South Puget Sound
June 23, 2008
I saw a single humpback in Elliot Bay. I was kayaking across from West Point (Discovery Park) to Alki Point, and the Bainbridge-Seattle Ferry had just passed by. A few minutes later it surfaced, and passed me about 50’ away going N, surfacing 5-6 times. Got a great look at it from near by, unfortunately the attached photo from my phone is the best I got (see above – enough to confirm it’s a humpback!). Sighting was at 6pm.
Tom Milne
This makes us think the three possible humpback/gray whale reports in Elliott Bay from June 21st were very likely this humpback – S&H
June 21, 2008
1440 pdt, One humpback (medium confidence, did not see fluke, definitely not a gray) whale sighted 1nm south of buoy SG, entrance to Elliott Bay ~47° 38.7N 122° 27.9W. Traveling westerly, sounded twice then dove, blew on second sound.
Robert Reeder
Orca Network received a report from Joanne Brayden, who was on the Bremerton/Seattle ferry when just before noon, between the ferry & Alki Pt. a small whale surfaced & spouted, with its back showing. It surfaced again – this time showing its flukes when it dove. The whale was gray colored, and when it surfaced they saw a hump as it showed its back, and the spout was visible.
This could either be the humpback whale that has been in the area, or possibly a gray whale – S&H
June 11, 2008
Just enjoyed the beauty of a humpback from 2030 to 2130 milling back and forth between the north point of Vashon Isl to about 1 mile south of point in Colvos Passage. Could it be the south Vashon humpy on the move? Can still hear him out there now at 2145. Still milling out front now, but lost the light, he/she just circling about mostly on the surface.
Tim Ferris
June 10, 2008
The Pt. Defiance Humpback was still there this morning. I got to the 5 Mile Drive about 9am and stayed till 10am.
Bryan Owens, Tacoma
June 9, 2008
There was a group of us watching the humpback whale at Pt. Defiance earlier today, from about 11am to 2pm. It was circling at its usual spot then disappeared down the Narrows for at least 20 minutes. We got several good looks at its back but nothing else, wasn’t too active. After reappearing near Pt. Dalco and coming back towards us. It then breached completely out of the water 3 times in a row heading towards Owens Beach. After that it spy hopped and held its fluke up in the air a couple times before disappearing again. The only photos taken showed the back and splashes, nothing that could identify it. I’ll be back on the 5 mile drive tomorrow trying for a better shot and maybe some video.
Bryan Owens, Tacoma
June 8, 2008
Amy Carey called to relay a report of the humpback whale off So. Vashon Island – it was observed at 1:45 pm, closer to the Vashon side, meandering toward the ferry terminal.
June 7, 2008
Kelly Doran called to report sighting a whale off Salmon Beach near Tacoma at 10:30 pm Saturday night. They heard it spouting, & saw it heading south toward the Tacoma Narrows bridge. A dorsal fin was not observed.
It’s possible this could have been a gray whale, but given the location & timing it is more likely it was the humpback whale that has been in this area – s&h
We got to see the humpback between the two ferry docks – pt defiance and Vashon. it was swinging its flukes and tail, and even did a spy hop. so darn cool!!
Dawn Bailey, Eatonville, WA
June 4, 2008
I saw the humpback at Point Defiance.
James Hodgson, WDFW Aviation
June 2, 2008
The humpback was spotted off of Pt Richmond Beach (Gig Harbor) mid channel, on Colvos Passage at 7:35 am. Whale was drifting north just playing around.
Steve
May 28, 2008
The (humpback) whale is still at Pt. Defiance and I got a great look at the underside of his tail. I didn’t have my camera but may be able to identify or at least narrow it down through photos. If this worked then I attached a pretty bad drawing of what it looked like, the edges of white were broken towards the end of the tail on the inside. I watched him for about 45 minutes where he came up at least 30 times. Also, I saw him feeding on something at the surface. Before I left he was going in a pretty straight line and surface 7 or 8 times in about a minute then made a tight turn then dived. Just after there was a large disturbance on the surface and then I started seeing him/her repeatedly surface in about a 50ft by 50ft area. Got some good views of his pectoral fins as he was turning and breaking the surface in a tight circle.
