February 2021 Whale Sightings

Click here for Map of February 2021 whale sightings.

February 28
Sun, Feb 28 - Holmes Harbor - 18:00 - [gray] He's still feeding mid cove, Hidden Beach. Starting to lose light. -Marilyn Armbruster
[The fluke is that of CRC185, Pacific Coast Feeding Group whale who joined Sounders in 2018. This makes his 4th consecutive year coming to the inland waters of North Puget Sound. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network]
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16:52 - At least one gray feeding right off shore - deep in the cove at Hidden Beach.
----My first gray whale sighting of the season. I wish the camera could capture how amazing it is. This guy was feeding which is like a delicate dance performed by a 30-ton being. Just a few feet off shore at times. It was magical. -Dori Dace
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13:45 - At least two, maybe three gray whales west of Baby Island, slowly moving north towards Saratoga Passage. -Martha Sinclair
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09:09 - Grey spotted in Holmes Harbor between Beverly Beach and Baby Island, traveling east. No fluke spotted - seems to be moving slowly along the surface. Lots of visible blows. -Marlena Skrobe
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HUMPBACK WHALE - Sun, Feb 28 - Hood Canal - 13:45 - Saw a single humpback whale in Hood Canal slapping its tail for about 10 minutes. South of Lilliwaup but north of Hoodsport. Mid channel. 1:45pm, Sunday, Feb 28. Can't locate anymore. -Brad Lambert

February 27
GRAY WHALES - Sat, Feb 27 - Northern Saratoga Passage - 15:15 - A gray popped up at Mariners Cove a few minutes ago (3pm-ish) and is currently snacking his way through the happy meal mudflats. He appears bound for Polnell, at this point, but not in a big hurry (about 30 minutes since first spot, so he's def lingering!). Love watching them waving fins in the sunlight on the water - so beautiful! -Marianne Parry
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Sat, Feb 27 - Saratoga Passage/Holmes Harbor - Today was a remarkable winter day that combined many of my favorite things in one trip - outdoor adventures with my wife, wildlife encounters, photography, and sea kayaking! Very fortunate to encounter Saratoga [NPS] Gray Whale #53 "Little Patch" who has been reliably seen in these waters since 1991, the year I graduated from college. -Steve Smith
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[gray] Whale went south along Saratoga Beach after IE4 [Island Adventures] left. Direct view and heard. Active feeding near Whidbey shore. Over 1 h later midchannel and long downtime so we left. [posted at 18:54] -Daniel Laszlo
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13:00 - Passed Fox Spit moving fairly quickly south towards Langley Whidbey side. I'm guessing he's probably out about from Bells Beach right now (13:20).
12:35 - Slowly trending southeast bound.
12:25 - Little Patch [CRC53] out about 1/4 mid channel, mid Baby Island Heights, Whidbey side, milling around. -Marilyn Armbruster
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15:34 - Update: [map indicates location near mouth of Holmes Harbor. -gs]
11:38 - Island Explorer 4 on scene near mouth of Holmes Harbor - Little Patch [CRC53]! -Erin Gless, Island Adventures Whale Watching
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08:00 - Gray whale in Holmes Harbor again this morning (near Beverly Beach), seen from Greenbank. -Sarah Montgomery

February 26
GRAY WHALES - Fri, Feb 26 - Saratoga Passage - ~18:00 - A gray showed up tonight (Thursday 2/26/21) just before it got dark around 6-6:3-0pm - a little bit late for happy hour, but we were excited to see it regardless. It was feeding at the happy meal mudflats just south of Mariners Cove when we first spotted it, and then it slowly worked its way north right past where we were standing, pretty darn close to shore. I could not see any identifying marks in the wind and waves, but the behavior was very different from my pal 2261 from last year. This whale would thrust its head up to spout, but rather than continue moving forward it would pull its head back down, almost in a backward motion. It also exposed more of its body at one time just above the surface. This looked like an enormous gray, but maybe I could just see more of it at a time than I did with 2261. -Marianne Parry
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15:00 - Per neighbor/ friend at least 2 gray whales possibly a 3rd feeding at Saratoga Beach (east side of Holmes Harbor) south end of Harbor View Dr. Area. -Marilyn Armbruster

February 25
HUMPBACK WHALES - Thu, Feb 25 - Discovery Bay - I just recently received these images of one of the humpbacks that were in Discovery Bay in December and January. The images were taken by Maria Melito and are screen grabs from her video. -Betsy Carlson, Community (Citizen) Science Coordinator, Port Townsend Marine Science Center
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GRAY WHALES - Thu, Feb 25 - Northern Saratoga Passage - 17:00 - Milling back and forth out from and near green channel marker north of Baby Island and out same distance from end of dock. These [photos] would be the right side of both.
16:45 - 2 grays pretty far out from Baby Island dock. Milling around. Looooooooooong downtimes.
14:48 - Marilyn Armbruster texted: From Hidden Beach she was observing two grays traveling together again. From there they were in a difficult area to view, between Hidden Beach and Greenbank Farm, possibly out from Surf Paradise Drive at the time, close to Whidbey. -Marilyn Armbruster
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11:55 - [gray] Been feeding in front of my place, two miles north of and headed to Hidden Beach. Aaron Gill
[CRC53 Little Patch (little white patch would be just below waterline)] -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network]
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12:58 - [gray] One out by Hidden Beach right now. -Nancy Culp Zaretzke
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12:47 - Wow! FOUR spyhops off Hidden Beach! Pretty sure we have #53 here [confirmed], Little Patch. Now just hanging out Whidbey side of mid channel feeding.
10:50 - Blows and flukes seen to west of Polnell Point so confident there are two whales there although they may not be close together.
10:30 - Grey whale blow and flukes (there may be two) seen mid channel in upper Saratoga Passage from Hidden Beach. ----More in hope than expectation we headed for Hidden Beach, Whidbey, this morning in anticipation of seeing gray whales - or at least a gray whale. Within five minutes of our arrival, we were amply rewarded by spotting two blows and disappearing flukes in upper Saratoga Passage, north of Hidden Beach, but with visibility decreasing could not determine any direction of travel. An hour later we were privileged to witness a rare sight when regularly returning Sounder #53, Little Patch, spy-hopped not once but FOUR times off Hidden Beach. He was in no hurry to go anywhere and, after taking a cautious look around, remained mid-channel closer to the Whidbey side feeding in the same spot until we left. Although we had also seen a blow from another gray whale a bit further south nearer Whidbey, this whale proved elusive and did not appear again. But what a fantastic start to gray whale season and the arrival of the Sounders. (photos Richard Snowberger/Sandra Pollard) -Sandra Pollard
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We had a visitor to our neighborhood cove (Polnell Point) this morning (2/25/21)! It wasn't close enough to get any decent identification shots, but it seems to be zig-zagging through the area feeding. -Greg & Terra Parham, Oak Harbor

