July 2017 Whale Sightings

Click here for Map of July 2017 whale sightings.

July 31
Bigg's/Transient killer whales - San Juans to Eastern Juan de Fuca - 4:26 p.m. - Canada LaPage reports she is On Island Adventures tour right now, orcas are in front of naval base (NAS Whidbey) heading south.
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2:45 p.m. - 7 or so Orcas just went through the Bellingham channel southbound between Guemes and Cypress Islands. We just moved to Guemes full time and I have been waiting for this day! Sooooo exciting! -Photo by Libby Hinds Boucher, July 31, 2017
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Another report from Lummi by Nickolaus Dee Lewis: Orcas were in Lummi at 2PM right in front of our house at Portage Point, in Hale Passage. -Photos by Leo Solomon, July 31, 2017
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12:20 p.m. - Pod of orcas (and tour boats) headed south down the west side of Lummi Island. -Tony Chor
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12:03 p.m. - Pod of orcas off W side of Lummi. -Michelle Bordeaux Chor
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We watched a group of seven @11:30 from Lummi Island. -Canda LePage
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8:02 a.m. - Orcas just went across the entrance to Echo Bay, Sucia island. Headed around to the north side. -Phyllis Macy Putnam
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July 31 - Admiralty Inlet - Orcas viewed at Ft Casey until 7:15. They split, with some pushing further west as they traveled north, while a group stayed close to shore along Ft Casey. Lots of people got wonderful looks and their lit up blows were breathtaking. Watched for an hour, at 7:15, the other group was further west and north of PT, while the closer group started to push NW. Haven't resighted from Ebeys Landing yet. Beautiful night! -Rachel Haight
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Yes! Pod of Bigg's passing off shore from Fort Casey, Whidbey Island. I was out there (Fort Casey) with my marine mammals class and it was just perfect. -Photo by Elizabeth Zwamborn, July 31, 2017
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We received a call from Greg Davis of Seacrest/Ledgewood beach area at 6:43 pm, reporting the orcas continuing to head out of Admiralty Inlet, closer to the Whidbey side (only about 1 mile out) between Whidbey and Port Townsend.
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6:25 p.m. - Saw them but a long way off, didn't bother with photos, but fun to see all their blows and distant dorsals...still northbound, the clipper is now passing them. Too far out to see from Fort Casey (I'm at Ledgewood). -Jill Hein
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4:54 p.m. - orcas northbound mid channel between south tip of Marrowstone and Whidbey. -Margaret Marshall
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Posted 4:56 p.m. - I just got back, first out to the bluff and then down to Bush pt. light where they went by a little closer, steadily northbond. -Howard Garrett, Orca Network
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2:39 p.m. - steady northbound mid channel spotted between Skunk Bay (Hansville) and north end of Double Bluff. Long dives 1:53 p.m. - Currently northbound between Point No Point and Double Bluff. -Martha Carlstead
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1:10 p.m. - Currently northbound now. Just south of Point No Point. -Renee Beitzel
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12:25 p.m. - Point No Point southbound. -Christopher Hanke
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11:18 a.m. - Orcas going south in front of Windmill Heights towards Hansville side. Lots of whale watching boats. -Dennis Allen
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11:00 a.m. - They have crossed over closer to northbound lanes on Whidbey side.
10:45 a.m. - Orcas southbound in Admiralty Inlet. Straight out from Bush Point, closer to Peninsula side. They're west of southbound traffic lane. Steadily but slowly southbound still. Possibly stalled on a kill. Definitely Ts. No IDs yet. One big male with a notch bear top and several females and a few juveniles. No calves. -Renee Beitzel
(Melisa Pinnow, CWR, ID'd this group (through my phone photos of back of camera) as the T117's with T120 (the big male with a new notch) and T46Bs!)
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Tom Reeve of Lopez Island reports a small group of orcas far offshore of Flint Beach, southern end of Lopez Island, travelling slowly west at 7:45 pm Monday evening, July 31.
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Viewed at Ft Casey until 7:15. They (T46Bs and T117s) split, with some pushing further west as they traveled north, while a group stayed close to shore along Ft Casey. Lots of people got wonderful looks and their lit up blows were breathtaking. Watched for an hour, at 7:15, the other group was further west and north of PT, while the closer group started to push NW. Haven't resighted from Ebeys Landing yet. Beautiful night! -Photo by Rachel Haight, July 31
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T120 (born 1986) - This evening off of Fort Casey around 7pm. It was an amazing evening! -Photo by Elizabeth Zwamborn, July 31
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This is how the group was the majority of the time today with occasional spreading. T46B's and B1's. I think one of the T117's may be in here as well. Admiralty Inlet.T117B and T120 (new notch), transients that are rare to this area! -Photo by Renee Beitzel, July 31
(ID by Melisa Pinnow, Center for Whale Research)
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Humpback whales - July 31 - Sighted the same whale past Vashon Island as sighted by Mark Hansen at Cove 3:30pm. Holds breath for 10 minutes then two quick ones. Moving fast. (Cove is located on north west side of Vashon) -Mark Timken
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11:00 a.m. - Whale spray and tail in Puget sound Narrows. Heading north about 500 yards south of the Narrows bridge right now. Going real slow. Looks like only one whale. Stays underwater for about 10 minutes then does 2-3 sprays. Too far away to get pictures. I think he is feeding. Hasn't moved very far in the past hour. -Mark Hansen
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July 31 - Juan de Fuca - Spectacular sea conditions off Sooke with multiple Humpback whales today! It was extra special to visit one the local Mom & Calf again. Humpback BCZ0345 "Victory" -Paul Pudwell
(ID by Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network)

July 30
Transients near Vancouver, thank you Alan Niles for taking J1 all the way up north to see multiple pods of transients gather for an amazing celebration. -Nissan DeSilva
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Strait of Georgia Ts included T002Cs, T034s, T037, T037Bs, T037As, T046s, T124Ds and T124A1. -Jill Hein
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June 30 - Juan de Fuca - Humpback BCYukKeta2015#3 "Hydra" with her 2017 calf. In the Strait of Juan de Fuca, east of Sooke BC today. The humpback come back continues. -Photo by James Gresham, July 30, 2017
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Then 2017 calf of humpback BCYukKeta2015#3 "Hydra" after it passed under Island Explorer 3 and popped up right next to the boat. In Juan de Fuca, east of Sooke, BC today. -Photo by James Gresham, July 30, 2017
Notes on Humpback Calves by Tasli Shaw, Naturalist, who runs Humpbacks of the Salish Sea Facebook Page: "So the story so far as I can tell with the photos that have been posted there are three confirmed calves: Split Fluke's, Smiley' s, and now Hydra's confirmed today. There are two that I am not so sure of, one is Avalanche, based off the few photos from Alethea it looks too white to be a calf, and no one else has shared images to corroborate the sighting. The second question mark is Europa (a BCXuk listed in Keta Coastal.Conservation) that was photographed by Janine a few weeks ago with what appears to be a calf. But again, there are no other photos of these two on any other day, so it's not confirmed. Still, 3 babies is pretty awesome for around here!"
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July 30 - Eastern Juan de Fuca - 7:35 p.m. - Observed one or more humpback whales repeatedly breaching just offshore of West Beach Road. NNW of my location at (1600 block) W Beach Road. (West Whidbey, at Fort Nugent Road) Estimated to be less than 1 mile offshore. -Kevin Knight
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July 30 - North Puget Sound - Saw another Humpback at Mukilteo today around 7:30pm. It was moving towards Clinton. -Eileen Zayas-Montilla
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6:49 p.m. - We just saw two whale "spouts" (don't know the proper term) in Mukilteo, headed north, just north of the shipwreck. Not sure if it's the same whale though. -Tori Shemesh
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4:55 p.m. - Humpback less than a mile off shore off Edmonds north side of the ferry dock. The whale went on a dive directionally southbound but not sure if moving back and forth or if steady travel that direction. -Janine Harles
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We saw the humpback today in the same spot (off Edmonds, north of ferry dock), around 2:00. He was heading north at the time. Watched him dive a few times, both heading north, just south of Edmonds ferry. -Shannan Epps
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July 30 - South Puget Sound - 8:50 p.m. - Humpback viewed from Lynch Cove to Stretch islan>d
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7:56 p.m. - Humpback just sighted at the north end of Harstine Island breaching and slapping all the way to the southern tip of Stretch island now. It was amazing! -Kimberly Fields Sipila
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Humpback Breach! - Case Inlet headed toward Stretch Island at about 7:30pm. It was fantastic! -Photo by Leslie Blaisdell, July 30, 2017
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7:30 p.m. - Humpback traveling north in Pickering Passage between the north end of Hartstene Island & Grapeview...much breeching and fin slapping going on. This picture is 5 photos stitched together. -Photo by Cammy Malam LaRiviere, July 30, 2017
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6:25 p.m. - 1 humpback passed under Harstine Island bridge heading towards Allyn. It surfaced 3 times (3 spouts and 3 shallow rolls). Unable to get any photos. Hope the boats that we following (and being very respectful) got some pictures and will share. -Gretchen Stewart
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Came across this guy at the Hartstine Island Bridge headed north around 6:15ish PM. -Photo by Whyt Ndeeana, July 30
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6:04 p.m. - They are headed north towards Harsteine island bridge. -David Coates
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5:07 p.m. - Looks like a humpback in South Sound. West side of Hope Island. Looked to be heading north toward the Harstein Island bridge. -Mark Stewart
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4:15 p.m. - Humpback headed north out of Eld Inlet and toward Hunter Point/Squaxin Island. LOTS of boat traffic. Some were watching. Others had no idea there was a whale in the area. It was doing 2-3 surfacing series and then LONG dives.
12:35 p.m. - Humpback heading south into Eld Inlet. Slow rolling surfacing series. Heading toward Flap Jack Point. Very close to shore.
12:35 p.m. - This is right in front of my house as it is heading south into Eld. Inlet. That boat and the kids on a floatation device didn't even see it! -Photo by Kim Merriman, July 30
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Humpback spotted off of Harstine Island this morning at 10:25 am, lost sight of it off Wilson Point. -Photo by Laura Shore, July 30
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We saw what we believe to be a Humpback this morn at approx 10am in the Case Inlet just off Fudge point. -Summer Hoss
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9:00 a.m. - Humpback in Case Inlet - between Herron Island and Spencer Cove. -Jeriyln Evans
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Saw one humpback in Case Inlet this morning at about 8:40. North side of Heron Island heading toward Hartstine and Stretch Island. -Susan Anderson
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Whale seen on the east side of Herron Island by ferry captain approximately 8:35 AM.
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5:30 a.m. - Humpback sighting west side of Devils Head slowly heading north. (Nisqually Reach, southend Key Peninsula). -Robin Matthews
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Dolphins - July 30 - 2:35 p.m. - They started turning towards Dalco Point.
2:16 p.m. - There are about 10 dolphins (probably Common dolphins) headed south through Colvo's Passage towards Point Defiance. -Matt Graham
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July 30 - Juan de Fuca - Was tough to get clear shots of BCYuk "Hydra"'s calf due to rough seas, but that didn't seem to stop this little one from having a blast in the waves! Strait of Juan De Fuca, just southeast of Race Rocks. -Photo by Renee Beitzel, July 30
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July 30 - South Puget Sound - 7:29 p.m. - We observed the single whale travelling northbound, middle of the passage, from Jarrel's Cove past Dougal Point at the north end of Pickering Passage, breaching frequently. One of us estimated 30 breaches. It may have started after a speedboat passed closely. Not sure of species, as I've only seen orca and humpback before. But the pectoral fins were long and bumpy. Breacing while traveling 47.293793, -122.879425. -Andrew Graham

July 29
Another spectacular day on the Salish Sea - no orca reports today, so it was a 'one' humpback day - and he/she was on a mission traveling from point A (Tumbo Island/East Point) towards point B (Patos Island), lots of surfacing but no tail flukes, sometimes hitting 9 nm/hr! We had some great viewing of this whale before turning for home via several harbor seal haul-outs, bald eagle viewing, and some elusive harbor porpoise. A beautiful day on the water! -Jill Hein, volunteer naturalist.
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July 29 - - South Puget Sound - North Colvos passsge north bound humpback at 1945. May be two animals! What a nice dessert as we're dining on the deck! -Tim Ferris
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6:50 p.m. - Just saw them. Still in Colvos Passage. Headed north. 50 yards off the shore. Almost to north end of Vashon. -Jennifer Burton
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Message I just received at 5:05 from islander, Two humpbacks just swam by Spring Beach heading north. (south end Colvos Passage). -Amy Carey
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One humpback whale south side of Fox Island heading eastbound at 19:33. -Photo by Matt Graham, July 29
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We were also out on Sat. July 29 the humpback was still in Carr inlet @ around 330 PM my husband and son were pulling shrimp pots about a mile North of Lake Bay and it (humpback) surface right next to them. -Dyanna Lambourn, WDFW
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July 29 - Coastal Gray whales - WA Coast - Huge pod of grays out here at Kalaloch and South Beach, very active group. I'm trying to get some pictures. They are bobbing and rolling. Waiting for a breach...there's got to be 30 out here spread out, about 6 closer in. -Catherine Cryder
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July 29 - Unidentified whales - Saratoga Passage - While eating breakfast at about 8:30 am on our deck this morning were heard two distinct whale blows coming from the Bells Beach shore (East side Whidbey Island) line directly below our house. My wife Sydney heard whale blows early 5-6 am yesterday morning in the same area. -Joe Wolcott
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July 29 - South Puget Sound - 1 unknown whale 8:00 pm between Ketron Island and Anderson Island. Headed north. Tried to get a picture, no luck. -Sherri Desseau
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My husband saw possibly 3 whales around 6:40 this morning off the shore from downtown Steilacoom. He didn't know what kind for certain but thinks maybe orcas. We've seen humpbacks and lots of common dolphins. He thought these were different. He didn't know what direction they were going. It could've been humpback though. We've never seen them as close as these were. -Suzy Johnson
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June 27 into June 28 - Possible Orca sighting in Case inlet between Herron Island and Harstine. Heard an enormous boom echoing between islands and saw a huge circular wave radiating outwards followed by very loud breathing while surfacing throughout the night. First spotted 9pm ish and heard them breathing as they swam by our anchorage at 2:30am. (Several humpbacks have been in south Puget Sound, with 2 showing up later on the 28th in Case Inlet- ALB). -Max Peters
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July 29 - Oregon Coast - Angela called at 9:40 pm and left a message that she saw at least two whales (leans grays) off Sunset Beach, south of Astoria, headed north offshore, were there about 20 minutes.