Bryan Owens, Tacoma, Wa
The humpback is still hanging around Point Defiance and the southwest side of Vashon Island. I watched him/her on and off between 10:50 AM and 1:15 PM spending most of its time about half-way between Vashon and Point Defiance.
Owen Atkins
Tacoma, WA
May 27, 2008
The (humpback) whale never did lift its fluke today so we had to settle for photos of the body. We left it at about 3:30pm, just out front of the ferry terminal at Point Defiance, still milling around in Dalco Passage as it has been reported recently. After pouring over numerous dorsal fin photos of the three individuals that have been identified in the south sound since 2004, we tend to think this whale is new to the area, even though it is similar in appearance to two others seen previously (which is why we prefer to identify humpbacks by their more distinctive flukes, if they are nice enough to show them!). Based on some fairly low-resolution photos, we are reasonably certain it is the same whale photographed in Mutiny Bay on 26 April, though. It is not a very young whale, although I would classify it as a smaller adult. All in all, its skin and body condition look pretty good. It does have a broad, shallow depression just behind the blowhole on the right side of the head, not sure what to make of it, but the whale seems to be doing fine so far otherwise.
Erin Andrea Falcone, Cascadia Research
After reading the weekend posts on the Pt. Defiance Humpback I just went down to see if I could get another look this morning (before 10:30 am). After about 5 minutes at the first over look on the five mile drive it came up for 4 quick breaths. It was on the Pt. Defiance side and close to shore heading towards Gig Harbor. I was there another 20 minutes or so without anymore sightings.
Bryan Owens, Tacoma Wa.
Derek Woodie called to relay more reports of the humpback whale – co-workers saw it at 8 am from the Vashon ferry, and Derek saw it again at 6:50 pm off the SW point of Vashon Island.
May 26, 2008
Read the report this morning of a humpback in the area so went down to look around and within 2 min spotted what I believe is a Minke whale between Pt. Defiance and Vashon Island moving back and forth. We watched for about 45 min. then went around the corner more towards the Narrows and did not see anything else.
Derek Woodie
* From the photo above, this is definitely the humpback whale that’s been in the area – note the shape of the fin in the photo above (I like to think of a humpback fin and back as looking like a big chocolate chip on the water!) – below is a photo of a Minke whale fin, which has more of a sickle shape.
Orca Network
May 25, 2008
Writing to report a spectacular sighting in Dalco Pass. I live on the water a few houses up from the Tahlequah ferry dock, facing out towards the southwest over dalco pass, point defiance park and gig harbor. Over the past 2 weeks we’ve had multiple sightings. First, the mist from the “blow”, then the dark shape with notch. I also heard him blow quite close by on several occasions without actually seeing him. Yesterday (sat 5/24) and today (sun 5/25) we were treated to a lot of tail-flipping. This morning its tail flipped out about 7 or 8 times in succession, every 10 seconds or so. Then he waved an enormous fin, which was dark on the topside and speckled with white underneath. Had binocs for pretty good viewing, and will keep camera on hand for the next show.
Tom J Tahlequah, Vashon Island
May 24, 2008
We headed out from Gig Harbor in our boat late this afternoon. Between Point Dalco and Vashon Island, we spotted the whale reported earlier and spent an hour watching in the same area, as he/she was slowly circling and doing all the things whales do. Maybe he/she has become our resident whale now?
Gloria Hazelrigg Gig Harbor
Both these reports sound like the humpback that’s been hanging around those parts – sb.
Coming from Quartermaster Hbr. around 12:30 today we observed a large humpback working the current rips on the ebb. The whale would surface and breathe 3 or 4 times before sounding for 10 min. or so
Dave Stevens
MV Our Gig
Gig Harbor
May 21, 2008
I spent 45 minutes following the humpback down the beach, from 8:50 AM-9:35 AM) from the tip of Point Defiance (where it nearly came up to the shore) to Owen’s Beach and then to the Point Defiance Boathouse and then off toward the middle of Commencement Bay and out of view.
