Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg's killer whales (T123s, T37As, T37Bs)
Humpback whales (Divot & calf)
Gray whale
Steller sea lions

July 11, 2026 | 8 AM, 1 PM and 5 PM Whale Watch

8 AM

We started our morning off bright and early, with wildlife greeting us almost immediately as we headed out of Cap Sante Marina. Several great blue herons and a bald eagle stood watch on rock pilings as we slowly cruised by, and a harbor seal’s silvery head emerged from the waves to investigate.

We continued north towards Bellingham Bay, in search of some reports from late last night. We encountered dozens of harbor seals on Eliza Rock, snoozing and thermoregulating in the slowly warming air. There were even a few of the first pups of the season, nestled among the adults! Further north, we spent time with male stellar sea lions posing on a red channel marker, asserting their dominance with some extremely loud grunts. Pelagic cormorants showed off their white flank patches as they soared to their nests at the top.

After thoroughly scanning the area, we headed south towards James Island, where our eagle eyes spotted two adult bald eagles nestled in the treetops. Their white heads were a stark contrast against the brilliant green of the coastline. Soon after, we met up with the gray whale CRC-2702, who was sleepily traveling with frequent surface appearances and heart-shaped blows. They surprised us several times with close passes, and on the last surfacing, spun on their side to wave their tail as we waved goodbye. We headed back towards Guemes channel and Cap Sante, as we enjoyed the warm July sun finally emerging from the clouds! - Juna

1 PM

Double header this afternoon!! We received reports of whales out west, so we turned towards Thatcher Pass and shot through the inner islands. Along the way, we had some gorgeous looks at several Washington State ferries. We slowed through Pole Pass before scooting up towards Henry Island. Here, we came across two families of Bigg's killer whales, separated by about a mile. Our first family was easily recognizable as the T123s, led by matriarch T123 Sydney. Following close behind were her kiddos T123A Stanley, T123C Lucky, and T123D Darcy. We traveled with Sydney and her family for a few beautiful surfacings before meeting the second group a little ways to the south. Here, we were greeted with the T37 sisters, T37A Volker and T37B Harald. Traveling with these two sisterly matriarchs were their families, including one of Volker's sons, T37B2 Inky. Also in the mix was the ever-growing T73B1 Lance, Harald's first born. At 14 years old, Lance's dorsal fin is just starting to sprout, and in a few years he'll look similar to his older cousin Inky. Lance's little sister, T37B3 Slice, was also darting around close to her momma. It was so fun to be able to witness this lovely family reunion between these two sisters! On our way back to the east, we also ran into a second whale species: humpback whales! And not just any humpback whales—BCX1057 Divot and her new calf! After getting a few looks at this pair, we discussed humpback conservation and the inspiring story of Divot's mother Big Mama. It was another amazing day with two whale species under our belts! -Amy

5pm

Conditions this evening were nothing less than perfect. We began our adventure with a small stop at Bird Rocks where we spotted gulls and cormorants settling down for the evening. Continuing on, we met up with a gray whale feeding off Lopez Island and got to watch as it surfaced and dove in only around 30 feet of water! After our first whale stop, we pushed around the south side of Lopez Island and over to the west side of San Juan Island. Here, we met up with the lovely T49As, a group of Bigg's killer whales led by matriarch T49A Nan. Traveling with her were her youngest kiddos: 15-year-old T49A3 Nat, 12-year-old T49A4 Neptune, 9-year-old T49A5 Nebula, 4-year-old T49A6 Charlie II, and little T49A7 Nimbus, who was born just a few months ago! Nan's two oldest, T49A1 Noah and T49A2 Jude, were not present. However, this was no cause for concern as these two oldest brothers often travel separately from the pod. This charming family swam in a tight knit formation along the coastline, their exhalations were crisply illuminated against the dark green shoreline and reflected waters. Between surfacings, we watched hundreds of small baitfish jump against the shoreline and dimple the surface, and even spotted a rhinoceros auklet surface with a massive herring! With no wind or swell present, it looked as though we were on a lake. These stunning conditions followed us all the way to Bellevue Point before we waved goodbye to Nan and her family. Cruising back home surrounded by perriwinkle colors, we discussed the photo ID process and how we can tell each member of Nan's family apart. Another double species trip and such a gorgeous evening spent exploring the Salish Sea! -Amy