Anacortes Whale Watch
Highlights
Humpback Whale- HW-MN0510870
Sea Lions
Harbor Seals
Brown Pelicans
September 29, 2025 | 12 PM Whale Watch
Autumn is here! Today felt like a quintessential pacific northwest fall day, with moody misty conditions throughout our adventure. The gray hues of the water blended with that of the clouds above, at times making it hard to tell where the horizon began. We sailed south towards reports of whales near Protection Island, passing harbor porpoises and flocks of Alcids as we went. We also stopped for a couple of cozy looking Steller sea lions at the Lawson Reef marker.
As we neared Protection Island, the seas smoothed and a serene quiet set in. All of a sudden, a blow broke the silence, and a dark dorsal ridge appeared. It was humpback whale HW-MN0510870, a seemingly younger whale who is new to science as of 2024. This friendly humpback wowed us with a peduncle throw and many showings of its flukes. The backdrop of fall foliage along the Olympic Peninsula with mist wrapping through the trees made for a stunning backdrop throughout this encounter. While the humpback dove deep, we listened to the common murres and watched them swim around us.
On our cruise home, we stopped at Minor Island where dozens of harbor seals were hauled out amongst the birds. We found Brants and double crested cormorants, gulls, and FIVE brown pelicans!!! This was an unexpected find, but one that seems to be becoming more common this year.
What a day!
-Sam
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