February 24
GRAY WHALES - Wed, Feb 24 - Saratoga Passage - 13:14 - [gray] Another whale, or could be same, heading south about 2 miles north of Hidden Beach, closer to the would-be side but further out in the channel than before. -Aaron Gill
[From Aaron's photo: "That is gray whale 723 Lucyfer! This is first we've seen/hear of his arrival!" -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network]
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11:11 - [gray] We are at Hidden Beach, and we have seen 5-6 spouts in quick succession at the mouth of Holmes Harbor. Ryan Horner
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16:02 - Have turned about northwest towards Hidden Beach but still out mid channel...pretty much milling around out there.
15:53 - More mid channel kind of heading towards Baby Island. Little Patch is in front and ? [723 "Lucyfer"] right behind him.
15:27 - Viewing high bank Baby Island, 2 grays blowing towards Hidden Beach out a bit from shore. Blows not too far from each other. Will wait for new blows so I can tell which way they are headed. Appears to be sb?
12:30 - He has now crossed over to Camano side….possibly midchannel.. Line of sight: Hidden Beach parking lot and Indian Beach. Nb.
12:00 - He's NB between Hidden Beach parking lot and Cama Beach State Park cabins. Whidbey side of mid channel.
10:35 - Gray is moving a little further out, trending south but kind of aimed at Holmes Harbor.
10:30 - The gray whale is milling back and forth out from the Hidden Beach community homes. Out at least 300 yards or so. -Marilyn Armbruster
["Marilyn Armbruster shared image of 53 Little Patch who was the whale closer to Hidden Beach earlier, while 723 Lucyfer was the 2nd whale more mid channel." -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network]
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10:13 - Another blow a little southeast from before.
10:00 - Blow half mile or so east of Hidden Beach.
09:57 - The whale is staying down for a considerable amount of time, appears to be heading towards Langley but it's hard to tell.
09:23 - Sorry for the delay; the last post didn't send till later but he is at Hidden Beach now, very close to shore.
09:19 - Gray whale heading south towards hidden Beach about a mile north now. -Aaron Gill

February 23
GRAY WHALES - Tue, Feb 23 - Saratoga Passage - 18:04 - 3rd photo taken at 6:04 pm as s/he was heading towards Holmes Harbor with Fox Spit in the background. (seen 3 times with long 5-10 min downtimes.)
17:54 - Second photo taken at 5:54pm mid channel triangle (Baby Island/Hidden Beach/Camano State Park) with Mabana Shores way back in the background.
17:47 - First photo taken at 5:47 pm between Cama Beach and Camano State Park, Whidbey Side. -Marilyn Armbruster
[From Marilyn's photos: probable CRC53. -alb]

February 22
BIGG'S/TRANSIENT ORCAS - Mon, Feb 22 - Haro Strait (T123s) - 11:15 - T123s heading north off County Park. -Monika Wieland Shields, Orca Behavior Institute
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10:33 - Currently viewing orca off Landbank, 10:33am. At least one male. -Olivia Esqueda

February 21
GRAY WHALES - Sun, Feb 21 - Northern Saratoga Passage - 17:00 - I spotted a gray mid-channel-ish, maybe a little closer to Whidbey than Camano, straight out from Mariners Cove at 5pm today (2/21/21). It was heading south, possibly toward Polnell, and I think it was just one whale. -Marianne Parry
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15:34 - 2 grays (assuming 53 and 56) hanging out again off Mariners Cove, Whidbey. -Tyler McKeen

February 20
SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS - Sat, Feb 20 - Haro Strait - 16:30 - J Pod calls - Lime Kiln Hydrophone, 2/20/21, 4:30 PM - Hey! I am hearing faint J pod calls on the Lime Kiln Hydrophone right now! I'm not seeing anything on The Whale Museum's LK webcam, but I'll shoot you guys an email if that changes! Stay safe! -Katie McDermott
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08:52-11:03 - Center for Whale Research Encounter #9: "… Mike 1 continued to slog its way west, tracking the animals as they made their way towards distant flatter water in the lee of Parry Bay between Albert Head and William Head. The next pair of whales that Mark and Joe spotted simultaneously was L86 and her new calf, L125! They were racing quickly westward, and L125 appeared to have no trouble keeping up with his/her porpoising mother. The pair joined up with L55, L90, and several members of the L47 matriline just as L72 and L105 also arrived. By this point, both Mark and Joe were fairly confident that only the sub-group of L's that they and Dave had encountered with the J's and K's two days prior (see Encounter #08) were present. Sure enough, reports of J's and K's heading south in San Juan Channel a few minutes later confirmed their suspicion. …" [See CWR Encounter #9 https://www.whaleresearch.com/2021-9 for full summary and more photos]
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16:12 - Faint vocals on the LK hydrophone. (…two different groups of whales, two different sides of the island! They keep us guessing!)
7:00 - Faint calls on all hydro, sounds like maybe Ls. -Monika Wieland Shields, Orca Behavior Institute
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Sat, Feb 20 - San Juan Channel (Js and K13s)
photo - "J58 "Crescent" popping up beside mom, J41 "Eclipse"."
photo - "Js and the K13s heading out of Cattle Pass."
photo - "J38 "Cookie" spyhopping." -Sara Hysong-Shimazu
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Happy World Whale Day to my fellow Dorcas. We were so fortunate to have a visit from J pod and part of K pod yesterday. There is always magic in seeing these orcas, and for that moment in time, nothing else matters. They have a beautiful way of bringing people together, and so much of the joy in being with them includes spending time with friends - both human and canine. -Cindy Hansen, Orca Network
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14:43 - Maybe 30-40 minutes ago…last I had eyes on them from Grandmas Cove, they were several miles off shore, continuing WNW slow and steady travel, headed back out the Strait of Juan de Fuca. -Brittany Philbin
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12:19 - Js and K13s exiting Cattle Pass heading west. -Cassie Barclay
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12:09 - Cattle Pass, 2 males + 2 or 3 females trucking fast going south.
12:07 - [orcas] Coming around the corner within sight from Cattle Point Park. -Karin Roemers-Kleven
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11:18 - [orcas] Breaching in Griffin Bay.
10:32 - continuing towards Turn Rock. -Fred Horn
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16:09 - …all of Js and K13s.
09:50 - Leaders approaching Friday Harbor ----After documenting nearly a hundred orca sightings in the Salish Sea so far this year seen by others, to say we were thrilled to finally see some dorsal fins ourselves is an understatement! Fittingly, our first encounter of the year was with Southern Residents as J-Pod and the K13s made their way down San Juan Channel this morning. Here's K20 Spock, who we objectively claim is just a beautiful whale. -Monika Wieland Shields, Orca Behavior Institute
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09:24 - [orcas] Hello, sighted two whales headed southeast through the San Juan Channel from the Reuben Tarte County Park beach on the north end of San Juan Island. -Srirama Josyula
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09:29 - They are really spread out.
09:17 - Orcas off of Mineral Point heading south. One large male and one female. More following about a mile behind. -Dan Shelley
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GRAY WHALES - Sat, Feb 20 - Northern Saratoga Passage - 10:30 - Gray whale east of Polnell Point traveling east along Whidbey shore. -Rachel Haight
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16:55 - Just spotted puffs way over by Camano, south of Utsalady. It appears to be heading south. Busy whale!
13:30 - The gray that's been cruising around today popped by the Happy Meal Mudflats for a bite at around 1:30pm, coming from the south. It looked like it was going to continue up past Mariners Cove but it turned around right about when it reached our place and slowly worked its way back through the snack bar heading toward Polnell.
11:40 - Wow, the whale(s) is active today! I'm seeing spouting in the direct line between Mariners Cove and what I believe is Maple Grove Beach (south of Utsalady), fairly far out in the channel but close to Whidbey. I've been watching it on and off for prob 20-30 minutes now and still can't quite tell if it's going anywhere in particular. It might be slowly meandering south/southwest down Saratoga, but might also be cruising slowly toward the Polnell area. Go Grays!
07:30 - I was lucky enough to catch sight of a gray heading past my place at 7:30am, so I grabbed my camera and ran outside. It appeared to be feeding at the mudflats, but the tide is pretty high so not a ton of splashing and waving of fins, unlike our summer buddy (2261) from last year. By 7:45, it was moving past the mudflats toward Polnell. -Marianne Parry
[Video sent to Orca Network by Marianne Parry and reviewed by Alisa Lemire Brooks confirms NPS gray #56, which then tells us he and 53 were both up in northern Saratoga area again yesterday.]
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07:32 - Grey Whale just south of Mariners Cove. -Doug Foster
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We had an early Spring visitor this morning near Polnell Point, in Oak Harbor. -Greg & Terra Parham, Oak Harbor, WA
[The early morning gray is confirmed CRC53 Little Patch per photos sent to us by Greg Parham. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network]

