May 2018 Whale Sightings

Click here for Map of May 2018 whale sightings.

May 31
Bigg's killer whales - 11:10 a.m - They are here, out from Fort Casey veering across to Port Townsend. Viewing from Fort Casey. -Marilyn Armbruster
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1028 - We are with them now. Still northbound closer to peninsula side just south of Marrowstone Point. T49A2 is following close behind them. -Renee Beitzel
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9:30 a.m - we are leaving them still off of Double Bluff, slowly northbound feeding with lots of birds circling above. Closer to the Whidbey side.
9:15 a.m. - San Juan Clipper has them just off Double Bluff aiming towards shore, moving slowly. T65As
8:30 a.m. - Victoria Clipper V reports a pod of orca across from Useless Bay near the SE buoy. No direction given. -Justine Buckmaster
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Wohoo! Nice to finally see some whales off Lime Kiln again this afternoon. The T86As, T101s, and T124A2s made their way south, and a few of them are shown here with the Canadian schooner Pacific Swift in the background. -Photo by Monika Wieland Shields, May 31, 2018
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We rounded out the month of May with orcas again! Today we traveled along the north side of Orcas Island to look for whales, and caught up with the T101s and T86As heading towards Spieden channel. This is the 3rd time we've found the T101s this May - but first time for the T86As. There were 7 whales and we had some great viewing as they meandered by Spieden Island. Homeward bound, inter-island, we found a lot of seals hauled out, harbor porpoise, a California sea lion, and several Bald eagles. And spectacular scenery all day. June is "Orca month" - so let's now see what's in store for the month of June. The T86As. T86A (right), mom, born 1988, T86A3 in middle, born 2011, and T86A1 on left, born 2001. -Jill Hein, volunteer naturalist.
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May 31- Saratoga Passage, Oak Harbor area - Facebook VIDEO - Gray Feeding in Polnell Shores Thursday 5/31 4pm. -Terra Parham
(Pec fin match to Unknown 2018 #2 - ID by ALB)
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Dolphins & porpoise - May 31 - ~ 9:10 a.m - Harbor porpoises spotted off of Glendale Beach South Whidbey. 2 of them close enough to shore to hear their surfacing! -Kristen Wagner-Patterson

May 30
South Puget Sound - Orcas, south end of Fox Island this evening. -Photo by Bob Wagner, May 30, 2018
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7:45 p.m.- East side Fox Island. I saw one bull, one cow and a calf . -Photo by Jon Tornquist, May 30, 2018
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We left them at 1:25 off Green Pt south of Horsehead Bay heading NW into Carr Inlet.
12:36 p.m. - (orcas) North side of McNeil, headed back west into Carr inlet. -Christopher Hanke
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11:45 a.m. - Report of 5-6 orcas in south Puget Sound, off the west side of McNeil Island, headed NE toward Toliva Shoals, including two large orcas, one male. Called in by Wayne Gilham.
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May 30 - 11:33 a.m - Common Dolphins on SW side of Anderson Island. -Christopher Hanke
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May 30 - Harbor porpoise at Hood Canal Bridge (north side) right now! the dorsal was very small and that's how I knew they weren't orcas I saw 3-4 fins, but there could have been more and they seemed to be heading alongside the bridge heading west ...it looked as tho they were in a big circle of an area rather than along each other going the same direction...(after further discussion and photo to compare: "The bottom left photo (harbor porpoise) is exactly what the dorsal looked like ..was a short fin, it was most likely a porpoise...) -Megan Blake

May 29
T100F surfing a freighter wake in Haro Strait on the morning of May 29th. -Photo by Mark Malleson, 2018
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May 29 - Haro Strait - T100, T100C and T100F cruising up Swanson Channel. -Photo by Gary Sutton, May 29, 2018
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May 29 - Puget Sound - 7:40 p.m. - Spotted (orcas) in the middle of shipping lanes, south bound, west of Shilshole Marina! -Elizabeth Robinson
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Passed T65A6 off Apple Tree Point, Kingston about 5 pm. Two in front, several and the new baby behind. They stopped north of the point for about 10 minutes and appeared to be on a hunt. Then they proceeded south. They were very close in to shore but started heading a bit more into the channel SB from the point at a steady, leisurely pace. Pictures to come...got a nice one of the baby. -Sara Frey
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4:45 - 5:00 p.m. - orcas passed Apple Tree Point hugging Kitsap side heading towards Kingston -- they were on a kill in the cove then emerged and passed by approx 100-150 yards out. Calf T65A6 southbound off Apple Tree Point, Kingston. Southbound. -Donna Green Van Renselaar
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3:42 p.m. - Just passed Eglon. Kitsap side. Headed southbound. -Carol Derusha
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3:25 pm - Enroute to Port Townsend, we detoured to Point No Point and managed to catch a glimpse of the T65As well to the south heading towards Eglon. On our way back out we stopped at Eglon ~ 3:40 p.m. and Ed spotted them directly off shore heading south. They went on a dive, a very long dive! Pod surfaced much further south of us. Watched pod grouped for a few minutes heading southbound, about 1/4-1/2 mile offshore heading towards Kingston in water like liquid mercury which itself was mesmerizing. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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2:58 p.m. - 2 groups - 2-3 leaders approaching a Whidbey and 4-5 with large male still straight out from PNP SB further east almost to SW tip of whidbey
2:50 p.m. - Milling and long down times further east.
2:40 p.m - slowly traveling SB straight out from Point No Point lighthouse Kitsap side. -Donna Green Van Renselaar
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1:15 p.m. - orcas have passed Hood Canal entrance, are south of Foulweather Bluff traveling south more quickly now.
12:55 p.m - the orcas are just out of Pt. Ludlow, closer to the Kitsap side, just north if Hood Canal entrance, still headed south.
11:50 a.m - From south of Bush Pt., first fins appear heading south and veering toward Hood Canal. -Susan Berta & Howard Garett
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Watched from Shore Meadow Rd end from about 12:00 noon until about 12:30. The pod was north - probably between there and Bush Point and appeared to be pretty far off shore. The whales were just milling about the several whale watch boats that were there. -Becky Livingston
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Pat Scott called at 11:08 a.m. - orcas off Bush Point, coming closer to Whidbey side, headed south.
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10:30 a.m - Chilkat is on scene with the T65As traveling slowly south in Admiralty Inlet toward Bush Point on the Whidbey side. -Justine Buckmaster
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10:15 a.m - Orcas spotted off of Lagoon point heading south towards Bush point. -Dennis Allen
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10:00 a.m - Pod of Orca today west of Lagoon Point about a half mile out heading south. -Photo by Lachlan Pope, May 29, 2018
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Humpback whales - May 29 - 12:28 p.m. - And a humpback just came up 100 yard from the orcas, heading north. (approx mid channel across and south of Bush Point -alb). -Howard Garrett
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May 29 - 3 small dolphins of the Hood Canal bridge at approcimately 9:45 a.m, no direction of travel, seemed to be playing/feeding. -Hailey M
(quite possibly these were harbor porpoise, see May 30 sighting - alb)
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May 29 - Waiting at Point No Point, Kitsap, mini cetacean update: about 30 harbor porpoise wrapped around the point as close as 20 ft out. 12:45-1:00 now they have gone farther out. -Donna Green Van Renselaar

