Anacortes Whale Watch

Highlights

Humpback whales (CRC-23332, CRC-22818)
Bigg's killer whale (T49C)
Common murres
Bald eagles
A lucky harbor seal

October 17, 2026 | 1 PM Whale Watch

Humpbacks, Bigg's and some beautiful bird sightings made for another rich day on the water!

We were so grateful when reports of whales started filtering in from the northwest, where we knew wind-sheltered waters awaited us. We cut through Rosario Strait, Thatcher Pass, and Cayou Channel, then slowed as we approached Pole Pass. This lovely slowdown allowed us to take in the berry-laden pacific madronas, spot pigeon guillemots taking flight and see a gaggle of Canada geese at the Crane Island breakwater. We picked up the pace as we aimed for Spring Pass and worked our way north towards Boundary Pass. We didn't make it to Boundary though, as a sharp-eyed guest had spotted a blow followed by flukes off our port side!

We patiently awaited another showing from this mystery whale and were delighted to hear Captain Tyson had spotted another blow in the sun glare. It was humpback whale CRC-23332, a young whale our crew encountered last summer near Victoria. We were happy to see this individual had returned for another feeding season in the Salish Sea, and enjoyed an incredibly serene encounter as they led us through the current lines forming around White Rock.

Not far away at the Cactus Islands, our colleagues had found another humpback. We visited with them next, marveling as the humpback showed off their power with some tail slaps and a peduncle throw! They showed off their flukes in a dramatic display between foraging dives, revealing their ID: CRC-22818. This humpback was first documented in 2024, has been sighted in the Hawaiian Islands, and seems to like the Salish Sea feeding grounds, having been sighted here 15 times over the past few years.

While we were watching humpbacks, we received word of a lone male orca sighted in Burrows Bay. We had a hunch we knew who that would be and where they would be headed. Sometimes it pays to follow your intuition, and today we were right on the money...

Hey there Janet! So good to see you again, and in the exact same spot we spent time with you a few days ago. It felt like deja vu as T49C led us up the eastern shoreline of Cypress Island, scouting for seals along the way. We collectively held our breath as we watched a young harbor seal surface directly in front of this mature male orca. It realized its mistake and splashed as it quickly dove to escape. Janet followed the seal, quickly maneuvering to pursue it towards the rocky shoreline. Closer analysis of the photos revealed the seal lived to swim another day, and Janet continued to prowl the shoreline. We waved goodbye to him as he surprised some very lucky boaters in Eagle Harbor, surfacing amongst the many boats moored there for the evening.

Our bird count included several bald eagles, Bonaparte's gulls, belted kingfishers, Canada geese, great blue herons, pelagic cormorants, common murres, pigeon guillemots, grebes, and more!

- Sam