February 19
SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS - Fri, Feb 19 - Strait of Georgia - Late in the afternoon on February 19th, Southern Resident killer whales were seen heading down the Strait of Georgia from the shores of Gabriola Island, B.C. Mark received a message from Jane Cogan at 0610 the following morning that she heard faint SRKW calls on her private hydrophone. [See CWR Encounter #9 of Feb 20th encounter] https://www.whaleresearch.com/2021-9 -Center for Whale Research
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GRAY WHALES - Fri, Feb 19 - Northern Saratoga Passage - 16:45 - 2 grays near Polnell Pt., a little south and west of there. I'm viewing from high above Long Point but too far for ids...they are traveling towards Crescent Harbor. Very low tide right now. -Marilyn Armbruster
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11:54 - Haven't seen him in about 20 mins. He seemed to be heading north in Skagit Bay at last sight.
11:20 - [gray] Spotted from Mariners Cove County Park. Milling around for at least the past 45 mins. He was really far out there. Barely visible to the naked eye. -Victoria Greene
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12:30 - A Gray appeared right by the old "Happy Meal Mudflats" just south of Mariners Cove at about 12:30 (2/19/21), moving south. It must have snuck past right under my nose but at least I caught the tail end (get it - hahah) of its visit. I think it was feeding because it was progressing pretty slowly and I saw a fin here and there, but it was fairly far away so tough to tell. It did not appear to curve in toward Polnell, but I'm not positive. I watched in binoculars once it was out of range of my camera, and one thing I noticed is that it did a huge back-arch move - way higher out of the water and arched than our buddy from last year - so maybe that's something distinctive to help ID.
09:05 - Looks like a gray is out in the channel between Mariners Cove and Utsalady, heading north. What a thrill to see a gray this early in the year! -Also, my neighbor reported hearing a gray at Mariners Cove around 5:30am today. Marianne Parry
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Fri, Feb 19 - Northern Saratoga Passage - 11:00 - Victoria McKay called to report seeing a gray whale hanging out, north Whidbey. Not sure who, saw 4-5 blows then saw it's back. She is sitting at Mariners Cove County Park. Whale is heading in no particular direction, is just moving back and forth making directional changes. She's been there ~20 minutes and had only put eyes on him once. She'll stay a little while longer. Just now while on this call, she saw one more blow.
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09:05 - Just watched one of the grays for 20 minutes off Polnell Point! -Debbie Iddins

February 18
BIGG'S/TRANSIENT ORCAS - Thu, Feb 18 - Central Puget Sound (T87 and T124A2s) - 11:10 - Brian Allen just called. He is observing the group of 4 orcas (one male, and 3 female/young) off Jefferson Head at N end Port Madison; they came from west of Indianola, cruised the shoreline ~200 feet off, moving slowly. They are now just hanging off Jeff Head, just west of fishing pier. They've been there 10-15 minutes, and yes, he can confirm tip of males dorsal has the missing chunk and is laying to one side.
[Sounds good for T87 and T124A2s, and sounds like they have been out hunting and eating -alb]
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09:25 - Sue Larkin called. She observed the pod of at least 3 (including bull) pass by Fay Bainbridge about 45 minutes ago (~08:45). They were in travel mode, stalled for a bit then resumed travel, very close to Kitsap side. She watched as they moved by Port Madison and last saw them nearing Point Jefferson, appeared to still be heading north in main channel very close to shore, but cannot confirm they did not duck into north end of Port Madison. (Followup by Sue: After thinking about it... I didn't see the male orca. I will be reviewing my images shortly. He may have been ahead of the group as I watched for 45 minutes and didn't see him behind them.) (Followup #2: Looks like the big male was ahead of them and so I believe I have images of all 4 whales.) -Sue Larkin
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08:35 - Danielle Cole called to report seeing 2 orcas, one large one medium, between them, about 1 mile south of Fay Bainbridge and Shilshole, heading northbound toward Fay B.
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08:31 - Group of orca northbound, about at Port Madison now. Watched them from just north of Elliott Bay. Maybe six? One really large dorsal. A little east of mid-channel. -Susie Cunningham Bavo
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ORCA UNID'D - Thu, Feb 18 - Strait of Juan de Fuca - [orcas] Beachey Head, East Sooke; 4 orcas 250 from shore, traveling north. -Morgan Reid