May 28
Rosario Strait - 1:40 pm. - I had been watching them for awhile in Rosario and they had long down times. I was going off visual and Marine Traffic. At around 140 boats appeared to stop getting closer and looks like they've flipped north or stalled out offshore of the base. Maybe on a kill?
1:30 p.m. - southbound along Whidbey NAS now. -Rachel Haight
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12:59 p.m - At least 3 or 4 orcas milling around 400 yards off the beach at Deception Pass State Park. Several boats stalled out around them now. -Kristin Wolbach
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8:51 a.m - About 5 orcas on the northeast corner of Decatur heading west. As seen from ferry. -Photo by Brian Royden Churchman
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May 28 - upper Admiralty Inlet - 7:00 pm - I saw at least 3-4 orcas south of Bush Point heading north mid channel in Admiralty Inlet but closer to Whidbey side. -Howard Garrett, Orca Network
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6:50 p.m. - Sim and Kate Shepard called in to report Orcas heading north mid channel just north of Hood Canal.
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Three orcas from Port Townsend ferry at 1:30 near Fort Flagler State Park, seemed to be headed west northwest. -Bill Pippine
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May 28 - Puget Sound - 7:03 p.m. - The pod is heading towards the yellow mid-channel marker. They seems to be between Kingston and Edmonds.
6:35 p.m - 7 orcas spotted near Shilshole. They are heading North, about .5 miles out. 4 females with calf and maybe 2 other individuals with a large male. -Hays Clark
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At 6:20/6:25 p.m. - We saw a group of at least 3, including at least 1 adult male. Northbound moving fast approx 1 mile NW of Meadow Point. -Andy Huntley
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5:45 p.m. - can see a pod moving North just off the West point of Discovery park from admiral in West Seattle with 10x. See ya later! -Phil Echelman
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4:35 p.m. - Now headed North in shipping lane off Tyee Shoal. Tyee Shoal is at entrance to Eagle Hbr on Bainbridge Is. Last I saw they were a bit north of there moving north west and making their way closer to Bainbridge Is. -Kelly Malone
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About 3 orcas on the south side of Bainbridge. Saw from the 3pm Bremerton to Seattle ferry! -Emmi Jensen
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2:42 p.m - Two adult and one baby orca whales are just south of Bainbridge Island by Bainbridge Reef. N 47 34.121 W 122 30.993. -John Gardiner
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12:30 p.m. - I posted a video of the Orca pods we witnessed outside the breakwater at Shilshole Bay Marina on Facebook and a friend said I should report it. I never knew to do tthat-she sent me this link. We saw about 5-6 Orca and they appeared to be heading south. -May Ann Peterson
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12:29 p.m. - Four orca mid channel off Blakely Harbor, Bainbridge. Heading south. -Joy Knight
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12:05 p.m. - just departed the pod as they continue south outside Blakely Harbor. -Captain Joey Lamarche, S/V Obsession
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11:58 a.m. - Directly West of SW Seattle St (Alki, West Seattle) about to enter the harbor inlet. -Phil Echelman
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Saw the T65As and a few others. Little T65A6 poked his/her head up in front of lighthouses and ferries in the glassy waters of Puget Sound. -Photo by Justine Buckmaster, MV Saratoga, May 28, 2018
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11:52 a.m. - I just found T49A2 trailing the T65As.
10:59 a.m - According to Justine who's onboard with us today, the rest split and headed north as we continued south with 65As.
10:51a.m - still southbound Discovery Park but only seeing T65As now. Grouped up together. Lost sight of the rest. -Renee Beitzel
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11:22 p.m. - At least one group (T65As according to Renee and Justine) still in resting moving southbound, have passed West Point, Discovery Park, off Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle, and are drifting more westerly approaching Yeomalt Point and Eagle Harbor, Bainbridge.
10:30 a.m - orcas have moved more towards mid, spread out a little bit. They are directly out from Shilshole Marina now navigating many holiday weekend boaters...most of all behaving quite respectfully.
10:00 a.m. - orcas have grouped up and moved offshore. Currently off Meadow Point, north end Golden Gardens Park. Still moving slowly southbound.
9:40 a.m. - Carkeek is the place to be! Pod (s?) are split in two groups about 1/2 mile apart. At least 2 males further down off the south end of Carkeek, mom T65A, T65A6, and others right off Carkeek!
9:20 a.m - After relocating to Carkeek Park and having no luck finding them, Kevin Crosby arrived spotted T65As & T49A2 just inside north end of the park. Pod is circling very lazily about 1/4 mile offshore. Water Is glassy calm!
8:40 a.m. - Pod has drifted to east side mid channel as they continue southbound in resting mode. Carkeek Park, North Seattle would be good place to be next.
8:10 a.m. - pod of ~ 6 is slowly making their way down the channel (west of mid) between Kingston and Jefferson Head. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
(ID's by Melisa Pinnow, CWR)
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7:30 a.m - orcas southbound around Kingston/Edmonds ferry lanes moving slowly southbound with a bit of activity. I think T65As. -Photo by Sara Frey, May 28, 2018 (later confirmed as T65As & T49A2)
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Gray whales (North Puget Sounders & friends) - May 28 - 1430 - Whale was swimming around probably feeding. It was white in color. I have a quick video but you can't see much (shows gray whale, see screen grab below -alb). Location: Crescent Harbor just off NAS Commissary. -Michael Head
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May 28 - 1:49 p.m. - (central Puget Sound, out from Port Madison) Looking for the whale reported earlier...we found it, is a humpback. Heading north east-ish, directionally towards Point Wells. Mid channel. (later notes Renee: This is one of the humpbacks we saw in the group of 3 yesterday and today was alone.) -Renee Beitzel
Travels of "Neptune": S/he is match to 2nd whale in Tasli Shaw's video who was feeding with "Google" in Boundary Bay on May 4th. (included in our WS Report dated May 8), and match to whale photographed by William Riggs morning of May 12th, between Lummi Island and Clark Island. (included in our WS Report dated May 22), and match to whale photographed by Barbara Howitt on May 21st, in this report below.
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Unidentified cetaceans - May 28 - 10:20 a.m - I'm on a boat a bit west of Agate Pass bridge and saw a large spray and then the arch of what appeared to be an Orca off of Point Bolin (Bainbridge). We were too far away and heading the opposite direction (we were EB toward the bridge) so didn't get to see any more. I did see a dorsal, and I thought I saw a white patch (though we were far away so I may have imagined the white). I didn't see the tail. My boat partner didn't see the exhalation, just the dorsal arching out of the water and down. He questioned if it was a porpoise, but it was way too large from as far away as we were to have been a porpoise and the exhalation was way too large, and the descent back into the water was too slow to have been porpoise. As far away as we were, the dorsal seemed large in proportion to what I saw of the back, so I'm inclined to still say Orca, not Humpback or Grey. -Christy Jobe
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May 28 - 8:50 AM - Maia at WSF's, relaying a report of a small pod of juvenile orcas westbound in Thatcher Pass.
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May 28 - ~9:00 a.m - While waiting for the T65As & T49A2 to arrive, I observed an abundance (dozens) of Harbor porpoise spread widely off Carkeek Park in all directions. Of course they were sparse once the Ts arrived...Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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May 28 - Single Dolphin or Porpoise spotted 10:15 am Sunday morning off west side of Johnson Point (Olympia) heading slowly west towards Henderson Inlet. -Rod McConkey