July 28
Unidentified killer whales - Sighted Orca Whales on the west side of Camano Island (heading south toward Camano Head) from Bells Beach, Whidbey Island. Feeding. Playing moving fast. (After some inquiry) - I can't positively say that the whales I spotted were Orca Whales. My neighbors and I spotted the whales swimming fast, thrashing and cutting through the water like they were manuvering in on fish. The distance between us and the whales made it difficult to see them clearly. I am fairly certain there was more than one whale. My neighbor Francia says that she positively black and white whales leaping out of the water...-Best Regards, Joe Wolcott
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July 28 - Relaying report from USCG channel 16 of Orca in Carr Inlet approximately 3:00PM (WDFW was out and confirmed presence of humpback and saw no orcas- ALB) -Christopher Hanke
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July 28 - Eastern Juan de Fuca - Beautiful day out at Partridge Bank and Eastern Bank. As we watched the first humpback, we could see it "shark finning", gliding under the water with just the dorsal fin showing! The second one was a bit far away, but at least he/she did a nice straight-on fluke up! Seals are adorable, as always! (Partridge Bank approx 3-4 kn miles south of Smith Island 3-4 west of Whidbey. Eastern Bank approx 5 kn miles SW of Smith Island). Humpback BCYUnknown "Scratchy" - Eastern Juan de Fuca. -Bonnie Gretz
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July 28 - North Puget Sound - 7:45 p.m. - Humpback swimming north in Saratoga Passage off Mabana area on Camano Island. Continous Multiple breachings. -Kathryn Wallace
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Thanks to a sharp eyed neighbor, I had a chance to see my first ever humpback on Camano. What a show: almost continuous lunge feeding, occasionally highlighted by pec slaps,and a breach or 2 or 3. It was a ways off our bluff south of Mabana, heading north and west toward Whidbey. The neighborhood watched for over half and hour, around 7:30 PM. -Barbara Brock
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Posted 10:00 a.m. - I think I saw this humpback feeding off of Harrington Lagoon, Whidbey Island!! So cool. -Christine Sandgren Hendry
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July 28 - Carr Inlet, South Puget Sound - Looked like a humpback.. Henderson Bay about 8 pm. -Anna Frier
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5:55 p.m. - Currently in Carr Inlet heading north. Lots of fun breaches to watch. Started in mid-channel which was great for me on the east side, but it headed to west side which meant it got too far out of sight for me. -Sarah Richey Guenther
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Dyanna Lambourn, WDFW was on the water and encountered the humpback in Carr Inlet interacting with some crab gear. The whale was not entangled as some had thought/reported. -Photo by Dyanna Lambourn, WDFW, July 28
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July 28 - Case Inlet, South Puget Sound - After reading the reports, we couldn't resist heading out to see if we could get fluke shots. We found them just south of Harstine Island bridge, as one came up just on the other side of a boat that was watching for them. We stayed with them down to Hope Island. We did manage to get fluke shots of both of them, though with the shallow water, they weren't showing that well. Neither one of them was the same whale we've been seeing in Carr Inlet for the last few weeks.All the boaters following the whales were trying to keep the required distance, which was really nice to see. -Dave Anderson, Cascadia Research Collective
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Passed under Harstine Bridge at 7:00ish this evening. Lots of blowing and two full showings (2 spouts at same time). -Gretchen Stewart
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From around 5:50 to 7:10 tonight, my dad, his friends, and myself took our boat out and followed the pair of humpback whales south down Pickering Passage. We first caught up to them across from Geralds Cove, and we left them near the Harstine Island Bridge. (We stayed "Whale Wise" no need to worry.) One of the whales had the dot on its left dorsal fin making me think that it might be the same one that was hanging around down here back in May and June.
Humpback we've all been calling "Dot" - Case Inlet. Taken at 4:16 P.M., from a mile south of Dougall/Harstine Point on the East side of the island.
5:36 p.m. - They are now heading south down Pickering Passage, spotted from the north end of Harstine.
4:06 p.m. - There's two of them. Just both surfaced between Herron and Harstine closer to Harstine. They were heading north quickly, and they were very close to shore. I have pictures of both whales that I can share later. They are now north of Harstine heading north towards the Stretch Island Bridge. -Connor O'Brien
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3:10 p.m. - Humpback just passed close to McMicken Island, on east side of Harstine Island, slowly heading north in Case Inlet at 3:10pm. Clearly saw its dorsal and fluke, but no pics. -Dave Berliner
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Around 1:00 p.m. - 2 humpbacks seen off Johnson Point, Olympia. -Photo by Denise Seagoe Main

July 27
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm - T37As. When we first headed out they had been reported near Matia headed south but when we got there they were hugging the shore along the north end of Orcas. They stayed close to shore for about an hour, then come out into open water. They began chasing down a harbor porpoise shortly after that. Mom - T37A did most of the work flipping the porpoise into the air several times, then the younger whales came in and seemed to participate once there was less activity. The predation event lasted about 8 to 10 minutes total and they left the lungs and some of the internal organs behind when they were finished. -Cindy Hansen, Orca Network
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July 27 - Georgia Strait - 7:00 a.m. - Just sighted a pod moving north from Dolphin Beach on Vancouver island! It's from the houses on Nanoose Bay, around 20 mins drive from Parksville looking out onto the strait. They were quite far out but I'd say 6-8 orcas with approx 2 males. -Helena Hickman
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Saratoga Passage, North Puget Sound - I live on the west side at Camano Head. At 7:00 a.m. this morning while sipping Java on my deck, I spotted this whale between Langley Marina and our house. It went slightly to the north, turned and came back south. -Photo by MJ Sawyer, July 27, 2017
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Central Puget Sound - It passed by us on Yeomalt (south of Skiff Point) Bainbridge very close to shore at 7.27. Smooth dark skin with dorsal humpback. Headed south traveling quickly. -Kathleen Paulsson
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7:20 p.m. - Whale just breached in front of our waterfront house on the east central shore of Bainbridge Island (Skiff Point). It did have a dorsal--relatively smooth skin but clearly not an Orca. Unusually close to shore, heading south! Thrilling!" -Katherine Kennedy
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6:37 p.m. - I just saw a large humpback pass the Maury side of Vashon just south of Point Robinson headed north at a steady pace on the west side of the channel. Gorgeous! -Janna Ignatow
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July 27 - South Puget Sound - 8:30 p.m. - There is a single humpback in Case Inlet. Past McMicken Island. Going north now near Herron Island. Mid-channel. -Ron Hebron
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6:00 p.m. - This same humpback ended up just north of Boston Harbor very near the eastern shore. It was VERY active - with breaches, pec slaps, and circling in the area. It gave the people fishing quite a show. No photos. After about 30 minutes I lost sight of it as it headed north, presumably back into Dana Passage. -Kim Merriman
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4:55 p.m. - Humpback in Peale Passage between Harstine and Squaxin. Moving south too quickly for a picture, but WOW! -Mia Bosetti
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Playing down at Pt. Ruston around 3pm when this humpback swam by. We watched him surface and dive a few time. -Lindsay Ekblad
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10:45 a.m. - There's one by the channel marker at the mouth of Henderson now. Headed towards Johnson point. -Nick Wenzel
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Around 10:00 a.m. - We saw it from Steilacoom between Fox and McNeil islands. Couldn't tell what direction it's going. -Suzy Johnson
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7:10 a.m. - Humpback by Chambers Bay headed South! -Karen Caldwell

July 26
North Puget Sound - 5:50 p.m. - I saw a Humpback from the lighthouse at Mukilteo. I saw it breach about 4 times to the west of the park. -Eileen Zayas-Montilla
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4:41 p.m. - The Possession Sound humpback continues to hang around. My friend Trish Sullivan Campbell just reported it from Mukilteo Beach heading north across the ferry lanes. Time of this post is 4:41. I'm at Glendale hoping it heads this way. -Debbie Stewart
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Between 4:15 and 4:25 watched a humpback whale first out in front of Mukilteo Lighthouse crossing ferry lanes heading northeast towards Everett. I took the 3:45 boat (Clinton to Mukilteo) came across and walked to lighthouse and saw it breach. North of ferry terminal. -Marilyn Armbruster
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July 26 - South Puget Sound - 11:00 a.m. - The humpback is in the Carr Inlet right now. He is in the middle of the inlet between Fox Island and the Gig Harbor peninsula with a horse head Bay around the corner. He is staying in the same area. Looks like there's a good food source there. -Dawn Morris
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July 26 - North Puget Sound - (evening reports of the humpback included in our July 26th Whale Sighting Report). Just saw it at 9 PM just west of Harborview Park in Everett. -Greg Heiss
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Approx 6 to 7pm - I saw it breach, blow and slap its tail numerous times. From Mulkiteo to around the Sandy Point tip of Whidbey. -James Grindle
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I went whale watching with the San Juan Clipper. While we did not see any orcas, we did eventually find this humpback whale around the southeast end of Patos Island. We stayed with it from 3:45-4:15 P.M. At first it was surfacing at unpredictable locations, with long down times. Around 4:10 it started "mugging" a boat. This is a picture from when it was doing that. I have a picture of part of it's underside fluke that I can share in the comments in case that will help identify it. Left underside fluke tip of Humpback CS631 "Two Spot" (or CRC-16017). -Connor O'Brien
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Gorgeous day on the water this afternoon, with humpback whale "Two Spot", aka CRC-16017 and CS631 (south of Patos Island) Then we headed to the T46 matriline of Bigg's killer whales - with the backdrop of Mount Baker. On the Island Explorer 5. -Alisa Schulman-Janiger

July 25
L pod -Juan de Fuca - ...I decided to turn and head east towards Dungeness in the event that they had stalled out during the night as they had a large flood to contend with. As I was approaching Papa Alpha I received a call that killer whales had been located a couple of miles east of us spread out west bound. A few minutes later we came across L103 and L123 and could see they were spread out laterally for a mile moving quickly with the building ebb current averaging 7 knots....-See full report and photos at Center for Whale Research Encounter 57.
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July 25 - J pod - Rosario Strait - Our evening sail with J pod was much different than our afternoon trip. We heard on the radio that J pod had been playing with a harbor porpoise for about an hour. When we arrived they were in a tight group circling with occasional spy hops while pushing around the porpoise on their rostrums. 25 whales in all engaging in this activity. At some point the whales briefly changed to a straight course followed by several breaches, including L87 a full grown male repeatedly half breaching. Their behavior changed again by slowly circling/milling with relaxed breaths. It was as if we were watching transient orcas. We heard only a few orca vocalizations on the hydrophone. -Barbara Howitt, All Aboard Sailing
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3 BIG members of JPOD "playing with a harbor porpoise", Rosario Strait (they stayed in one spot for over two hours harassing this porpoise). Ive personally never seen this behavior from the southern residents, it was very interesting watching them. -Photo by Marcie Barney Goldberg, July 25, 2017
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We left the marina a bit early, and quickly got a report of orcas near Lummi Island, up Rosario Strait. It was J pod! Such a treat to see residents, and they were very actively fishing, with great bursts of speed, twisting and turning through the water as they chased down those yummy salmon. All of J pod was reported, though spread out from Village Point, to Pt. Laurence and the Charlie buoy. We got great looks at J27 Blackberry, with his huge dorsal fin and distinctive open saddle patch on his left side, and both Cookie (J38), who at 14 is really starting to sprout a large dorsal fin, and his mom, Oreo, J22. We also saw at least two of the young calves born in 2015 as well as J47 Notch (now 7 years old), and many others (est. about 20). It was a beautiful, warm day, with glass smooth water and beautiful views of Mt. Baker, and all the lovely small islands in Rosario. A large group of harbor seals and their adorable pups, and at least four bald eagles just enhanced another wonderful wildlife tour on the Salish Sea! -Bonnie Gretz, Volunteer Naturalist, Mystic Sea
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Southern Residents - Rosario Strait - I believe this photo is of J-pod playing with a harbor porpoise, taken July 25 from the IE5 around 5:30pm in Rosario Strait, just south of Peapod Rocks. -Photo by Kristina Trowbridge, July 25
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Most of J pod off Lummi Island today...spread out, actively fishing, a little x-rated behavior, spyhopping.... beautiful day!! -Bonnie Gretz
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Juan de Fuca - We were excited to hear that many Southern Resident Killer Whales were heading west past Race Rocks today's adventure...13-year-old sprouter male L105 Fluke, looking big and handsome, heads west with mom and other L pod members nearby - Juan de Fuca, Strait. -Paul Pudwell
(ID by Melisa Pinnow, Center for Whale Research)
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10 miles south of Victoria. Pod of orcas in the distance. Sat with engines off to watch, then this humpback came and stayed right next to us for 35 minutes!! Wow... . Lol we forgot all about the orcas, too. They were headed west out of the strait. 2 sets of two. -Kathryn Rupchock Pizzo
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Bigg's killer whales (Transients) - July 25 - Crazy night with the T036A's and T075B's in the Strait of Georgia last night! Very cryptic behaviour and then the hunt was on! flying porpoise and non stop spyhops! T036A ramming the porpoise. T036A3 in front of the ferry terminal. -Gary Sutton
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July 25 - We first encountered T034's, T037 & T037B's near Bush Point. We stayed with them for a bit as they were on the move quickly heading to the strait. Later when we found them in the Strait they made a kill (harbor seal). -Photo by Janine Harles, Chilkat, PS Express
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July 25 - Puget Sound - 8:30 p.m. - Watching from Bainbridge at Old Creosote... They are near 2 sailboats, mid channel, about 5 Orca. 1 male 2 very small ones. Seem to be hunting by circling, breaching, spyhopping. Very active at rhe surface and birds above. Trending North...-Kimberly Sylvester-Malzahn
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7:46 p.m. - Passing Blakey rock now. -Charles Vendley
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7:02 p.m. - watching from Manchester. They are north of Blake island mid channel headed north or north east just surfaced really close to a big white sail boat and look to be moving at a faster pace.
6:39 p.m. - they are on the south tip of Blake headed west.
6:37 p.m. - passing southworth ferry terminal now closer to Southworth side. -Brittany Gordon
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Matriarch T46 leads her family around Puget Sound. Exciting to see the Orcas traveling past Southworth Ferry dock this evening..very fast, headed around west side of Blake island then turned and went North up towards Bainbridge. T122 and T46E backdropped by northend Vashon Ferry dock while passing Southworth ferry dock. Members of the T46 matriline northbound exiting Colvos Passage. -Photo Noelle Morris, July 25
(ID by Alisa LB)
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Apx 6 orcas cruising north end Colvos Passage on 7.25 @ 1830. -Tim Ferris
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5:20 p. m. - The 5 orcas just passed Nelson Rd in Olalla. -Steve Henderson
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14-year-old male T46E - Northbound in Colvos Passage at 5:20 pm. -Photo by Matt Graham, July 25
(ID Confirmation by Melisa Pinnow, Center for Whale Research)
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Well holy cow! A Humpback goes by @ 4:00 then a pod of Orcas goes past @ 5:00! (Olalla) -Jean Hitch
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4:40 p.m. - They are heading North now through Colvo's Passage. (west side of Vashon Island).
4:09 p.m. - I can count 6 orcas. Point Defiance now feeding at the point.
3:57 p.m. - 3-4 Orcas in Commencement Bay! -Matt Graham
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4:13 p.m. - Orcas off of Point Dalco on Vashon. -Andrew Potter Maul
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10:45 a.m. - Mike at WS Ferries relayed a report of "two juvenile orcas" seen from the Seattle to Bainbridge ferry lane, in mid channel. No direction given.
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July 25 - T34s, T37, T37Bs Admiralty Inlet to Haro Strait. I'm just in love with these two little munchkin transients that have been hanging around a lot with their families lately - T34B and T37B2, both born this year. We saw the T34s, T37, and T37Bs in northern Haro Strait this evening in glassy calm waters. -Photo by Monika Wieland Shields, July 25
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Shortly after 11 am, Orcas were spotted off of Pt. Wilson, north of Port Townsend. The Chilkat was nearby. -Debbie Holtman Galbraith
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10:13 a.m. - group of Bigg's/Transient orcas in Admiralty Inlet, 1 mile south of Bush Point, Whidbey Island spread out from close to shore on Whidbey side to mid channel heading northbound. T34s, T37Bs so far. -Janine Harles, Chilkat
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July 25 - North Puget/Possession Sound - 6:25 p.m. - Humpback whale between Everett & Mukilteo (closer to mainland side), heading slowly south. Watched for about 25 minutes. Heading toward Edgewater Beach Park....saw the dorsal fin & the long pectoral fins (white/black-gray). It breached at least 25 times & lots of slapping on the surface. -Dianne Ritter
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1:27 p.m. - Just saw it briefly near the Clinton dock. Not sure if it was a grey whale or humpback. It was a small dorsal. I initially thought it was a log until it submerged. We saw the fluke from a distance and didn't see it again. I was heading south and had to turn to avoid the ferry and didn't see it again. -Jeremy Stolz
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July 25 - Central Puget Sound - While rowing, on Monday at about 4 p.m., I saw a humpback off Fay Bainbridge State Park. Nice. I was rowing east; the whale west, so it went beneath me; its next spouts were closer to Bainbridge. -Jack Edson Whisner
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July 25 - South and Central Puget Sound - Humpback in Colvos passage. Heading north to Olalla at 4:00pm. -Jean Hitch
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1:15 p.m. - Humpback in Commencement Bay Tacoma. Definitley saw a noticable dorsal fin. It was right in front of Katie Downs. Started closer to downtown Tacoma and was moving towards Gig Harbor. -Pattie Green (photo confirms)
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9:30 a.m. - humpback in Commencement Bay! Dove in front of the old town docks multiple times. Last seen heading out of the Bay along Ruston way. -Caitlyn Cowan
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July 25 - Juan de Fuca - "Mugged" by a curious humpback. 10:00 a.m. - 10 miles south of Victoria.Pod of orcas in the distance. Sat with engines off to watch, then this humpback came and stayed right next to us for 35 minutes!! Wow. What was she doing? -Photo by Kathryn Rupchock Pizzo, July 25
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11:50 a.m. - WS Ferries reports a gray whale NE of the Clinton dock, between the dock and Gedney/Hat Island. No direction given.

