Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg’s killer whales: T65Bs
Humpback: Gretzky
Harbor seal mom & pup
Nesting birds
Deception Pass

July 2, 2026 | 1 PM Whale Watch

A double header in Rosario Strait today! We were lucky enough to spend the afternoon with both the T65Bs and Gretzky the humpback whale. Gretzky was busy feeding and pooping at Lawson Reef, helping to bring nutrients to the sunlit surface of the Salish Sea. Meanwhile, Chunk and her boys were zigzagging across the strait, at one point coming within a quarter of a mile of this mature humpback whale. We held our breath, waiting to see if the two species would interact, but they passed like ships in the night.

On the cruise to and from Lawson Reef, we’d enjoyed views of the historic Burrows Island Lighthouse and the Deception Pass Bridge. We’d spied pigeon guillemots flying around the pass, and little harbor porpoise dorsal fins briefly surfacing. We’d also stopped at Williamson Rocks to visit with a darling mom-pup harbor seal pair, and admire the growing double crested cormorant, pelagic cormorant and glaucous winged gull rookeries.

We were grateful for Mother Nature bringing some much needed rain to the state today, and even more grateful for the heated cabins of the Island Explorer 5. The perfect platform for weathering all the elements this dynamic ecosystem brings.

-Sam