12:53 p.m. - orcas on Lime Kiln now.
Althea Leddy
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12:18 p.m. - calls on Lime Kiln hydrophone!
11:05 a.m. - Whales off Eagle Point.
Barbara Bender

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We had a magical encounter with J28 Polaris and her new baby J54 on Thursday. This is the little cutie pie peeking above the surface while swimming next to mom. Haro Strait, off San Juan Island Photo by katie Jones, March 31, 2016

 

T123A and T123C off of Eagle Point on the afternoon of April 4th. Photo by Mark Malleson

 

I believe 2 or 3 orcas were right across from Jericho Beach traveling toward Stanley Park in Vancouver BC, approximately 3:45-4pm. I saw large black shiny fins. Hope this helps
Krista Chapman

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Around 6 pm - Pod of orcas in front of West Beach at Deception Pass. Slowly moving farther out towards Smith Island.
Liz Brown   

6:24 p.m. - Report from a dock worker of a wayward gray whale 'swimming circles' at the end of the Foss Waterway in Tacoma.
Durand Dace
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3:00 p.m. - Grey whale frolicking in the Foss today
Edward Holt


7:07 p.m. - I'm next to Anthonys Home port at the Everett Marina, watching up to four whale blows, maybe five. They are off Jetty Island, yet not close enough to see what species. I can't see dorsals, but I have no binoculars. Just seeing regular blows. They are spread out, and milling around near a mid channel marker, between Camano and Jetty Island. Not much boat activity, one sail boarder closer to shore.
Laura Love Wymore
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A report from Veronica von Allworden  of two Gray whales feeding north of Hat/Gedney Island seen around 6 pm-ish.
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5:50 p.m. - Two blows (one grey, I think) about three hundred yards west of the Mukilteo ferry dock!
Jessica Alexander Doyle
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5:06 p.m. - Spotted a large group of grays (more than one group actually) in the harbor at Everett between Hat Island and the mouth of the river from a helicopter late this afternoon. Then a couple hours later we saw a large and fast south-traveling pod of Orcas off of Edmonds (also from the air.) Great day for the medical crew of Airlift 6! Here are some of the grays.  Shot in the evening from about 800 feet altitude with a LUMIX pocket camera.
Dawn Bustanoby

Spotted a large group of grays (more than one group actually) in the harbor at Everett between Hat Island and the mouth of the river from a helicopter late this afternoon. Photo courtesy of Dawn Bustanoby, Airlift Northwest, April 7, 2016

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3:54 p.m. - right in the marine dive park north of the ferry - probably one of the Gray whales?
3:30 p.m. -  whale just passed really close to shore north Edmonds.. No more than 20 yards! It heading south towards Edmonds ferry.
Stu Davdison
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12:57 p.m. - Seeing a spout near the Clinton ferry dock. Most likely a gray...Actually 2- headed south.
Lee Ann Tobin

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A beautiful "rainblow" from a Saratoga Gray today taken aboard the Chilkat Express near Clinton. This is Either 383 or 723. Photo by Janine Harles, April 7, 2016

#723, I think with a Cascadia Research suction cup tag on its side. Taken aboard the Chilkat Express near Clinton. Photo by Janine Harles, April 7, 2016

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11:00 a.m. -  We saw a couple grey whales this morning! Cascadia Research vessel was out there and confirmed it was two boys, #383 and #723, on the east side of Whidbey. Just as we decided had to head back to port, J-pod was reported to be on the west side of the island...and heading south! Scenes of a gray whale in Possession Sound today.
Jessica Alexander Doyle

#383 & #723 - Possession Sound Photo by Jessica Alexander Doyle, April 7, 2016

#383 Fluke Photo by Jessica Alexander Doyle, April 7, 2016

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10:18 a.m. - Pod of grays north of Mukilteo. Moving north between Whidbey Island and Camano Island.
Tim Arnold

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Gray whale off of Victoria's waterfront on the morning of April 6th. Photo by Mark Malleson

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April 6 - North Puget Sound Grays
Cascadia Research update: A successful effort on the water in N Puget Sound with gray whales today. Encountered all six of the regulars known to have arrived this year (21, 49, 56, 383, 531, and 723). Deployed two suction-cup attached, multi-sensor dual-video tags on 21 and 723 and these remain on tonight gathering data. Jeremy Goldbogen and Dave Cade from Stanford were working with us today. Two interesting gray whale reports came in during the day. The first was of a very emaciated gray whale seen in the Ballard Locks in Seattle today which got a lot of attention. The second was a photo Mark Malleson sent of a gray whale seen today off Victoria that I immediately recognized as another of Puget Sound regulars (44 or Dubknuck) apparently on route to where we were and which we hope to see tomorrow.
John Calambokidis, Cascadia Research