May 27
They passed Point No Point about 100 yards off the beach approx 8:30-8:40 pm and headed up towards Mutiny Bay....what a day! -Photo by Donna Green Van Renselaar, May 27, 2018
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Stephanie from the San Juan Clipper reported the T65As and not sure who else, about a dozen total orcas in small groups, at 7:55 pm, heading north quickly from Appletree Cove toward Point No Point, between the shore and mid-channel.
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6:15 p.m. - one group still just north of Apple Tree Pt. Quite active, tail lobs, etc. moving very slowly. Several groups were ahead. -Sara Frey
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5:25 pm - Think all groups may have stayed together, looks like 3-4 groups off Apple Tree Point still powering northbound in now choppy seas. In the past 30 minutes 3 cities (cruise ships) have gone by northbound. Lots of surface activity from orcas, tail lobs and breaching by male as the ships approached the pods. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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~4:15pm, just south of Edmonds. We were 400 yards away (laser rangefinder). But here's the slam to the two boaters that went in front of the whales path. Even though you shut off and raised your outboards, getting that "right past your boat" photo for your kids is not legal. Stay out their path and don't stress the whales. We've had a lone whale come right by our boat a few years ago as the main pod passed 200 yards away. We were already drifting with engines off, so it was quite the experience, but we didn't intentionally get into the whales path. -Steve Marczewski
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3:20 p.m. - more like 15+ Still steady northbound just bit north of 3:08 location. Together by loosely already in approx 4 groups. (per Renee: 65As and other group joined up)
3:08 p.m. - Large group 10+ of orcas mid channel steady northbound still south of Richmond Beach, Shoreline/Jefferson Head, Kitsap side. Includes at least 1 male. -Alisa
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14:10 - Viewing what appears to be 65As, slowly northbound. From Golden Gardens. -Ariela Yseth
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1:15 p.m. - mid channel due west from Carkeek Park (4) slow southern direction. - Mark Baker
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1:01 p.m. - 4 - 6 orcas spotted off West Point headed north. -Justin Marx
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12:30 - Now T65As just south of Point Wells! (Woodway) -Renee Beitzel
1200 - leaving this group heading north outside Elliot Bay.
11:21 - Saratoga with them heading into Elliot Bay. Same groups as yesterday. T37 with 34's and others yet to be confirmed. -Renee Beitzel
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We saw orcas about noon while on the ferry from Bainbridge to Seattle. They were pretty far from ferry while being followed closely by 3 boats including likely a whale tour. -Doug Hayman
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May 27th on the Saratoga was great in part because we found whales nearby in Puget Sound and in part because there were both orcas AND humpbacks! A big group of transients that included the T34s, T37s, and T65As cruised north with a close encounter from the two whales pictured (see humpback section)...Justine Buckmaster
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11:17 a.m - Visible from Constellation Park, Alki as they pass Restoration Point northbound. -Kersti Muul
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10:42 a.m. - WSF reports small pod just inside Rich Passage, no direction given;
9:20 a.m - Vashon ferry, three orcas between Southworth and Blake Island headed N toward Manchester area, mom and young calf and one other.
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Coffee on deck and orca pod northbound at 900 spread out in groups across Colvos. Actually at least 10-14. Now apx Southworth ferry lane. -Tim Ferris
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8:25 a.m - 3 Orcas just passed Prospect Point, Olalla this morning, Sunday, going North. -Jan Cameron Alferness
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Early call from someone reporting 4 orcas at 6:45 am near the Talequah Ferry dock headed west.
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May 25 - 1300 - T65As in the hood too! Northbound in Rosario at Blakely and Decatur. -Renee Beitzel
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May 27 - 9:30 a.m - this morning off of Everett from Hat Island ferry. -Photo by Steve DeKoekkoek, May 27, 2018
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Gray whale 22 Earhart. This morning off the north west beach of Hat Island. She spy hopped but I didn't get it. My friend did. I'll see if I can get her video. -Photo by Kim Vest Gleason, May 27, 2018
(Id by Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network)
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I also saw the gray heading south from Clinton ferry dock, around 8:30-9am this morning. -Kristina Brown
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Grey whale spotted from Clinton ferry terminal, about 8:30am. Heading south. -Cody Normann
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May 27 - 19:15 - humpbacks at entrance to Eagle Harbor. Breathing sequence for a couple minutes until a deep long dive. Have not seen them in 12 mins. Sailing vessel Neptune's Car. -Joey LaMarche
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Saw them at approximately 5:30-5:45 p.m. just off Bainbridge/Eagle Harbor - swimming in same area as ongoing search for plane crash victims, lots of boat activity. Lost them shortly afterwards - may have turned around or headed east due to all the activity. -Kim McCormick Osmond
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May 27th on the Saratoga was great in part because we found whales nearby in Puget Sound and in part because there were both orcas AND humpbacks! A big group of transients that included the T34s, T37s, and T65As cruised north with a close encounter from the two whales pictured. Then after a Seattle waterfront cruise, we found 3 humpback whales near Shilshole Bay! We got a really close encounter from them! The engines were shut down and we were waiting for them to surface from a long dive and there they were practically beneath our feet! Awesome day. -Justine Buckmaster
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17:01 - West of midchannel south of Sierra Golf nearing Yeomalt Pt. Still 3 humpbacks, blows visible every 8-12min. They crossed the northbound lanes right as the Princess and Amsterdam cruise ships passed.
16:20 - Picked them up again straight outside Shilshole channel edge of northbound traffic lanes
14:41 - Inside a mile off Richmond Beach now, still southbound at 14:41.
14:23 - Yes, 3 humpbacks southbound 1 mile east of Sierra Foxtrot yellow buoy. -Andrew Malinak
(mid channel buoy between Kingston and Richmond Beach - alb)
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2:13 p.m. - May have actually been 4, only dorsals and on top fluke (seen). They were not flaking and quick breaths. Short surface intervals, hardly seeing blows.
1:36 p.m - Make that 3 humpbacks, no flukes yet.
1:28 p.m. - We have one between Edmonds and Kingston right now. -Renee Beitzel
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1:30 p.m. - Just spotted the humpback sounding facing westbound. S/he is Edmonds side of channel approx out from Edmonds Marina Beach. Viewing from Kayu Kayu Ac park, Richmond Beach. -Alisa
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12:55 p.m. - much closer to the Edmonds side, directly out from the beach at the ferry terminal, generally moving towards the south.
12:50 p.m. - Just sighted a Humpback mid-channel between Apple Tree Point and Edmonds heading south. -Mark Vigna
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Strait of Georgia - Humpback sighting at the apex: 49 1.20 N 123 21.67 W, Traveling and feeding - a couple lunges on Sunday May 27th. -Photo by Sydney Gass, May 27, 2018
(This is Humpback CS513. ID by Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network)

