Anacortes Whale Watch
Highlights
Bigg's Killer Whales (T37As)
Steller Sea Lions
Harbor Seals
Belted Kingfisher
Great Blue Heron
Common Murres
October 18, 2025 | 12 PM Whale Watch
The calm before the storm… we were eager to enjoy our whale whale today before the wind comes tomorrow! In Cattle Pass, we met up with Bigg’s killer whales Volker (T37A), Inky (T37A2) and Crinkle (T37A4). This trio zigzagged through eddies and upwelling patches as bird mills formed up around them and pinnipeds fed along the shoreline. They moved with such stealth and the mist set a moody backdrop against Lopez and San Juan Islands.
Cattle Pass was bustling with dozens and dozens of Steller sea lions gathered around Whale Rocks. We saw sea lions fishing for salmon amongst the bull kelp, cuddling together on the rocks, and even a young Steller nursing! A few sea lions were also feeding, whipping their prey from side to side.
Other wildlife highlights included black turnstones and Bonaparte’s gulls at Whale Rocks, great blue herons and belted kingfishers at Castle Island, and some common murres in the straits. Our route home took us through Peavine Pass where we visited with harbor seals, and across Rosario to Eagle Bluff where we saw harbor porpoises and more bird activity. It was a spooky-fun day with so much wildlife and Bigg's killer whales!
-Sam
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Island Adventures Whale Watching provides the best opportunity to explore the Salish Sea and the wildlife beneath the waves.
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