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8:07 - boy are they moving fast! Passing by Shilshole marina now looking from the south end of rolling bay on Bainbridge. Mid channel.

7:58 - Looking from rolling bay on Bainbridge they are about to cross in front of Golden Gardens.

7:55 - Finally spotted them! They're going to pass to the Bainbridge side of the second tanker in a minute.

Lynn Batson

7:38 - Yes! Between Golden Gardens and Pt. Monroe, mid-channel.

7:37 - Between Meadow Point and Halvorsen's Buoy. Southbound at a good clip.

7:34 - Between Meadow Point and Downtown Suquamish.

7:23 - Southbound! Between Meadow Point and Indianola. Way out.

Ben Blankenship

7 pm - Pod of 8 orcas. About a mile or less off Richmond Beach heading west towards Bainbridge. Perhaps they were feeding or playing, they would go down and then all appear on the surface. They would come up high above the surface and seemed to be playing.

Debra Brown

6:22 - Still in the same spot....for over an hour south of the Kingston ferry lane mid channel.
Jamie Grundhauser

6 pm - Jamie Grundhauser is watching the Transients/Bigg's Whales in mid-channel, between Richmond Beach, Edmonds and Carkeek Park. They have been in a resting line, basically lined up side-by-side, moving slowly southward, for about ten minutes.

6:50 - it looks like they've got their engines started again... moving together as a group in a SW to WSW direction, headed out towards mid-channel, pointing roughly towards Fay Bainbridge.

6:30pm - they're *still* more or less parked in the same area, SW of my place in Richmond Beach. No sign that the whales have decided to move on. Birds are still working the area too, so there must be good bits leftover...

6:10pm - they're still parked in roughly the same area as they were when they were working over that harbor seal around 5pm. 3-4 of them are in a resting line facing S to SE, a couple are facing roughly NW to N a little further to the north of the S-facing resters, which is also where the birds seem to be focusing their attention.

5:00pm - looks like it's a harbor seal they're trying to have for dinner. At least one of the whales is being very surface active... might be a prey item it's wrestling with...

4:51 - Was able to get a good count of 7 of them. Transient dorsals for sure. Sounds like the same ones Brad was with earlier.

4:44 - Seeing dorsal fins from Richmond Beach now. If you're at Kayu Kayu Ac park, that'd be a great view. They'll be visible from Richmond Beach Saltwater Park in about 5-10 minutes (around 4:50-4:55) then heading towards Carkeek shortly after that. Sticking closer to the King County side. Sorry Kitsap folks!

Dave Haas

4:28 - I see them heading south into Puget sound. Passing edmonds. Going FAST. They are being very stealthy. I would head to Carkeek.

Sara Troyer

3:35 - NOAA researchers left the whales just north of the Edmonds ferry lane, with no clear direction but trending westward. He ID'd T137 and T137A among a probable total of 7. They might continue around the south end of Whidbey and head NW, or they might go south into Puget Sound. Or for that matter they could turn around and head NE.

Kristine Marshall called at 1:45 pm from the Mukilteo/Clinton ferry, reporting 3 orcas just south of the ferry including 1 adult male, closer to the Clinton side. She had also seen at least 1 Gray whale between Langley and Hat/Gedney Island earlier in the ferry crossing (the Grays are likely quite relieved the Transient orcas continued south!).

Brad Hanson of NOAA Fisheries called at 1:40 pm, they are with a tight group of Transients just south of the Mukilteo/Clinton ferry run, closer to the east/ Mukilteo side, with the whales continuing south.

12:15 - Island explorer update orcas on east side of gedney action is picking up. Gray whales only 1/2 mile away.

Tyrone Reed

11:33 - Mystic Sea Charters : THIS JUST IN! ORCA SIGHTING ON MYSTIC SEA! Watching at least 5 or 6 Orcas on the West Side of Hat Island, swimming South towards Clinton Ferry! We'll keep you posted when we get more info!

Liz Fincher

11 am - orcas just north of Langley, through the Saratoga passage there passed an adult and 2 babies, close to the shore (relatively) moving slow and coming up frequently. And at the same time, out closer to Camano, there was a pod of at least 5 moving east towards Everett.

Rachel Franklin

9:28 - About 15 orcas including a number of large males off Hidden Beach (Greenbank) headed north. Milling around in one spot right now.

Roger F. Clark

About 8 am - On the Lopez-Friday Harbor ferry this morning, when the boat cuts its engines in the middle of the strait, it's usually a good sign - and it was. A couple of killer whales came by, close to the boat to say hey, then carried on. It was a little ways out from Brown Island - they were heading east as the ferry headed to the harbour...just a couple, possibly a male & female (by dorsal size)...shot with my little pocket camera, as you can tell...the orca shown is heading to the left, in the pic (so she might be a T). Always nice to see friends...

Ian Byington

April 9

Had an encounter with twins today. T49C and T77A were found traveling together in the Gulf Islands. I have seen T49C before but not T77A. They are amazingly almost identical looking. Both have twin notches in just about the same place! We also found a huge chunk of lungs in San Juan Channel on the way out. I imagine from a Steller Sea Lion, but who knows. The lungs were about 20 miles away from the whales, so not sure if it was left over from these guys or another group of Transients. Notice the fresh rake marks on T49C.