May 26
Haro Strait - 5 orcas seen just north of the lighthouse at Lime Kiln. Saturday the 26th around sunset, ~ 8:55pm. -Photo by Morgan Bueter May 26, 2018
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May 26 - T65As - 6:30 p.m. - pod of orca entered north Puget sound heading south. They were I'D as the T65a's. -Christopher Lewman
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3:40 p.m. - T65As currently southbound just east of Minor Island. They are aming towards Admiralty Inlet right now. -Bart Rulon, Glacier Spirit
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Many orcas reported in various areas around the Salish Sea, so we sped up to the southwest side of Lopez Island to watch the lovely Bigg's (meat-eating) family of the T65As, a matriarch and her beautiful offspring, including a brand-new (April) calf! We took a brief look at harbor seals and Steller sea lions, then caught up with the T65As again just west of NAS Whidbey air base. It was wonderful to see this baby and his/her family as they were traveling south. The tides and currents were favorable, so we slipped into Deception Pass on the way home. A great day on Mystic Sea! Bonnie Gretz, volunteer naturalist. -Bonnie Gretz
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11:50 a.m this morning - at least four orcas (include one small juvenile) traveling west-to-east past Flint Beach on the south end of Lopez Island. - Tom Reeve
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...We ended the encounter at 1020 about a mile north of Cape San Juan with the T65As heading toward Cattle Pass. -See full report and photos at Center for Whale Research Encounter 33
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May 26 - Puget Sound - T34s, T37, T37Bs, T49A2 - 8:04 p.m. - They're in Elliott Bay! Just SE of West Point hunting harbor seal. Clipper just left them. -Justine Buckmaster
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6:00 p.m. - Pod of orcas 2 miles off Shilshole. -Evan Boyd
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We were out in Puget Sound yesterday looking for common dolphins. We saw a group of transients off Seattle. Matriarch T37 (born 1979) here with T34A (F - born 2007). Mom T37B (born 1998)..her son T37B1(born 2012) T37B1 and T49A2 (born 2007), T49A2 -Erin Ashe
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5:13 p.m. - They were out there for almost 45 minutes but are heading south again.
4:30 p.m. - I see them now out from Point Jefferson, Kingston heading south. Mid channel so need to use the binoculars. A lot of splashing and thrashing going on...must be dinnertime! -Chris Beamer Otterson
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3:05 p.m. - Orcas have slowly resumed southbound travel. Is where I leave them. Beautiful day.
2:55 p.m. - pods have stalled out just north of yellow mid channel buoy between Presidents Point, Kingston and Kayu Kayu Ac Park, Shoreline. Circling, some surface activity, possibly on the hunt/on a kill. All the while 1 (possibly 2) sea lions hanging out (hanging on!) atop the buoy.
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2:07 p.m. - Watching them straight out from Edmonds dog park now! Mid-channel heading south at a good clip. -Biz Shoe Peterson
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1:50 p.m. - Orcas have spread out in 2-4s Currently well east of mid channel still southbound steady pace out from Edmonds, north of ferry dock.
12:50 p.m. - Orcas are now cruising good clip southbound east side of channel between Picnic Point and Possession Point. One group staying to east side of channel while others further off. Viewing from Picnic Point. -Alisa Lemire Brooks
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First orca watching on our boat this season with Tim Harles! Caught up to these whales near Clinton where they split into a few groups. Two young ones were with them. -Photo by Janine Harles, May 26, 2018
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12:55 p.m. - one group turned SW at Picnic Point heading across to Possession.
12:11 p.m - heading south towards Picnic Point, 2 groups, east of mid channel. -Janine Harles
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12:15 p.m. - I relocated a couple miles south of Mukilteo Lighthouse and was pleasantly surprised to find at least some of the group had moved over to the east side of the channel where they milled and circled for a while in flat calm seas before continuing on at the moment in a very slow sleepy pace heading south.
11:40 a.m - The pod continued west then south passing through the ferry lanes a bit west of mid channel. Currently (11:40) watching this group of ~ 8 orcas in two groups short distance apart south of Clinton/Mukilteo Ferry lanes west side of channel approaching Glendale. All heading southbound with some directional changes, tail lobs, rolling, and little ones porpoising their way down the channel. So sweet. Viewing from Mukilteo Lighthouse Park.
11:00 a.m - Seeing the orcas SE side of Hat/Gedney...some surface activity and directional changes. Viewing from Edgewater Beach, east of Mukilteo Ferry. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network Bigg's/Transient orcas T34s, T37, T37Bs, T49A2 - Possession Sound...This group consists of two playful spunky one-year-olds, T34B and T37B2, who were first seen in July of 2017. May 26, 2018.
(ID's by Melisa Pinnow, CWR)
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10:40 - a.m. Saratoga now with Ts heading south to Mukilteo. ~ 8 animals total. Two split from rest and are the T34s. Update: One of the other females is T37. ...(UPDATE: OK, so it really does take a village sometimes! The group is T37, T37Bs (3), T34's(3) and T49A2. One-year-old T34B! -Renee Beitzel
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11:41 a.m. - WSF called to report 4 huge orcas. Possession Sound, headed west, seen from Tokitaae ferry.
11:03 a.m. - they have changed directions and are now heading west just north of the ferry lanes.
10:39 a.m. - south of Everett now. They have seemed to stall. Trending south. Very close to the Everett side.
10:06 a.m. - still heading east north of Everett. -Danielle Pennington
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9:40 a.m - San Juan Clipper is departing a group of at least 6 Transient orca SE of Hat Island moving slowly toward Everett. -Justine Buckmaster
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Three Orcas I saw from the 6:00 AM ferry to Clinton on 5/26. We were about halfway across. (see Patrick's Facebook video) -Patrick Winter
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Eye of a beloved gray whale...North Puget Sound gray whale #22 Earhart spyhops on what appears to be one of her last days in North Puget Sound for 2018. -Photo by Kirk Lee, May 26, 2018
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Coastal killer whales - I'm writing to report a possible orca sighting at Seal Rocks on Saturday, May 26th. I saw the request for reports yesterday at Hatfield Marine Science Center. Details:
Time: Approximately 4pm on 5/26
Total number of whales: 1 (unknown if it was male or female)
Direction: Unsure-it moved in a circular pattern. My daughter and I were descending the path from the highway in front of Seal Rocks RV Cove when we spotted the dorsal fin just to the left of the rocks. It was very close to shore but we were not able to catch it in a photo-it moved in a small circular counter-clockwise movement and then disappeared. We had been spotting gray whales frequently throughout the day in the same location, but this was very different! We both noticed it right away, but then didn't see it again in the three days we stayed there. -With best wishes, LeAnn Adam, Oregon State University
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May 26 - Hi, Lori Christopher asked me to send you these pictures and videos. Taken yesterday (26th) morning from the beach on the east side of Hat Island....We really enjoyed it, not more than 10 yards off the beach. It's nice to know her name. -Kirk Lee
(Here is the stunning SHORT VIDEO (Facebook) we spliced together of clips filmed by Kirk Lee of North Puget Sound gray whale #22 Earhart May 26th - alb)

May 25
4 or 5 Orcas Siuslaw River Florence Oregon. Traveling upriver, then down river again and out back to the ocean. This is the 4th year in a row, about the same 2 week time period. -Video by Deborah Cordone, May 25, 2018
(Reviewed by Melisa Pinnow at CWR, but the orcas could not be ID'd from the video)
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May 25 - 1100 - #22 still here! She's been traveling, lots of fluking, and heading around south side of Gedney. Now currently reaching southeast side. Not close to shore. -Renee Beitzel
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May 25 - 1:14 p.m - Lone humpback traveling south off the side of Jones Island State Park. I believe the southwest side, seen from the ferry. -Talia Bailey

May 24
We had to go really far north to get to whales on the San Juan Clipper on May 24th, but it was so worth it! We met up with the T101s and watched them feed on harbor seal near Saltspring Island. Later, we also caught up with some charismatic Steller Sea Lions on Whale Rocks. -Photo by Justine Buckmaster, May 24, 2018
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T128 exiting Port Angeles harbour on the morning of May 24th. -Photo by Mark Malleson, May 24, 2018
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12:24 p.m. - Now they're heading to the east.
12:21 p.m. - That sounds like them (T128 & T125A - alb). They are in the west end of port angeles harbor, just milling around.
12:09 p.m. - There are at least 2 orcas in Port Angeles harbor right now. Im super new to whale watching (this is my first time seeing one in person) so I dont know what else to say to describe them. There are whale watching boats all over the harbor. -Christina Baze
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Gray whales (Central & South Puget Sound Unknowns) - May 24 - 7:14 p.m - Heard of a grey whale report near Manette Bremerton a few minutes ago...Near Manchester headed towards Bremerton. -Megan Blake
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6:21 p.m - Just saw a gray whale off the Bremerton ferry going past Bainbridge! It was on the south side of Bainbridge by Fort Ward. It wasn't traveling at the time I went by. It was just playing in the water the whole time I saw it. -Sean Briere
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Spotted from 5:30 pm eastbound Seattle-to-Bremerton ferry, a solitary whale heading east into Rich Passage, midway in the channel near salmon net pens. The captain announced that a spout had been seen - the ferry would be slowing its progress until we cleared the area where the marine mammal was spotted. A few moments later (6:05 pm, Tuesday, May 24) passengers were treated to four more spouts ahead of the slowed down ferry. Then it looked like the whale sounded, as we saw a wide fluke rise in the air and disappear below the water surface... and then nothing further. We were looking into the sun, so I couldn't make out whether it was a small grey whale fluke or a large orca. Others on the ferry may have had a better view and/or photographs. Here is the approx. location where we saw the whale: 47.570491,-122.529671. -Brian Johnson, Bremerton