July 24
First confirmed record of CA171B in BC. Meet CA171B, otherwise known as Fatfin! After initial confusion over his identification, photographer and social media assistant Grace Guiney suggested that the male was the famous Fatfin from California....Fatfin is thought to be about 18 years old...We're very excited to have this rare sighting of him! He traveled right in front of Victoria towards Race Rocks, where we left him. At first he was with the other Ts, but he quickly left them behind and was motoring along at high speed! -Photo by Grace Guiney, July 24, 2017
(Report by Eagle Wing WW. ID confirmed by Alisa Schulman-Janiger, California Killer Whale Project)
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July 24 - CA171B Fat Fin - The 9am tour aboard Eagle Wing stumbled across an exotic killer whale from California known as CA171B "Fatfin", along with the T69s, T90s, and T2B. This combination of transients exhibited foraging behaviour and was quite active afterwards, suggesting that they succeeded in their hunt. Later, on our way to and from Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, we found three humpbacks! All in all the tour was wonderful and as an added bonus the weather couldn't have been better. Thanks Captain Jeff! -Eagle Wing WW
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"On July 24th Grace Guiney from Eagle Wing Tours photographed and identified CA171B off Victoria BC. This is the first confirmed record of this whale in BC." -BC Killer Whale Research Report
"Outstanding job, Grace! Terrific photos of this often solo male, most frequently encountered in Monterey Bay, California." -Alisa Schulman-Janiger, California Killer Whale Project.
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CA171B Fatfin surfaces near Race Rocks Ecological Reserve. -Photo by Grace Guiney, July 24, 2017
(ID confirmation by Alisa Schulman-Janiger, California Killer Whale Project)
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8:30 p.m. - Orca sighting - Juan de Fuca. About 6 or so orcas sighted not to far off shore traveling north west. Google maps pin drop 48.397282,-123.986329. (in cove off Point No Point Resort, Shirley BC). -Emily Vickery
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T party today in San Juan Channel. T34s, 37s (T37 & T37Bs), and T46s. -Ariel Yseth
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Great morning with multiple Transient /Biggs Killer Whales off Victoria Water Front and a few Humpback whales on our way back to Race Rocks and Sooke...Always great to sea! -Paul Pudwell
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July 24 - South Puget Sound - 12:25 p.m.- Humpback south of Fox Island! Circling.
11:45 a.m. - Southwest side of Fox Island. Humpback whale moving eastbound! -Photo by Matt Graham, July 24
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July 24 - Don Miller of Whidbey Island called in a report that while kayaking near Maxwelton Beach a whale went by - possibly a Minke, seemed small for a humpback - and it was swimming close to shore in shallow water.

July 23
Js and Ls - Haro Strait - Early afternoon pass: Js & Ls made it to & just north of Lime Kiln State Park, San Juan Island, stalled then spent time foraging, feeding, & socializing. Approx. 90 seconds in a dozen+ individuals begin to circle around then gather into a stunning side by side formation. Near the end beautiful close-in passes & surface activity just feet from humans on the rocks observing Js & Ls in their home. -Video by Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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They arrived on scene with the whales at 18:20 off of Henry Island. The L4s, L47s, L26s, L72s, L87, along with the J11s, most of the J17s, and some of the J14s were in one large, fairly tight group moving north....As they left, the whales were still heading north, past Spieden Channel. -See photos & full encounter report at Center for Whale Research Encounter 55.
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After hearing about Southern Residents spread out and moving sporadically up and down the west side of San Juan Island, we arrived at Hannah Heights about 4:30 and were treated to small dorsals in ones and twos many hundreds of yards below us in the tidal rip. Then about 5:20 suddenly a tight group of 8-10 showed up moving south, followed 100 yards back by another group. Less than five minutes later they had flipped a 180 and turned north past us, moving faster this time with the currents, still close to the rocky shoreline. So we hightailed it up to CWR north of Lime Kiln and they soon arrived, now more spread out but all moving decisively north up Haro Strait. Alisa joined us there shortly before Ken Balcomb mentioned there were a couple of spaces on his boat Shachi to document who's there. We launched from Snug Harbor and within a few minutes had rounded Kellet Bluff and found the trailers of the bunch about 6:19. We puttered along parallel at a good distance with the sun at our backs lighting up dorsals and blows and occasional spyhops with bright forested bluffsides for background. Over the next half hour we were witness to the slow travels of the L47s, the L72s, the L26s, the L4s, the J17s, the J11s, and of course the adaptable L87 moving around the families. We heard the J16s were a mile or so ahead of us. All in all a peak experience in perfect conditions. -Howard Garrett, Orca Network
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And the fun wasn't over! ...we rushed back to the west side as the Js and Ls came back past Lime Kiln. In the evening they finally committed to going north and it was beautiful to see 35 of those present traveling in one group, pictured here with Spieden Island in the background. -Photo by Monika Wieland Shields, July 23, 2017
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4:48 p.m. - Js and Ls heading north at Hannah Heights/Land Bank.
4:35 p.m. - they are milling now off Hannah Heights/Land Bank and a bit south, maybe turning N? -Photo by Susan Berta, Orca Network, July 23
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By 1:00 pm. Js and Ls joined up and were now heading back north. Arrived at the north pullout at Land Bank met up with Connie, walked down to rocks and soon after watched single female in the lead and approx 4-6 others pass including young ones. A large group was coming up behind. They all looked pretty committed, so I decided to move to Lime Kiln since the leaders had passed the lighthouse. About when I arrived looking south I could see the the large group had stalled and was engaging in a lot of foraging and surface activity back off Land Bank. The 5-6 whales we had off Lime Kiln foraged for about 45 minutes moving back and forth in the currents. We had 5-6 including 2 calves. This smaller group eventually turned south and joined up with the others off Land Bank and looked to be heading south. I waited around Lime Kiln and it paid off. Around 2:30pm they flipped back north, I could hear and see them coming towards us. Shortly after most all of Js and some Ls reached LK park with some going beyond the lighthouse. Lots of social and foraging behavior, very surface active (breaches, spyhops, tail lobs, pec slaps, rolling, inverted tail slaps, vocalizing, socializing) Stunning back and forth passes the entire stretch of the park. At one point, off the south lookout about 10 whales lined up in formation side by side as if in some greeting ceremony, some logging and then a few started tail slapping. Later, one whale, while moving towards the rocks, cartwheeled off the rocks, moved in closer and cartwheeled a 2nd time just feet from those standing at waters edge then continued to swim underwater along the shoreline to the south. They all eventually turned back south while we all absorbed and appreciated these beings we just hung out with and what we were lucky enough to be a part of. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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The L4s, L26s, L47s, and L72s made it in overnight, and this morning J-Pod came in to join them. It was a pretty special several hours this afternoon on the west side, including this once in a lifetime moment for me - I can only imagine this mom and calf must have been eye to eye underwater as they stopped and bobbed at the surface just a few yards off the rocks right in front of us.
1:10 p.m - Leaders at Hannah Heights northbound.
12:34 p.m - Js are about halfway across aiming for Ls at False Bay.
11:59 a.m. - 2 boats still just south of Land Bank and seeing boats south of Discovery with inbound Js. -Monika Wieland Shields
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12:15 p.m. - Dorsals! False Bay southbound. Good to see bait balls though! Haven't noticed quite as many this year. -Cher Renke
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9:30 a.m. - from South Beach spotted few dorsals off Eagle Point. Moved over to Eagle Point and watched who turned out to be the L4s (per Center for Whale Research) off Eagle Point and to the north. Around 10:15am they gathered into a couple of groups and slowly headed north. Overcast skies, slight wind and mildly rough water. They made it to about Edwards Point then stalled and flipped direction. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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Center for Whale Research: Stewart went on another early morning whale search by car down to the south end of SJI and saw whales off South Beach again. Phone calls were made and then Stewart, Astrid, and Candice met Dave down at the boat and left Snug Harbor at 0740. We found our first whales right off Eagle Point at 0808....By this time it was obvious that we only had the L4s on the west side of SJI. Jeff LaMarsh then found the L26s, L47s, and L72s out near Race Rocks...-Photos & full encounter summary at Center for Whale Research Encounter 54
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We were excited to get an 6 am report from Ron Mallon that many orca were heading east past Sooke...Sure enough we had the pleasure to encounter some of L Pod of the Southern Resident Killer Whales just past Race Rocks Lighthouse. (see photo below of Muncher L91, Marina L47 and Crewser L92). -Paul Pudwell
(ID by Melisa Pinnow, Center for Whale Research)
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July 23 - Ted Webber reported a Humpback just off Mukilteo ferry terminal at 5:25 pm, headed south.
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Diane Kurzontkowski reportrd a large whale with a dorsal fin and long body at 4 pm, South of Whidbey Island heading north on the east side. Perhaps a humpback?

July 22
Possession Sound - 11:00 a.m. - Whale moving south from just east of Clinton Ferry Docks - South Whidbey Island. -Photo by Abed Husseini, July 22
(This unidentified humpback was photographed by Barbara Bender off Pea Pod Rocks, Rosario Strait on July 10th. Included in our July 17th report)
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July 22 - Juan de Fuca - Another humpback dives next to BCYukKeta2015#3 "Hydra" (Fluke). The Humpback Comeback Continues! Both tours today had the pleasure of visiting over 20 today south of Sheringham Lighthouse...WOW...With some breaches! -Photo by Paul Pudwell
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Minke whales - July 22 - 2:10 -3:00 p.m. - (2-3 minke total) Watched a minke surface off South Beach heading southbound a couple of times, maybe 1/4-1/2 mile offshore. Short time later I moved over to Cattle Point overlook and watched 2 minkes in the area around Salmon Bank, around the green buoy and one to the west, moving back and forth foraging. (1 of which may have been the same whale seen off South Beach). -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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July 22 - 6:30 p.m. - Humpback sighting (2 whales) between Hat Island and Whidbey, very active, lots of flipper slapping and diving. -Wendy Ogaard

July 21
I looked into information from Tasli Shaw who was also on the boat. T37As, T34s with T37Bs and T46s. The images I sent you were from the 5pm sunset sail which left Cowichan Bay (it's close to Duncan). We sailed for a short time to north Pender Island area. I hope this information helps. -Stephen Ellwood
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Today we met up with the T34s, T37, and T37Bs near Stuart Island, following them around Turn Point into Boundary Pass on this beautiful Pacific Northwest drizzly summer afternoon. These transient killer whales are so different from the residents I've spent more time with. Groups and individuals just appear and disappear out of no where, and as I've gotten to observe them more this summer, the more mysterious they've become! -Photo by Monika Wieland Shields, July 21
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5:50 p.m. - 2 groups by Skipjack and Bare rock. -Roxane Jackson Johnson
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4:06 pm - Boundary Pass now, 2 groups. T37 & T37Bs & T34s.
3:13 p.m. - We've got them approaching Stuart Island. -Monika Wieland Shields
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2:08 p.m. - Orcas at Smuggler's Cove, San Juan Island. Northbound. -Laurie Barber
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1:55 p.m. - Orcas off of Andrews Bay (San Juan Island)! Saw from a seaplane. -Megan Haubert Rudy
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Just saw a few pass by Deception Pass West Beach headed north at 2:45 pm. -Shelly Greybeck
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We were on the beach with binoculars and watched them until they reached Smith Island. It was so much fun. -Photo by Ginger McMillan, July 21
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12:20 p.m. - They are visible with binoculars from West Beach on Whidbey, south of Smith island. 5 boats with them, traveling north. -Melinda Killian
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10:30 a.m. - T46's outbound at Fort Casey. -Renee Beitzel
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Coastal killer whales - Unidentified Coastal killer whales, 10+ miles SSW of Westport, WA. -Photo by Jon Tornquist, July 21, 2017
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July 21 - Juan de Fuca - Humpback whale CS121 encountered again in Juan de Fuca. Another great day visiting over 20 Humpback Whales from Sooke to Jordon River. WOW. Great to sea they are HERE! -Photo by Paul Pudwell, July 21

July 20
Admiralty Inlet - 11:35 a.m. - I got a glimpse of 6-7 orcas south of Bush Point about 11:35 heading south mid channel. -Howard Garrett, Orca Network
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11:40 a.m. - I was able to catch a view of the orcas heading south from Bush Point marina. 4 whale watching boats are with the pod. I'm heading to Mutiny Bay now as they are out of my view...-Trent
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10:37 a.m. - Small group of orca (T46s) southbound, mid channel at Marrowstone. Angling toward Bush Point. -Renee Beitzel
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July 20 - Juan de Fuca - Another great day around Sooke waters with numerous Humpback whales feeding on Plankton, Krill, Shrimp & bait fish! -Photo by Paul Pudwell, July 20, 2017
(other photos of Paul's (not included) show Humpback CS334 during the encounter - ALB)
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July 20 - 4:53 p.m. - Small group of Common dolphins milling on east side of Anderson island. -Renee Beitzel

