August 31
8:15 PM - Whale sighting just off
Waterman Point in Sinclair Inlet.
Three orcas very active, breaching, and tail slapping. Watched them for close to an hour from dusk to dark. Could still hear them after we couldn't see them any more. Very rare in these parts so they say.
Lorrie Miller
August 31
6:30 - At least
two orca were playing in the wake of the Evergreen State ferry heading to Vashon.
Chris Ruffini
August 31
5:14 - they just passed
Restoration Point on Bainbridge heading south. I am heading to the next place to look. Closer to Kitsap as they went past the point, but east of the red buoy
5:09 - moved to
Rockaway Beach on Bainbridge. They are slightly south of me near the yellow bouy. At least 4.
5:01 - heading south. South of
Alki lighthouse moving fast
Connie Bickerton
August 31
Ken Balcomb relayed reports of a group of
Transients in the Canadian Gulf Islands this afternoon, heading down
Trincomali Passage and through Active Pass into the Strait of Georgia.
Hard to mistake T065A's dorsal. That's what it looked like from the photos I saw posted at least.Sara Hysong-ShimazuAugust 31
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Only orca shot - they were a long way out. The sea lions on the buoy had been barking, but they got quiet when the Transients passed.
Photo by Connie Bickerton.
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August 31
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Orcas seen from Fay Bainbridge Park as they headed south past Bainbridge Island at 345pm this afternoon.
Photo by Tim Cuddy. |
August 31
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| Photo by Tim Cuddy. |
August 31
4:03 pm - 4 orca heading South from Rolling Bay, Bainbridge Island. Looks like 2-3 adults and 2 juveniles.
Nicole Bav
August 31
9 am - Ken Balcomb reports possible
Transients heading south from Double Bluff, Whidbey Island.
August 30
3:46 - 7 orca pod going south Trincomali Channel near Active Pass.
Roland Flutet
August 30
Quick but close encounter between
Saltspring Island and Prevost Island. The pod headed straight towards us, and we just had time to turn the engine off that they were upon us - or rather, under us! Apparently 7 different orcas in that pod heading north east and then turning south east in the
Trincomali channel, most likely towards Active Pass (at that time, the tide was heading out to the Strait of Georgia, making it an easy crossing).
Ro Land
August 29
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T137's surfacing.
Photo by Heather MacIntyre. |
August 29
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T137s and T37s in the foreground (fore-water?).
Photo by Heather MacIntyre. |
August 29
We had three trips with the
T137s and T37s in some pretty choppy water! Whew ... here's to calm water! Transients aren't always flashy after they make a kill like most of my other pictures depict. Sometimes they just make a kill and keep going. Yesterday, we watched as three whales flew threw the air at the same time killing a harbor porpoise, then they seemed to eat on the go (prey sharing). These guys would make a kill then go back to business!
Heather MacIntyre
August 29
We found the
T90's, T124's as well as
a third unknown group off Saturna Island. The whales' behaviour was pretty typical to start, then all of a sudden they picked up speed and starting pursuing a harbour seal! And they got it!
Jennifer Dickson, Prince of Whale Whale Watch
August 29
11:06 AM - Sighting on
Western Side of Admiralty Inlet. OMG!! First sighting on this side of Sound
near Port Ludlow (near Hood Canal). It is raining so I had been looking through telescope at rock outcropping to see how Birds Cormorants and Seals and Gulls were dealing with rain when right near outcropping an Orca was swimming .. was so excited I forgot to look for identifying clues!!! I eventually lost him as he headed South. Since the particular outcropping I was watching is where seals are daily sunning/sleeping, so assumed they were searching for food.
Kathleen Raffo
August 28
Headed North around
San Juan Island and met up with a beautiful group of
transient killer whales in the middle of the Haro Strait right on the US/Canadian border. Today we were fortunate enough to see the
T37s and the T137As. Emily, San Juan Outfitters
August 28
As they made their way through
Boundary Pass, they saw a group of transients known as the
T137's and they made their kill right beside the boat!
Alanna Brennan, Prince of Whale Whale Watch
August 28
Orcas!!
Bigg's transients again: 5 minutes outside of Snug Harbor!
T137s and T37s in challenging seas, racing! Ninth encounter: going for a tenth sighting, this time from shore!
Alisa Schulman-Janiger
August 28
8:00 am - Whales in
Saratoga Passage. My daughter was out in the dingy and says she saw
at least 3 whales. Looks like a male and a female
between Fox Spit and Langley. Looks like they are patrolling rather than transiting.
Jacques White
August 28
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7:30 this AM on way to get gas! Ts right outside of Snug Resort, my dock!
Photo by Capt. Jim Maya. |
August 27
Sightings off Port Townsend.
Same pod seen twice in day, 6 hours apart, once from water and once from shore.
1 male, 2 females and one adolescent. 7 miles west of Point Wilson at 14:00. 200 yards off North Beach in Port Townsend at 20:10. At 14:00, small pod seemed to be traveling east towards opening of Puget Sound from the Strait. At 20:10, it seemed to be same small pod feeding/foraging along the shore of North Beach. A kite surfer in the area has an amazing story when pod surfaced 50 ft away.
Christina Cogan
August 27
We just received a call relaying a report of
an orca in Penn Cove this evening at around
7:45 pm, called in by Sammye Kempbell who got the report from their neighbor. They are in the Captain Whidbey end of the cove, and the orca was traveling toward Coupeville.
August 27
8:17 am - Sighting off Hansville. Orcas just sighted going east from Skunk Bay then east of Norwegian Point.
Leonard
August 27
6:19 - Victoria Clipper III just left them,
1 mi NW of Lagoon Point. They are northbound, looks like they are hunting along the tide rip.
Stephanie Raymond
August 27
3 pm - T137's approaching Admiralty Head southbound.
Michael P Colahan
August 26
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Photo by Traci Walter.
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August 26
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| Photo by Traci Walter. |
August 26
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Good morning! Here's another shot from yesterday's encounter with Bigg's killer whales. This is a behavior we call a cartwheel. Upon closer inspection of the photo, it makes me wonder if this orca wasn't trying to launch one of the little common murres sitting on the surface into air. You can see there are a few small birds in the image and one in particular behind the splash of the whale's flukes. Just missed! Sometimes young transient orcas will play with birds, perhaps to hone their huntings skills.
Photo by Katie Jones. |