May 23
Unidentified killer whales - 6:20 p.m. - Orcas appear to be heading out from Admiralty Inlet Just South of Pt. Wilson in the SB traffic lane. Not sure of number/type, didn't get a good look at them. I am certain it was Orcas, I couldn't tell if there were any males, the majority of the pod was too far off to see clearly. -James Greenway
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May 23 - VIDEO: Gray whale Saratoga Passage heading south from Fox Spit just after 4PM. -Kim Carlson
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~2:00 p.m. - near Hidden Beach, Whidbey Island. You can see the blow hole here. Appears much lighter and larger than the gray whales we saw earlier this year...We are so lucky to see this awesome creature. -Photo by Cindy Dean Prahl, May 23, 2018
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Saw a gray feeding this morning off of Harrington Lagoon Road. -Kira Dickison
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May 23 - Humpbacks today on the Saratoga! Beautiful weather up by Turn Point in northern Haro Strait with beautiful creatures. One of these guys breached when we first arrived! I didn't have my camera ready for that one, but caught some pec slapping a little later! We also saw several harbor porpoise in the same area. -Justine Buckmaster
(ID'd by Brendon Bissonette as CRC-16012/KEX0022)
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A humpback waking up to the large wake and loud rumble of a container ship in Haro Strait on the morning of May 23rd. -Photo by Mark Malleson, 2018

May 22
Gray whales (North Puget Sounders & friends) - May 22 - Saratoga Passage - 12:10 p.m - Nope gray is making a big wide swing veering northeasterly. Mid Hidden Beach/ Camano State Park (sightline)...Nothings definitive right now. Noon - Gray whale is now West of Baby Island mid channel to Greenbank heading north...looks like heading towards Hidden Beach, way past Baby Island.
11:44 a.m - He or she is in Holmes Harbor... I think s/he has come back my way towards Baby Island. -Marilyn Armbruster
(ID'd as 531, see photos below - alb)
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10:00 a.m - (gray whale) Milling in shallows off of Baby Island. -Taylor Barkee
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9:35 a.m - Gray whale here, off East Point, Whidbey...on it's way north, I don't think it was feeding. -Susanne Schnippering
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May 22 - Possession Sound - (Gray) Just passing by, at a good clip northbound, making a beeline for Saratoga Passage, heads up Camano and Langley coming your way! Orca Network this was 6:40am, 20 minutes later a second whale passed by, mid channel, following in the same direction. -Lori Christopher
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May 22 - ...The lead group was reported by Mark Malleson to be the T123s that had headed on up Swanson Channel toward the Pender Island Bluffs, but they were not found again for several hours. The T86As and the T124A2s headed on toward Tilly Point and up Boundary Pass toward East Point, Saturna Island, after Ken ended the encounter at Arachne Reef with photo-documentation of the individuals present. -See full report with photos at Center for Whale Research Encounter 32.
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Gray whale seen at Pebble Beach today, this once just 30 feet away due to the steep drop off at the point. Quite the surprise! -Photo by Peg Boley, May 22, 2018
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May 22 - 9:24 p.m. - Whale abeam Four Mile Rock, off Magnolia, just east of the lane. Looked like a Grey whale. I would say traveling south. Maybe into the bay. -Ryan Johnson

May 21
Bigg's killer whales - T123s picked up by Cypress yesterday morning around 11 am, (look closely, there's a seal in front of mom, looks like she's pushing the poor little guy around). We took off and got them again by Colville Island (Lopez) later in the day, around 2pm. They were heading towards San Juan Island. -Photo by Jill Hein, Naturalist Mystic Sea, May 21, 2018
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We set out on Chilkat this morning and found Transient Orcas T123's in Rosario! Watched them make a kill then on they went on their way! We travelled home through Deception Pass and then found 3 gray whales near Gedney Island! #21, #22 and #383! -Janine Harles, Puget Sound Express
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May 21 - Saratoga Passage, Oak Harbor area - 5:45 p.m. - Watching a grey feeding In the waters by the seaplane base in Oak Harbor. Can't believe I'm still getting to watch one this late in the season! -Christine Sweger Miller
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~ 10:00 a.m - A neighbor saw gray in Crescent Harbor. -Angel Almeyda
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May 21- Saratoga Passage - 6:10 p.m. - followed a gray off south end of Camano State Park into Elger Bay but he was moving too fast to get a pic. Trending south now, I think. -Krista Paulino
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May 21 - Possession Sound - 531 fluke underside. - We travelled home through Deception Pass and then found 3 gray whales near Gedney Island! #21, #22 and #531! -Photo by Janine Harles, May 21, 2018
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Gray feeding south of Sandy Point 10 am Monday 21 May. -Aerials by Fred Lundahl, 2018
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9:30 a.m - I Just passed Jetty Island on way to mainland, two are still there feeding!
7:00 a.m - What a way to wake up! My fellow whale soul sister Kim alerted me they were coming, she's on her way to work, in the VIDEO you can see them say "have a nice day", lots of beautiful backlit blows toward the end. Alisa, Orca Network, three grays traveling together southbound NE of Gedney, one turned and headed back towards Camano, the other two went on to the delta (Jetty Island). -Lori Christopher
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#531 Pec fin - Here's a shot from marina beach for identification. -Photo by Kim Vest Gleason, May 21, 2018
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Dolphins - May 21- San Juan Channel - 9:45 a.m - 3 Dolphins-Bottlenose? traveling north possibly feeding..they surfaced several times dorsal fin only and then disappeared. Gray ..did not get to see rostrum or head for positive identification. San Juan channel 48.563084 -123.032801 (north of Point Caution). -Carolyn Spence
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May 21 - Milling in San Juan Channel near Yellow Island...We broke away on spotting a humpback whale at Reef Island who is a new whale to our area as far as we know. This humpback is currently nicknamed "Neptune". -Photo by Barbara Howitt, May 21, 2018

May 20
Saratoga Passage, Oak Harbor area - 6:40 p.m. - Lone gray off Polnell Point now! -Nancy Arend
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12:30 p.m. - Mary Jo Adams sees a gray whale in Crescent Harbor (Oak Harbor) near the little bridge, swimming west... Hi, Here are a few photos of the gray whale that I saw today in Crescent Harbor. I hope they will be helpful in identifying it.....I'm not sure what the whale was doing, it kept rolling around and sticking its head out of the water. I haven't seen one behave like that before. -Mary Jo Adams
Lovely face of a gray whale. This is who for now we refer to as Unknown #2. This whale was first photographed by Mary Jo on April 9th in North Saratoga and s/he has been there ever since. Cascadia Research had no match for this whale.
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May 20 - Holmes Harbor - We saw a single gray whale in Holmes Harbor, really close to Goss lake road 10:00am until 1:30pm. -Photo by Chris Bender, May 20, 2018
(ID: PCFG 185 by Alisa Lemire Brooks, ON)
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May 20 - Saratoga Passage - At 2:30pm and 3:00 pm, two more grays passed through the passage heading south. -Peg Boley
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2:00 p.m. - Gray whales #21 Earhart and #22 Shackleton about 1/2 mile off Mabana Beach, Camano Isl. circling, possibly feeding. -Reported by Amanda Gardiner
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1255 - We are with 21 and 22 off Mabana, Camano Island. -Renee Beitzel
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May 20 - Possession and Saratoga Passage - 1:18 p.m - I see the south bound one east side Sandy Point, near westside of Hat Island. -Marilyn Armbruster
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12:36 p.m. - Just rang the bell at Langley! Gray whale, moving back and forth at the surface straight out from the lookout...starting to head south 12:36. -Sarah Ann
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9:56 a.m - San Juan Clipper just left gray whale #531 feeding at Mabana Beach on Camano Island, heading slowly north. -Stephanie Raymond
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On Pebble Beach, Camano Is, near Mabana Beach, we had a thrilling Sunday morning yesterday, 8:00 am, when we awoke to #531 lazily feeding right off our bulkhead. She rolled, twisted, turned in circles as she bulldozed through the mud. The water is shallow and we wondered how she could do it. She fed for about 40 minutes then headed south, leaving the water the color of dirt and our mouths still dropping. In the afternoon, at low tide, the seagulls jumped up and down in the puddles to work the huge horse clams up out of their holes. -Peg Boley
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8:00 a.m - Mornings with unidentified gray (originally reported as #531) are incredible, rain or shine. She spent about 30 minutes feeding in our front yard before moving on to the south. I zoom out mid video so you can see how close to shore she is....she's still here! 8:00am east side of Gedney moving south. -Lori Christopher
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May 20 - Saratoga Passage - Gray whale 22 Earhart. - Grays off fox spit early this morning, I think it was 21 and 22 again early this morning, they went mid channel right after I got down there or I would have let you know sooner. I was able to get these with my long lens. -Photo by Allie Hudec, May 20, 2018 (ID by Alisa Lemire Brooks, ON)
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Humpback whales - May 20 - Today's scenic trip took us into Canadian waters, where we encountered three humpback whales, including Split Fluke (BCX1068 b. 2006), between Active Pass and Point Roberts/Strait of Georgia. These gentle giants were traveling in tandem, their powerful heart-shaped blows shimmering against the backdrop of the sun's glare. Some of our favorite pinnipeds, Steller sea-lions and Pacific harbor seals, gave us a cursory glance as we passed their rocky perch, leaving the Stellers to continue their argument (at least that's how it looked) as we wended our way among the San Juan archipelago. -Sandra Pollard, Author/Naturalist, Mystic Sea
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Sea otter - May 20 - 6:42 p.m. - There is a lone sea otter off of Salisbury County Park (Hood Canal). Has been floating for about 45 grooming. -Denise Hull