July 19
With reports of Killer Whales around Sooke traveling west this morning we were excited to get our guests out quickly to sea if what we thought might be L Pod...It WAS! They were well spread out and only stopping occasionally for a quick bite. L83 Moonlight (born 1990) heads west with her family the L47s and other members of L pod - Juan de Fuca Strait. -Paul Pudwell
(ID by Melisa Pinnow, Center for Whale Research)
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Coastal killer whales - Orca sighting - Sighted from on the beach just south of Sand Point, WA, Olympic National Park; approximately 8pm on Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Saw several orcas - 5-10? spouting and surfacing. Looked to be due west of Cape Alava, traveling south 3 to 4 miles offshore. Larger whales appeared to be leading, with several smaller whales in a 2nd group following. -Denis Brasfield
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July 19 - A magnificent day to be out on the Salish Sea....clear skies, warm breeze, fairly calm waters, as we motored between the San Juan Islands, then headed west through Cattle Pass. Along the way we stopped to see adorable harbor seal pups and their moms, basking on the rocks. We also saw a bald eagle family, two adults and a dark brown juvenile. As we headed out into Haro Strait, we found two minke whales, our smallest baleen whale, feeding off Eastern Bank. Minkes are notorious for being elusive, and these two stayed true to that! We truly are lucky to live in such a beautiful place, and be able to share with our wonderful passengers. -Bonnie Gretz, volunteer naturalist
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July 19 - 1:18 p.m. - roughly 30 Common Dolphin south of Narrows between Day Island and Fox Island feeding in the rips, sonar says lots of food... No pics. -James Lewis

July 18
Amazing day watching L pod shuffle back and forth between Grandma's Cove and the Land Bank where I was the volunteer naturalist. About 7:45 pm, they were making their way back north and proceeded to socialize for about 30 minutes in the kelp bed 100' in front of me. Pure Magic. -Photo by Ariel Yseth, July 18, 2017
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L pod made an appearance today in the Salish Sea! 19 of the 35 members of L pod were here. Everyone except the L12's and the L54's. See photos & full encounter report at Center for Whale Research Encounter 53.
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10:15 p.m. - Ls on Lime Kiln, faint since 10 p.m. -Barbara Howitt
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8:15 p.m. - On Lime Kiln hydrophone and Webcam now. -Cindy Hansen, Orca Network
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They came back and gave us a bit of a better view tonight! A playful group of Ls made up of the L4s, L26s, L47s, and L72s spent the evening hours hanging out off the west side of San Juan Island. -Photo by Monika Wieland Shields, July 18
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Tuesday July 18 - choices, choices, go find the Biggs (transient) killer whales, or welcome back our endangered Resident orcas - L-pod - to the Salish Sea! L-pod won! We traveled inter-island towards the west side of San Juan Island, finding L-pod very spread out as they foraged. A lot of whales in the distance, so good to see them back in our waters. We identified a few - L-72, Racer (see photo below) and her son L105 Fluke, also L116 Finn (thanks to Melisa Pinnow, CWR). Homeward bound we checked out harbor seals with pups - and several bald eagles - the weather was outstanding - a great day to be aboard the Mystic Sea!! Welcome back L-pod! -Jill Hein, volunteer naturalist
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Sure was wonderful to see L pod members today! According to the Center for Whale Research, everyone except the L12's and the L54's were present. Here's to hoping their bellies are full of Chinook salmon! The best thing we can do for this critically Endangered group of Killer whales, is to bring back their food! Supporting dam removal projects, habitat restoration, pollution mitigation, and choosing sustainably harvested seafood and avoiding farmed salmon. "No fish, no Blackfish." -Traci Walter
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Beautiful orca sightings on the west side of San Juan Island near Lime Kiln State Park!! Two different pods with at least 7-8 whales.. Breeching, hunting and swimming about. Stunning!! We saw them multiple times throughout the day.. the most activity we viewed was 10am, 12pm and 2pm. Around 12 they passed though pretty quickly. 10am and later in the day they seemed to hang out much longer in one area. Unfortunately, I did not get any photos. I was on shore and had my binoculars to see them. -Guinevere Ilana
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L123 spy hops off the west side of San Juan Island. Taken from shore. Fluke L105 - taken from shore. Finn L116 - taken from shore. -Photo by Melisa Pinnow, July 18
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1:07 p.m - Orca calls on Lime Kiln hydrophone. -Jack Collins
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July 18 - Puget Sound - 5:30 p.m. - Single humpback off Maury Island. We spotted off Des Moines a couple hours ago....now he's south of Pt Robinson. Saw 1 big breach and several tail splashes. -Chris Williamson
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July 18 - Juan de Fuca - WOW! What a Fluking Awesome morning with 20+ Humpback whales from Sooke to Race Rocks. I was able to capture around a Dozen different Fluke shots today... -Paul Pudwell (per photos ID's include: CS121, BCYUnknown "Volcano", MMY001 (also know as MMY009) "Frankenstein", BCYUnknown "Frodo", CS334 - ALB)

July 17
THANK YOU! With some great news from Cal of Spencers Sport Fishing of incoming orcas off Sooke, we were excited to welcome some of L Pod of the Endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales this afternoon. -Paul Pudwell
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Rosario/Eastern Juan de Fuca Straits - 6:30 a.m. - Beautiful sight of Orca at West Beach in Deception Park...beyond excited. At least 10 to 14, just milling around 6:30 am today.Seeing lot of people shore fishing the last two days so I think the salmon are in... A few seals hanging close to shore. It was amazing only a few hundred feet off shore....headed south. -Photo by Dee Herman, July 17
(Presumably Transients but at time of publishing we've no confirmation, and holding out a sliver of hope they are residents - ALB)
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July 17 - 4:00 p.m. - Orca: A group was spotted from shore, surrounded by whale watch boats, south of Point Hammond on east side of Waldron Island, traveling northbound. At least one large male, with at least (?) 4 others. One looked quite young. Traveling, with some stops for play. -Erin Parcher Wartes
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Several Transient family groups in Thatcher pass/Rosario strait earlier today (around 11-11:45) including several groups with babies. We saw them heading east into Thatcher Pass and out into Rosario Strait near the northeast tip of Decatur. Maybe 15-20 animals. -Andrea Vance
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6:30 a.m. - Beautiful sight of Orca at West beach in Deception Park..beyond excited. At least 10 to 14, just milling around 6:30 am today.. Seeing lot of people shore fishing the last two days so I think the salmon are in. Headed south. A few seals hanging close to shore. It was amazing only a few hundred feet off shore. -Dee Herman
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July 17 - Juan de Fuca - Our morning tour had an AMAZING encounter with over 14 Humpback whales from Sooke to Race Rocks...WOW! Our Favorites were the Mom & Calf. Then Elephant Seals and a few Sea lions and our local Sea Otter. Great Day! (Including BCXUnk "Ghost", MMX006, BCYukKeta2015#3 "Hydra"). -Paul Pudwell
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9:55 a.m. - The captain of the ferry Puyallup reports seeing one gray whale about a mile off the beach between Pt. Edmonds and Pt. Wells, believed to be heading north.

July 16
Bigg's killer whales (Transients) - Haro Strait - One of those precious moments where nothing else in the world matters... This evening with the T37As at Open Bay, San Juan Island. -Photo by Monika Wieland Shields, July 16
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July 16 - Juan de Fuca - Lone male T103 (est. birth year 1967) traveling eastbound off Otter Point about 1:00 p.m. this afternoon. -Photo by Paul Pudwell
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Humpback whales - July 16 - South Puget Sound - 8:15 p.m. - A single whale, looks like the humpback, is hanging out in Carr Inlet between Fox Is and Key Pen. Lots of breaching earlier, about 10 boats still gathered to watch whatever activity there is. I am too far away, and the setting sun is very bright, to see much at this point. -Erin Dugger Reetz
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3:30 p.m. - Saw the humpback whale again right near Fox Island's Brick Kiln Road area. He showed off, flipping his tail and breaching about 3:30 pm on Sunday the 16th! -Dawn Morris
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July 16 - Central Puget Sound - I was lucky enough to see 3 or 4 whales today. One dove and showed its fluke not far off the north end of Shilshole Bay Marina around 4:30pm, then a few hours later we saw a whale spouting closer to Bainbridge, then shortly after another one spouting mid-channel, and finally this last treat of what looks like a young humpback tail slapping and breaching by the marina. What a day! Sorry I didn't get any video or photos clear enough to identify this whale. (cell video shows tail lobbing humpback - ALB) -Rebecca Sherwood
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Noon - Sunday, July 16th we were headed to Matia from Jones Island and noticed a couple large boats cruising east on the north side of Sucia and Matia. At least 5 or six whale watching boats and another 5 or 6 private boats. Looked like a large open to me, but it's hard to tell. Headed east to south east. We stopped on Matia for 15 minutes and the. Headed back to Bellingham via the north end of lummi. When we left Matia, it looks like the orcas were hanging around the south east side of Matia bc the boats were hanging all around there. -Allison Evans
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Here are a couple of photos of U39 travelling east in the Strait of Juan de Fuca on July 16, 2017. The close-up shows lunch-to-go, which he grabbed so fast we couldn't tell whether it was a seal or porpoise. -Photo by Val Shore, July 16
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July 16 - Juan de Fuca - Humpback BCX1057 Divot, Humpback BCY0160 Heather - Another great day around Sooke with 6+ Humpback whales...Always great to sea! -Photo by Paul Pudwell, July 16, 2017
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South Puget Sound - Penrose Park. Carr Inlet. July 16th Humpback. We were there for 3 hours when this creature entertained the crowd of boats. Amazing display as he circled around. He left the cove about 8 pm still slapping his tail and breaching. -Heather Hazen-Gross

July 15
San Juans - Another day, another group of transients celebrating a kill - it's pretty incredible how the Ts keep coming! This was with the T34s, T37, and T37Bs this morning near White Rock north of Flattop Island. -Photo by Moinka Wieland Shields, July 15
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8:46 a.m. - WS Ferries reports six orcas heading north off Neck Point, Shaw Island.
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July 15 - North Puget Sound - We received a phone call from Mike at WA State Ferries, reporting a single orca in Possession Sound, south of the Mukilteo/Clinton ferry lanes, heading south at 7:25 pm. (possibly the humpback reported in the area, see reports)
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July 15 - Juan de Fuca - BCY0160 Heather - Another Great day with Humpback whales right out front of Sooke! The weather is looking better and better. -Photo by Paul Pudwell, July 15
(ID by Alisa LB)
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BCX1057 Divot - Sooke, BC -Photo by Paul Pudwell, July 15
(ID by Alisa LB)
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July 15 - North Puget Sound - We were on the beach in Mukilteo and saw the humpback and you in the plane! Hi! Very awesome sight! Breached several times and slapped its flipper! -Natalie LaChapelle
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8pm. 7/15: We were in a small plane when we saw one humpback off is Mukilteo lighthouse. We circled or several times watching it tail slaps, flipper slaps, and breaches. -John Carroll
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7:45 p.m. - Saw a whale about 50-200 feet off the boat launch area next to the Mukilteo ferry. Animal breached a couple times with no distinct dorsal fin. Later it fin slapped and it looked like a Humpback. Seen around 745 pm Saturday July 15. -Jacob Crawford
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Was amazing!! Looked like a orca from the ferry. Once we got off the ferry and to the shore in Mukilteo we saw a humpback whale. This was incredible sightings today!! -Liz McGee Barr
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7:25 p.m. - We received a phone call from Mike at WA State Ferries, reporting a single orca in Possession Sound, south of the Mukilteo/Clinton ferry lanes, heading south at 7:25 pm. (may have been the humpback in the area, see reports above - ALB)
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1430-1540 - Lone Humpback. Position: 47 48 03 122 27 22 (Approx 1.7 nm east of Kingston Ferry). Milling about in approx 1/4 mile area, changed direction several times. Typical arched back for terminal dives, no flukes displayed. Consistent 5-6 breaths between dives. Dives consistently 9-10 minutes in length. Light very flat so no color variations observed on back or dorsal fin. Observed from: 45' sailboat drifting with the current. -Gary Carter, S/V Delphinus, Port of Edmonds
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9:56 a.m. - Whale spotted 5 miles south of Mukilteo ferry dock, close to shore. Most likely humpback. Moving south, quickly. -Kevin Nord
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8:19 a.m. - WS Ferries reports a single gray whale (possibly a humpback) heading south a quarter mile south of the beach at Clinton.
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July 15 - South Puget Sound - At 3:10PM WS Ferries called to report a humpback of Dolphin Pt. at the north end of Vashon Isl. heading NE.
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Single humpback spotted at about 11:00am. Southbound along the west side of Fox Island. Majestic being! He blew before waving goodbye with his tale as he took a deep dive. We waited and saw him surface two additional times as he headed southbound. Sorry, no photos. -Noreen May Light
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July 15 - WA Coast - Noon - Good evening ON, Wanted you to know that my family saw about a 8-12 gray whales just off the shore of Kalaloch Lodge on Saturday afternoon. Four to six were very close to the breakers, mostly feeding I believe and others were moving in a little further out. I took a few photos if you are interested...no real breaching and I have just one photo of one upper whale tail. Was a treat to see on the Washington Coast. -Sue Larkin