February 17
SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS - Wed, Feb 17 - B.C. Gulf Islands - Passage of all resident pods to Active Pass on Wednesday. -Yves Tiberghien
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10:38-13:35 - Center for Whale Research Encounter #8 (sequence #2): " … All of the animals were moving quickly and whether they chose to go north or east from Turn Point, they would soon be nearing Canadian shores. The first animals to reach Swanson Channel were J38 and J22 and Mark and Joe began their encounter sequence at 1018 at 48 39.9/123 15.6. They were steaming north at a good pace, along with J39 and a couple of the K13s, K20 and K44. More animals were spread east toward the Pender Bluffs, so Mark and Joe picked their way carefully that way. A large group quickly arrived from the south, slightly offshore, so the Mike 1 crew zigged that way. This group turned out to be a mix of Js and most of the L55s! The five L55s that were most recently encountered by researchers in January in Johnstone Strait - and later that week seen from shore heading southwest from Hannah Heights, San Juan Island - have apparently rejoined the rest of the 18 Ls (and L87) that they are more often associated with. …" [See CWR Encounter #8 for full summary of sequence #1 (included in previous Orca Network Sighting Report) and #2, https://www.whaleresearch.com/2021-8 along with photos]
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Wed, Feb 17 - Haro Strait (J Pod, the K12s, K13s, and L4 sub group) - ~12:45 - Ken Balcomb reports J, K, and L pods went up Haro Strait this morning and are now in Swanson Channel. He says 30-year-old L86 Surprise! has a new calf. The Center for Whale Research is monitoring and documenting them on both sides of the border. We'll see if they split up, continue north through Active Pass into Georgia Strait, or come down Rosario Strait, or back down Haro Strait. It's interesting that all three pods got together at the time of this birth, as happened September 5, 2020, when J35 Tahlequah gave birth to J57, and K and L pods came in from the Pacific to join J pod. Howard Garrett, Orca Network
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10:14-11:13 - Center for Whale Research Encounter #8 (sequence #1): "… We finally saw our first whales right after Mark, who had better sighting lighting from his angle, told us they were just ahead of us. The encounter started at 1014 about a half mile south of Tiptop Hill on Stuart Island. We saw several peripheral singles and pairs and a larger group inshore. K34 was the first whale we got a good look at and he was traveling with a sprouter who turned out to be L109. We moved in toward the large which was getting larger as some of the peripheral whales joined it. This large group consisted of the bulk of J pod along with all of the L4s and L87. J27 and L87 were part of the group furthest from the boat and those two were taking long dives and not surfacing as much as the others. The J16s were the closest whales and they were doing a good job of running photographic screen for the animals on the other side of them. Due to some back lighting along a dark shoreline and the J16s constantly coming up perfectly in the way of everyone else, it was hard to get an idea of who all exactly was in the group. Oh, and did we mention that we had choppy seas and a boat with a deck covered in ice? We were seeing young calves but it was hard to tell who the mothers were as saddles disappeared behind swells. We were convinced that both J57 and J58 were present but-who was that other calf? We finally got a decent look at it and its mother and it was definitely a new calf coming up next to L86. …" [See CWR Encounter #8 (sequence #1) for full summary and more photos.] https://www.whaleresearch.com/2021-8
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09:20 - I'm hearing J pod calls [on Orcasound hydrophone]. -Brittany Philbin
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~09:16 - Heard faint S1 [on Orcasound hydrophone]. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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09:04 - Echolocation and calls again, 9:04, more clear now. Still not consistent. -Meg Sellers
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08:48 - [orcas] Whales off Mitchell Bay. No direction noted yet. -James Mead Maya
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08:28 - Clicks and calls on the Orcasound hydrophone, 8:28, not sure of ecotype yet. (Thanks to Rachelle Hayden who saw them go through Active Pass in the afternoon we know that J-Pod, the K12s, K13s, and L4 sub group were all present.) -Monika Wieland Shields, Orca Behavior Institute
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08:27 - At least two more trailing the others.
08:19 - Group of orcas now in Haro Strait between Mitchell Bay and Darcy island. Group of 3-4 minimum. -Peter Van Deventer
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BIGG'S/TRANSIENT ORCAS - Wed, Feb 17 - North Puget Sound (T87 and T124A2) 17:36 - [orcas] Heading west out of Elliott Bay. South of Bainbridge ferry lanes. -Jason Lee Bell
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17:05 - John Miller, WSF Marine Ops, emailed at 17:14 - Orca Sighting Off Duwamish Head. 1705hrs: Vessel reports via 800MHz four orca near Duwamish Head traveling South Southwest. Noted. WRAS & email reports submitted.
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17:40 - Now off Alki Point, SB, east in channel, 5:40.
16:54 - T87 amongst birds and oil slick of prey 4:54.
16:38 - On a kill currently in front of grain silos 4:38. -Kersti Muul
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16:32 - [orcas] Viewing from between Salty's and Marination...from this angle, they are left of the grain silos, in front of the large tan warehouse (C-175). -Catie Wire
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16:08 - [orcas] They are in Elliot Bay. In front of the large gray silos. -Paul Steyn Benade
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16:06 - [orcas] FOUND EM. Just north of BI ferry as it enters Elliott Bay! Heading south. Seattle side... We saw 3 so far... Directly west of the Great Wheel. Now trending north 5 min later...Kimberly Sylvester
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16:05 - Still in Elliot Bay, looking from between Don Armeni and Duwamish Head towards grain silos. Loitering, at the moment. -James Tilley
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15:35 - [orcas] Spotted inside Elliot Bay, just in front of the Space Needle. -Rob Mohr
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15:03 - [orcas] Saw them right by the black barge from Alki Beach 55th. -Fei Cheng
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~15:00 - I saw three Orcas off of Discovery Park beach heading south at approx. 3 pm today, 2-17-21. They were spouting and had the unmistakable radically vertical and straight tall dorsal fins. I've seen many Orcas, in the San Juans, as well as sailing the Pacific. Beautiful seeing them. A half dozen others on the beach also saw them, and a person in a small open motor boat slowly followed their progress at a distance. They seemed nearly in the middle of the sound, but were probably closer in than that, given they were distinctly visible. I watched them for a half hour or more as they leisurely headed south. -James Thomas
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17:53 - Close pass at Emma Schmitz.
15:13 - Still north of Bainbridge ferry lane, dock. Research boat is on them SW of West Point Lighthouse.
14:51 - Now moving SW out of bay, research boat trailing.
14:44 - Directly south of West Point Lighthouse, moving east into Elliott Bay, research boat trails. Viewing from West Seattle, 55th and Manning.
14:25 - [orcas] See research boat and blows from 55th and Manning, West Seattle, north of Bainbridge ferry lane, west of lighthouse. -Mary Hartmann
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14:40 - Now moving south
14:36 - They're still there.
14:27 - [orcas] Looking from Bainbridge Island, they are below Magnolia Bluff. It looks like they made a kill, lots of activity stalled there for the last 15 minutes, research boat is right with them. -Jim Pasola
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13:50 - A research boat is with them. West side of channel. Are either past Golden Gardens, or at the very southern end. 1:50. 4-5 of them. At least one large male. Seem to generally be moving south. -Emily Peterson
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13:51 - Orcas in sound in front of Shilshole Marina. -Melissa Jones
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12:16 - I'm watching a mall Orca pod at Boeing Creek [Shoreline] moving SW. First time I've seen them so close! -Scott Lang
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~12:00 - [orcas] We saw them off Carkeek around noon! So exciting! -Caitlin Robinson Nilsen
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11:39 - Orcas passing Richmond Beach, headed southbound mid-channel. Appears to be at least four, traveling in two pairs. Possibly at least one juvenile but hard to tell from this distance. -Anastasia Nicolov
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13:30 - Ts are directly out from Shilshole Marina, making directional changes this side of the channel. Research skiff (Sears) is on scene.
12:55 - Pod surfaced after 5 min. dive at 11:50 further offshore... still southbound on another at least 5 min. dive appear bound for Meadow Point, Golden Gardens.
12:45 - Resumed southbound but lazily and moving in closer to beach at Carkeek, lots of happy youngsters and young at hearts!
12:25 - They've stalled out north end of Carkeek. Circling, Maybe hunting or affected by BNSF railway pile driving going on. Ugh! Tried to call will try elsewhere.
11:50 - T87 plus (presume T124A2s) off south end of Richmond Beach in Shoreline, slowly steady southbound toward out from Carkeek, grouped up in still calm sea.
11:20 - Directly out from Kayu Kayu Ac Park, Richmond Beach, slow southbound. Richmond Beach side. T87 present. Tail lobs. Super beautiful!! Some directional changes, T87 north, others south. Long dive. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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11:00 - Just came over radio. Orcas just south of Edmonds Richmond beach. Point Wells. Northbound. -Anthony Adams (PSWS)
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09:25: About 10 minutes ago, I saw a single, big black dorsal fin go under water about a mile north of the Edmonds ferry terminal. Not far from Edmonds shore. I think an orca? I've never seen one from our home before so a bit hard to believe. I thought heading south due to curve of fin. I just saw it briefly as the fin was disappearing under water, but it was quite exciting and notable. -Katrina Vickerman
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08:25 - [orcas] Saw them this morning traveling south very near Haines Wharf Edmonds 8:25 am. -June Mansfield
*
GRAY WHALES - Wed, Feb 17 - Saratoga Passage - 11:59 - [gray] I have been tracking one seems bigger than a Little Patch, moving pretty fast, currently a couple miles north of Cama Beach. (Watching from Whidbey side. I'm pretty sure I saw just one but it was moving fast and not on the surface often.) -Aaron Gill
*
11:30 - Solo grey whale headed north in the Saratoga Passage now. -Marie Gill
*
~10:20 - A gray here just north of Hidden Beach. Been out here for a couple of hours now. -Nancy Culp Zaretzke
*
11:30 - Gray out about mid channel, northend Sandy Point. Southbound.
11:10 - Viewing from Sandy Point, seen blow north of Langley 1/4 mid channel out. I think is moving SB?
10:15 - Looks like a possible gray between Bells Beach and Langley. I'm in Langley now. -Marilyn Armbruster
[#56 ID'd from Marilyn's photo by Alisa Lemire Brooks and Erin Gless]