CRC ID 723 in front of the Everett shoreline with tag. Photo by John Calambokidis, Cascadia Research, April 6, 2016 (more photos on CRC Facebook Page)

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7:12 p.m. - grays at Mabana on Camano, Appears to be travelling south slowly.
Sally Olin
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6:43 p.m. - We can see them blowing from bell beach road. Closer to the Camano side
Lexie Adams
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6:25 p.m. - tug and ferry passed them and they looked like they were still angling over closer to Camano side.
6:11 p.m. - They are out mid channel from Fox Spit and just ahead of tugboat and ferry being towed.
5:59 p.m. - It sure looks like they may be heading to Fox Spit, Whidbey shores right now
5:39 p.m. - 2 grays between baby island and Fox Spit heading east.
Marilyn Armbruster

Gray #49 Patch between Baby Island and Fox Spit, Whidbey Island. Photo by Marilyn Armbruster, April 6, 2016

Gray #56 between Baby Island and Fox Spit, Whidbey Island. Photo by Marilyn Armbruster, April 6, 2016

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8:58 a.m. -  Blows visible on Saratoga webcam, northbound whale.
Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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8:50 a.m. - Seeing blows here now! Distant but still here. (Whidbey WhaleCam - Langley)
Kathy Stevens Hitzemann
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2 Gray whales next to the pilings on Greenbank Beach this morning. They lingered in the area from 5 to 7 am then slowly headed south into Holmes Harbor.
Randy Schroder


There was a gray whale really close to the shore of Alki Beach today around 5:10pm. I wonder if it was the same one?
Carrie Vanderveer
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A young emaciated gray whale heading back out of the chamber of the  Hiram Chittenden Locks in Ballard. Photo by Amy Anderson, April 6, 2016

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1:20 p.m. - Saw a juvenile gray whale at the Chittendon locks, in Ballard...back inside but it was lingering for a while. In and out. They, obviously, aren't using that lock to keep the whale safe. Here's a video! What a crazy sight to see!
Jeffrey Stander
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Hi, I live next to the Locks and went to watch him today not knowing he was in such bad shape. Locks is telling folks it's a younger gray who may have been separated from his mom.... He just kept circling in the channel.
Erin Graf

Photo by Erin Graf, April 6, 2016

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6:30AM-7:00AM - Another whale came to the locks this morning.
It's been hanging out around here again this morning. I saw it around 11AM just below our spillway dam and out around the bridge. I've posted a video of it on our facebook page- it's Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (Ballard Locks) if you'd like to view it.
Katie McGillvray, Natural Resource Specialist

We had another whale visitor this morning between 6:30 and 7 a.m. Gardeners Stephen Munro and Michelle McMorran ran out and snapped these great photos! You never know what you'll see when you visit the locks!
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks

Photo by Stephen Munro, US Army Corps of Engineers, April 6, 2016

Photo by Michelle McMorran, US Army Corps of Engineers, April 6, 2016

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Samantha Pierce of Camano Island called in a report at 1:50 pm, of a whale in Port Susan, near the Country Club area, facing east and feeding in the same spot for quite some time. (From her description and the location, definitely sounds like one of our Saratoga Gray whales feeding in Port Susan. - SB)

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Three shades of gray today as we headed out to find whales - gray skies, gray seas, and gray whales, but the water was dead calm and perfect for sighting our local Saratoga whales! We found #723 and #531 along the Snohomish Delta, feeding along the shallow banks, back and forth. We had great looks at them as they fed on their sides, scooping up tiny crustaceans, with pectoral fins appearing to be waving at us. The gray skies turned blue for a short time, before the rain caught us as we headed back to Langley. Another fun day with our local friends - Jill Hein, volunteer naturalist.

Male gray whale #723 exhaling in glassy calm water today  - near Everett. Photo by Jill Hein, April 4, 2016

#531's pectoral fin (right) and half of her fluke shows as she feeds along the shallow Snohomish River delta. Photo by Jill Hein, April 4, 2016

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(afternoon trip): On yet another glorious day, we encountered gray whales # 56, 383 and 723 shortly after leaving Langley marina. It's not often we see three gray whales traveling so closely together, a truly magnificent sight against the backdrop of the snow-capped Cascade mountains. After rounding Gedney Island and heading north up Saratoga Passage, we spotted #21, one of our returning males whose identity is rather unique - this whale does not show his flukes. Once again another wonderful day with our visiting gray whales.
Sandra Pollard, Author/Naturalist, Mystic Sea

Three grays -  Saratoga Passage. Photo by Richard Snowberger, April 3, 2016

Photo by Richard Snowberger, April 3, 2016

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7:07 p.m. - Single grey whale between Langley and Camano, slowly heading north.
Caleb Thompson
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We saw this solitary gray rolling in the shallows off of Tulare Beach north of Tulalip Bay at about 3:30 this afternoon - from kayaks, what a special few moments!!
Katie Remine
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3:30 p.m. - 2 greys breaching, southern tip of Camano Island. Photo by Kathryn Rupchock Pizzo