Owen Atkins, Tacoma, WA
Amy Carey called about 3 PM today from the south end of Vashon Island to say she had seen the “mystery” whale, (so far identified as a juvenile humpback) that was first seen there April 13, unless there’s another large whale cavorting in circles between Pt. Defiance and Vashon Island. Amy said the one she saw was at the entrance to the Narrows.
May 20, 2008
About 11:30 I was down at Pt. Defiance and caught two quick glimpses of the mystery whale. I heard a blow earlier from Owen Beach but saw it from the Dalco lookout on the five mile drive. I couldn’t tell what species but it wasn’t a very large one. I also saw no tail while it dived. It was mid channel between Pt. Dalco and Pt. Defiance. A man who had been fishing from the beach came up for a better look and told me it had been swimming in circles all morning.
Bryan Owens
Tacoma
May 18, 2008
The “mystery” whale (that’s yesterday’s minke-like mystery whale, not the humpback off Pt. Defiance), IS exactly what I saw on Sunday morning, May 18, 10:41AM near the ferry line, between the Duwamish Head, Alki Point & Smith Cove Marina. (Although, there were 3!, one considerably larger than the other 2.) My guess is that they were Minkes? We maintained sight of them for about 15 minutes and got several good looks @ each via kayak.
crow
Attached is a photo taken last weekend off of Seattle, just north of the Winslow/Seattle Ferry lane about in the middle of the Sound. This whale was swimming toward my boat and I saw it from about 250 yards away. I stopped / engine off and waited. The animal surfaced next to me heading 180 degrees to my course, about fifty feet to starboard. I was struck by the long body (maybe 35 – 40 feet) the flat back between the blow hole (sorry I know little whale terminology) and the mid back. It glided for about 1.5 – 2.5 seconds and then dove slowly. In diving it displayed it’s small dorsal fin, but the tail didn’t break the surface. Interesting fact was that the exhaled breath stank like a room full of herring (we were down wind of the whale). Standing at water level I could not see the underwater parts as the sun was to one side and therefore couldn’t confirm diagonal strips on the side fins.
My guess is that it was a Minke whale. Does the back and fin look compatible with that?
I’ve boated for forty years in Puget Sound and the SJ’s, this whale definitely seemed very different from female Orca and Dahl’s porpoises. I once saw a similar whale in the middle of the Straits of Juan de Fuca but that was from a long way away.
I appreciate any response.
Craig Rone
This does look like a minke, but minkes only get to about 26-28’ long, so does that seem possible? It could be a juvenile fin whale if it’s 35-40 feet, but they are pretty rare around here. Anyone have a diagnosis? hg
While sailing between Point Defiance Park and Vashon Island (Area 11 of Puget Sound) during the mid-afternoon I observed a large whale. The whale appeared to be dark blue or black in color, blew water high into the air several times, and circled the area for the hour I observed it. I believe the whale was a Humpback, but I am not an expert at whale identification. In any event, I was able to take a few photos of the whale’s dorsal fin. I’m sure anyone aboard the Vashon Ferry the afternoon of May 18th also saw this whale.
Douglas Gelowitz
Redondo, WA
Boating off Northeast of Point Defiance, at about 1:45 PM observed at least one whale. This appeared to be a large whale, black with small dorsal fin and seemed to be traveling North from just West of the Gig Harbor entrance to the Southern tip of Vashon Island.
Eric Elgar
May 17, 2008
Some friends on the South end of [Vashon Island] called me at 3;40 with a report of the minke/humpback mystery whale. Sounds like it was in the same spot as the morning sighting.
Amy Carey
May 16, 2008
Sailing between Point Defiance and Vashon Is. at 2:45pm, one or two *(Minke’s(?) were apparently feeding. Couldn’t determine direction as it (or they) were coming up in different spots.
Dave Calhoun
In looking at the photos, and noting the location, we are thinking this might be the juvenile humpback whale that has been in the area and was recently spotted off Pt. Defiance. The fin, & the presence of a large spout make us lean more toward a humpback – sb
May 12, 2008
One Humpback Whale spotted off of Owen Beach at Point Defiance Park Tacoma Wa. 8:30 p.m.. Whale traveled back and forth approx. 100ft off shore Departed heading toward Dalco Passage.