July 14
San Juans - 17 year-old male transient killer whale T77B this evening off Spieden Island. -Photo by Monika Wieland Shields
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8:05 p.m. - approximately between Matia Island and the northern tip of Lummi Island, 5-7 orcas. We are watching them very distantly from the north shore of Orcas Island and we can't tell if they are residents or transients, and we are also having a hard time pinpointing exactly where they are since we are so far, though with our good binoculars we can see them. We noticed about eight boats in a group watching them...-Rob Lodermeier
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July 14 - Juan de Fuca & Rosario Straits - T077's and T037A's headed across south to Dungeness Spit on the morning of July 14th. -Photo by Mark Malleson, 2017
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About 2-3 orca (likely transients) seen off south east side of Smith Island about 6:45 pm headed northwest. -Shelly Greybeck
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Another beautiful day on Friday - and exciting to hear we had Biggs (transient) killer whales just outside Anacortes. Several groups of T's, T46s, 36s, 36Bs and 99s, very spread out! Wow - a lot of whales. We traveled with them slowly southbound for a while, then took a side trip to check out the seals w/pups on Colville Island, and several bald eagles. With time to spare, we headed back to the group of T's as they frolicked and fed right off NAS Whidbey, traveling back and forth, still spread out. After some great viewing of these amazing whales, we reluctantly headed back to port - another great day aboard the Mystic Sea. 14-year-old male T46E, one of the many Bigg's/Transient orcas encountered traveling together today in Rosario and Eastern Juan de Fuca Straits. -Jill Hein, volunteer naturalist.
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July 14 - Puget Sound - 6:35 p.m. - leaving them still northbound heading towards Admiralty Inlet still in steady travel mode, slightly more Whidbey side of mid channel.
6:20 p.m. - pod is stil northbound 4 miles due south of Scatchet Head, South Whidbey. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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6:00 p.m. - pod is in front of the Chilkat, just north of Edmonds ferry dock still mid channel. -Jennifer Wentworth
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5:20 p.m. - pods are east of mid channel between Point Wells and Edmonds steady northbound. Downtimes 4-6 minutes, with calves surfacing usually around 3 minutes.
4:00 p.m. - beautiful pod! They are about a mile NW of Meadow Point, Golden Gardens NE bound directionally towards Carkeek Park.
3:26 p.m. - they have flipped and are now northbound out from West Point.
3:10 p.m. - they have zig zagged east, currently east of mid channel out from and south of West Point, Discovery park.
2:55 p.m. - pod is out from Rolling Bay, Bainbridge circling, maybe on a hunt. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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T34s, T37 & T37Bs - A whole lot of beautiful travel mode during this part of their inland Puget Sound summer day. First southbound to the north end of Elliot Bay where they stalled briefly then flipped direction. A short time later we left them as they continued their now zig -zagging northward travels. Later, we relocated and watched the families off Point Wells, Woodway/South Edmonds still in northbound zig-zag travel mode until we left them yonder nearing the southend of Admiralty Inlet. -Video by Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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1:20 p.m. - orcas continued south skirting outside Port Madison last I saw. Still keeping to west side of channel.
12:40 p.m. - they woke up, stalled out closer to Jefferson Point, currently circling & surface active maybe on hunt?
12:25 p.m. - they're pretty much in resting mode. Grouped, slowly moving steady southbound in southbound shipping lanes (west of mid channel) approaching yellow mid channel buoy between Richmond Beach and President Point.
11:45 a.m. - see fins and blows just north of Kingston dock, steady slow/med southbound. Going to be nice pass for those on Kitsap side and those on ferry departing Kingston if timing works out. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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Around 12:30 mid channel between Presidents Point and Richmond Beach Park they were zigzagging def going after a seal then they eventually headed south around 12:45. -Photo by Jess Whitsitt, July 14
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12:20 p.m. - they are mid channel off of Richmond Beach Park. -Photo by Carrie Carson, July 14
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12:00 p.m. - Orca Pod traveling South from Kingston Ferry to Edmonds Ferry. -Brenda Barr
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Just passed by 11:30 Apple Tree point. Long down time prior to getting here. 8+? Steady south bound and around the Kingston/Edmonds ferry line now. -Photo by Sara Frey, July 14, 2017
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11:15 a.m. - We are passing off to Red Head now. Orcas grouped up now but still heading south just north of Appletree! (Apple Cove Point, Kingston)
10:05 a.m - trending south now. Lots of playing
9:40 a.m - Bigg's/Transients off Possession Point. They look to be on a kill right now. 6-8 animals, no adult males. IDs: T34's with T37 and T37Bs. -Renee Beitzel, Naturalist, Puget Sound Express
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5 year old, T37B1, as he surfaced nearby with a piece of his lunch, and yep, more teeth! ...we found the T37Bs with T37 and T34s just south Possession Point, Whidbey Island. When we arrived they appeared to be finishing up a kill and began prey sharing. After all the hard work was over we observed a lot of playtime. -Photo by Renee Beitzel, July 14, 2017
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Went out on Chilkat day before my birthday and 5 minutes off the dock a passenger saw orcas breaching by Possession Point. Three babies, back floating Mama T037, playing, eating, and more playing...AWESOME day!! T034's, T037 & T037B's. -Janine Harles
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July 14 - Juan de Fuca - BCY0324 "Big Mama" - Finally a warm day with calm seas and many Humpback whales around Sooke. Here are a few pictures from our morning tour. -Photo by Paul Pudwell, July 14
(ID by Alisa LB)
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July 14 - South Puget Sound - This was near the south end of Fox Island in the Carr Inlet at about 4:30 pm. We just got back in from jet skiing! This guy breached about 50 yards from us, really startling!! We moved away and had a great time watching this amazing animal! -Dawn Morris
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Heard whale breathing at 1 am, located in the area of Gertrude Is off McNeil. Seemed to be in "sleeping" mode. What I am currently witnessing, and what I believe I am hearing, appears to me to be a humpback whale. It seems to always travel solo. It was close enough around the time of my first report that I could tell it was definitely not an orca and appeared to me to be a humpback. The whale breaching yesterday definitely looked like a humpback whale to me through binoculars. -Erin Dugger Reetz
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July 14 - Central Puget Sound - Hello! Friday 9:00 am a humpback passed very close to shore in Dilworth. Inside the buoys and between the fishing boats! Slowly made it's way north and more toward the shipping lanes than shore. 9:40 I could see off in the distance headed past Glen Acres towards the ferry. -Aimee Demarest
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8:45 p.m. - Friday night, July 14th, we were eating dinner on our sailboat in the north cove of Jones island and we saw a group of whales come by from the south between Jones and Orcas traveling north west towards Stewart and Spieden. At least three whale watching boats following and a couple private boats. -Allison Evans

July 13
South Puget Sound - 8:18 p.m. - Single orca playfully spyhopping across Carr Inlet between Fox island and McNeil towards Chambers Bay. I am 99% certain it was an orca. Very active spyhopping. Thought i saw an eye patch - I don't want to lead people astray - sure looked like an orca to me and friend. It was there again this am (July 14th) (there was also a humpback in this very area reported by a few others). -Edward StOnge
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July 13 - Eastern Juan de Fuca - They were headed that way (towards Admiralty) but made a kill then turned and headed back towards Minor when we left them~~ -Marcie Barney Goldberg
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I watched from about 5:50-6:45. Could see whales [orcas] for a bit, then boats took a turn west and I left then. Very possible some continued south but they were far enough offshore you could barely see with binos. -Rachel Haight
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We may have Ts entering Admiralty Inlet tonight! T51, T37, 37Bs and possibly the 34's. Big group that split right before we left them. Heading south angling toward the Sound. They were just passing Naval Air Station southbound at 5:30, we turned and came home through Deception. They were last reported just north of Minor Island at 6:00 pm. They had longish down times. It's possible they eventually went west but it's also approaching being too far south for most boats out there. I'm hoping they kept going south! -Renee Beitzel
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Mike from WA State Ferries called to relay a report from one of their ferries of 6 orcas in Thatcher Pass (between Blakely Island and Lopez/Decatur Islands in the San Juans) at 8:46 am, no direction of travel given.
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July 13 - Juan de Fuca - T077B overly excited after a kill south of Hein Bank on the afternoon of July 13th. -Photo by Mark Malleson, 2017
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Those aboard Mystic Sea's Whale Watching cruise on Thursday got to see a bit of everything! We had lovely weather and wildlife sightings both in and out of the water. We began our journey traveling to the south side of Lopez Island where we spent 90 minutes with a group of transient orcas as they swam about. This group of 8 to 10 gigantic whales were later identified as the T37As and possibly the T77s. We stayed with them as they demonstrated their beauty and grace before cruising on towards Smith Island. Once there, passengers saw a puffin (which typically happens less than a handful of times each season)! We then ventured on to Minor Island where we stopped to gaze at harbor seals with their pups and a golden eagle as it feasted...-Amy W., Mystic Sea
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July 13 - South Puget Sound - 7:48 p.m. - Hi there, just sitting here watching the sunset and a whale having a very active time breaching over and over again, across the way between McNeil Island and the Key Peninsula in Carr Inlet. -Erin Dugger Reetz
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I went back out tonight and found the whale in the same area. (between Fox and McNeil islands) Two breaches and multiple surfacing views. -Jon Tornquist
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July 13 - Central Puget Sound - 7:45 p.m. - can confirm it was a young breaching humpback off pier 69. Still moving North. -James Greenway
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7:09 p.m. - Just saw it. Could not tell the direction of travel or fin details. She was a couple hundred yards ahead off the bow of the Bremerton ferry. Clearly slapping her fins off the water. Very cool to see. -Jeremy Loether
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7:00 p.m. - WS Ferries reports a gray whale (or possibly humpback) along the Seattle-Bainbridge route, heading NE off Duwamish Head.
(Humpback- ALB)
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We saw a young humpback breaching and tail slapping and generally just playing on the Vashon water taxi route tonight heading to the island... more than halfway there!! Little friend having a great time!! -Molly Jordan
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6:48 p.m. - Whales jumping heading into Elliot Bay right now! Not sure if gray or orca but they are making huge splashes! -Douglas Devany
(was a humpback - ALB)
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July 13 - Minke whales - With time to spare, Captain Eric cruised Mystic Sea to Deception Pass where we caught up with a small group of 2-3 minke whales! ...-Amy W., Mystic Sea

July 12
South Puget Sound - Humpback again in the area west of Chambers Bay. -Screen grab from video by Jon Tornquist

July 11
July 11 - Strait of Georgia - -T34, T34B, T122 - Epic evening with the T034s, T036, T036Bs, T037Bs , T046's, T037 and the T099s. The two groups were split by a few miles but after a successful porpoise hunt, the two groups got together and the socialzing and vocals were insane. -Photo by Gary Sutton, July 11, 2017
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July 11 - San Juans - The year of the transients continues! This afternoon we met up with the T99s, T36, T36Bs, and T37A1 in President's Channel and followed them over towards Sucia off the north end of Orcas Island. We were debating on what date the number of encounters we have this year with the Southern Residents might surpass the number of encounters we've had with transients, but it's starting to feel like that may not ever happen, as there continue to be multiple groups of Ts around the Salish Sea on a daily basis and the days continue to slip off the calendar with no word on the salmon-eating residents. -Monika Wieland Shields, OBI
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2:58 p.m. - Orcas off the west side of orcas island. About 6 of them heading toward West Beach. -Erin O'Reilly Lewis
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Alaskan killer whales - July 11 - Alaskan Residents AX27s and AP pod (20+, including at least 3 males). On July 11th, we encountered part of AP pod and most of the AX27s in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Initially they were foraging but soon they stoppped and began socializing with one another. -Emma Luck
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July 11 - South Puget Sound - Tuesday night west of Chambers Bay. The whale was between Fox and McNeil islands. It must be spending its time between Chambers Bay and the two islands. Lots of bait fish in the area. Bait fish must be feeding on plankton/krill. Quite a few porpoise as well. -Photo by Jon Tornquist, July 11
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Received 6:38 a.m. - Good morning! Early this morning I could hear the whale breathing across the way, same location as reported before. Someone else reported seeing a humpback whale in the vicinity late Sunday afternoon. That's all for now! (Carr Inlet off Green Point/Arletta). -Erin Dugger Reetz
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July 11 - MMZ0004 - Juan de Fuca Strait - The wind has calmed down and the sun was shining today! Ten minutes from our dock this morning we found 2 Humpback whales off Sooke and a couple more around Race Rocks! BCXunknown"Stitch" -Photo by Paul Pudwell, July 11, 2017
(ID by Alisa LB)
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Unidentified whales - July 11 - South Puget Sound - 4:44 p.m. - Seeing blows off west side of Day Island. I didn't see it (the animal) (probably the humpback photographed later). -Kiana Weinschenk

July 10
Puget Sound - 5:45 p.m. - Really spread out group. A few off shore of PNP but a few others look to be very near shore.
5:38 p.m. - They are just southeast of Point No Point right now. Heading toward it!
2:58 p.m. - We are currently with the T36Bs and 99's just north of Edmonds ferry terminal, they are grouped up and heading north. T99's were in area too but split off just as the kill ensued and looked to even have their own at the same time! -Renee Beitzel
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On July 10th, we caught up with some Transient Killer Whales in Puget Sound on our northbound trip to Friday Harbor! 9:15 a.m. - San Juan Clipper left T36Bs right at Shilshole stalled out, but aiming south toward West Point. The pod was somewhat elusive and seemed to be on a mission, but we still got some great looks as they sped south. -Justine Buckmaster
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T034 near Dungeness Spit on the afternoon of July 10. - Photo by Mark Malleson
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Bigg's killer whales (Transients) - July 10 - Puget Sound - 2:58 p.m. - We are currently with the T36Bs and 99's just north of Edmonds ferry terminal, they are grouped up and heading north. -Renee Beitzel
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12:57 p.m. - I just spotted 3-4 orcas from Sunset Hill Park in Seattle, heading northward! Closer to the east (Seattle) side, a couple hundred yards from shore (saw with my binoculars). They were directly off from the park but moving quickly northward. I only could see them for a few minutes until trees blocked them from view. -Laura Flagg
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10:40 a.m - the orcas were still southbound, long down times. I lost them and left by 11am.
10:15 a.m - pod is traveling outer edge north end Elliot Bay in two groups several hundred yards apart. Steady southbound long down times! Moved to Magnolia Bluff.
9:45-10:05 a.m - Pod is already on the south side of from West Point Lighthouse, Discovery Park. I found them grouped about 1/4- 1/2 mile offshore and to the south, steady southbound travel. Keeping to east side of channel heading towards outer Elliot Bay. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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9:15 a.m. - San Juan Clipper left T36Bs right at Shilshole stalled out, but aiming south toward West Point. -Justine Buckmaster
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8:50 a.m - see the pod approx 2 miles offshore out from Carkeek heading south. Pod is currently inshore of Victoria Clipper for anyone out looking. I am viewing from Richmond Beach. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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7:20 am - Orca Whales southbound off Point Wells. (Woodway, between Edmonds and Richmond Beach). -Christoper Hanke, Puget Sound Express
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Dolphins - July 10 - 12:41 p.m. - 5-6 common Dolphins (one with huge notch at base of dorsal and a few smaller ones). Near McNeil Island. -Renee Beitzel, Naturalist, Puget Sound Express
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11:18 a.m. - Pod of about six Common dolphins between McNeil island and Fox Island. Feeding in the rip, jumping and tail slaps. -Photo by Ken Campbell, July 10
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Humpback whale that we saw in Rosario Strait south of Pea Pod Rocks abeam of Obstruction Pass on July 10th. There was a moment when he/she started breaching, half breaching, and slapping the pectoral flippers on the water. It was incredible. I couldn't locate this whale in any of the catalogues/resources I have to ID it. -Barbara Howitt, All Aboard Sailing
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...Later on our Whale and Sealife Search, we encountered a hyper Humpback Whale. He cartwheeled and tail lobbed his way up Rosario Strait on a beautiful afternoon! Taken from the San Juan Clipper. -Photo by Justine Buckmaster, July 10
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July 10 - Juan de Fuca Strait - BCYunknown "Scratchy" - A nautical day on the water but had the pleasure to find a couple Humpback whales around Race Rocks lighthouse today with some very great guests enjoying the ride! -Photo by Paul Pudwell, July 10
(ID by Alisa LB)
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Common dolphins - July 10 - 12:41 p.m. - 5-6 Common dolphins (one with huge notch at base of dorsal and a few smaller ones). Near McNeil Island. -Photo by Renee Beitzel, July 10

