Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg's Killer Whales (T90s)
Sea Lion Predation Event
Harbor Seals
Juvenile and Mature Bald Eagles
Canada Geese

April 8, 2026 | 1 PM Whale Watch

The sun was shining, the mountains were out, it was another spectacular spring day on the Salish Sea. We lucked into witnessing a dramatic example of the food web in action shortly into our trip. We had just visited Bird Rocks, where several bald eagles gathered, a few pairs of Canada geese munched on grass, and some sleepy harbor seals basked in the sunshine, and were continuing our cruise south towards Castle Island when the water erupted…A Steller sea lion had caught a massive giant pacific octopus and was devouring its prey at the surface! Some gutsy gulls were lingering nearby, hoping to pick up any pieces as they flew from the scene of the feast. Once or twice, the gulls barely got out of the way in time, as huge chunks of octopus came hurtling their way. It was such a spectacle!

Our slow cruise continued on towards Castle Island, where the intertidal zone was enough to reveal a pink layer of crustose coralline algae. Little pigeon guillemots were fishing here and there, and we got great looks at some darling harbor seals hauled out atop the rock weed. We found another mature bald eagle at Swirl Rocks, then pushed onwards to the west.

We wove our way through the smaller islands off the southwestern coastline of Lopez, spying dozens of hauled out harbor seals, more bald eagles perched high atop the trees, and a haul out of Stellers from afar as we neared Cattle Pass. Within its churning currents was a pod of four Bigg’s killer whales, the T90s! This family has been doing laps of the islands this week, and we were thrilled to meet up with Eagle, Piglet, Tigger and Kanga once again. They appeared to be in hunting mode, spread out and stealthy. We watched them work the waters of Griffin Bay and San Juan Chanel, Kulshan’s peak setting the backdrop for this beautiful encounter. We left them as they were passing a growing bird mill of rhinoceros auklets, common mergansers and gulls feasting on forage fish.

We enjoyed smooth sailing through Upright Channel, Thatcher Pass and Guemes Channel on our journey home.

-Sam