The Bigg’s killer whales kept working the kelp while alert harbor seals watched from the safety of shore. It was a fun encounter with these brothers.

We explored the southern shoreline of Spieden Island next, finding mouflon sheep and fallow deer as we cruised in addition to a major kettle of turkey vultures! We rounded the southern coastline of Flattop Island then slowed to visit with a second species of whale. “Malachite” (CRC-19820), the 2021 calf of Slate, was exploring the waters near White Rock. This beautiful rorqual showed off their tail twice allowing for a positive ID. Our cruise home took us through unexplored territory. We found belted kingfishers in Peavine Pass, then angled across Rosario Strait towards Eagle Cliff. We scanned the tranquil waters around the Cone Islands, then cruised down the backside of Guemes Island. A beautiful end to a wonderful adventure.

-Sam