July 9
Sunday, July 9: Our trip took us into Canadian waters today, where the T37A transient orcas, accompanied by lone male T51, were busy tracking down an unsuspecting harbor porpoise for lunch near Sidney, B.C. We watched with baited breath as the whales circled their prey, slapping the water with their tails and submerging slowly as they closed in on their victim. Eventually, with some celebratory breaches and spy-hops, they headed in towards the shoreline and continued on their travels in search of the next meal. And talking of meals - as we sailed towards home we were privileged to see a bald eagle returning to the nest to feed her chick. Yet again we enjoyed a taste of nature's dramatic diversity here in the wonderful Pacific Northwest. -Sandra Pollard, Author/Naturalist
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Gabriola Isl, BC - 5:00 p.m. - Three Orca (just off Gabriola island. Between Gabe and Decourcey, near Gabriola Narrows): Probably the same group that we saw yesterday. One with a very large dorsal fin, and two with smaller ones...swimming around slowly. So lucky to live in this beautiful spot! -Wanda Blok
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Saratoga Passage - When we watched them pass Long Point, there were at least 6 whales, possibly 8. Very distant so difficult to say for sure. Beautiful to see them back in Penn Cove, whoever they were. -Jill Hein
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8-9:00 p.m. - Pod of 6-8 orcas in Penn Cove heading north, Traveling. -Lee Fritsch
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Tonight in Penn Cove! Orcas, friends, sunset heron, beach at Long Point, Mt. Baker.....spectacular! -Photo by Bonnie Gretz, July 9
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7:58 p.m. - pod is not far off the dock at Captain Whidbey Inn. -Rachel Haight
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4-5 Orca were seen in Penn Cove at approximately 7:45 pm on Sunday, July 9. An Orca Network associate will corroborate my story, as she saw them, as well. Traveling. -Anne Ailment
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Omg! 7:22 pm - Bigg's/Transients - orcas in Penn Cove at mussel rafts! I've been parked here an hour, turned on my car to leave, when I saw two dorsals! Looks like hunting behavior... fins *barely* broke the surface. Seals everywhere. -Rachel Haight
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5:10 p.m. - Just came by Sunset Beach about 50 yd off shore at 5:10pm, then headed out to the center of Saratoga Passage. Beautiful! Saw a breach and a headstand! -Nedra Wilson
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5:00 p.m. - Sighted off of Camano just off of Onamac Point headed north. Two groups of at least four whales. -Amy Alexader Forstrom
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4:34 p.m. - Orcas in North Saratoga Pass close to Camano. Northbound going toward Rocky Point. -Natalie Minkema Wilsie
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2:38 p.m. - 6 or 8 orcas off Camano State Park...A LOT of boats WAY too CLOSE! -Pam Green
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12:46 p.m. - 3 orcas at Pebble Beach Camano Island across from Langley about 30 minutes ago (so 12:15 pm) headed north. -Kristen Hoberecht
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6:00 a.m. - Four or five Orcas splashing, and tail slapping off Camano Head. One large Orca with tall dorsal, breaching. A couple medium size, and a smaller one. Flat calm, sunny morning... Orcas then heading SE from Camano Head. -Marcella Rockenbach
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Puget Sound to Admiralty Inlet - 4:45 p.m. - Whales are northbound between south end of Marrowstone and Nodule point. -Renee Beitzel
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12:20 p.m. - Seeing them from Point No Point, Kitsap - They were directly in front of us. Just left them at 1:15 traveling slowly North passed Doublebluff. -Photo by Elyse Sollitto, July 9
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11:00 a.m. - Still moving slowly N towards Eglon and Point No Point.
10:35 a.m. off Apple Tree Point Kingston. Shipping channel west side. Chilkat with them. Northbound. Male and several smaller...baby I think. Seeing probably 7-8? Few little ones. Slowly heading northbound. Little flops, etc. -Sara Frey
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Proof of presence photo - Kingston. Adult male reported early morning Saratoga with others and here by Sara Frey around 10:44 a.m off Kingston, but was not seen by anyone else observing. Who is this mystery man and where did he go? -Photo by Sara Frey, July 9
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11:25 a.m. - Pod steady northbound west side of channel north of Eglon.
10:40 a.m. - pod is in slow travel mode. Just now passing Apple Tree Point, north of ferry. Difficult to see even with binoculars from Edmonds.
10:15 a.m. - they are passing Kingston dock steady northbound west side of the Sound. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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10:15 a.m. - This group is tough to ID but so far I think it's T37 with 37Bs and a few others. (Ok so the others.. the T34's.)
10:00 am - pod of orcas Just south Kingston ferry terminal heading north!
BABY TEETH! There was a really rambunctious little one who was all over the place today (not sure who he/she belongs to yet but next to T34 in this one) and as I am going through photos I found several that show the mouth open and teeth are visible! Here's just one of them for now. My first time catching shots of an orca with it's mouth open. -Renee Beitzel, July 9
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9:10 a.m. - Stephanie Raymond aboard the Victoria Clipper reports a group of Transient orcas in central Puget Sound off Pt. Wells, zig-zagging but headed toward Kingston. No adult males but 2 young ones.
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Humpback whales - July 9 - South Puget Sound - Approx. 5:30 pm - Observed the Humpback whale off Green Point, west tip of Fox Island (across from Chambers Bay) for around 2 hours all the while observing 100 yard distance. Humpback was traveling about in same general area diving and surfacing then approached us when idle. Last seen on southend Fox Island heading eastbound. -Video by Rick Raymond, July 9
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July 9 - Juan de Fuca - Humpback whale MMZ0004 around 11 AM in the Strait of Juan de Fuca (we came straight out of Port Angeles and we were somewhere between there and Victoria) It was logging/asleep for around a half hour before waking up and giving us a great look at its flukes! -Photo by Melanie Pullman, July 9, 2017
(ID by Alisa LB, ON)
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Pod of Pacific White Sided Dolphin on the Bremerton 1:30 ferry! Hey! There was a partial breach of two of them. They had the shimmery white stripe next to the regular stripe of their coloring. Usually I see the common dolphins, so this was super exciting. 3-5 cetaceans. -Mana Rahl
(reported as Lags, but we've no other reports other than Common dolphins in Puget Sound - ALB)

July 8
Haro Strait - It was lovely to see the T049A family in Haro Straight on the Canadian side, west of the San Juans. -Photo by Belen Bilgic Schneider, July 8, 2017
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July 8 - Central Puget Sound - ...we got lucky in the evening and encountered the T36Bs and T99s just north of Shilshole Bay on our way back to Seattle. -Photo by Justine Buckmaster, Naturalist, San Juan Clipper
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9:00 p.m. - 2 or 3 adults just off Gabriola island. Between Gabe and Decourcey, near Gabriola Narrows. 2100hr this evening. Heading for False Narrows. It's high tide so no problems for them. Just looked as though they were traveling. When I first saw them they were near me (Gabriola), then they moved across the channel nearer Decourcey and then Link Islands. We were able to hear them pretty well during this period, although sighting was problematic due to distance. Then they sort of disappeared. -Wanda Blok
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July 8 - Puget Sound - 8:30 p.m. - pod of approx 8 (no adult males) has drifted north. Sightline between Carkeek and Point Jefferson around mid channel. Circling and surface active. Presumably they have been on a kill.
7:55 p.m. - they've moved west to mid channel between Carkeek and Port Madison. Still directional changes too far to say for sure if in hunt but looking that way. And too far for ID.
7:45 p.m. - still out from Carkeek have moved offshore a bit more. Circling and directional changes last surface. On a dive now.
7:30 p.m. - pod is directly off Carkeek Park grouped heading southbound 1/2 mile off shore. Clipper on scene now. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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6:50 p.m. - 6-7 Orcas off Richmond Beach heading south. -Kristen Hardwick
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5:55 p.m. - saw them 1/4 mile out by Edmonds Fishing Pier heading south. ...as Ferry was coming in. -Christine Spivey
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4:20 p.m. - Orcas Off Edmonds pier heading south. Counted 4 traveling. T36Bs. -Photo by Dave Fenwick, July 8
(ID by Alisa LB, ON)
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4:35 p.m. - about 6 orcas about 3/4 mile off Meadowdale park, just north of Edmonds heading S. No large dorsals
4:10 p.m. - About 6 Orcas 400 yds just off Picnic Point park. Heading south toward Normas Beach. (Edmonds). -John Carroll
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July 8 - Saratoga Passage - 1:10-1:15 p.m. - In front of the pizzeria!. There were two pods one of 4 and one of 3 that headed south. I think my post finally posted a bit late. Sorry for the confusion! It was around 110 or 115 that I left, so we saw them go by right before then. -Cara Hefflinger
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12:50 p.m. - Just saw a mom and calf about mid channel (viewed from the deck at Prima Bistro in Langley) They were heading south, seems like they have been milling around between the marina, Langley and Camano. Back and forth a little. -Stephen Sommerfield
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12:20 p.m. - Looks like two groups now heading north @ 12.20 Camano side opposite Langley.
12:15 p.m. - Langley Marina. Whales nearer Camano heading north. -Sandra Pollard
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11:30 a.m. - they look to be on a hunt. Circling and some surface activity while drifting SE, south of last location. Need binoculars. I need to leave
11:20 a.m. - looks like they stalled a few minutes, now heading south moving over directionally towards Camano. Still mid channel currently.
11:10 a.m. - from Langley seeing blows and dorsals a bit to the north, mid channel. Two groups. Steady southbound. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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10:40 a.m. - Just had 2 or 3 orcas (one baby) surface in the Saratoga Passage off of Baby Island. Looks like they're heading towards Langley! -Janine Morrell
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10:39 a.m. - 3 or 4 transient orcas heading towards Langley now. Just passed Bells Beach few minutes ago. -Melanie Proden
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3-4 orcas at Bells Beach on Whidbey Island heading south toward Langley in Saratoga Passage on Whidbey side at 10:30am on July 8th. -Lauren Duncan Lewis
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10:29 a.m. - Transient orcas. Three or four transient orcas heading south in front of Bells Beach, Whidbey. -Taylor Proven

July 7
San Juan & Spieden Channels - While the Southern Residents continue to be absent (since June 30), the transient killer whales continue to astound, just by their shear numbers here in the Salish Sea. Several times this year we've had a matriline of transients become temporary residents around the San Juan Islands, and recently that family has been the T49As. We got out for another encounter with the four of them this afternoon. This is male T49A1 with beautiful Spieden Island as a back drop. -Photo by Monika Wieland Shields, July 7
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Washington State Ferries (WSF) called in a report at 4:20, the ferry Elwha reports a pod of orcas heading west between Spieden Island and Limestone Pt.
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We got a call from WSF at 7:22 a.m. reporting a small pod of orcas southbound in San Juan Channel near Turn Point.
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Saratoga Passage - Approx. 5:00 p.m. - Saratoga Passage heading toward Oak Harbor. This encounter happened after we passed between Elger Bay on Camano and Baby Island on the Whidbey side. Zero adult males. We counted 6. -Photo by Dave Davenport, July 7
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Ray Fryberg of Tulalip - he is in California, but said he saw a post of orcas feeding outside Tulalip Bay - he didn't say when, so I message back, will let you know if I hear more.
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July 7 - Carr Inlet - 10:13 p.m. - Same location as previously reported (off Green Point, Arletta in Carr Inlet). I hear the whale breathing/blowing across the inlet from me. Still here, I guess! -Erin Dugger Reetz