February 16
BIGG'S/TRANSIENT ORCAS - Tue, Feb 16 - North Puget Sound (T87 and T124A2s) - 17:33 - We just saw three orcas (an adult and two littles) traveling south in Saratoga Passage between SW Camano and Langley. Absolutely stunning! -Karin Aebersold
*
15:00 - Now back towards Fox Spit, approx. mid channel between Camano and Whidbey. Possibly slowly heading back south?
14:25 - [orcas] Spotted from Camano Island State Park, mid channel, north of Whidbey. Still kind of milling around. -Michelle Holshue
*
~14:25 - [orcas] One surfacing at about 2:25 off Hidden Beach. Meaning I only saw them surface once, mid channel but closer to Camano. -Bonnie Gretz
*
10.38 - Orcas are heading north in Saratoga Passage after stopping to feed, judging by bird activity. ----February 16: They're back! T87 and the T124A2s slipped past Sandy Point mid-morning after pausing for a snack, attracting the interest of gulls and a pair of watching eagles, before entering Saratoga Passage and continuing north past Langley and beyond. (photos Richard Snowberger/Sandra Pollard). -Sandra Pollard
*
10:11 - They are circling and feeding? Off Sandy Point. Still there. Lots of spyhopping and seagulls are feeding on the leftovers. A couple bald eagles flew out to see what was going on! There looks to be a small 1 or 2 with them and one of the big ones has a very tall straight fin that flops over to one side a little at the tip. (I watched them for at least an hour from Sandy Point. Lots of spy hopping and tails.)
10:00 - Orcas off Sandy Point near Langley. -Melanie Sceva Hill
*
13:30 - Have passed Fox Spit about a mile out and traveling northwesterly but more north, middish channel between Fox Spit, Camano State Park, Baby Island, and Hidden Beach triangle.
12:53 - Out from Fox Spit point closer to Whidbey side now 1/4 channel out, and on a kill.
12:20 - Viewing from Fox Spit area, line of sight south of Mabana Shores, Camano side of mid channel appearing to be milling. Conditions a little choppy and windy this part of the passage.
11:00 - They are about straight out from the pizzeria [Langley], but now on Camano side of mid channel. [Still northbound]
10:00 am - viewing high bank Sandy Point very close to shore NB into Saratoga Passage..now milling back and forth at point on kill 10:08. photos/videos https://youtu.be/edMU1R00C14 https://youtu.be/VJmWRHQefDE -Marilyn Armbruster
*
08:41 - I'm on Brighton Beach in Clinton and we just had a pod of orcas go by headed towards Langley. [Closer to] Whidbey at first then moved out mid channel...we did see a large male. -Riley Sullivan
*
08:03 - 500 yards from dock - Clinton. -Renee Stacie
*
BIGG'S/TRANSIENT ORCAS - Mon, Feb 15 - Central Puget Sound (T87 and T124A2s) 17:24 - [orcas] Midway between Vashon and Blake Island heading north. Viewing from north end of Lincoln Park. West side of channel. -James Tilley
*
16:21 - Spotted them... they are right in front of my house, east of shipping lanes, heading northbound. Traveling quite slowly. (viewing from north of Seahurst Park and south of West Seattle) [map indicates near Salmon Creek Ravine]. -Shari Tarantino
*
16:15 - [orcas] They are a little ways from Dilworth towers, west in channel now. -Kersti Muul
*
15:26 - They are north of Three Tree Point now.
15:12 - They passed north of Normandy Park off of 3 Tree Point, mid channel. Closer to east side of channel.
14:55 - [orcas] They appeared to be heading west towards Point Robinson. Viewing from Normandy Park Cove. -Roxane Jackson Johnson
*
14:07 - [orcas] Spotted east of Pt. Robinson Lighthouse. East side of channel. Headed north towards Des Moines Marina. -Curt Kanemasu
*
13:55 - [orcas] Passed in front of Woodmont. Should be at Point Robinson heading north. -Mitzi Gligorea
*
13:48 - They are about three hundred yards off of Woodmont Beach heading north. -Brian Snure
*
13:24 - Spotted south of Redondo, mid channel heading north. Tightly grouped. About a mile south of the pier. -Nina Brown
*
13:15 - [orcas] They just passed Dumas Bay sanctuary heading towards Redondo. -Gina Coheley
*
Dash Point, Tacoma ... Mama and baby! -Mike Castagna
*
12:26 - [orcas] Watching from Dash Point, maybe 500 yards from shore. Appear to be heading north now. -Rowena Mills
*
12:44 - Losing sight from Dash Point Pier. Enjoyed their kill and now moved northward midchannel. 12:44pm.
12:25 - Definitely got a kill. Lots of splashing and tail slapping. They do seem to be moving more midchannel at the moment. 12:25pm.
12:15 - [orcas] Viewing directly in front of Dash Point. 12:15pm. They are milling directly in front of the pier. -Candace Gavin
*
12:39 - In front of Dash Point State Park. Appear to be heading north.
12:12 - They're at Dash Point pier now. Looks like they're feeding. -Crystal Lampman
*
~12:00 - Taken from our deck in Dash Point a little after noon. -Janet Staats Hominda
*
14:14 - Viewing from Des Moines Marina. Grouped up. Steady NB, a few hundred yards off shore.
13:34 - Viewing from Redondo Beach. Orcas visible with the naked eye. East of mid-channel, NB. Confirmed T87 with the T124A2s.
11:45 - [orcas] Viewed from Browns Point, NB travel with some milling behavior. At that time, they were east of mid-channel. -Brittany Philbin
*
10:58 - They headed up the channel in between Browns Point and Vashon, couldn't see them with binoculars from Ruston Way anymore as of 10:58. But I believe there was two adults and two juveniles! Very active and enjoying some lunch. (added: mid channel, heading towards the Browns Point side on my last sighting. But for the whole hour I was watching, they weren't keeping a consistent direction). -Erin McCoy
*
~10:30 - Orcas playing off of Ruston Way heading south. Sighted between 46th and Lobster shop. Monday 2/15/21 approximately 10:30 a.m. -Sheryl Hall
*
10:12 - 3 or more Orcas just passed Point Ruston, close to shore, headed south along Ruston Way waterfront. -Ed Rickert

