Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg's killer whales (T49As)
Steller sea lion
Harbor seals
Mouflon sheep

August 18, 2026 | 10 AM and 3 PM Whale Watch

10 AM

With a band of fog stretching up Rosario Strait, and clear skies along the back side of Guemes Island, our choice of direction became clear. We enjoyed incredibly calm seas and sunny skies as we passed nearly a hundred pigeon guillemots near northern Guemes and active bird mills near Point Lawrence. As we worked up the northern shoreline of Orcas Island, a sudden splash caught our eye. A Steller sea lion bull was initiating a hunt of what appeared to be a shark! The bull thrashed the prey before seemingly abandoning it, choosing instead to investigate us. The emerald waters were so calm, we could track its every move beneath the surface. The mirror-like conditions also made it possible to spy every little harbor porpoise dorsal fin as they raced along. We enjoyed many close looks at these smallest of cetaceans.

Word of whales had reached us from Waldron Island, so we worked our way south down President Channel towards Flattop Island. Here we met up with the T49As, Nan and her five youngest were scouting along the shorelines before heading over to Speiden Channel to rest as a family. Little Nimbus sidled up to Mom, likely nursing while she logged at the surface, and the rest of the siblings rolled around her, showing lots of tactile behaviors. It's amazing to see how big little Charlie is getting, and Neptune is likely to start sprouting soon. Between down times, we watched a herd of mouflon sheep graze along the hillside of Spieden Island.

Our return cruise home took us through new waters. We slowed in Wasp Pass before continuing through Cayou, then slowed again in Thatcher as we approached Pointer Island. Pointer was bustling with activity: harbor seals hauled out along shore, Glaucous-winged gull chicks explored the island and a flock of young Brant's cormorants stuck together on the guano-covered slopes. - Sam

3 PM

We witnessed a truly epic display of hunting prowess by the T49As this evening. Nan and her five youngest offspring were making their way from Boundary Pass to the Cactus Islands when we caught up with them. We held our breath as the family dove deep upon approaching the bull kelp lined reefs. All at once, dorsal fins emerged, the pod had fanned out and was stalking the shallows. They encircled a haul out of harbor seals, their behavior indicating they may have grabbed an unlucky seal caught in the water. Thrashing and gathering commenced and then the pod dispersed again to stalk along the next reef. All except for little Charlie, who stayed behind to chase something in circles. At the next reef, the family found an unlucky seal, and proceeded to pass it from orca to orca before finishing it off. A great blue heron watched from nearby, perched atop the bull kelp they had passed. Having finished their meal, they made an abrupt turn south, surprising us with a beautiful fly by. We watched as their brilliantly illuminated blows disappeared behind one of the Cactus Islands, then made our turn for home.

We took Wasp Pass, mixing up the route slightly as we'd taken Pole on the west bound cruise. After crossing through Thatcher, we slowed to visit Pointer Island. It was a haven for the birds this evening, with hardly a harbor seal in sight. Gull chicks were gaining some confidence, swimming just offshore of their rookery and cormorants fanned their wings out wide. Little pigeon guillemots showed off their ruby red slippers, and a lone harbor seal briefly surfaced for a peek-a-boo look before diving back beneath the waves.