Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg's Killer whales (T99s, T37A4)
Steller sea lions
Harbor seals
Bald eagles
Turkey vultures

August 27, 2026 | 10 AM Whale Watch

What a morning! Based on a secondhand report of whales near Vendovi, we pointed north and began scanning. About 20 minutes into the trip, we spotted a towering black dorsal fin and knew we'd found what we were looking for. After getting turned around and on scene, we recognized these whales as the T99s, a well known pod in the Bigg's killer whale population. The T99s are led by matriarch T99 Bella, who is about 40 years old. Traveling with her were her kiddos. We got great looks at her teenage son T99C Barakat, who traveled slightly to the west of his mom. Bella stuck close with her two youngest: 11-year-old T99D Puck and 5-year-old T99E Qwiin qwiin oo qwii la. Her older daughter T99B Holly swam slightly separated from the family off our 12 O'clock in the distance. These whales led us into a small rain squall, but the views were worth it!

After visiting with these whales, we peeled off and began searching to the north. We traveled almost up to Point Lawrence before turning towards Peapod rocks. Here, we spotted two mature bald eagles, five turkey vultures (something was on the menu), and many harbor seals hauled out in the exposed intertidal zone. After getting lots of good looks we cruised south towards Bird Rocks, skirting along the inside of James Island on the way. At Bird Rocks, we spotted more harbor seals and some Steller sea lions wrestling in the water!

After Bird Rocks, we angled towards Guemes channel, getting stunning looks at the Burrows Island Lighthouse. Just before we returned to the dock, we got one last look at Bella and her family. This time, we noticed another whale in the mix: guest star T37A4 Crinkle! Although Crinkle is not confirmed to be related to the 99s, she's been spending a lot of time with them lately, taking a break from her own family this summer. Crinkle has been loving hanging out with Holly, getting some girl time as she travels with Bella and her crew. It's always so fun to see different family groups mixing and mingling, and we were so excited to get a glimpse of Crinkle before we turned back towards the dock. Such a great morning!

Amy