February 15
GRAY WHALES - Mon, Feb 15 - Saratoga Passage - 13:13 - Sara Schmidt called back, she did see bright white little patch on left flank
[sound probable for CRC53 - alb].
13:10 - Sara Schmidt by Snakelum Point, Whidbey, milling back and forth between the point and green channel buoy. Possibly two blows at once but not confirmed.

February 14
BIGG'S/TRANSIENT ORCAS - Sun, Feb 14 - Central Puget Sound (T87 and T124A2s) - 17:39 - Orcas in W Seattle, near Seattle side of channel. Maybe 3, one huge dorsal. -Paul Steyn Benade
*
17:27 - A few orcas just swam past Alki going south about 20 minutes ago. -Laura Clark
*
17:11 - [orcas] Off of Alki now... north of lighthouse - watching from shore. -Jason Mihok
*
~17:00-17:20 - My partner and I saw orcas from our living room around 5 pm and walked to Alki just past the boat house. Saw 3-4 and they were moving pretty quick, rounded Alki Point at 5:20. SO COOL! -Katie Melton
*
~17:00 - Alki Beach Waterfront February 14, 2021 around 5pm local time. Believe there was 4 orcas. One was massive, and there also seemed to be a younger (1-2yr old) possibly J-Pod. -Kelly Alonzo
[T87 and T124A2s per photos by Kersti Muul. -gs].
*
16:29 - I can confirm these are orcas -- we have sight of them on our camera at the Seattle waterfront. They are moving SB and will likely be headed to Alki.
16:20 - Report of 6-8 orcas near the Seattle waterfront/Edgewater Inn. Guy who lives above the Edgewater estimates them to be 500' off shore and breaching with lots of surface activity. -Durand Dace
*
16:10 - Maija Holston, WSF Marine Ops, emailed at 16:24: Orca whales, today, 1610, Elliott Bay, ½ mile off the Edgewater, 3-4 orca. No direction.
*
15:15 - T87 present traveling with T124A2 et al. T87 thought to be the oldest male on the west coast. At Anchor Park they were at their closest to shore. Probably 50-75 yards. They came in off Magnolia bluffs at 3:15 yesterday, went into Elliot Bay along grain silos, then cut over to west Seattle. Cruised south along west Seattle at dusk. at Alki point, attempted a predation on an adult male California sea lion, and failed. Moved further south and east in channel. Tightly group and breathing in the grey mist they passed Me Kwa Mooks and then stalled out on another predation attempt that was successful in near dark. -Kersti Muul
*
GRAY WHALES - Sun, Feb 14 - Northern Saratoga Passage - 17:30 - Well, this is quite the crazy year, so why not grays in Feb?! I know Little Patch [CRC53] has been hanging out down south, so I'm guessing that's who joined us for Happy Hour close to the beach up here at Mariners Cove. It lingered for several minutes with the typical puffs and swirls, but was slowly moving south and as it got dark and we lost sight of it. So cool! -Marianne Parry
*
13:35 - Little Patch (#53) heading northbound mid-channel Saratoga Passage, slightly closer to Whidbey, approaching Harrington Lagoon area. Possibly 2 whales but can't yet confirm two. 1:35 pm. -Jill Hein

February 13


February 12
BIGG'S/TRANSIENT ORCAS - Fri, Feb 12 - Dungeness Bay - 17:32 - [orcas] We just saw 4-5, two seem to be juveniles, in Dungeness Bay. They looked to be feeding about 200-300 yards right off the Lighthouse Keepers quarters. Circled around and spy hopped for about 20 minutes before moving on. -Dale
*
11:41 - Looks to be a pod of transients with a young calf in between Cape George colony and Protection Island right now, watching them from the road/beach. They looked like they were playing/socializing before a boat approached and they seem to have moved off, could possibly be heading towards North Beach area in Port Townsend, but I'm not exactly sure of which direction they're headed. I watched for about 10 mins. According to my mom who spotted them on her walk and then called me to come out, they were there for 5-10 mins. before I arrived. There were a few breaches and they seemed to be lingering in that one spot before the boat approached heading straight towards them. Couple of spy hops when the boat was approaching but shortly after it arrived, they went under and slowed their surface activity. Looked like 1 adult male, possible juvenile male, and several females/younger whales and possibly a young calf, but I can't be sure as I was observing from land with binoculars. -Mary-Ashley Meideros

February 11
BIGG'S/TRANSIENT ORCAS - Thu, Feb 11 - Saratoga Passage (T87 and T124A2s) - 14:20 - I moved to higher ground and finally saw them on the kill over at Elger Bay. Thanks Serena. Viewing high bank Fox Spit. -Marilyn Armbruster
*
16:04 - They're near Elger Bay now.
15:50 - They're passing Lowell Point now. Still on Camano side of Saratoga Passage.
15:20 - [orcas] Heading south off Cama Beach. -Serena Tierra
*
14:40 - Still southbound, past Onomac (from my line of sight which is SE from Whidbey) at 2:40 pm.
14:28 - [orcas] Just caught a brief glimpse of these whales, heading south along Camano Shoreline, south of Rockaway Beach. 2:28 pm. Long down time it appears, difficult to track. -Jill Hein
*
09:55 - I glanced in the right place at the right moment and spotted a group of orcas just south of Utsalady, heading south pretty quickly (9:55am, 2/11/21). Pretty far away, but I'd say 4-6 of them, several smaller fins and one enormous straight-up-in-air fin. Yay whales!! -Marianne Parry

