Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Bigg’s killer whale (T49C)
Steller sea lions
Harbor Seals
Birds galore!

October 14, 2026 | 1 PM Whale Watch

Hey there, Janet! Good to see you in the neighborhood again.

We were lucky enough to spend quality time with T49C "Janet" on today's adventure. He was working the kelp forests along the eastern shoreline of Cypress Island, stopping to play in the bull kelp and take down a meal or two along the way. As he led us through Deepwater Bay, we spotted marbled murrelets, grebes, cormorants and heard the occasional calls of belted kingfishers. Following a longer dive, Captain Carl spotted a large burst of bubbles nearshore. Uh oh. That often means a hunt has been initiated, and sure enough Janet erupted from the surface with a very red hunk of prey clutched between his teeth. He made quick work of the meal, continuing to process it as he slowly traveled alongshore, much to the delight of the gulls that followed. We left Janet potentially working on a second meal just north of Cypress Head, but not before we visited with a regal bald eagle perched within a nest.

We were spoiled for diversity on today's adventure. The wildlife sightings started in Guemes Channel where flocks of Bonaparte's gulls were actively feeding, and some sharp-eyed guests spied harbor porpoises in the current lines. At Belle Rock, we watched an eagle take flight, and at Bird Rocks we witnessed another. Harbor seals were hauled out at the water's edge, and flocks of Brant's cormorants swam in the currents, weaving through the bull kelp. A beautiful pair of harlequin ducks swam offshore, while clusters of black turnstones camouflaged beautifully with the rocky islands. We ventured down to Deception Pass next, sighting pigeon guillemots in their winter attire and pelagic cormorants perched upon the steep cliffs lining the pass itself. Both harbor seals and Steller sea lions were busy working the roiling currents around the pass for prey.

From here, we worked our way back north, as we'd received word of whale activity in Rosario Strait. That's when we met up with Janet at Cypress Island. Following our time with Janet, we cruised the eastern shoreline of Guemes towards home, opening up our search by exploring new waters before calling it a day.

- Sam