February 15, 2026
Anacortes Whale Watch
Highlights
Bigg's Killer Whales (T41s)
Steller Sea Lions
Harbor Seals
Bald Eagles
Common Murres
February 15, 2026 | 1 PM Whale Watch
We celebrated World Whale Day in the most fitting way, by spending time with a beautiful family of Bigg’s killer whales: the T41s! We met up with them in the middle of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, north of Port Angeles and south of Victoria. This five-whale pod was in the midst of a Steller sea lion hunt when we arrived. The hunt had been ongoing for at least an hour prior, the sea lion was clearly tired and the pod was patiently timing their approaches. Even their newest addition, little T41A4 (born 2025) was getting close to the action. Watching these apex predators fully leap from the sea was breathtaking.
At one point, after little T41A4 had gotten pretty close to the Steller bull, this calf started porpoising away from the scene and from its family. The baby zoomies continued until it was nearly a mile from the pod. One of the family stayed behind to presumably keep an eye on their wounded prey, while the rest angled in the direction the calf had raced off to. Whether due to some strong words from mom, or the calf’s own inclination, it eventually circled back to the family, porpoising all the while. It was a wild display to witness, and left us with many questions.
Once reunited, the family relocated the sea lion. It was seeking shelter under a large driftwood log, its pectoral flipper draped over the natural debris. It was at this point that we left, and the fate of the sea lion remains a mystery.
We enjoyed smooth sailing throughout our journey today. While overcast skies blanketed the Olympic Mountain range, blue skies persisted above the San Juans and mainland, offering clear views of the snow-capped Cascade mountain range.
We enjoyed two other wildlife slowdowns today, the first at Bird Rocks. Here, massive Steller sea lions were hauled out and snoozing, while their smaller harbor seal cousins stuck closer to the waterline. Two bald eagles had chosen high perches amongst the greenery, and the bit of mature bull kelp that had hung on through the winter storms flowed with the tide. Our second slowdown came on our return trip home, as we wove through the islands dotting the southern coastline of Lopez Island. Here, three bald eagles called out to one another, and several harbor seals were camouflaged amongst the rocky shoreline. As we rounded the southeastern corner of Lopez, Komo Kulshan came into view, guiding us home to Cap Sante Marina as golden hour settled in over the sea.
- Sam