July 6
Swanson Channel - With great anticipation due to an early report of Transient (Bigg's) orcas off Moresby Island (Canada), very slowing heading north, we motored up through the San Juan Islands, through the scenic beauty of Pole Pass, on a bright and calm day. With many passengers aboard from out of state, and many who had never seen a whale, we caught up with T101 (born 1973), her two grown sons (T101A and T101B), and another large male, at Moresby Island, in the Swanson Channel. They were slowing moving north, with some back and forth and circling, before they turned southwest as we left to find two gray whales off Bird Rocks, quite near to Anacortes. Neither of these off season visitors match the identification of our "regular Sounders" gray whales who spend March-May around Whidbey and Camano Islands. -Bonnie Gretz, volunteer naturalist, Mystic Sea
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Haro Strait - T101 and T102 off of Kellett Bluff on the morning of July 6th. -Photo by Mark Malleson, 2017
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Admiralty Inlet - 7:20 p.m. - Several orcas (incl. 1 adult male) second sighting in two days. same time in the evening. Traveling north close to shore. Port Townsend between point Hudson and point Wilson. Two nights in a row at 7:15, 200 yards off the beach. -Richard Ellison
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Puget Sound merge Dyes Inlet group and unidentified pod(s) - We received a message at 8:27 pm from WA State Ferries Ops, relaying a report from the Ferry Tacoma on the Bainbridge Island to Seattle run, a pod of ~ 16 orcas were sighted on the port side of the ferry (which would be north side of ferry lanes). No direction given, but recent reports had them heading north.
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7:30 to 8:15 p.m. - watching from Old Creosote on Bainbridge. Several whales observed going back and forth, spy hops, tail slaps. They would be in tight groups and then spread out. Too many whales to count as they would quickly move out of the scope. We were able to share and educate some travelers who had just stopped by to take a picture of the ferry as it passed. Stayed with us for about 45 min. What glorious day to live in the PNW and share natures beauty and amazing creatures with others. Thank you, Orca Network for all you do!!! -Kimberly Sylvester-Malzahn
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8:08 p.m. - off Yeomalt point Bainbridge heading north. -Sue Larkin
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7:40 p.m. - we left Rockaway on BI. T's had turned north at Blakely Rock and were on a steady track west of mid-channel with some tail slapping activity along the way. Such a nice night in an amazing place of beauty! Susan Marie Andersson (Clarification to my report from Rockaway. Chris Merritt and I saw a group of 5 or 6. There was a second group that came through from Manchester 30 min (7:30-8pm) behind presumed Dyes group! Chris and I totally missed that but Kayla Black sent video via text to me.)
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7:00 p.m. - Orcas 4-5 of them cruising South end Bainbridge Restoration point. We were jumping in the sound for a swim to the dock when all these fish were jumping and an orca surfaced 200 feet off from the shore. It met with another pod cruising fast with sailboats between Bremerton ferry lane and Bainbridge Island south end. -Kayla Black July 6 - East Vashon - 11:30 a.m. - We spotted a small pod of Orcas (5) traveling South between Des Moines and Vashon! At Point Robinson. Feeding. We're pretty positive they were Orcas because we saw spouting... We couldn't grab the binoculars in time to confirm if there was a male with the pod, but it was pretty exciting! -Alana James Gray
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July 6 - Dyes Inlet group - 7:18 p.m. - mid-channel south of Blakey Rock. Traveling fast, east, long down times.
6:45 p.m. - Orcas now off Restoration Point. Boats observed harassing. I have shared Info for reporting the boats with waterfront owners in the neighborhood. -Susan Marie Andersson
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6:00 p.m. - We saw some exhales from the ferry tonight. Looked to be 3-4 Orcas together. South Bainbridge by the salmon farms before Rich Passage. -Tad Standing Bear
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5:32 p.m. - Just passed under Manette bridge, Into Rich Passage @ the 6:00 pm. -Russell Duffer
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5:18 p.m. - going under the Warren Street bridge. -Margaret Newell
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1708...currently swimming towards Warren Ave Bridge along Lions Park, Bremerton. (southbound). -Steve Fisher
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4:45 p.m. - sloooowly headed into Port Washington Narrows, bridge area, and out of my sight. (southbound). -Daniel Robert Calnan
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1630 - Chilkat just left T36Bs and 99s at Traceyton, grouped up and heading south. -Renee Beitzel
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3:30 p.m. - the orcas are right in front of Silverdale waterfront park! -Chelsey Stefan
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2:23 p.m. - heading into Silverdale Marina from Chico on the Chico side of Dyes Inlet. (northbound). -Meghan Hein
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2:08 p.m. - Looks like they're happy in Dyes Inlet because they just turned back toward Tracyton (NB)
2:04 p.m. - Pod is at Erlands point. Being followed by kayaks and a "research" boat. (southbound). -Erin Kennedy Tonge
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1:52 p.m. - I am at the Silverdale Park. They are going South and should be near Tracyton now. -Bob Farmer
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12:47 p.m. - They are in Tracyton now. Heading into Silverdale. (Northbound). -Ginny Sisk
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11:51 a.m. - At least four orcas in Dyes Inlet closer to the Tracyton side, apparently not really going anywhere. Called in by Bruce Burns.
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12:05 p.m. - We are now leaving but they are still milling about. Lots of social behavior. Checking out all boats!
11:00 a.m. - T36Bs and T99's in Dyes Inlet right now. Multiple directional changes. T99B as he/she was repeatedly pec slapping, Dyes Inlet. -Renee Beitzel, naturalist, Puget Sound Express
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11:00 a.m. - Watching from Silverdale waterfront. Tail slaps. Very active. 4-5 orca. - Kimberly Sylvester-Malzahn
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They are just milling around Chico. Saw them at approximately 1040am north of Chico and Newport. -Randi Saelinger
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10:18 a.m. - They are now trending north along Chico coast.
10:00 a.m. - Watching from Tracyton boat launch, they are across the bay, north of is quite a ways... Just seem to be milling slowly. No real direction. One male and a couple others. -Kimberly Sylvester-Malzahn
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7:56 a.m. - There is a pod of Orcas making their way through Dyes Inlet right now! I saw them headed towards Silverdale about 20 min ago. I was on Tracyton beach Rd, about a mile or so from Lions Field. -Jessica Robbins
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7:49 a.m. - Orcas still in Dyes Inlet this morning. Came back out from Tracyton towards the Warren Street bridge, but then turned back and went towards Silverdale. -Margaret Newell
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7:34 a.m. - 3 Orcas spotted at Sinclair Inlet turning around at Warren Ave. Bridge and heading back towards Silverdale. -Lonny Parr
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July 6 - Puget Sound - Grey whale spotted cruising north past Kingston early evening. (Reported as gray, may have been humpback - ALB). -Julia Miller
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July 6 - Rosario Strait - ...as we left to find two gray whales off Bird Rocks, quite near to Anacortes. Neither of these off season visitors match the identification of our "regular Sounders" gray whales who spend March-May around Whidbey and Camano Islands. On the way, we stopped to see a bald eagle (one of 4 seen) and a lounging group of harbor seals. Another lovely day on the Salish Sea! -Bonnie Gretz, volunteer naturalist. (see Bonnie's photos below- One whale ID'd as CRC698 by Alie Perez, CRC per Tiffany Reynold's photos below Bonnie's)
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2:20 p.m. - 2 Gray whales off Anacortes, near Washington Park Boat launch. Last I saw them, they were together and heading in towards the beach. Lots of deep dives! (photos below. Alie Perez, Cascadia Research ID'd one of them as female CRC698, "a well known PCFG animal who has been seen every year since 2002 but never in the Sound...") -Tiffany Reynolds
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July 6 - Original Report to Orca Network: got a call at 5:15 reporting two gray whales off Golden Gardens, north Seattle, this afternoon. Further details and photos are on their way, but the caller, Jim, reports they had no dorsal fins and one's flukes seemed covered in barnacles. -Jim Altice
Two Suspected Grey Whales @ Meadow Point 7/6/17 1330 HRS - These two whales surfaced in three times in the space of one minute, blowing twice, and then dove, after which I saw no further evidence of them. They were between Meadow Point buoy and the N. entrance to the marina, headed in a southerly direction. -Photo by Jim Altice, July 6, 2017
(confirmed gray by John Calambokidis, Cascadia Research)
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July 6 - Whale sighting in Carr Inlet - Along with a lot of dolphins, behaving very playfully, we saw this (unidentified) whale basically swimming in a large counterclockwise circle as we were on our way to Penrose Pt. State Park this afternoon. Time was about 3 PM. Location: 47 degrees 14.929 122 degree 40.202 -Dave Belz

July 5
3:00 p.m. - We spotted a pod of orcas (4-5, no males) on the South side of Blake Island heading around to the West side of the island. Traveling. -Mike Allen
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T102 passes northbound with his family nearby off the shores of Kingston, backdropped by the snow-capped Cascade Mountain range. -Photo by Sara Frey, July 5
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July 5 - Juan de Fuca - With some early reports of Transient / Biggs Killer Whales heading our way this morning we headed out in some thick fog searching the shoreline on our way to Race Rocks. Finally the Sun came out and we caught up with a large group (possibly 3 different pods) of Orca South East of Sooke! Than we visited two Humpbacks...Spit Fluke and her calf, than eagles and a sea otter... Another great day on the salt water pond! -Paul Pudwell
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July 5 - San Juan Islands - 5 seen including 1 adult male . T51 with 2 females with 2 calves at Mt Baker 6/5 Around 3PM....spotted T51 and 2 females. They were in formation and traveling very close together and fast. Feeding, traveling. -Jessica Russell Pope
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11:50 a.m. - 3 Orcas seen in Rosario Strait in between Cyprus and Anacortes. -Katy Gesell
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July 5 - Puget Sound to Admiralty (T101s were SB w/others then flipped). 7:59 p.m. - Fort Worden north of pier, huge male was close to shore. Hunting further out I think. -Sue Long
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7:10 p.m. - One large male 100 yards off Chetzemoka park Port Townsend heading north alone. Traveling. -Dick Ellison
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6:45 p.m. - Stephanie Raymond onboard the Clipper reports at least one male orcas heading north off Lagoon Pt, Whidbey Island but closer to the Marrowstone Island side of the Inlet.
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6:30 p.m. - Watched a pod of Orcas, possibly 4, off Marrowstone Island heading north toward Point Marrowstone around 6:30 p.m. on July 5. -Patti Plevin Ivers
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Spotted the Orcas off of Point No Point this afternoon. -Photo by Michéll Garland, July 5
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4:00 p.m. - 3-4 just went north past Point No Point. Seemed to be 2 large dorsal..perhaps 1...and smaller. -Asher Beckett
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3:13 p.m. - 3 Orcas headed north up (towards) Admiralty Inlet in front of Eglon boat ramp. -Melissa Peterson
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2:35 p.m. - Large male and two others heading northbound to Point No Point. Just passed Apple Tree point. Looks like a pleasure craft right in between them. Male was close in, smaller were further out to west side of the shipping channel. Male surfaced about 5 times and didn't see him again. Moving at a good pace northbound. Matriarch T101 traveling the beautiful PNW waters northbound with her boys -Sara Frey
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2:47 p.m. - We are currently still tracking them 200 yards off of shore north of Kingston ferry. Very positive 1 was the male with 5-6' dorsal. Still heading north with them.
1:50 p.m. - Two Orcas moving north fast just off of Kingston ferry route. 300 yards from shore. The T101s regrouped then flipped somewhere south of Richmond Beach, grouped up and headed back north along Kitsap Peninsula. -Aaron Rosenberg
(Photo of the T101s below -ALB).
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July 5 - 9:58 p.m. - Puget Sound then Bremerton split off group. Still north of Tracyton. Getting too dark to see though. -Trish Butterfield
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We had a Pod of Orcas in Dyes Inlet, Swimming toward Silverdale. -Photo by Steve Fisher, July 5, 2017
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Photos of the group of Orcas headed to Dyes Inlet. We followed them via car from Mannette to Traction.
(ID notes from the photos below sent to Melisa Pinnow, Center for Whale Research: " I see T36B1, T36B, and T36 for sure. Boat is T36B1) -Jomer Siasat
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8:45 p.m. - Orca Pod - moving past Lions Park - traveling through Washington Narrows Sighting, 4-6 whales...heading towards Silverdale, WA.
8:30 p.m. - Orca pod at Manette Bridge and heading towards Warren Ave Bridge. -J Meyers
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8:16 p.m. - 6 or 7, Just went from PSNS shipyard under Manette Bridge. Lots of breaches and tail slaps. -Yvonne Taylor
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8:06 p.m. - They are dancing in front of the Bremerton ship yard heading to the Washington Narrows. I counted 6. -Matt Graham
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Last saw a group of about 8 Orcas 8pm headed north in Washington Narrows towards Silverdale. Lots of action of all kinds. Fin slaps, spy hopping, etc. I saw two whales put a small whale between them. Letting the youngster rest? -Rick Snodgrass
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About 18:30 - Matriarch T99 off Ross Point, Port Orchard. -Photo by Rob Sabovich, July 5, 2017
(ID by Alisa LB, ON)
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6:08 p.m. - Small group of Orcas entering Sinclair inlet. At Washington Narrows now. They are into the sun from me, hard to get a count. Looks like 6 to 8ish? No hurry just putting along. -Photo by Rick Snodgrass, July 5, 2017
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4:54 p.m. - ...Pod of at least 6 near Manchester/Yukon Harbor, appeared to be feeding behavior. -Kelli Reinhardt Gracia
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4:45 p.m. - We spotted 6 or more orcas traveling West in Rich passage just North of Wynn-Jones County Park. Traveling. -E Gocke
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2:00 p.m. - We saw at least 4 or 5 apparently juvenile orcas between West Seattle and Blake Island July 5, heading south. Witnessed breaching and tail-slapping. Feeding, playing and traveling. -Charlie Wilson
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12:30 p.m. - Who I believe to be trailing group is at Meadow Point/ Golden Gardens close in. Southbound. -Alisa Lemire Brooks
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12:23 p.m. - I see a few fins near that barge being towed off Bainbridge. Mid channel nearing Faye Bainbridge. -Sandra Prow
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12:10 a.m. - Southbound male, SW of Richmond Beach.
11:45 a.m. - Male orca sighted southbound south west of Richmond Beach. Surfaced several times. -Noreen May Light
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11:05 a.m. - two big males heading south west of mid channel (off Richmond Beach) Watching from Kayu Kayu Ac park in Shoreline. -Brandon Anderson
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Noon - Trailing group continued and may have stalled off Carkeek. We are enroute/
11:53 a.m. - trailing group stalled off south Richmond Beach maybe hunting. Large male is joining them from the west. Circling
11:00 a.m. - another pod of 4+ passed super close to shore Edmonds marina beach! 100-200 feet offshore! Southbound. (T36, T36Bs, T37A1 - see video below)
10:50 a.m. - See a pod of 4-5 +? out from Edmonds ferry dock. Steady southbound. Gentleman on shore told us 2 large males passed close to shore 5 minutes before we arrive. -Alisa Lemire Brooks
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T36, the T36Bs, & T37A1 close pass off Edmonds Marina Beach. We were watching a pod further out mid channel when I spun my head to see this group rounding the jetty just feet from shore. Needless to say we were all very excited. It was exhilarating. T36, theT36Bs, & T37A1 close pass off Edmonds Marina Beach. We were watching a pod further out mid channel when I spun my head to see this group rounding the jetty just feet from shore. Needless to say we were all very excited. It was exhilarating. -Video by Alisa Lemire Brooks, July 5, 2017
(ID's by Melisa Pinnow, Center for Whale Research)
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10:55 a.m. - Brad Hanson reports another male heading south closer to the Kitsap side near Kingston.
10:45 a.m. - Brad Hanson aboard the Kingston ferry reports seeing at least two male orcas heading south off Edmonds.
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10:00 a.m. - Chilkat Express with Orcas at Possession Point southbound. -Peter Hanke
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9:30 a.m. - Stephanie Raymond on the Victoria Clipper reports seeing many Transient orcas, incuding the T101s, spread out between Point No Point and Cultus Bay, heading generally SE toward Edmonds.
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7:30 a.m. - Spotted the humpback just now off Piner Point (south Vashon) milling about and eating. Great way to start our day! -Jennifer Greiner Clark
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July 5 - Strait of Georgia - A large Humpback Whale in the Strait of Georgia this morning at 1015am traveling South toward Saturna, seen from Mayne island Edith Point Road. -Photo by Yves Tiberghien, July 5, 2017
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July 5 - San Juan Channel - 5:20 p.m. - Humpback reported off Limestone Point at the northern tip of San Juan Island, head SE toward Friday Harbor. Reported by the Wiggins family.
(That was Big Mama! She went down and out Cattle Pass. -Traci Walter)
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July 5 - Carr Inlet - I saw the whale last evening in Carr Inlet off Green Point/Arletta and now offshore from McNeil Island across from Fox Island. I can hear occasional breathing, and through the binoculars spotted it (two different times) breathing and surfacing about 5 to 7 times then going under showing the very end of the tail. Seems normal. So beautiful to watch. If you know anything about this particular whale I would love to know. Location is in between Gertrude Island and Pitt Passage. I am hearing it again right now (11:50 a.m.). -Thank you. Erin Dugger Reetz
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July 5 - Puget Sound - Noon- 12:20 p.m. - Just now, humpback, just southwest of south Vashon and ferry!!! Heading east. We observed BCX1251 Orion from about noon to 12:20pm. He was heading east just slightly. He would come up about 3 times for air? and then dive. He continued this pattern the whole time. He turned and headed towards the south end of Vashon for just a very short time. He then turned around back towards the center of the channel. He dove one more time, and when he finally came up he had headed east and had traveled quite a distance. It looked like he kept on that course as we headed the opposite direction. Thank you so much for the Orca Network! We would have never been watching for Orion if I hadn't been able to see the update on the Orca Network!!! Thank you! -Lisa Bond Mize
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11:11 a.m. - Still there, ust off Vashon ferry dock. watched one full breach, several tail splashes and blows. -Chris Williamson
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10:50 a.m. Humpback at entrance to Quartermaster Harbor.
10:42 a.m. - Humpback is still hanging around Tacoma/Vashon ferry lane... Sighted 10 min. ago. I'm still drifting on sight waiting to get tail pic, -James Lewis
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9:30 a.m. - Between the ferry crossing channel of Vashon and Pt Defiance right now traveling west. -Holly Bailey
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7:30 a.m. - Spotted the humpback just now off Piner Point (south Vashon) milling about and eating. Great way to start our day! -Jennifer Greiner Clark
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BCY0324 "Big Mama" The Humpback whale made her way down San Juan Channel yesterday. She went deep into Griffin Bay nearly to Third Lagoon area and then passed Cape San Juan and out Cattle Pass. -Photo by Traci Walter, July 5

