Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Gray Whales
Bigg's Killer Whales (T36s,T36Bs &T99s)
Steller Sea Lions
Harbor Seals
So many birds!

February 28, 2026 | 1 PM Whale Watch

Today was a reminder of how incredible spring whale watching in the Salish Sea can be. We enjoyed the company of both Bigg's killer whales and gray whales, harbor seals and massive Steller bulls, and more bird species than we could count (but we'll try anyways)! Throughout our journey we watched the moon rise from the east over the freshly powdered peak of Kulshan, a truly stunning backdrop for our wildlife search.

The sightings began as we cruised through Guemes Channel and across Rosario Strait. Flocks of Brants were huddled against the crisp northerly winds, rhinoceros auklets were sporting their fresh breeding season plumage, and pairs of pigeon guillemots disappeared beneath the waves in search of prey. We slowed to admire Bird Rocks and all of its inhabitants. Steller sea lions were basking in the sun, exposing their large fore flippers in a way that made it look as if they were waving hello. Their little cousins, the harbor seals, were hauled out at the water's edge, blending in well with the rocky backdrop. Thousands of dunlins were gathered, occasionally taking flight in a murmuration that took our breath away. Several bald eagles were present, watching over the scene. Pairs of harlequin ducks surfed the swell while chatty black oystercatchers paroosed the rocks above them. Swift black turnstones flitted from rock to rock amidst the variety of gulls gathered. Something floating at the surface along the southern edge of this National Wildlife Refuge caught our eye. It was a bony fish, just drifting with the current. If it wasn't dead, it was certainly in distress... but not for long, because a Steller sea lion leapt from the depths and took the fish out in one move.

We zigzagged across the strait, enjoying closer looks at the Burrow's Island Lighthouse, then aiming for Davidson Rock. It was here that our Captains (Tyson & Carl) spied a heart-shaped blow on the horizon! It turned out to be a lovely gray whale, one that appeared to be new to this region (we are sending photos to the Cascadia Research Collective for confirmation). We love to see these record-setting mammalian migrators back for their spring feeding season. Not far away, another gray whale was working its way north through Rosario Strait. Two gray whale encounters in the first hour of the day? Love to see it.

After our time with the grays, we turned for Deception Pass. The emerald waters here were churning, and we drifted with them while admiring this iconic landmark. Pelagic cormorants flew past us, and a lucky few guests glimpsed swift moving harbor porpoises. We ventured up into Burrow's Bay, spying pairs of marbled murrelets and a chatty belted kingfisher. Cruising through Burrows Pass, we ventured further north in Rosario Strait to scan for activity. The currents around Black Rock had attracted harbor porpoises, but no larger cetaceans were to be found. Nevertheless, our crew never stops searching until we're back in the marina...

I was in the Naturalist Stand when we made the turn back east. We had just cruised past the southernmost point of Cypress Island when the tip of a dorsal fin caught my eye. My brain was quickly calculating all the possibilities of what I'd just seen when two more inky fins rose from the depths. "WE'VE GOT KILLER WHALES!" After some quick ID work, we determined that there were eleven whales in total: the T36s/T36Bs and the T99s. These two pods are presumed relatives, and it was delightful to see them all traveling together. Barakat's now-towering dorsal fin dwarfed his two littlest cousins Maple and Auk. Holly traveled slightly apart from the rest, but we were happy to see her with her family. It was an intimate encounter and a phenomenal end to a wildlife-packed adventure.

You truly never know what surprises the Salish Sea will have in store.

-Sam