May 19
Saratoga Passage, Oak Harbor area - Sara Walter reports the Crescent Harbor gray was there again today, Saturday May 19th.
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May 19 - Saratoga Passage - 6:45 p.m - one maybe 2 grays just north and west of Baby Island seen from Fox Spit. -Marilyn Armbruster
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1330 - grays #531 just met up with #185 while going north in Saratoga Passage just south of Mabana. Yay #185!!! -Renee Beitzel
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10:10 a.m - #531 and possibly one other we couldn't ID. Will post photos later
9:43 a.m. - I see them in Elger Bay slowly north bound. San Juan Clipper will be there shortly and try to get IDs. -Justine Buckmaster
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7:33 a.m - Spent last hour watching 3 grays feeding off Mabana on SW Camano Island! Very exciting! Still there as of 10 minutes ago. -Lonnie Kauman
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May 19 - ...on the San Juan Clipper we saw a gray whale on our way north to Friday Harbor! I think this individual may actually be #531 though I may have misidentified her in the field as #723. Later in the day we also saw Dall's porpoise that breifly rode our bow wave and several Harbor Seals and Steller Sea Lions. -Justine Buckmaster

May 18
Members of the T100s - Boundary Pass. -Photo by Justine Buckmaster, May 18, 2018
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May 18 - Strait of Georgia - T036A3 upside down beside T036A2 and T065. Great day on the water with the T036A's, T065 and T063! -Photo by Gary Sutton, May 18, 2018
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We had a great day on the San Juan Clipper today! Three whale species in one day! We saw gray whale #531 feeding close to the shore of Whidbey Island on our northbound trip. On the whale and sealife search we decided to check out an area that no other boats had searched yet and were rewarded by the T100s in Boundary Pass...just north of Skipjack Island. We left as they were crossing the pass toward Saturna Island! On our way back to Seattle, we saw several Minke whales feeding at Partridge bank. Yay whale trifecta! Justine Buckmaster
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May 18 - NPS gray #53 exit - We motored out under gray skies and smooth water, traveling up to Cattle Pass and out to Romeo Buoy, west of San Juan Island. We spent some lovely time with gray whale "Sounder" #53, Little Patch, as he was heading out to the coast to complete his migration north. We then said "bon voyage" to him and head back east, looking at bald eagles, harbor seals and turkey vulture along the beautiful side of Lopez Island. Another lovely day on the Salish Sea. -Bonnie Gretz, volunteer naturalist, Mystic Sea.
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Still heading westbound. - ~1:00 pm - Farewell, Little Patch (NPS #53)! Island Explorer 4 just caught up with him in the Strait of Juan de Fuca north of Dungeness Spit. -Erin Johns Gless
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We had a single gray heading west just north of Pt Wilson this morning. No ID but it didn't look like one of our Sounders. Update: just heard from another boat that it was gray #53 (which was my first guess) but if so, that means right side has changed a lot! -Renee Beitzel
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May 18 - Saratoga Passage, Oak Harbor area - ...And he (gray whale) is still there (Crescent Harbor). Just seen half an hour ago (4:30 p.m.) by my husband. -Sara Walter
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Robert saw two gray whales in Crescent Harbor near the boat ramps this morning about 10:30 am. I went by the same area later when the tide was going out and saw what appeared to be fresh feeding pits. -Mary Jo Adams
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10:22 a.m - The grey is there again (or still there) on the Seaplane Navy base on Whidbey. Is it normal for him to be surfacing to blow every minute? -Angel Almeyda
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This was on the Seaplane base in Oak Harbor this morning. Beautiful. -Screen grab from video by Lauren Minckley, May 18, 2018
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May 18 - Possession Sound - I saw a grey about 5:45 pm on the northeast side of Hat. -Kim Vest Gleason
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3:50 p.m. - Tony reports seeing a gray whale from the ferry, a few hundred yards from the Mukilteo beach, headed south.
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9:40 a.m. - San Juan Clipper is leaving gray whale #531 one mile south of Sandy Point, feeding close to shore, trending south along Whidbey Island. -Photo by Justine Buckmaster, May 18, 2018
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Gray whales (South Puget Sound Unknowns) - May 18 - Hello, We spotted what appeared to be a Gray whale in the Titlow Beach cove in Tacoma, WA on Friday May 18th about noon time. After about 20 minutes right off the marina it seemed to be moving north towards the Narrows Bridge. It surfaced and blew air about 5 or 6 times. I've attached a couple cell phone pictures. -Thanks, Sarah Cazier
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Minke whales - May 18 - ...On our way back to Seattle, we saw several Minke whales feeding at Partridge bank...Photo by Justine Buckmaster, May 18, 2018
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Amanda Gardiner saw 1 or 2 minke whales about 3.5 miles SW of Smith Island, off NW Whidbey Island.
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May 18 - Puget Sound - 2:12 p.m. - We received a distant video of cetacean reported as Minke whale or Harbor Porpoise between Edmonds Pier and Ferry dock. -Spotted by Kai Frazier, Reported by Kari Morgan Frazier
(Viewing the video of this animal surfacing close to shore, it looks like a bottlenose dolphin based on size comparison to humans on the beach and her/his surface behavior. Definitely not porpoise or minke - Alisa)

