Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg's killer whales (T19s & T65A3)
Humpback whale (BCY1552)
Bald eagle
Harbor seals
Mouflon sheep

September 27, 2026 | 1 PM Whale Watch

Such a lovely fall day with orcas and a humpback!! We set off under an open blue sky, the sun trying its best to thaw the crisp air. Shortly after we got out of Guemes channel, captain Carl spotted a tall blow between Blakely and Cypress Island. Once on scene, we became acquainted with a charming little humpback known as BCY1552. This little juvenile doesn't have a proper nickname yet, but because of the jellybean shaped marking on the underside of their flukes, I'd like to be the first to throw in my vote: BCY1552 Jellybean. Jellybean seemed content to swim in circles in Rosario strait, most likely feeding below the surface. We got a look at two stunning sounding dives before deciding to continue on and push into the heart of the San Juans through Thatcher pass.

The sun continued to beam down as we passed Lopez, Shaw, and Orcas, getting stunning views at the Washington State ferries and the iconic ferry terminals themselves. We'd heard of promising reports near Spieden Island, and just after we rounded the corner of Battleship Island, we spotted three massive dorsal fins swimming along the shoreline of Henry. Leading these three big males was ~65 year old matriarch T19 Mooyah. Following closely behind her was her 31 year old son, T19B Galliano. Trailing further behind was her younger son, 25 year old T19C Spouter, as well as stowaway T65A3 Amira (19 years old)! As far as we know, Amira is not part of the T19 family tree, he's just been having himself an adventurous solo summer. He's spent the majority of it branched off from his pod to spend time with other groups, including the T77s, T64Bs, T49A2, and most recently, the T19s. A social butterfly, he's turning out to be!

We cruised with these four, Mooyah and Galliano leading while Spouter and Amira played and socialized about a hundred yards back, as they rounded the corner of Henry and slipped inside Battleship Island. Here, we noted a bald eagle hanging in the trees as well. It was so incredible to see these three massive adult males together and to see Mooyah, dwarfed by comparison, leading the way. We said goodbye to these whales in Spieden channel, then briefly turned to examine the Spieden coast. Up on the hillside, a small heard of Mouflon sheep grazed, and down below on the waterline a small gaggle of harbor seals napped in the shade.

Pushing off, we turned back east and aimed for Pole pass, where we slowed down and examined the waterline and more gorgeous views before continuing back through Harney Channel. The day wasn't over yet though, as our friend Jellybean had made it down into Lopez Sound. On our way back, we got one more fantastic look at this little guy as they slowly swam south.

Then, after a full day of adventure, we cruised back out Thatcher pass and angled for home. Such a fantastic day on the water!!

- Amy