Tyler Budge
May 11, 2008
At about 2:45 we were out kayaking and spotted a gray whale. The whale was headed east through the passage between Point Defiance and Vashon Island. We weren’t close enough to see any identifying features.
Melissa Negretti, Tacoma
May 10, 2008
12:15pm – Single Grey whale off of Arroyo Beach in W Seattle, moving quickly to the south toward 3 tree point. Maybe 50 yds offshore. Couldn’t get the camera fast enough to catch it fluking.
Jennifer Barwick
May 3, 2008
There was a report by at least 3-5 people that on opening day of shrimping season they saw a killer whale eating a sea lion just north of Ayock Beach. It happened about 8:45. I did not see it.
Elaine M. Wiley, Gypsy Cove, Hood Canal, WA
April 14, 2008
I spotted this guy around 5 pm. I saw him from our house just off Browns Point. I got 2 shots each time he surfaced. He did not stay up more than 5 to 7 seconds each time. Fortunately he did not swim far each time. Then just made a lazy surfacing and rolled back down. The first time he surfaced he was only 100 yards or less from me. He was close to shore and I got a good look from our 2nd floor. I could see about 20 feet of length but I never saw his head or tail. So I am guessing he could be 30 feet or more. He blew very loud and very high.
Mark Sarnes, Tacoma, WA
Cascadia Research replies after seeing the photos: Definitely a gray whale and could even be ID#53 based on the one white spot visible but there is no way to confirm this at this level of detail.
John Calambokidis, Cascadia Research, Olympia, WA
April 12, 2008
Minke whale spotted in Central Puget Sound, straight out from Discovery Park, near Seattle, 5 pm. Whale was surfacing for an hour and heading South.
Kevin Curran, UW, Seattle
April 2, 2008
Brooke Nelson of the Seattle Aquarium called to relay a report of a False Killer Whale sighted off Alki at 10 am by the Goodtime ll.
Off of the Northeast tip of Vashon Island (Glen Acres) we saw a whale that I believe is a Gray. I have some pictures but the head of the whale is not in them. The head had a lot of the white mottling on it. It came up about 4 times in front each time going in a different direction and then I didn’t see it anymore.
Brent Thompson
Amy Carey of Vashon Island relayed a report from a friend of a pod of orcas observed from the Fauntleroy/Vashon ferry at 9:15 am, closer to the Seattle Side. the whales were heading N/NW.
January 16, 2008
Amy Carey of Vashon Island relayed some additional reports she received of the Transient pod as they headed south this afternoon. They were observed going south past Pt. Robinson, east Maury Island, in the early afternoon; from 3:30 – 4 pm they were off Gold Beach in the Maury Island Preserve heading south, but another report soon afterward had them heading north.
January 11, 2008
I live on the hill above Titlow Beach (just south of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge) and had the fabulous luck of watching a pod of Orcas (6 or 8 of them) swim past my house on Friday afternoon at about 3:45 pm – heading away from the South Sound and toward the Narrows Bridge (north). I watched the large group until they were out of sight (the large fir trees at Titlow Park then blocked my view) but there was one straggler – - that I watched until he/she was out of sight – - was not in sync with the rest of them. Maybe this is typical, but I thought it was interesting, considering the rest of them were in perfect formation and coming up and heading back down in complete sync, and all together, then all of a sudden, when I thought they were all gone, there was one more to watch for a couple of minutes. Is there a chance you would know which pod this might have been?
Nancy Draper, Tacoma, WA
This is most likely K pod, who had been in Puget Sound last week, & was photographed by KING 5 TV off Gig Harbor on Jan. 10th – sb
KING5 Video of orcas near Gig Harbor
This looks like K pod doing some active feeding & playing! sb
And more confirmation on the ID of the orcas in the video:
That’s great Susan. Looks like K pod (including L87) to me. Some nice stuff of L87 and K21 messing around.
Candi Emmons, NOAA Fisheries NWFSC
I was in Bremerton today when someone called with a sighting of the gray whale. I found it at the entrance of Port Washington Narrows about mid channel. It was taking 2-3 breaths followed by ~3 minute dives, and stayed in the same area for the entire hour I observed. I did get some distant photographs and have attached a few here.