Ivan Reiff

Notice the fresh rake marks on T49C. Photo by Ivan Reiff, April 9, 2014.

We were able to catch up with T077A and T049C on the morning of April 9th  west of Mandarte Island (Haro Strait).  Thanks to Jeff on Goldwing for finding them. They killed a seal as soon as we arrived and we spent our entire time watching them sharing it with each other while the gulls picked up the scraps.

In the late afternoon I saw them take another seal in Navy Channel. They then skulked along  the shoreline of Mayne Island, enter the western entrance of Active Pass and then turn and head west up Trincomali Channel.  

Mark Malleson, Prince of Whales

T077A and T049C sharing a seal kill near Sidney, B.C. Photo by Mark Malleson, April 9, 2014.

At 7:30 pm northbound on east side of Whidbey at Bells Beach, about halfway over to Camano.

Angela Johnson Zink

Killer whales. Just past Clinton heading north on the east side of Whidbey. Racing to Langley now. Looks like they went between Hat and Camano island. We saw them from Langley for about an hour. Looked like a pod of about 7. My first wild orca experience.

Danielle Doll

4:48pm: We are enjoying a pod northbound right now moving FAST from Possession Point to Clinton. We took some first-timer friends in search of Grays and came up empty for 90 minutes. Imagine our surprise returning to Edmonds to have such a great encounter. Maybe our friends are good luck? The Orcas were on a mission-- 8.5 MPH over ground into a 2.5 MPH outgoing tide. Fun stuff! I can email more photos for I.D.

-Jim Fahey

April 9

We had T49C and T77A head up Swanson Channel and Trincomali Channel.  

Dave Ellifrit

We had a great hang-out session with the T75Bs with the T36As near Trial Island. Then we poked our heads out a little farther into the Strait of Juan de Fuca to see the T101s. Pictured here is big boy T102 (T011A?)(born in 1984) with San Juan Island in the background.

Katie Jones

Pictured here is big boy T102 (T011A?)(born in 1984) with San Juan Island in the background. Photo by Katie Jones, April 8, 2014.

T036A's and T075B's at Trial Island. Photo by Mark Malleson, April 8, 2014.

Thanks to reports from John @ Gotcha Fishing Charters, Roy @ Blue Wolf Charters, and Paul @ Sooke Coastal I was able to pick up the T101's at Constance Bank and the T075B's and T036A's  following behind.  Both groups were traveling  east.

Mark Malleson

We had a great day out on the water with a group of transients today. We got a call at 9:30AM from local whale watcher Paul Pudwell with Sooke Coastal Explorations. He was with a large group of transients feeding at Race Rocks Pacific Ecological Reserve. By the time we left our station at Pedder Bay they were headed east in Constance Bank, split into two groups.

We were able to identify them as the T101s, the same whales spotted in Puget Sound near Seattle Washington a few days earlier. They were spread out foraging and doing 4-10 min dives. We followed them towards Trail Island light house.

Josh McInnes

At Race Rocks! Photo by Sooke Coastal Expeditions, April 8, 2014.

A group of transient Killer Whales around Sooke! Photo by Sooke Coastal Expeditions, April 8, 2014.

We just got a report of 15-20 transients off Race Rocks near Victoria BC at 9:30AM. Thank you Paul Pudwell for the report.

Josh McInnes

Eighteen Transient Orcas present, 4 mile NE of  Active Pass. Photo by David Howitt, April 7, 2014.

We had an incredible encounter with the T124s, T124As and T87 yesterday afternoon in the Strait of Georgia. Our naturalist Traci, put this great video together.

Killer Whale Encounter - Western Prince - (Transient Killer Whales) Video by Traci Walter, April 7, 2014.

April 6
2PM Sunday April 6th 2014 about 10 Orcas went south along the east side of Victoria. Alot of tail slaps, spy hops and a few breaches. A lot of it was caught on video as they passed my location on the shore.  Most of the action happens just after 9.40 on the video.
Vincenz Eberl

Killer whales off Victoria BC. Video by Vincenz Eberl, April 6, 2014.

T49A1 T65A2 in Haro Strait. Photo by David Howitt, April 6, 2014.

8:28 am - Potential sighting in front of Bainbridge across from Shilshole.

Steve Quigley

-Brandon Harvey

I was coming back from Fort Worden State Park Port Townsend, after a day of watching 2 gray whales/ possibly a calf swimming in the area. On my way home, when crossing the Hood Canal bridge @ 4:30 the same time, I saw many porpoises surfacing parallel to the bridge.. white sided dolphins? wish I could of had a better look as I was traveling across the bridge at a high speed.

Kathe Bradley

From Rob Taylor: I vote white sides too. I crossed the hood canal bridge at 4:30 (April 6) and there were 30-40 scattered on each side of the bridge, surfacing every twenty yards or so. It was amazing, but what I saw weren't orcas.

Marie Lincoln of Chocolate Flower Farm just reported a Gray whale off the Langley seawall at 5:20 pm - the whale bell has been ringing a lot today!

