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Orca Network 

Whale Sighting Report  

In This Issue
Photo of the Day
Southern Residents
Bigg's/Transients
Gray whales
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Orca Network recommends:
Puget Sound Whales for Sale: The Fight to End Orca Hunting, by
Sandra Pollard
This important volume recounts the people whose determined efforts ultimately succeeded in ending the captures.

_______________

The Lost Whale, by
Michael Parfit and
Suzanne Chisolm
  An intensely personal story...but this person is a young orca.  

Lost Whale book...ver scaled

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To learn more  

about orcas: 

Orcas in Our Midst, volume 3, by Howard Garrett

Orcas in Our Midst,

Vol. 3: Residents and Transients, How Did That Happen?

Click here  

to order YOUR copy!

_________________

 

  David Kirby  

The bestseller about orcas in captivity

   DeathatSeaWorld


Quick Links

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to learn about L pod

orca Lolita/Tokitae,

captured in Penn Cove,

Whidbey Island, WA

in 1970, somehow surviving in a small tank at the Miami Seaquarium ever since.

Tokitae looking up at us from her tank in Miami, FL in the late 1990s 

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April 23,  2016

We are watching and visiting the whales in their home~

Please observe, love and respect them from a distance.

Having trouble viewing this Sightings Report? Archived Reports can be found HERE.
J pod came down from the north on the 20th, winding their way past Friday Harbor in San Juan Channel by nightfall. We haven't had any reports on them since, so they may have kept heading west towards the Pacific or looped back up around the islands north again.

Bigg's/Transients seem to be covering all areas of the Salish Sea. Some amazing film of one pod's visit deep into Penn Cove yesterday the 22nd where two big guys swam in between the mussel rafts and within feet of blessed workers.

Two malnourished young grays have been roaming around south Puget Sound. Sadly one of them, the "Ballard  Locks" whale, was found deceased on the 18th in Colvos Passage.  Cascadia Research Collective' update is shared below and can be found HERE. And the initial necropsy report and photos can be found on CRC's Facebook page.

This whale was first reported on 18 April 2016 floating dead off the W side of Vashon Island. It is one of several gray whales in Puget Sound currently including another smaller animal sighted the same day in S Puget Sound (near Eld Inlet) and a small group of regularly returning gray whales that feed each spring around N Puget Sound. Based on markings on the whale that let us identify and track individual gray whales, we have determined that this is the same whale that was seen in the Ballard Locks on 6 April 2016. - Cascadia Research Collective

We leave you on a happier note with updates and photos from further north in Puget Sound on the healthy population of north Puget Sound Grays who continue their daily forages and interactions, including our first shared photos of #44 Dubknuck.
A wealth of information from their recent successful study days can be found in Cascadia's latest update N Puget Sound gray whale photo-ID and feeding study.  


Orca Network
Photo of the Day
April 22 
T49C and his nephew T49A1 swim among the Penn Cove Mussel Farm's rafts, and nearly within arms reach of awe struck staff.
Photo by Rachel Haight, April 22, 2016
(ID by Sara Hysong-Shimazu)
(see stunning video taken by PCMF owner in the Bigg's/Transient section of report) 
 
Southern Residents
April 20 
L87 Onxy & J2 Granny Patos Island under Mt. Baker.
Photo by Capt Jim Maya, April 20, 2016 

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8:50 p.m. - Passing Friday Harbor now, actually Turn Rock, In the dark with 3 whales! We just bumped into them! Not sure if They will take upright or continue down San Juan Channel
8:25 p.m. - Just passing Yellow Island. We have to take our passengers back. They may take wasp pass. Not sure where they are gonna go!
Barbara Bender
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8:20 p.m. - Made it to Rueben Tarte just is one breached twice and a couple more Jpod were passing by. Full moon in the sky on one side and gorgeous sunset on the other
Peggy Mauro
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7:45 p.m. - Look to be taking San Juan channel And Spieden
7:30 p.m. - Found em! (J pod)  Passing north side of Jones. We are a mile off.
Barbara Bender 
Bigg's killer whales (Transients)
April 22 - Admiralty Inlet 
2:54 p.m. - Four or five Orcas headed north at a quick pace! One very large fin present. East side of Foulweather bluff. We are on a sailboat in the south end of Admiralty Inlet, about a half mile offshore. Orcas were between us and the Kitsap Penninsula.
Carrie SeltingCarrie Selting