Greg Schorr, Cascadia Research, Olympia
We have confirmed the Grey Whale sightings off the north side of the USS Turner Joy. This sighting was at 14:05 Pm.
Robert Achilles, Project Superintendent, American Construction Co.
Orca Network received a call from Kathryn Rice at 11:18 am, reporting a pod of 12+ orcas heading south in Colvos Passage between Vashon Island & Kitsap Peninsula. They were on the west side of the passage, about 200’ offshore, in Olalla Bay, between Prospect Pt. & Pt. Richmond.
Orca Network received a call from Ryan Johnson, onboard the Tug Wasg, reporting a pod of 6+ orcas in Colvos Passage off Pt. Richmond at 12:25 pm. They were close together & milling off the point. There was 1 male & 5+ smaller orcas.
Gray whale in Bremerton – from Kitsap Sun’s Christoper Dunagan’s Watching our Water Ways Blog: I normally don’t write about sightings of marine mammals. Orca Network does a fine job of keeping track of whales through its network of shoreside observers, ferryboat riders and researchers. I make an exception, however, when an animal remains in one place for an unusually long time or at an unusual time of year. A sighting of a gray whale in Bremerton this week meets both criteria. The animal was still in downtown Bremerton this morning, swimming around near the end of the destroyer Turner Joy.
Christopher Dunagan, Kitsap Sun
Cascadia Research received a report from Joanne Jenks of a Gray whale in Port Washington Narrows, Bremerton at 4:15 pm. It was mid-channel, near the USS Turner Joy, south of the Manette Bridge.
We are a family that lives on Vashon Island on the water near Dolphin Point (Glen Acres). We were lucky enough to see the Orca headed South around 10:30 AM. We then went down to Point Robinson and to our delight, they came very close to shore (100 yrds?).
Jan Staehli, Glen Acres Rd, Vashon
Spotted a pod of orca swimming south between the ferry docks of Pt Defiance and Vashon at approximately 2:30. I personally counted 5 while another person said there were 10. They swam south past the ferry dock towards the end of Pt Defiance and then turned around and headed North, swimming directly in front of and underneath the ferry. In the group I spotted one very large dorsal fin and one young orca.
Cindi Sonich
Candi Emmons of NOAA Fisheries heard reports from observers that the Jan. 6 orcas off Vashon Island were likely K pod again/still.
I saw several Orcas a couple of hundred yards off KVI Beach (middle of the east side of Vashon) at 12:05 p.m.. Heading south across the mouth of Tramp Harbor at a rapid pace. A saw them again, 5 minutes later, again headed south.
Rob Harmon, Vashon
Amy Carey called to relay a report of orcas observed just south of Pt. Robinson on Maury Island at 1:15 pm, heading south slowly, very spread out.
I have another second hand report of Orcas near Gig Harbor. A fisherman told me he saw several earlier in the day.
Bryan Owens, Tacoma Wa
Orca Network received a call from Wendy Demeter, reporting 6+ orcas off west Vashon Island, heading north in Colvos Passage near Cove at 9:30 am, closer to the Vashon side.
Found the fins off Dilworth at about 4:30 pm. Spread out with the closest whale being about 100 feet from shore. Traveling South but Moving slowly. Went to Point Robinson and waited and waited and waited in the dark. I left the beach at about 6:15 and Lynne Brevig, who had been at the beach all day hoping for an Orca sighting called me at 6:25 pm to say that they were passing the Point.
Amy Carey, Vashon Island
Today I made a trip over to Vashon/Maury Islands to look for the Orcas. I scanned the horizon all day waiting for Orcas to pass by Pt. Robinson. Alas, no luck. At 4:00 p.m I was about to leave when Amy Carey called to tell me that about 12 Orcas had just passed Dilworth and were heading South. So I waited until after dark. Amy joined me and we both waited and watched the dark horizon at Pt. Robinson. At about 6:00 p.m. we both called it quits. Amy left and while I was still in the parking lot, I heard blows. From the beach South of Pt. Robinson, I saw 3 fins somewhat close in. The [orcas] travelling straight through with no time to stop and visit. Two big male fins.
Lynn Brevig of Seattle
