Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Humpback Whale ("Split Fin" CRC-15313)
Bigg's Killer Whales (T49As)
Gray Whale
Steller Sea Lions

May 9, 2026 | 10 AM and 3 PM Whale Watch

Three types of whales today!!

We had the privilege of visiting with two species of baleen whales on our adventure this morning. Our journey started with a gray whale sighting and ended with a humpback, both back for their annual feeding season in the Pacific Northwest. We found this friendly gray feeding amongst scooters off the eastern shoreline of Lopez Island. A blast of bubbles following their deeper foraging dives clued us in as to where to look for the subsequent heart-shaped blow. We hope this traveler finds the resources it needs for its continued journey north to the Arctic.

We ventured further south from here, entering the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Glassy seas persisted throughout our search, making it easy to spy every rhinoceros auklet, common murre, pelagic cormorant, pigeon guillemot and harbor porpoise dorsal fin. We visited Whale Rocks, where a large haul out of Steller sea lions was gathered. Black oyster catchers made their presence known with their chatty calls, three of them flying right past our port side, offering incredible looks.

We pushed deeper into the strait, wanting to search the known upwelling zones for life. At McArthur Bank, sharpe-eyed Amy sighted flukes on the horizon! It turned out to be “Split Fin” (CRC-15313), a regular visitor to our waters, just like his mother “Big Mama”. Under the gaze of Kulshan, we watched in awe as Split Fin circled the bank, lifting his flukes high before each deeper dive.

We always say, every time we leave the dock it's a new adventure and impossible to predict exactly what Mother Nature will have in store for us. Today proved to be a perfect example of just how much can change from one trip to another. As we were leaving the marina, we had plans to explore to the south, but when we heard word from friends of new reports to the west, we pivoted and cut through the heart of the islands. We were happy we did!

The T49A pod had wandered down from Boundary Pass, and were visiting one of their favorite haunts: Spieden Pass. This family of six approached the dozens of Stellers gathered off Green Point, eliciting tremendous growls of agitation from the sea lions rafted up near shore. Thus began the patient circling of the pass, this pod of apex predators biding their time while they waited to see if an opportunity would arise. Steller hunts are careful business. If the killer whales aren't cautious, they could suffer injury from the powerful canine teeth of a mature Steller bull.

We drifted in the pass with the whales as the evening light danced across the water. Nan’s newest edition to the pod, a calf first sighted in early March, was tucked in close to mom’s side. Her seventh born, T49A7 has recently received the nickname “Nimbus” (apologies to guests for the confusion, “Nautilus” was not the winning nickname). We left the pod to continue their Steller watch, and heard from friends that they never did initiate a hunt before the sun set.

We enjoyed a peaceful cruise home via Wasp, Cayou and Thatcher Passes. Kulshan was looking stunning in the evening light; her peak towering above the islands. Little pigeon guillemots dotted the waters just offshore of the Madrona lined coastlines, and bull kelp flowed in the shallows. We marveled at the beauty of this rich inland sea all the way home to Anacortes.

- Sam