May 17
Last Thursday Lennie and I had the most amazing experience with the Southern Resident orcas off Estevan Point - North West of Tofino. Initially the report was of 30 orcas, but All of J pod, and members of K and L were seen, with more whales on the horizon we could not get photos of. It is possible the entire population of Southern Residents was in the area!
Southern Resident Orcas off Hesquiaht Harbour and Estevan Light - I got a report of 30+ whales off Hotsprings Cove yesterday afternoon (May 17th). We got on scene at 5 pm and by then the pod was 5 miles west of Barney Rocks. They had been milling for most of the afternoon according to other boats on scene. They also described foraging behaviours, which I observed when I was on scene. Our fish finder did show that there were large amounts of fish in the area! I wasn't sure who we had at first. It has been close to 4 years since I have seen southern residents so I was a bit rusty with ID's at first and I thought we were dealing with Northern Residents. Suddenly I recognized the great L41! And then J27 and L25.... Tasli helped with with some ID's through messenger. L89 was also identified on scene. There were some whales further off shore that we didn't get to spend time with. For the most part they were quite spread out but near the end of our time with them they formed a tight group (J Pod anyways, from what I could tell, the L's were further out) and began travelling west at a consistent 5 knots. We left them at 7:13pm directly offshore of the Estevan Lighthouse. -Marcie Callewaert John
(ID notes by Melisa Pinnow, Center for Whale Research: J41, J31, J39, J40, and J27)
(ID notes by Monika Wieland Shields based on reviewing ID's by Brendon Bissonnette and the photos herself: "All of J-Pod, the K13s, and L12 sub-group were all identified in her photos - but she said there was more offshore that they didn't photograph and she thought it could have been enough whales for it to be all of them.")
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May 17 - Strait of Georgia - 24 Biggs killer whales enjoying life in the Strait of Georgia. T124A6, T124A, T124A4, T036A1 T124A1 and others. -Photo by Gary Sutton, May 17, 2018
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May 17 - Saratoga Passage, Oak Harbor area - 2:45 p.m - 1 grey whale headed west towards Polnell Point, Whidbey side. -Marcie Barney Goldberg
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1:40 p.m. - The same gray whale is feeding right now between Mariners Cove and Polnell Shores. Heading east. -Photo by Terra Parham, May 17, 2018
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May 17 - Saratoga Passage - 2:00 pm - Gray whale At Langley waterfront heading south. -Jim Lovvorn
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May 17 ~ 5:00 pm - gray close to shore by old ferry dock heading towards the Fox Island Bridge. Whale's direction of travel was toward the Fox Island bridge, so north-west. -Mignon Marie Whitaker
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May 17 - Hi, We were on the 1:15 pm ferry from Port Townsend today and saw what I believe was a minke whale. It was about halfway out in the channel between Port Townsend and Keystone. Here is one quick photo that I was able to get. -Photo by Mary Jo Adams, May 17, 2018
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May 17 - Possession Sound - 6:00 p.m. - Bottlenose dolphin sighting! One hooked dorsal fin heading south bound. Seen on sounder train heading north. The location was right before the Mukilteo Light House. I was on the north bound train. Thank you for have a place to report on cetaceans! -Mikaela Montanari

May 16
Saratoga Passage, Oak Harbor area - (Gray) In Crescent Harbor on the Seaplane Base on Whidbey tonight around 7:30 pm. -Angel Almeyda
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Hi there! Today I met one of you at Ebey's landing. You were doing a presentation for a CHE field trip. I showed you a video off the whale that has been hanging out in Crescent Harbor and you asked me to send them to you guys. So here they are. Videos taken Wednesday (16th). And he is still there. Just seen half an hour ago by my husband (Friday 18th at 4:30). -Sara Walter

May 15
Coastal killer whales - Lloyd Chasey of Point Arena in Mendocino County, reported 6 northbound orcas passing Iversen Pt at 7am on Tuesday 15 May. -Scott Mercer
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Gray whales (North Puget Sounders & friends) - May 15 - Possession Sound - 2:55 p.m. - A single gray, traveling southbound, close to Gedney, mid island on east side.
7:50 a.m - Three grays heading south, east side of Gedney, about 100 yds offshore. -Lori Christopher
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May 15 - Holmes Harbor - Single gray feeding off Saratoga Beach just south of Baby Island. Watched from 6:00am until about 7:30. No direction of travel as it only moved approx 300 yards the entire time. Quite the treat this morning! -Dan Gulden
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May 15 - Saratoga Passage - Saw him off of Harrington Lagoon Road this morning 5:45am feeding. -Kira Dickinson
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Single whale headed north towards Harrington Lagoon at 5:30 this morning. Very close to shore. Possibly feeding. -Randy Zimmerman
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May 15 - Saratoga Passage - We live on the beach in Langley. There has been one grey who has spent an enormous time in front of our house the past week feeding on ghost shrimp. Very close: 70-100 yards off our deck. Any idea which whale and which gender? Pretty sure it's just one. Awesome!! -Judyth Reichenberg
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May 15 - 3:00 p.m. - we saw a gray whale traveling north in Dana Passage near Dickinson Point....My view from the beach was limited, and my husband caught a view from our deck, which is about 50' above the beach. We didn't get any photos or videos, and when it surfaced it was a very limited view, just breaking the surface very regularly and no tail showing. The breathing was not as loud as other whales we've seen, where the spouting is more dramatic. -Pam Rhubart

May 14
With reports of whales, we set off towards Sidney Island in Canadian waters! Passing Colville Island by Lopez Is, we checked on the harbor seals hauled out, then saw Dall's porpoise along San Juan Island, continuing north to find the T101s and T102 again! So cool to see these 4 whales two days in a row! We had great views of them as they passed Sidney Island, still northbound. Homeward bound we checked on the seals and Steller sea lions on Spieden Island. It was another spectacularly sunny day and our trip home inter islands added to the amazing day! T101A (born 1993) and T101B (born 1997) on the left, Mom T101 (born 1973) in the middle, and T102 (born 1984) on the right. Jill Hein, volunteer naturalist, Mystic Sea
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Bigg's killer whales - 12:05 p.m - T101s mid Haro going north aiming for Lime Kiln right now! -Monika Wieland, OBI
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Coastal killer whales - May 14 - Received a call from Robert, at the Winchester Bay RV park in OR, near the marina where the Umpqua River comes out, he reported a male orca with a 6' dorsal fin in the marina this morning, then swimming upriver quite a ways, then passing close by the marina and RV Park again on his way back out to sea. They were very surprised to see him!
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May 14 - North Saratoga Passage, Oak Harbor area - 7:06 p.m. - Gray at Crescent Harbor, can't believe we are still getting visits! -Christine Hawkins
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6:34 p.m. - Two grays actively feeding at the seaplane base (NAS Whidbey, Crescent Harbor). -Photo by Christine Sweger Miller, May 14, 2018
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May 14 - Possession Sound and South Saratoga Passage - Another gray traveling north at Pebble Beach, Camano at 6:00 pm. -Peg Boley
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5:12 p.m. - gray staying in the same area, not traveling much.
5:02 p.m. - Still feeding north of the beach walk. May be heading back south! -Connie Bickerton
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3:31 p.m. - Single grey whale in Langley at the whale bell location! Close to shore! -Marcie Barney Goldberg
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At 2:40 p.m. this afternoon, we saw a gray traveling south off of Pebble Beach, Camano. -Peg Boley
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11:13 a.m - This is probably whale Steve Smith noted... whale mid channel between Gedney and Tulalip, traveling south with occasional deep dives. -Lori Christopher
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Whale blow and a sailboat...Posted 11:00 a.m - Maybe the same two we were watching in the Saratoga Passage until a few minutes ago, headed north, just south of Bells Beach about an hour ago. -Photo by Kathy Bridges, May 14, 2018
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10:50 a.m - Gray whale near northwest tip Hat Island, seen from Sandy Point, Whidbey. Nice backlit blows visible with no magnification needed. -Steve Smith
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WA State Ferries called in a report of two grays seen from the Mukilteo Clinton ferry headed NW at 7:40 am (the message said southbound, headed NW, but we think they may have meant the whales were south of the ferry run, headed NW?)
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Early this morning, I woke at 2:00 am the the sound of gray whale blows. The water was totally calm, no wind, all quite. I meandered back into my dreams listening to the whale go farther and farther away into the night. North from Pebble Beach. -Peg Boley
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Gray whales (South Puget Sound) - May 14 - Budd Inlet - Update from CRC with link: A gray whale was spotted this morning near Olympia, WA. We have been tracking the movements of several gray whales sighted in southern Puget Sound in recent weeks. Thus far there have been indications that this year may be one of elevated gray whale mortality, with potentially more whales in poor body condition. Read more about these indications on our website. -Cascadia Research Collective
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We also had a message tonight about a whale in Olympia, off 704 Columbia st. by the Anthony's restaurant. Call was from WA State Patrol, at 6:54 pm, relaying a report from someone, they thought it was a gray and that it might be lost.
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5:30 p.m - Heard the gray whale exhaltion and then saw her/him surface...looks like heading northbound right now. -Gayle Swigart
(Photos to supplement Gayle's report which was included in our Whale Sighting Report date May 15). Lovely illuminated exhalation of this beautiful gray whale who has been in Puget Sound for several weeks. Here s/he is on the 2nd of two consecutive days spent in Budd Inlet; this day deep in the inlet off downtown Olympia waterfront.) -Photo by Gayle Swigart, late/afternoon/early evening May 14, 2018
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Saw this beauty coming out of Olympia Harbor about 1:45pm today... surfaced a few times and then went deep, but appeared to be heading north. We went in the west side of the port at 1:45 and it was coming out from near the log facility headed north. When we left at 3:30 p.m. it was still in the open area just outside the entrances to the ports. -Cari Black
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10:50 a.m. - Gray is still in Budd Inlet very close to the Port of Olympia. That is WAY toward the southern most point of Puget Sound. -Kim Merriman
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Minke whales - May 14 - There was a group of six minkes feeding in north Admiralty at about 11am. I think just north of point Wilson midchannel. Will send photos later. -Ariel Yseth
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11:08 a.m - Single whale spotted from Point Wilson in Fort Worden. Likely minke or possibly a single orca. Headed south, mid Channel. Only saw one time and couldn't get a picture! -Allison Stewart Bishins
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Dall's porpoise - May 14 ...Passing Colville Island by Lopez Is, we checked on the harbor seals hauled out, then saw Dall's porpoise along San Juan Island...There were 10 -12 in the group. Fast! -Photo byJill Hein, Mystic Sea, May 14, 2018