April 22 - Penn Cove/Saratoga Passage 
Ts visit Penn Cove this morning - Happy Earth Day!
Photo by Rachel Haight, April 22, 2016

A couple of big boys, including T49C near Penn Cove Mussel rafts.
Photo by Rachel Haight, April 22, 2016 
 
3:15 p.m. - 4-6 Orcas in Penn Cove heading east past wharf at 3:15 Friday. Two males, maybe 2-4 others. Traveling east.
Maribeth Crandell
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2:40 p.m. - Just got a call,.orcas are BACK in Penn Cove! 2:40 pm...going toward the mussel docks. Maybe 3?
Bonnie Gretz
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12:17 p.m. - Sweet, yep they are heading to the pass. The tide should be coming back in around 1:30pm, last year they were at the pass during the same conditions
Drea Park
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11:42 a.m. - orcas are 1 mile east of Polnell Point and 1/2 mile off the Whidbey Island Shoreline at Polnell Shores. They were heading east towards Camano Island, possibly destined for Deception Pass.
Steve Rothboeck
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11:40 a.m. - Single Orca sighted between Utsalady Pt and Strawberry Point (Camano Island) at about 11:40am. Tall and straight dorsal fin. Headed north. Beautiful and striking! Only saw the individual a few times, coming up for air and moving on.
Kerri Kline
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11:08 a.m. - Almost as soon as I posted this I saw them again, closer to Camano Island traveling north at what seemed to be a slower pace than they had been moving. My phone lost service and I was unable to update until now.
10:47 a.m. - I watched them leave Penn Cove a while ago and I'm watching from the Seaplane Base now. They look like they're heading south halfway between Camano and Whidbey Islands.
Krista McVay Lee
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10:45 a.m. - One of the males Sara Hysong-Shimazu ID'd as T49C for me.  I'm at Long Point. Whales are NE of me currently still eastbound. Don't know if they'll head up towards the pass or turn south by Camano yet...almost too far for me to see.
Rachel Haight
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10:15 a.m. - 5 orcas (including 1 male) were spotted cruising along the Penn Cove area, seeing heading out toward Deception Pass. They appeared to be just cruising the area. Traveling casually.
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10:07 a.m. - Heading east looks like out of the cove I can spot them past Monroe Landing.
Grace Seidel
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9:50 a.m. - Starting to head east, northwest of wharf.
Rachel Haight
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9:45 a.m. - They are at the head of Penn Cove now.
9:37 a.m. - Just to the right of the mussel rafts now.
Mary Fell Cheston
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9:28 a.m. - Omg!!! Workers on rafts getting insanely close encounter wow wow wow!!!! Like they could've almost touched the whales so close!
Rachel Haight

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Orcas and our Penn Cove Mussel Farm crew celebrating Earth Day - 2016 together in Penn Cove, Whidbey Island, Washington.
Video by Ian Jefferds, April 22, 2016 

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9:20 a.m. - Sammye Kempbell called to relay a report from her husband who just saw five orcas in Penn Cove. They just turned north toward Monroe Landing from the Coupeville Wharf.
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9:13 a.m. - Orcas in Penn Cove!!! Westbound just east of Coupeville wharf.
Rachel Haight
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6:45 a.m. - I spotted 5 Orcas a little north east of Greenbank this morning around 6:45. Heard them from our place in the community above Baby Island. Watched 2 big males 2 smaller whales and one even smaller traveling North East for about 20 minutes. The water was smooth and glassy so they were easy to follow with binoculars. Great way to start the day!
Alyce Vickland

