Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg’s killer whales: T90s, T167A & T167B
Steller sea lions
Harbor seals
Rhinoceros auklets

April 18, 2026 | 12 PM Whale Watch

What a memorable trip this turned into! It was our crew’s first time visiting with T167A & T167B, Bigg’s killer whales who so seldom visit us here in the Salish Sea. This brother-sister duo seemed to fit right in with the T90 family. T167A was side by side with fellow male T90B for much of the encounter, meanwhile all the ladies were socializing and hunting seemingly seamlessly. The two youngest females, T90D and T167B were working in tandem to hunt (torment?) rhinoceros auklets. It was an incredible display of agility and hunting prowess. RIP little auklet… We lucked into a private whale watch for much of the encounter, being the only vessel on scene was a true treat.

Nearby the Bigg’s, a little island was covered in Steller sea lions. They seemed unaware of the predators nearby, and dozed beneath the beautiful tribute mural to Takaya the sea wolf. We had seen their smaller cousin pinnipeds, harbor seals, hauled out in a similar fashion on Colville Island earlier in our adventure.

The cruise out and back from the Discovery Islands was glassy, and the tides did work in our favor. We enjoyed the surrounding mountain views of both Cascades and Olympics, and Kulshan guided us back east at the end of our Canadian vacation. During the journey we sighted white winged scooters, pigeon guillemots, common murres, rhinoceros auklets, all three cormorant species and harbor porpoises.

It was an epic trip with playful whales and truly spectacular cruising conditions.

-Sam