This afternoon, around 4:30, we had a large gray whale out in front of our house, stirring up the crawdads on the sandbar and then swimming in circles eating. We are about 1 mile northwest of Langley on the Saratoga passage.
Rachel Franklin

11:56 - on board the island explorer 3 we have 3 gray whales right on top of each other south end of gedney/hat island. Acting crazy and sticking extremely close for safety reasons due to the group of orcas north of gedney/hat island.
Tyrone Reed

A friend reported seeing a Gray whale at 9:15 ish. Crossing in front of the Vashon ferry, headed north. Closer to Seattle side of water.
-Kelly Burns Keenan

5:45pm - Saw a grey on the way to Everett in Saratoga Passage, south of Langley, before Sandy Point, close to Camano.
Buzz Mersereau

This morning at 10 am 2 gray whales seen at Chito beach (west of Sekiu), moving steadily west and lost to sight. Myself and two other observers.
Janet Partlow

SPollard040714
A glorious day for whale watching on "Mystic Sea." Making our way towards a heart-shaped blow silhouetted by the sunshine, we met up with No. 56 as we headed towards Everett. Soon No. 49 (Patch) and No. 53 (Little Patch) swam into view, delighting passengers with the unforgettable smell of whale breath drifting on the light breeze. So good to be on the water with our visiting whales on such a calm sunny afternoon.
Sandra Pollard

Patch and Little Patch cruising by off Everett. Photo by Sandra Pollard, April 7, 2014.

Flukes up! Photo by Sandra Pollard, April 7, 2014.

I finally caught a glimpse of one this morning; 10:30 Clinton-Mukilteo boat, half way through the route about 600 yards north towards Hat Island. Slow brief rolls on the surface and then it submerged for quite some time before breaching to breathe.
Jason Kidd

It was a gorgeous day on the water today, here is gray whale #383 going on a dive. Photo by Jill Hein, April 6, 2014.

Gray whale #383 going on a dive. Clearly some orcas have grabbed his tail at some point. Photo by Jill Hein, April 6, 2014.

Gray whale #383 heading down. Photo by Jill Hein, April 6, 2014.

Gray Whales #56 and #383 were near Whidbey Island. It was a beautiful day. Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, April 6, 2014.

Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, April 6, 2014.

Gray Whales #56 and #383 cruise through glassy waters today near Whidbey Island. It was a beautiful day. Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, April 6, 2014.

Spent the afternoon @2-4 watching two gray whales breaching/ swimming along the shoreline Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, from atop the bluff looking east.
Kathe Bradley

Gray whales between Ebey's Landing and Ft. Ebey State Park at 4:20 pm, reported by Al Lunemann, who says: "There are 3, 2 larger ones and a smaller one usually but not always in between, and the pectoral fins sometimes up....very similar to the nursing behavior I saw in the Baja lagoons....so, perhaps a mother, calf and another escort female...? They're just hanging out near the surface and have been here for over an hour....same area."

Ariel Yseth called at 1:20 while watching a gray whale from the Edmonds marina. The whale is mid-channel, headed south.

12:07 - Grey whales 383 & 56 from Mystic Sea, heading north towards Langley! Photo by Connie Bickerton, April 6, 2014.

9:23 am - Jamie Grundhauser reports seeing a gray whale just east of the south end of Hat/Gedney Island.

On the 6:00pm ferry eastbound out of Clinton I saw blows of two Gray whales between Hat/Gedney Island and Everett.
Alisa Lemire Brooks

ABOUT ORCA NETWORK  
Orca Network is a 501 c3 nonprofit organization, dedicated to raising awareness about the whales of the Pacific Northwest, and the importance of providing them healthy and safe habitats.
Orca Network's Whale Sighting Network involves citizens in helping researchers track the movement of whales, and encourages people to observe whales from their homes, businesses, ferries, and beaches.
Whale reports are sent in to our Sighting Network and emailed out to researchers, agencies, and citizens on our network, and posted on our website (MAP of sightings also on website). Whale reports and observations are sent in by a variety of sources, and Orca Network does not guarantee the accuracy of any report or whale identification.

 

TO REPORT WHALES, CALL: 1-866-ORCANET (1-866-672-2638), email info@orcanetwork.org, or post sightings on our Orca Network Facebook page.

 

*BE WHALE WISE! BOATERS - NEW FEDERAL REGULATIONS IN EFFECT AS OF MAY 16, 2011:

 "The new rules prohibit vessels from approaching any killer whale closer than 200 yards and forbid vessels from intercepting a whale or positioning the vessel in its path. This doubles the current approach distance of 100 yards. The rules go into effect May 16 and apply to all types of boats, including motor boats, sail boats and kayaks, in Washington"

 

For more information on the new Federal Regulations, visit the NOAA Fisheries website. 

 

 
To report harassment of whales in US waters, call NOAA Enforcement: 1-800-853-1964;

In Canadian waters, call DFO's Observe Record and Report (ORR) Violations Hotline: 1-800- 465-4336

Report the boat name &/or a description of the boat, & get photos if at all possible.