Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg's killer whales (T60s & T59A4)
Steller sea lions
Harbor seals
Common murres

September 14, 2026 | 1 PM Whale Watch

It's incredible how much the sea state can differ from one day to the next. The absolutely lake-like conditions in the Strait of Juan de Fuca today were such a juxtaposition to yesterday's wind and swell. It was hard to see where the sea ended and the sky began, as the horizon was all a hazy shade of gray. It was like something out of a painting, and every little common murre and harbor porpoise dorsal fin stood out in stark contrast to the gray hues. We worked our way south towards the latest reports of whales, passing the Burrow's Island Lighthouse with its new vibrant red cap and the red navigational marker marking the western shallows of Lawson Reef. Two sea lions were hauled out atop it. One stretched to dip its hind flippers into the water while warming in the sun, as if to cool off a bit. As we pushed south towards Smith Island, massive bird mills were forming across the horizon, a clear sign of bait schooling just beneath the water. As we passed Minor, we heard word from a friend that whales had been sighted along Lawson Reef. Welp. We made a 180 degree turn and hurried back the way we'd come.

Sure enough, a group of five Bigg's killer whales were working the shallows of Lawson Reef. It was no wonder we'd missed them, as their down times were extended, their surfacings subtle and the five were spread out across a half mile. Panthera and Uncia traveled as a duo, while Tigris and their cousin T59A4 traveled in tandem and T60C "Yelnats" traveled off on his own. We were spoiled with some incredible looks at Yelnats, his six-foot fin dramatically sliced through the glassy conditions with each breath. The five were in apparent hunting mode, and the boat held a collective breath as the pod passed close to the eastern Lawson Reef marker, where several Stellers were resting. The sea lions woke up as they spied their predator's dorsals nearby, and two in the water quickly tried to assess if there was safe space on the channel marker. The pod passed them by, but the Stellers' barking and antics did not abate for some time after. Meanwhile, the pod swam through a patch of bull kelp and past some growing bird mills. There was so much potential for predation, with sea lions, harbor porpoises and likely seals amongst the birds, but they passed it all by.

We waved farewell to the pod as they turned for NAS Whidbey, and made our way to the Deception Pass Bridge. We glided through the pass with ease, flowing with the flood tide. Harbor seals were feeding on fish and belted kingfishers yelled from the treetops. On our way back through the pass, we felt the force of Mother Nature as we fought the flood tide. It was smooth sailing home through Rosario Strait, with looks at cormorants, murres and harbor porpoises all the way home. - Sam