February 10
BIGG'S/TRANSIENT ORCAS - Wed, Feb 10 - Saratoga Passage (T87 and T124A2s) - 12:36 - Mid channel just south of Onamac feeding for past 30 minutes. Eyes on 1 no longer can see two others that were together before. Birds flapping overhead. -Marie Heil
*
16:00 - I don't know where they disappeared - we had eyes north and south, I checked all along northwest Camano shore and Penn Cove - nothing. They sure can be stealthy.
12:10 - Probably on a kill, milling around the north end of Cama Beach, non-directional at the moment - mid-channel to Camano side.
12:04 - [orcas] They appear to have turned south, almost back to Cama Beach SP - Camano side. -Jill Hein
*
10.59 - Looks like brunch in Elger Bay. Tail slaps. Milling. Birds flocking.
10:32 - Male and one other orca passing Fox Spit, steady northbound, mid channelish.----Not the clearest images of T87 and the T124A2s passing Fox Spit closer to the Camano side, but no matter. We saw whales... They paused in their travels by diverting to Elger Bay for brunch, evident by the slow circling, tail-slaps, splashes and birds hoping for scraps, before continuing north in Saratoga Passage in pursuit of the next adventure (photos Richard Snowberger). -Sandra Pollard
*
12:38 - Viewing from High Bank Hidden Beach, like Marie says they are on a kill south of Onamac and north of Indian Beach.
10:46 - Milling in Elger Bay area. On a kill.
10:18 - [orcas] Out from Bells Beach, nb. ----We even lost them for a bit when they were in the Elger Bay area. I left after seeing David from high bank Fox Spit and he pointing out they had passed Camano State Park and in line with Cama Beach. I headed to Hidden Beach. From the high bankside there, viewing between trees and brush, I could see them on a kill with bunch of birds taking advantage of scraps. my line of sight was from north Hidden Beach high bank to the southside of Onamac Point. because of limited sighting and feeling they were heading northbound, I headed to Shangri La, no viewpoints in between. I never did see them again either. When they were down, they were down for LOOONG downtimes! -Marilyn Armbruster
[Back of camera image sent by Marilyn Armbruster shows T87. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network]
*
~11:25 - Last I saw them was about 11:25 around Cama Beach area hugging coast!
11:16 - Just past Camano State Park going NB on Camano side.
10:50 - Still off Fox Spit.
10:09 - I'm at Fox Spit now and no sign of them yet.
09:20 - David Haeckel called to report the orcas are in Saratoga Passage heading northbound out from around Langley, on Whidbey side to mid channel. -David Haeckel photos - "Great treat seeing these T's today traveling up the Saratoga Passage. Amazing place we live!"
*
8:45 - North of Hat on Whidbey side. Two spyhops! (definitely northbound, likely to Sandy Point but maybe drifting more east to Camano, little hard to tell.) -Sean Nolan
*
07:44 - 3 orcas northbound passing Clinton ferry terminal. Saratoga Passage. -Anthony Adams (PSWS)
*
HUMPBACK WHALES - Wed, Feb 10 - Haro Strait - 11:27 - A few snowflakes and a small humpback! Is this our regular youngster? I was reviewing Lime Kiln DVR footage this evening and came across this. -Fred Horn
*
UNIDENTIFIED SPECIES - Wed, Feb 10 - Possession Sound - ~09:45 - my neighbor saw a puff between Clinton ferry and Hat heading towards Hat about the time the orcas were reported at Langley (9:45-ish). I'm guessing that may have been a gray. -Debbie Stewart

February 9
BIGG'S TRANSIENT ORCAS - Tue, Feb 9 - Central Puget Sound (T87 and T124A2s) - 17:29 - North end of Blake Island as seen from west end of Constellation Park, still heading north.
17:14 - Viewing from west end of Constellation, just at the south tip of Blake Island. 17:14. Still heading north. Up close to Blake Island side. -James Tilley
*
17:05 - [orcas] View from Beach Drive, they are just now approaching south end of Blake Island. -Mickiala Gonzales
*
16:36 - Blows at ferry dock, view from Colman pool.
16:17 - [orcas] See blows from Colman pool in west Seattle, south of ferry lane, Vashon side, nb. -Mary Hartmann
*
16:07 - Visible spouts west of mid channel south of Brace Point, quick NB travel. Viewing from Fauntleroy. -Pia VanHanen
*
15:54 - Still NB - passing Dilworth.
15:40 - [orcas] Very close to Vashon east shore - near three towers south of Dilworth. Lots of splashing, then long down time. -Cindy Eckes Waddington
*
15:31 - [orcas] Still a little south (of ferry lanes) but moving north (closer to Vashon). -Aaron Aegerter
*
15:49 - Just passing Dilworth, only seeing backlit blows.
15:06 - They seem to be west of mid-channel but with the heat haze it's hard to tell.
14:20 - From south side of Three Tree Point. I've got eyes on blows coming over the horizon, still well south of 3T. From previous photos looks like at least T087 is present. -Brittany Philbin
*
14:05 - [orcas] Passed Point Robinson, northbound, grouped up, mid channel, long down times.----I was actually thinking they might have slid past us unseen as this particular group seemed extremely good at being stealthy and quietly made one quick surface off the point before disappearing north. They were zigzagging across the channel trying to shake off a couple boats in pursuit and were very successful in evading and keeping a low profile. Pretty amazing! They didn't come in close, but got enough reach to see those fresh rake marks on T87s dorsal which was very cool to see. Always a pleasure to get to visit with the T's, they are fascinating! -Marla Smith
*
It was a great day down at the beach with a visit from T87-Harbeson, and the T124A2s that consist of T124A2-Elkuga, and her offspring T124A2a-Agafia and T124A2B. -Kelly Keenan
*
13:54 - [orcas] They are now off Point Robinson. (northbound). -Mitzi Gligorea
*
[T87 and T124A2s] They went all the way into the Port. (secondhand report: "We spotted them from one of the cranes, and as we came down this little guy came swimming right below us." -Craig Brix at Husky Pier 4, Port of Tacoma). -Melissa Bird
*
13:26 - Just saw 4 with 1 male off Redondo Beach. Heading northwest. -Dan Hyde
*
11:46 - Orca whales spotted at 11:46 am off Browns Point. (added: We saw 3. One was small all heading west). -Karla L Stuhley Huston
*
12:01 - I saw a brief glimpse from Commencement Bay headed north. [Viewing from] the pier in front of Northern Fish Market just before Ruston. -Stacey Crofoot
*
~12:00 - Passed Cliffhouse going west about noon. I saw three. -Dave Porter
*
11:30 - Orcas south of Browns point ... Sighting was at 11:30am and as best as we could tell they were heading north. -Jacob Cafferty
*
~11:00 - Such a good day!!!! Started out at an over look over Commencement Bay at around 11am Very active and hungry and on the hunt. Looked like they ate one or two Seals, waited a little bit then continued next to the shoreline down to Browns Point. I jumped in my car, saw them at the Lighthouse. The did a swim by real fast. I jumped back into the car and saw them one last time for about five minutes at the Dash point dock. Beautiful day, my body feels alive with excitement! -Desiree Sauve
*
12:42 - I thought they were heading towards Redondo but someone on our neighborhood group posted they turned around and are heading towards Browns Point again but I haven't seen them again yet.
12:10 - They are back in the same place I saw them before, heading north from Browns Point Lighthouse.
09:00-09:10 - [orcas] We watched them go between Dash Point and Browns Point from 9:00 am - 9:10am. (for sure 4 possibly 5, 1 was definitely a male). -Rowena Mills
*
GRAY WHALES - Tue, Feb 9 - Saratoga Passage - 10:05 - Gray out here at Hidden Beach about 15 minutes ago. Don't see him now, maybe headed south. Also, the feeding pits here from last week and week before are so numerous. They cover the beach! -Nancy Culp Zaretzke
*
08:40 - Today, Tues, Little Patch [presumed] is once again having breakfast off of Hidden Beach. -Michael Stilwell

