Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg's killer whales (T68s, T68Cs)
Steller sea lions
Harbor porpoise
Cormorants
Pigeon guillimots

June 13, 2026 | 10 AM and 3 PM Whale Watch

10 AM Tour

Talk about a stunning day! The sun was high and shining warmly as we cruised down Rosario Strait this morning. Down into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, we were greeted with glassy seas and stunning views of both Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier. Scooting down to Admiralty Inlet, we paused at a navigational marker to check out a few resting Steller sea lions. It was a good thing these guys had chosen to take their thermoregulation break just then, because less than a mile to the south a group of Bigg's killer whales made their way slowly north. On scene, we were introduced to the infamous T68's, led by 56 year old matriarch T68 Yakataga. Traveling with her was her 42 year old mature son, T68A Ken. Joining the party were Ken's nieces, T86C1 Sila, T68C3 Jacobson, (deemed Jackie as a more fitting nickname), and T68C4 Rich. Also bumbling along in the group was Jackie's calf, born in 2024. Although this little one was mostly seen traveling with Jackie, they bumped around between their aunt Sila and their grandma Yakataga as well.

After a beautiful encounter with this family, we turned back to the north. Pausing at Williamson Rocks, we spotted cormorants, gulls, and pigeon guillemots flitting around the surface. Around Burrows Island, we slowed in the swirling currents to check out loads of harbor porpoise feeding nearby! After getting a stunning look at the Burrows Island Lighthouse, we cruised back up into Guemes Channel and soaked in the last of this stunning morning.

- Amy

3 PM Tour

This afternoon we pushed out once again into this absolutely beautiful day and darted south again to aim for the Juan de Fuca. Along the way, we stopped at the Lawson Reef navigational marker where we spied a lone sea lion snoozing in the sunshine. Continuing south, we ran the length of Whidbey Island as the Olympic mountains rose sharply in the distance. Just before we reached Admiralty inlet, captain Carl spotted something strange in the distance. What looked like a floating log turned out to be an abandoned kayak! We cruised over to investigate, alerted the coast guard, and decided to remove the kayak. We always strive to keep this ecosystem clean and pristine, and any time we can do our part to take debris out of the water, we'll do so. This kayak was also in an active traffic lane, so it was safer for nearby boats and ships if we removed it. After scooping it up on our swim step and securing it to the back deck, we were on the move again. Talk about a rescue at sea!

After turning the corner at fort Ebey, Rainier came into view and grew steadily in the distance, the massive cinder cone taking our breaths away. At the entrance of Admiralty Inlet, the T68s still fought against a flood tide and swam slowly north. Since this morning, they had not made much distance as they swam in the tide treadmill. Once out of the small tide tip, they traveled quicker through placid water, and we were able to see the family surfacing in one tight knit group. Ken's dorsal fin towered high above his mother and nieces, and provided a stark contrast against his niece T68C1 Jackie's little calf, born in 2024. After spending as much time as we could with this group, we slowly departed and began the journey back up north. Stopping briefly at Williamson, we spied cormorants nesting in the rocks and returning to roosts with mouthfuls of dried grass to support their stick homes. the weather and the whales made for a placid, peaceful day. We seriously lucked out!

- Amy