Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg's Killer Whales (T59As)
Harbor Seals
Bald Eagles
Turkey Vultures
Steller Sea Lions

May 20, 2026 | 1 PM Whale Watch

A beautiful day with a rare pod of Bigg's killer whales! Bigg's killer whales can be seen year-round in the Salish Sea, and with over 450 members of their population, there's no telling which pods will be in the area from day to day!

We started our adventure with a wildlife stop at Castle Rock. This is one of our crew's favorite areas, and we were wowed by all the bird activity: bald eagles, turkey vultures, pigeon guillemots, auklets, and cormorants! Flat calm conditions and sunshine made the cruise even more picturesque.

Heading west, we scanned the straits and finally met up with a pod of Bigg's killer whales! After some photo identification and talking with other professional boats in the area, we identified the group as the T59As. This pod has been spotted more often off the west side of Vancouver Island and southeastern Alaska! After 18 years of watching whales, this pod was a first for Naturalist Tyson!

We cruised with the pod as they were in travel mode -spread out and being stealthy. After lost of good looks, we said goodbye and wrapped up our sightings with with a group of Steller sea lions lounging on a channel market.

A beautiful day with some intriguing whales!

- Juliann