Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg's killer whales (T19s)
Steller sea lions
Mouflon sheep
Harbor seals

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

10 AM

With fog covering Anacortes and Guemes Channel, we decided to leave the dock and head around the back side of Guemes Island, which was perfectly clear skies and flat calm waters! We saw fog ahead out towards Orcas Island so we did a slow down at a Sinclair Navigation marker to see three stellar sea lions thermoregulating and napping on the marker. We then had a beside time in the fog before popping out near Orcas Island and had clear skies the rest of the trip. We heard reports near Roche Harbor of killer whales tread milling in the current lines so we made our way straight over there! As we arrived on scene, we got to see a heard of Muflon Sheep running along Spiden Island! We got to see these three whales, the T19’s, surfacing many times close together and along the shoreline. They stuck close together resting near one another while we were on scene with them! Eventually we had to depart the scene and make our way back home through the Inner Islands, slowing down in Wasp Pass on the way. It was a beautiful start to the day!

- Clare

3 PM

This afternoon we heard of a report to the north and eagerly turned up the east side of Guemes to investigate. We paused briefly at Sinclair to see a sea lion resting on a navigational marker, then continued north. After making it up to Barns and Clark, we turned back south and made a brief stop at Peapod rocks to check out some harbor seals. Taking a gorgeous course through Obstruction Pass, we entered the inner San Juan Islands. Shooting down Upright Channel, we met up with the T19s! This lovely family of Bigg's killer whales is led by matriarch T19 Mooyah, also known as Nootka.Traveling with her were her two sons, T19B Galiano, and T19C Spouter. Fully grown, Galiano and Spouter sport absolutely massive dorsal fins that tower above their mother's. Still, it's Mooyah that calls the shots! We traveled with this family up San Juan channel before saying goodbye near the Wasp Islands. On our return voyage, we took Cayou Pass to Thatcher Pass before cutting across Rosario Strait. A lovely afternoon! -Amy