April 22 - Puget Sound 
9:30 a.m. - We saw a pod of orcas this morning about 9:30 to the south of us on the Kingston to Edmonds ferry run - there definitely was a male in that group. That's the first time we've seen the orcas from the ferry. Hooray.
Marianne & Ken Wood
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8:30 a.m. - Saw orcas from Carkeek about 8:30 this morning! Appeared to be heading south. Saw at least 5-7. Fisherman and I chatted. He said all female as no fin was much larger than others. They came up repeatedly and kept blowing.
Jennifer Riker

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April 21 - Possession Sound/Saratoga Passage 
Nature in the raw... Shortly after leaving Langley marina, we caught up with two groups of transient orcas (marine mammal eating orcas), south of Camano Head. The whales milled for a while before becoming more spread out as they picked up the pace towards Port Susan, until diverted by a Pacific harbor seal crossing their path. A short, intense pursuit followed, but this lucky seal got away! We left the orcas continuing north as we headed back towards Camano Head, where we spotted the heart-shaped blow of a gray whale, #44 (Dubknuck) traveling south - away from the orcas.
Sandra Pollard, Author/Naturalist.

Transients heading north towards Port Susan.
Photo by Sandra Pollard, April 21, 2016

Transient orcas off Camano Head today.
Photo by Sandra Pollard, April 21, 2016 

6:14 p.m. - At least 3 maybe 5 orcas heading north in Saratoga Passage off Onamac Point. Closer to Camano side. At least one male!
Patti Nevaril-Cassell
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2:00 p.m. - Noticed no one else reported the adult male orca five or six people saw from the Boy & Dog park in Langley. It was heading north and, as far as we could tell, solitary. Don't remember the exact time but it was around 2 p.m. First, appeared frequently straight out from the park, then disappeared for quite a while and then was spotted much farther north.
Mara Grey
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1:47 p.m. - T049C all alone heading north off West side of Gedney.
Renee Beitzel
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11:52 a.m. - Sandra reports the Ts have moved east, into Port Susan.
11:35 a.m. - Sandra Pollard aboard Mystic Sea is watching 4 or 5 orcas, including one adult male, off the south end of Camano Head in Saratoga Passage. These must not be the same ones that were seen from the Kingston ferry and off Pt. Wells just after 10 am, given that the distance is over 20 miles, too far to travel in one hour, and given that Renee Beitzel reports at 11:32: "another group of Ts in Saratoga and we also just found gray whale #44 in close proximity at south end of Camano island!"

April 21 - Puget Sound
4:05 p.m. - Just saw a pod or Orca's from Alki. Just off Bainbridge heading toward Magnolia. Pretty sure I saw a juvenile in the group! So exciting! Northbound but lost sight of them as a ferry was coming toward them. Haven't' see a sign of them since.
Rusty Garner
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4:00 p.m. - Bainbridge ferry westbound spotted orcas spouting and traveling off Alki. Family unknown.
Cornelia Talley
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3:20 p.m. - My friend Angela Mata is on the the ferry Kaleteen, Seattle to Bremerton run, there is a pod of orcas currently to the SE of them, southbound. The boat at the time of report was midway between Restoration Point (Bainbridge) and Alki Point. Good chance this is the pod that was off Richmond Beach and they turned back south.
- Alisa LB
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12:40 p.m. - Found a group of approx 4 large orcas heading North bound, seen from just south of Richmond Beach saltwater park. They look to be just west of mid channel. Not visible without a good pair of binoculars!! Best seen from the highest point at Richmond beach SWP
Kayli Ann Breitweiser
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10:41 a.m. - Transients (no ID's yet) making kills but heading south-ish mid channel outside Edmonds.
Renee Beitzel
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10: 11 a.m. -  pod is still out mid channel bit north of out from Pt Wells...definitely on a kill.
9:45 a.m. -  surface activity north of Point Wells east of mid channel. Viewed from a distance.
Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network