July 4
Somewhere around 1:00 pm - An exuberant Transient Orca we were able to catch on camera breaching in celebration of a seal snack in the the San Juan's on the way to Peapod Rock on the 4th of July from the Mystic Sea Charters. We saw three pods that day! What a joy to watch these fascinating, delightful and intelligent Biggs Killer Whales! -Photo by Dreana Eden, July 4, 2017
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3:10 p.m. - saw at least 3-5 orcas from ferry between Blakely and Decatur Islands. Spyhopping, tail slapping, probably Ts feeding. Gulls were picking up scraps. -Michlle Goll
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Saw one Orca from the ferry from Port Townsend to Coupville. Headed south. About 4:30 pm. -Bryan Hansen
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Transient orca off Blakely Island today. -Photo by Darci Brown, July 4
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7:45 p.m. - Orca pod seen while on the Sidney-Anacortes ferry. I saw one individual, but others onboard reported seeing several. traveling. Location: 48.5774, -122.879. Number: Probably 3. I saw one breach and simultaneously other passengers saw two breach some distance away. Direction: My orientation was a little messed up, but I'm fairly certain they were traveling northwest between Shaw and Orcas. If not, then they were traveling between Shaw and Lopez. -Erik Frederickson
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We had a transient superpod breach-fest (t-party) for the morning of 7/4, including T65As, T137As, T36As (maybe?) and more, somewhere on the northern side of the San Juans. (photos & video HERE). -Carrie Sapp
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July 4 - South Puget Sound - 8:29 p.m. - Headed north just outside of Comencement Bay near Brown's point. (cell photo showed white tipped fluke, presumably BCX1251- ALB) -Diane Crooks
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7:47 p.m. - Just south of the yellow Chanel marker. Still headed east into Commencement Bay.
7:25 p.m. - headed east closer to Maury island. Just dove down. Small boat following way to close. Yellow parasail boat just about ran over them. Think there are 2. -Cathy Baker
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5:27 p.m. - spotted humpback from Owen Beach. It's heading northeast towards Dash Point getting further and further away from Owens Beach every time it surfaces. Who looks to be Humpback BCX1251 Orion - Dalco Pass. -Photo by Connor O'Brien, July 4
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2:01 p.m. - Just watched him a while from our sail boat between Pt Defiance and Vashon ferry. We drifted to watch him in the distance and then he surprised us all when came up right next to us after a deep dive! SO awesome! -Jennifer Greiner Clark
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11:43 a.m. - Just spotted it! It's on the south side of Vashon and still heading east. Lots of tail slaps! It was just west of the Vashon ferry dock when I saw it. -Josh Hollandsworth
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12:15 p.m. - Humpback surfaced fairly far out near Browns Point.
11:12 a.m. - Humpback BX1251 Orion still milling as seen from Point Defiance Dalco Passage Viewpoint. Deep dive pointed eastward still.
10:58 a.m. - Humpback heading east as viewed from Dalco Passage overlook at Point Defiance. Been watching for about an hour now. Slow shallow dives (about 6-8) then the usual longer dives.
10:21 a.m. - surfaced just off Dalco Passage viewpoint at Point Defiance. Five surfaces then a deep dive generally eastward. -Jill Clogston
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10:45 a.m. - Dalco Pt. Humpback milling about for about and hour. -Bill Clogston
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8:18 a.m. - Circling around. Big tail. Looks like Orion photos I've seen. Milling about...Possibly lunge feeding?
8:12 a.m. - Wow. He just pec waved at the ferry! I hope somebody got a photo
8:07 a.m. - He turned around and is headed back to the point.
8:02 a.m. - Awesome start to the day. 0802 humpback headed towards Owens Beach. Couple blows and a dive. Waved his tail. Talequah ferry is headed back to Point Defiance. Should have a good view. Close to yacht club. -Cathy & Mark Baker
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7:16 p.m. - I just saw a blow in the area I last saw it this morning, off Green Point, Arletta in Carr Inlet. It's still here!
2:35 p.m. - I haven't heard it or seen it for quite some time. It started to drift to the northwest earlier, down the inlet in the direction of Horsehead Bay, when I lost track of it...I sure feel honored when these guys spend some time in our neighborhood! Thanks for all you do.
11:38 a.m. - There is a humpback that has been floating along near the surface for at least the last few hours. It gently goes under water and we can hear it Blow, and eventually it comes back up. Sometimes we can see the tail fin come up as it goes under. We've watched this whale the past couple of days, and I hope the whale is now just in a rest mode but it seems unbothered by boats that inadvertently zoom right past it. I want to make sure there's no alarm over entanglement in a net that would prevent it from diving properly or whatever. I hope this makes sense. I have not been able to find my answer online so I really appreciate your help. -Erin Dugger Reetz
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July 4 - Around 9:30 AM a small gray(immature?) was sighted in Bellingham Bay by the Bellingham Bay Outrigger Paddlers. They were just coming into shore as I was putting in my kayak at the Community Boating Center, near the Alaska ferry terminal. No one had a camera and they told me it seemed headed in toward us. I paddled out to mid-bay and didn't see it. Maybe they've reported it?? If it's mom was nearby I hope it is reunited! -Gillian Brightwater

July 3
Josh McInnes sent this message: L pod of Southern Residents was off Tofino Headed West around 6:30PM Just got into internet range for this, I saw pictures and it was them.
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Spent the afternoon in the Salish Sea getting mugged by 2 groups of transient orcas, the T65As and the T49As. North of Jones Island time 5-5:30pm, literally just going in random circles, mugging our boat a large chunk of the time [of course we weren't moving]. Never seen anything like this, they kept passing by the boat and looking at us for maybe 20 minutes? The crew had also never seen this behavior before from this type of whale. -Carrie Sapp
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T65A with her kids as well as the T49As and T75Bs on the evening of 7/3 in President's Channel. -Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, July 3
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The T49As were back in San Juan Channel today for the third time in four days, and this time they brought their friends the T65As and T75Bs. Pictured here are two young males, T49A1 and T65A2, who were traveling together. Photo by Monika Wieland Shields July 3
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South Puget Sound - 6:25 p.m. - Humpback BCX 1251 Orion while milling around Dalco Pass and edge of Commencement Bay. -Photo by Desiree Sauve, July 3
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5:31 p.m. - it popped up about 5 minutes ago, appears to be headed southwest, off of Piner Point. It has been in the same general area for the past hour. Now its on the move again, headed to the west between the south end of Maury Island and old town Tacoma.
4:55 pm. - Still hanging out off of Piner Point.
4:40 p.m. - Just now, whale at Piner Point heading northeast. Piner Point is at southeast end of Maury Island.
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1:24 p.m. - Saw a blow right off the end of Vashon and a tail. Towards Quartermaster Harbor, looked like he went into quartermaster - of the other side of vashon. Viewing from sea cliff area of Gig Harbor. -Amy Christensen-Burrows
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1:22 p.m. - Now seems to be moving towards Commencement Bay.
1:13 p.m. - Huge blows, slaps, breaching in pt. Defiance ferry lane...just playing around no direction of travel. his humpback was pretty much in the middle between Point defiance and Vashon when I observed the most action. -Sarah Bradford Honeywell
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We received a call from WA State Ferries this morning, July 3rd at 6:20 am, with a report of one humpback whale in the vicinity of Pt. Defiance/Talequah.
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Case Inlet - 12:01 a.m. - The humpback just spouted several times north of the Treasure Island bridge near Allyn. Exciting, even though it is dark out and could only see in the reflection of the moon. -Eric Johnson

July 2
5 PM Trip with Captain Gary. Gorgeous night up near Vancouver with 19 killer whales! T036, T036B's, T037A's, T099's, T101's and T051 being very social! -Ocean Ecoventures WW
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Check out this encounter report and amazing (and funny) video of a very close orca encounter in Swimmers at Whytecliff Park Get Quite the Surprise by the Vancouver Sun. (Warning: strong language) It involved some of the Ts mentioned by Gary above.
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T34 and what appears to be a new calf on the evening of 7/2 in the Strait of Georgia. -Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, July 2, 2017
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T37B with what appears to be a new calf on 7/2 in Rosario Strait. -Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, July 2, 2017
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We had the pleasure to encounter some Biggs/Transient Orca know as the T49a's TODAY near Race Rocks Light House. -Photo by Paul Pudwell, July 2
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South Puget Sound - Olympia to Case Inlet - 10:08 p.m. - Just saw at least one, maybe two whales in Case Inlet, near Allyn. It's getting dark and hard to track, they didn't stay more than 5 minutes. Guessing it's the wandering humpback. Didn't look like an orca. -Valerie Gan
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7:24 p.m. - I only saw it surface around four times before it disappeared. Most of those times I only saw the blow.
7:10 p.m. - Blow just spotted off Indian Cove (It's a marina that is about a mile south of the north point of Harstine on the Pickering Passage side of Harstine Island.) -Connor O'Brien
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It came through Pickering Passage about 7pm Sunday. -Mary R Larson
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5:21 p.m. - humpback spotted off Steamboat Island in Totten Inlet. -Kari Frizzell
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4:00 - 4:30 Hunter Point moving towards Hope Island. (Northbound). -Jim Chamberlin
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4:00 p.m. - YAY, ust saw it surface 5 times. It's still heading north, but it is heading closer to the Eld Inlet side and toward Hunter Point/Squaxin Island. That is the southeast side of Harstine Island in the background and Dana Passage on the right. -Kim Merriman, July 2
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Here is a photo taken just now (3:00)... That is Priest Point Park on the far shore. She lives on the other shore very near (to the south) of the Olympia Country Club. Whale is still heading north with slow surfacing and long down times. This is a different whale than the one that has been in this area for weeks. -Kim Merriman, July 2
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2:40 p.m. - Confirmed. It is now heading north in the deep southern part of Budd Inlet. It is about 1/2 mile from the channel marker just north of Anthony's Hearthfire Grill and KGY radio station. Mid channel."
2:19 p.m. - There is a report (second hand) that there is a humpback at Anthony's restaurant at the very southern end of Budd Inlet. That's as far south as one can go and be near the Capitol. -Kim Merriman
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My husband and I were stand up paddle boarding and heard the unmistakable sound. It (or they?) surfaced twice and then turned to give us a nice tail display. Less than 100 yards away! We were headed SW between Zittles and Johnson Point around 10:40am, 7/2/17. -Anna Larson Newton
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9:45 a.m. - humpback heading Northwest toward Johnston Point road toward Zittle's Marina. Several breaches!! (Zittles is on Nisqually Reach, east side of Johnson Point, Olympia). -Jami Rouse Nagel
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7:47 p.m. - Dalco Pass - You can see the whales (2?) from the north end of Ruston Way! -Photo by Melody DiMaggio, July 2
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The humpback is off Pt Defiance now. Between Anthony's and the ferry dock. 5:25pm -Nick Sue
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We are on the ferry arriving at PT Defiance 3:25 and saw a whale headed north toward Tahlequah, not sure what kind but saw the tail a few times. Very exciting. Yes, we did see it arch it's back before seeing the tail. -Xtina Georges
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We spotted whale/s at 1:50 pm in Dalco Passage between Vashon Island and Point Defiance Park. Whale was in a feeding pattern eastbound to westbound to eastbound to westbound, submerging for 8 to 12 minutes at a time, followed by coming up for air and frequently fluking! -Jay McCoy
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1:43pm - Whales at Point Defiance right now...idk what kind but saw the big black tail come up out of the water! Awesome!! We were coming from Vashon and heading to Narrows Bridge. -Robyn Enders
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1:28 p.m - Out on our boat and saw a fluke off Point Defiance. Crossing fingers to see a whale today. -Stephanie Somers
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Unidentified whales - (Most likely humpbacks) - July 1-2 - I listened to whale blows from about 11:30 pm last night to nearly 1 am. One whale. It sounded like it would go south the Dilworth Point and then slightly north just past my house....north of the point. It was really cool that it seem to stay in this pretty tight circle. Generally they are just passing through. I am assuming it was a humpback. I think it traveled north when it left this area. -Aimee Demarest

July 1
T36As, in Rosario Strait (time approx 7pm, heading South). -Photo by Carrie Sapp, July 1
T49As, off of Spieden Island (time approx 5:30pm, heading North). -Photo by Carrie Sapp, July 1
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Matriarch T49A spyhops after a successful kill on a harbor seal near Gooch Island. Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, July 1
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Puget Sound - 8:12AM - Maia of WA State Ferries reports: 1/2 dozen orcas midchannel between Mukilteo and Clinton, heading south.
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Coastal killer whales - WA Coast - Between 8 to 8:30pm - 3 orcas spotted. Ocean shores. They were just north of the north jetty in Ocean shores. I don't know a great deal about whales but they didn't seem to just be traveling. They stayed in the same general area for about 15 minutes or so. Spouting and even a little breaching.The were headed north. Distance out...well, we could see the spouting from our condo deck which is how we first spotted them. Then we grabbed binoculars. -Patricia Proctor Warnick
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July 1 - South Puget Sound - 6:13 p.m. - Still in same area! At a family reunion where this is my view, and lots of people happy to see a whale!
5:37 p.m. - Still hanging out! Back and forth in same spot, hopefully eating. One very respectful boater getting lots of pictures! Still in Carr Inlet off Fox Island.
5:05 p.m. - behavior change, may have found food. Down times of 8-10 minutes, hanging out in one spot now.
4:51 p.m. - humpback! In Carr Inlet viewing from Fox Island traveling south. -Rachel Haight
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July 1 - 9:07 p.m. - Just saw a blow spout a few times near Tolmie State Park in Olympia. Too far away to see, it was south of Key Peninsula heading NE. Definitely not Orca. -Julia Sweeney
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3:20 p.m. - Saw whale breach while taking boat to fuel up. Was taking boat from Gig Harbor to Narrows Marina for Fuel. Whale breaching sighting by boat. -Michelle Cole
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July 1 - Central/North Puget Sound - 6:47 p.m.- Humpback closer to Meadow Point and mid channel to Jeff's bluff. (Point Jefferson) Slowly moving southward. -Gary Peterson
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5:00 p.m. - Humpback mid channel off Meadow Point (Golden Gardens, North Seattle) milling and feeding. -Photo by Gary Peterson, July 1
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4:07 p.m. - up again, (3 min surface time) close to mid channel probably out from Edmonds ferry dock. Still hauling at good clip southwesterly.
4:01 p.m. - surface again, 4-5 times then fluke same path
3:58 p.m. - he is moving with purpose... still southwest now mile plus offshore (sight line aiming towards Apple Tree Point, Kingston) still on east/Edmonds side of Sound
3:50 p.m. - another round even further SW still traveling southwesterly.
3:45 p.m. - surfaced again little further out just past crab pot buoys...southbound, few surfaces then dive/ fluked.
3:35 pm - Sweet!!! Just pulled up to north Edmonds and humpback BCX1251 Orion was surfacing then dove just about 100 yards from shore heading southwesterly! -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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11:12 a.m. - Humpback BCX1251 "Orion" is south of Possession Point right now just making big circles. -Bart Rulon, Chilkat Express.
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July 1 - 1:00 p.m. - We spotted 5 Common dolphins on the north side of McNeil Island about a mile from Pitt Passage. They hung around to play for about an hour. Jumping, playing with our bows, and playing in out wake. -Mike Allen