Seattle

Spyhopping is potentially my favorite whale behavior, period. A spyhop is when a whale sticks its head out of the water to have a look at what is going on up on the surface.  We usually see spyhops when the Southern Residents are grouped up socializing, making a decision of where they want to go, or having a look at a boat full of people. Orcas have very good eyesight which enables them to see clearly above the water. Enjoy one of my favorite spyhop images!

Spyhopping...

On December 1, with a report of whales right outside of the harbor, we quickly left the office and our post-season projects, jumped into the car, made our way down to the M/V Sea Lion, cut the lines, and were off! A group of J Pod whales were traveling north up San Juan Channel past the Wasp Islands and Jones Island State Park. The whales were generally very active, but tucked between the breachy adults and juveniles peeked a teeny tiny fin next to J28 Polaris. As we...

Killer Whale sightings continue to occur in the San Juan Islands and outlying areas. After having gone without sightings for a few days, J-pod (and L-87) were once again spotted in Admiralty inlet. If their pattern holds, Whidbey Island and Seattle residents may be treated to whale sightings along public beaches and parks. Keep your eyes open as you travel to and from home today along the water.

A local west side resident "heard" transient Killer Whale vocalizations on Sunday and confirmed transients off the West Side of San Juan Island headed towards Victoria. This put them in line with Kelp Reef and Dangerous Shoal, which is where I often see Transients hunting Dalls Porpoise, Harbor Porpoise, and Stellar Sea Lions. The Transients were later identified as the T-30's. Lot of Killer Whale sightings recently. Great news for our ecosystem.

For our readers who live in the Seattle area, the southern resident killer whale groups spotted in the area recently are continuing to forage both in the north and south sound area. Killer whales were spotted in Saratoga Passage and Admiralty inlet through the weekend. There were also reports of Killer Whales in Haro Strait on the west side of San Juan Island yesterday, but they have not been confirmed. We're running trips this weekend, with cool and clear weather...

Here is the latest on the Seattle Killer Whale sightings. Over the weekend of February 5-6, the same groups of J-pod and K-pod whales were sighted throughout the Seattle area. Whales were spotted in Elliott Bay, West Seattle, and Bremerton. There were also Transient Killer Whales spotted in Haro Strait and the Straits of Juan de Fuca near Victoria. For those in the Seattle area who read our blog, we'll try to update you on sighting in Seattle today. If you're near...