This picture was taken aboard the Walla Walla at approximately 10 AM April 21. The four orca were spotted just off of Kingston in the traffic lanes headed southbound.
Photo courtesy of John Rogstad, Operations Watch Supervisor, Washington State Ferries 

The Male is T123A
Taken from the ferry around 0955 April 21st, just Southeast of Apple Cove Pt., Kingston
Photo courtesy of John Rogstad, Operations Watch Supervisor, Washington State Ferries
ID by Dave Ellifrit, Center for Whale Research) 

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8:55 a.m. - Orcas seen off the 8:40 Kingston ferry, headed south mid channel. Looks like transients, uneven dives. Right in the ferry lanes little to the south headed south. About 5 animals, 1 male, couple females and younger adult.
Sarah Hanke
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Pod of orcas spotted on the Edmonds Kingston ferry about 8:45. Closer to Edmonds heading away from Edmonds.
Dione Corey

***********************

April 20 
We had a great encounter with the T36A's and T99's. They were WAY out in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The water was beautifully calm. The whales had made a quick kill (of what, I don't know), and proceeded to be very social for much of the afternoon.
Photo by Katie Jones, April 20, 2016 

Photo by Katie Jones, April 20, 2016 
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Excitement after predation event w/ the T036A's and T099's south of Constance Bank.
Photo by Mark Malleson, April 20, 2016 

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We spent a spectacular afternoon with the T36As and T99s in flat
water deep south in Juan de Fuca as they socialized and snacked on something
large. We couldn�t make out what it was but thought maybe an elephant seal.
They snacked for two hours and were still carrying pieces around when we
left.
Val Shore

T36A1 with the intestine garland.
Photo by Val Shore, April 20, 2016 

T36A1
Photo by Val Shore, April 20, 2016

T36A1 - He/she was very frisky with multiple spyhops and breaches.
Photo by Val Shore, April 20, 2016 

Photo by Val Shore, April 20, 2016 

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7:30 p.m. - Walking far west on North Beach out of Port Townsend we spotted a large group of playful, breaching orcas (6+) slowly traveling into the sunset.
William Dentzel
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3:30 p.m. - 4 Orcas in Discovery Bay. We just observed (at least) 4 Orcas between Protection Island and Cape George. Feeding, I think, since a flock of gulls descended on their location after they left.
Carla Ellis
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8:45 a.m. - 5-7 orcas spotted off the northern side of Passage Island. We watched them from our balcony through binoculars as they traveled north east up into Howe Sound area. Definitely a male in the group possibly two.
Terri John
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Single, Male Orca cruised past Flint Beach, Lopez Island (south end), 6:30am, heading from west to east. Glassy waters, sunrise, Olympic Mountains and large black dorsal fin - all around quite impressive.
Sally Reeve
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T065A's east bound south of Hein Bank on the morning of April 20th.
Photo by Mark Malleson 

***********************

April 19 
7:52 p.m. - Those T's were booking it right to the sea lions feeding area closest to Spieden Is. All the harbor seals headed towards my shoreline for safety
Peggy Mauro
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7:03 p.m. - Headed to Green Pt now!
6:55 p.m. - T49As made a kill between Jones and Yellow and are on the move aimed at Flattop at the moment.
Barbara Bender

*************************

April 18 
T124A's north east bound south of Victoria April 18.
Photo by Mark Malleson 

T102 north bound south of Discovery Island on April 18th.
Photo by Mark Malleson 

-

Great to see the Transient / Biggs T124's around Sooke and the Salish Sea today.
8 am at Jordan River - 10 am -Sooke 11 am Beachy Head - Left going to Albert Head east to Victoria.
Photo by Paul Pudwell, April 18, 2016 
   