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3:13 p.m. - We just saw at least one whale off southeast end of Hat Island.
Sharon Ann Clark
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2:13 p.m. - grays still at Langley.
Gabby Kinner
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1:15 p.m. - Bells Beach Langley. Beautiful day to see my 1st sighting, 2 or 3 grays, mid-channel, heading toward Langley .
Margaret (Peggy) Sullivan
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1:15 p.m. -  Eric from Mystic Sea called. 4 gray whales trending South between Fox Spit & Langley, including #56.
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1:11 p.m. - Michelle Goll and I been watching 2 gray whales from Bells Beach for the past 15 minutes. They are straight out mid channel. Photo by Marilyn Armbruster, April 3, 2016

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Noon - Tim Hicks called in a sighting of Patch #49, about 3/4 mile SE of Hat/Gedney Island.
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11:30 a.m. -  Eric from Mystic Sea reports Gray Whales #723, #21, #383 mid Saratoga Passage near Mabana Beach, Camano Island and #49, "Patch" SE Gedney Island.
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11:20 a.m. -  found them NNW from Langley, on the Camano side. The whale watch boat just arrived.
Michelle Goll
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10:01 a.m. - Lots of whale blows in Saratoga Passage right now! We can even hear them!! 1 mile south of Mabana on Camano Island. Going on 15 minutes or so, they seem to be hanging around, not headed north or south yet.
Jennifer Feldman Spanton

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Greys moving up the Oregon Coast in good numbers. 7 in an hour. I waited an hour for 2 breachers to make it to my spot., where they started breaching again. Sea Lion Caves, Oregon. No Orcas yet. Photo by Vern DiPietro, April 2, 2016

Gray sighted from Clinton ferry Saturday evening. I was on the Clinton ferry about 6-6:30 on Saturday, April 2, and we saw a gray whale. It was a few hundred yards south of the boat, mid-channel. We saw three or so blows, then a tail, then nothing more for the rest of the trip--we assumed it dove. Too far away to get any details or markings.
David Freed
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This big Gray (on it's side, pec fin up) was seen with another this afternoon from Mystic Sea along the Tulalip shoreline feeding. Eager scoters ready to munch on the leftovers. Photo by Richard Snowberger, April 2, 2016

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2:30 p.m. - On Saturday, April 2, around 2:30 my friend and I were at Haines Wharf Park (Edmonds). Far in the distance, at the southern end of Whidbey Island, we saw three gray whales. They were active at the surface, looked to be rolling. They'd then dive for 2-3 minutes, then resurface.
Peter Moe
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Saratoga Gray "Patch" and an unidentified companion were at Possession Bar today. Photo by Steve Smith, April 2, 2016 (photo zoomed and cropped)

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11:50 a.m. -  whale (maybe multiple) south of Possession Point (2-3miles south). Three whale boat nearby it (them). Viewing from north Edmonds looking slightly north westerly
Stu Davidson
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11:36 a.m. - #49, #383 and two others near Possession Point.
Janine Harles
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10:52 a.m. - With Gray whales (#49 Patch) south of Whidbey headed south, short down times, totally cool.
Peter Hanke


10:55 a.m. - Today at Fauntleroy ferry dock waiting to board the ferry to Vashon Island.
(Video of submerged gray whale swimming past the dock)
Desiree Kaiawe

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Another wonderful day on the water today, no April Fool's joke! Three whales were found - starting with #723 feeding along the south side of Gedney/Hat Island, and then #383 and #21 were feeding together near Tulalip shores. Lots of "on their side" feeding behavior and some dives, many looks at #723 and #383's flukes. #21 has a very old injury that prevents him from showing the underside of his tail....well documented, but no known reason for the injury. We were also lucky to spot a flock of Brant geese on their migration to Alaska for their summer breeding. April is starting off well!
Jill Hein, volunteer naturalist.

#21's head - look at all those barnacles. Photo by Jill Hein, April 1, 2016

Gray whales #383 (L) and #21 (R) traveling side by side. Photo by Jill Hein, April 1, 2016

    

Today brought a repeat of the beautiful sea conditions but this time with 2 Humpback whales! "Heather" BCY0160 and an unknown since it wouldn't show its fluke! Near Patos Island Lighthouse. Photo by Traci Walter, April 1, 2016

Photo by Traci Walter, April 1, 2016

Beautiful day on the water with lots of Salish sea wildlife including these two beautiful Humpback whales! Video by Traci Walter, April 1, 2016

 

Pod of 6+ harbor porpoises headed South from Redondo Beach 80 yards from shore.
Ben Evans