Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg's killer whales (T109As)
Steller sea lion
Harbor seals
Common murres

September 13, 2026 | 1 PM Whale Watch

It's not every day we are in the right place at the right time to witness a Steller sea lion predate on a Pacific Spiny Dogfish! As we drifted next to the bull kelp forest surrounding Bird Rocks, the water erupted when a Steller bull surfaced with a dogfish thrashing between its impressive canines. The sea lion appeared to make quick work of the shark. Nearby, two more bulls were hauled out and lounging on the rocks, with dozens of harbor seals lining the shoreline beneath them. A mixture of cormorants (Brant's Double-Crested, and Pelagic), gulls, and black turnstones covered the islands.

We continued south, the peaks of the Olympics guiding us towards the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Thea seastate was lumpy, but it was nothing the Island Explorer 5 couldn't cut through with ease. We pushed west into Canadian waters, passing flocks of common murres all along the way. When we reached the Discovery Islands, we paid tribute to Takaya the sea wolf just before coming upon the "wolves of the sea", a pod of Bigg's killer whales. It was the T109As, a family of six, working every shallow area and shoreline in their search for prey. Inky dorsal fins surfaced near watchful harbor seals hauled out atop the reefs. They wowed us with a close pass that included some inverted tail lobing, then proceeded to search the next little archipelago. Ultimately, the pod worked its way over to Harris Island and then toward Mary Tod Island, just offshore of Vancouver Island itself. Canadian flags flew taut as the wind raced in from the south, and we enjoyed a close cruise along the waterfront acreage of Victoria City.

We turned back to the east, working our way through the growing swell and wind chop. We passed bird mills containing hundreds of gulls and alcids on Salmon Bank, then hugged the southern shoreline of Lopez Island from Iceberg Point onwards. Slowing at Castle Island, we admired some well-camouflaged harbor seals and the gorgeous, flowing bull kelp. It was smoother sailing once we reached Rosario Strait, and we enjoyed sheltered waters all the way home to Cap Sante.

-Sam