Gray whales
April 22 
Gray whales #383 and #723 spy-hop over and over this afternoon near Gedney Island.
Photo by Michael Colahan, April 22, 2016 
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1:40 p.m. - The unknown gray seems to be content just chilling between Possession and Clinton ferry.
Holly Husom Davidson
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12:02 p.m. - Mystic Sea reports Patch (#49), #21 off Gedney and Camano Head, #723 and #383 south of Gedney, and Chilcat reporting unknown gray near Possession Point.
Bonnie Gretz

*********************

April 21 
 ...We left the orcas continuing north as we headed back towards Camano Head, where we spotted the heart-shaped blow of a gray whale, #44 (Dubknuck) traveling south - away from the orcas.  (full day report in Bigg's section)
Sandra Pollard, Author/Naturalist.

Gray whale #44 Dubknuck.
Photo by Sandra Pollard, April 21, 2016 

************************

April 20 
We watched a grey for about 1/2 hour. Was going from Possession point to the Clinton Ferry about 1:30 today.
Terry Wegner
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12:50 The 2 (presumably 723 and 383) are now east end of Hat/Gedney steadily moving east.
Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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12:27 p.m. - One gray Whale just north of Clinton ferry. (as seen from ferry)
Bonnie Gretz
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12:15 a.m. - they are south of Hat/Gedney Island. Towards west end.
11:45 a.m. - both grays north of ferry lanes still steady northbound.
11:30 a.m. - from Mukilteo Lighthouse beach been watching two gray whales for past 10 minutes steadily moving northbound. Now in ferry lanes west of mid channel.
Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network

Gray whales 383 & 723 Possession Sound.
Video by Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
April 20, 2016 


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Gray whale #383 northbound from Possession Point today.
Photo by Michael Colahan, April 20, 2016 

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7:40 a.m. - Just spotted a gray whale on the Clinton-Mukilteo ferry about midway, traveling south and was spotted in between both ferry lanes.
Jen Marquett Mostafavinassab


************************

April 19 - south Puget Sound 
My husband and I were kayaking last evening April 19 at about 6:30 pm witnessed a gray whale as he breached (possibly means surfaced) about 50 feet from us. Gray was heading northeast near the railroad bridge at Chambers Creek area, between Steilacoom and Chambers Golf course. We saw him once again about 150 feet past our kayaks still traveling about 50-75 from shoreline on high tide. So awesome, we have been waiting for this!!
Pam and David Deacon-Joyner
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2:05 p.m. - Just saw a grey whale surface and go around Johnson point toward Zittles marina / Nisqually . It's very close to shore, moving fast.
Tina Davis

April 19 - Possession Sound 
2:35 a.m. - #723 and #21 north of Mukilteo but south of Gedney. Very close contact with each other.
Renee Beitzell
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1:00 p.m.  - WS Ferries reports two gray whales swimming westerly from near Mukilteo.

**********************

April 18 
Trip report - In record breaking temperatures we headed out to find whales - the water was so flat and beautiful we could see for miles. Wasn't too long until we found #44 Dubknuck and #49 Patch feeding side by side, very near to Camano Head. They were in shallow water, it was so calm we could even see them underwater, a most unusual sight. We then headed further south and found #383 and #723 Lucifer, also feeding together by Hat/Gedney Island. They too were in shallow water, too shallow for any fluke dives. We really didn't want to return to port because it was such a wonderful day being out on the water. But - we had to.
Jill Hein, volunteer naturalist.

A different view of gray whale #44 Dubknuck before his back broke the surface of the water. Photo taken today near Camano Head.
Photo by Jill Hein, April 18, 2016
(photo zoomed & cropped) 

#44 Dubknuck
(a very old injury, looks like it's filled with whale lice which eat away the dead skin)
Photo by Jill Hein, April 18, 2016 

**********************

April 17 
#49 Patch one the annual Welcome the Whales weekend fundraiser WW cruise.
Photo by Steve Smith, April 17, 2016 

#383 descends into the Salish Sea.
Photo by Steve Smith, April 17, 2016  

Photo by Steve Smith, April 17, 2016 


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.