February 8
BIGG'S TRANSIENT ORCAS - Mon, Feb 8 - Active Pass - We had special guests yesterday! Possibly T071's (unconfirmed) bucked a 3-knot ebb tide in Active Pass. -Rachelle Hayden (SSOS)
*
Mon, Feb 8 - Admiralty Inlet - 12:43 - Just two orcas one larger dorsal and a smaller now in front of Ebey's Landing ~one mile out.
12:26 - A "few" orcas 3-4 between Pt. Partridge and Ebey's Landing, out 1-2miles feeding or slowly heading south. -Al Lunemann

February 7
GRAY WHALES - Sun, Feb 7 - Possession Sound/Saratoga Passage - ~15:30 - I did see, "presumably", Little Patch, mid channel between Edgecliff Drive [Whidbey Island] and Camano Head. He was heading slowly north around 3:30pm. Did a couple blows to kick off the super bowl game! -Christy Grant
*
14:00 - Gray whale mid channel between Tulalip and Hat Island Marina, heading towards Camano head. -Lori Christopher
*
13:25 - Tyler Parker Reed observed gray whale 53 "Little Patch" feeding off Mabana, Camano at 13:25. (per CWW group)

February 6
UNIDENTIFIED ORCAS - Sat, Feb 6 - Strait of Georgia - 14:21 - Six orca heading south past Savary Island. (14:30 - update: There are 10+ orca heading south very slowly from Savary. …part of the same group we reported earlier. We could count 10 for sure. There could have been more, but they were spread out and they were far away.) -Patti and Mark Perepeluk

February 5
HUMPBACK WHALES - Fri, Feb 5 - Haro Strait - ~11:15 - He/She resurfaced in the same area around 11.15am. Magnificent!
~10:30 - We just saw a humpback whale in the Haro Strait between Smugglers Cove and Snug Harbor (SJI) at around 10.30am, heading towards Mosquito Bay/Hanbury Point. SO gorgeous! Amazing. Close enough to shore I could hear them breathing. -Ann Patnaude
*
GRAY WHALES - Fri, Feb 5 - Saratoga Passage - ~12:25 - Grey whale just surfaced in front of my house (1/2 mile south of Mabana Rd.) Heading rapidly south, not stopping to feed. Assume Little Patch. -Barbara Brock

February 4
Thu, Feb 4 - Boundary Pass - ~18:00 - Faint killer whale calls were autodetected at Orcasound Lab. David Bain confirmed the calls were from SRKWs. I have listened to the continuous recording and can add that S16 calls were audible, suggesting K pod presence. I'm not aware of other sightings or other acoustic detections around that time, so direction of travel is unclear. (added by Scott on 2/7: Yesterday during the SIMRES seatalk, Paul Cotrell's pre-recorded talk mentioned SRKWs heard in Boundary Pass and confirmed by "Dr. John Ford as J-pod"... I'm pretty sure Paul said "last Thursday" which would be 2/4/21, but he didn't imply a time of day.) -Scott Veirs, Orcasound
*
~12:00 - At least two members of J pod were positively identified near Saturna Island at around 12pm on the 4th. I think the locals estimated somewhere around 10 Individuals heading in a northerly direction. -Lucy Quayle
*
Js and Ks were seen in Boundary Pass and northern Haro on the 4th. -Monika Wieland Shields, Orca Behavior Institute
*
GRAY WHALES - Thu, Feb 4 - Saratoga Passage - Gray whale holes digging for sand shrimp Approx. 800 ft north of Hidden Beach, Feb 4, 2021. -Diane Billingsley
["These are great photos. We've been hearing about Little Patch feeding a lot at Hidden Beach, and here's the proof that somebody has been." -Howard Garrett, Orca Network]

February 3
GRAY WHALES - Wed, Feb 3 - Saratoga Passage - 14:08 - Gray hanging out Whidbey side, just south of Onamac. Looking from Camano, appears to be heading slightly southbound. -Marie Heil
*
14:47 - Seems to be headed back south moving faster.
14:09 - Still moving north. Has probably gone less than 2 miles.
12:53 - Just saw him heading mid channel Cama Beach heading north? -Aaron Gill
*
12:15 - Viewing from northend Hidden Beach Cove, Whidbey Island, line of sight Indian Beach, Camano Island. Little Patch Camano side of mid channel heading towards Camano, northeast bound.
11:50 - Closer in now. NB.
11:30 - Def Little Patch [NPS CRC53]...quite a few spyhops. He's milling back and forth out about 1/4 channel from Hidden Beach parking lot. photos - [fluke] "around 12:30 pm as Little Patch left Hidden Beach north cove heading over towards Camano Island, with Mt Baker in background" -Marilyn Armbruster
*
14:30 - There is a Gray whale across from Indian Beach on the Whidbey side. Just seems to be hanging out. -Jim Sheehan
*
~06:30-08:30 - I was at the parking lot by Hidden Beach from about 0630 until 0830. I could hear him right out in front of the parking lot close to shore while it was still dark. The whale worked his way northward the whole time feeding close to shore. He was still there when I left. The tide was quite high at the time. He was almost all the way to the point to the north when I left approximately 1 mile away. photo - "Little Patch coming up to get a bit of the rising sun on his face at Hidden Beach this morning." -Bob VonDrachek

February 2


February 1
BIGG'S TRANSIENT ORCAS - Mon, Feb 1 (T60D and T60E)
15:56 - They were still out there at 356. We were so happy to spot them! I wish I would have gotten images; it was pretty rainy and cold. There was definitely a big male. It almost looked like we could see a sea lion every so often.
15:32 - [orcas] They are northbound off Point No Point right now, 332. Closer to Kitsap. Look to be hunting. 1/2 SE of Point No Point. -Amanda Mandi Rogers
*
13:22-13:26 - Haro Strait - Moving quickly 1/2 mile out, southbound just south of Edwards Point/Landbank area. T060D and T060E were traveling tight under dark rainy skies. T060E shows an additional notch on his dorsal fin for a total of two. -Michelline Halliday, SJI
[T060E ID; Brittany Noelle, confirmed by Sara Hysong-Shimazu - T060D ID; M. Halliday with credit to Brittany for suggesting the T60s, confirmed by Sara Hysong-Shimazu.].