May 13
Rosario Strait - A beautiful evening in the company of the T101s. -Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, May 13, 2018
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A spectacular Mother's Day on the Salish Sea - we traveled a long way to find a humpback out by Constance Bank, and as we were almost home our eagle-eyed Captain Eric spotted Transient/Biggs killer whales by Allan Island - what a catch! They were the T101s and T102 and we had some amazing viewing of this grouping of 4 whales, as they passed Deception Pass and headed south-west. Along with Tufted Puffins, seals, a few harbor porpoise, and dead calm seas, it truly was a super Mother's Day!! -Jill Hein, volunteer naturalist
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May 13 - Strait of Georgia - On the Western Explorer II today, we started out with reports of Minke whales down to the south of San Juan Island. We were treated to perhaps 8-10 different Minke whales feeding in an area. We had Minkes on all sides of us as they zigged and zagged looking for forage fish the birds were targeting. After an incredible counter with those lovely baleen whales, we got word some Bigg's Killer whales had been spotted way up to the north! The Western Explorer II's speed allowed us to head up and see these whales as well. What an amazing way to spend Mother's Day with our guests! T63 Chainsaw in Strait of Georgie near Matia Island. -Western Prince WW (see Traci Walter photo below)
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5:50 p.m. - The Langley gray from this afternoon. It was at the extreme range of my lens, but it sure was a nice sight. -Photo by Rick Evans, May 13, 2018
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2:39 p.m - Michael Brusker reported a gray whale south of Sandy Point, Whidbey Island. Initially reported as whale along with possible fighting porpoise, but thanks to his video (and Connie Bickerton) he and we know it was a gray feeding on her/his side in the shallows with pec fin and half of the fluke exposed...
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11:40 a.m - No pictures but two Grey Whales off South end of Gedney (Hat) Island. -Eric Barnes
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San Juan Clipper called in a report of two grays, 723 Lucifer and 53 Little Patch, milling in Possession Sound well south of the ferry lanes at 9:30 am. Two speed boats came through way too last, almost hitting one of the whales, the Clipper sounded their horn to try to warn the boats to slow down.
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This morning on the north end of Hat Island this gray spy hopped. My friend got this great pic. -Photo by Cheryl, courtesy of Kim Vest Gleason, May 13, 2018
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May 13 - Budd Inlet - ~6:30 p.m. - Gray whale. Down in Budd Inlet, just north of Olympia. Mother's Day. -Photo by Josh Culley, May 13, 2018
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6:30 p.m. - Whale remains in the Tykle Cove as of 1830, putting on a pretty good show for gathering boats. Some are getting pretty close but they don't seem to be disturbing our visitor.
4:00-5:30 p.m. - Tykle Cove/Bliss Beach (Budd Inlet, Olympia) at around 1600 today (13 May 2018). I presume the boat hovering in the area was some of your folks. Last seen headed north at about 1730. -Tom Bigley
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11:25 a.m - Gray whale Hunter Point (Olympia)....heading toward Cooper point. -Jim Chamberlin
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May 13 - Hammersley Inlet - ...back through this morning about 9:00. -Becky Meadows Groom
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Humpback whales - As of yet unidentified humpback whale out by Eastern Bank, Juan de Fuca Strait. -Photo by Jill Hein, May 13, 2018
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Mother's Day brought many feeding Minke whales and a mysterious (unidentified) humpback whale. Welcome to the Salish Sea, newcomer! -Photo by Justine Buckmaster, MV Saratoga, May 13, 2018
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May 13 - On the Western Explorer II today, we started out with reports of Minke whales down to the south of San Juan Island. We were treated to perhaps 8-10 different Minke whales feeding in an area. We had Minkes on all sides of us as they zigged and zagged looking for forage fish the birds were targeting....Traci Walter, Western Prince
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Mother's Day brought many feeding Minke whales...It was also nice to see so many Minkes in one spot. I counted at least 5-7 actively feeding all around us. -Photo by Justine Buckmaster, May 13, 2108

May 12
Guemes/Bellingham channels - At around 1:45 Sunday May 12th off the SW side of Guemes Island I sighted a large solitary Orca. Very large dorsal. It was headed southerly towards the NW point of Fidalgo... I was ready to take photo but it didnt surface again nearby so afraid no photo. I only saw surfacing twice. Being a San Juan boater I've seen them before so I know a really big dorsal when I see one, and this was a biggie!! -Ken Osborn
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May 12 - Jervis Inlet, BC - 11:30 a.m - Orcas 3 to 4 sighted in Jervis Inlet (about 95 km (59 mi) northwest of Vancouver BC,) just offshore. Feeding. 49.8042810, 123.9114740. -Photo by Beverly Saunders, May 12, 2018
(ID notes by Melisa Pinnow, Center for Whale Research: "I am not sure who these guys are".)
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For all the minke lovers/allies among us...Here is this beauty feeding near Partidge Point, Whidbey Island. S/he is one of the many who has been feeding in eastern Juan de Fuca this past week. -Photo by Bonnie Gretz, May 12, 2018
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May 12 - 8:22 p.m - We are seeing two or three whales at the mouth of Tulalip Bay... many blows! -Carol Pom-Arleau
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Gray Whale feeding on ghost shrimp today. We've had 3 visits in the last 24 hours, a pair last night, a pair this morning and this singleton dining this evening ~ 6:00 p.m. Screen grab from video by John C Storbeck, May 12, 2018
(Looks like Gray #21 - alb)
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5:34 p.m. - watching the whale pass Village Pizza in Langley! -Cindi Bowen
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5:23 p.m. - Gray is still there...swimming steadily south. -Karen Night
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4:38 p.m. - #531 still feeding off Langley. -Photo by Langley Whale Center visitor Kristina Dahl. May 12, 2018
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It appeared to be 531. She hung around Whale Bell Park and the Langley waterfront for approximately 2 hrs. -Jim Lovvorn
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3:07 p.m. - One unidentified gray whale seen from Whale Bell Park in Langley, just now! -Wendy Berta Sines, Orca Network/Langley Whale Center
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May 12 - (grays) Saw 2 heading north at Point Wilson at 6:30 tonight. At the same time 2 cruise ships were heading out. -Teresa Lang
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Posted 5:15 pm. - I spotted a pair of whales in Admiralty Inlet passing Mutiny Bay and heading south a couple hours ago. Too far for pic or ID. -Dorian Garson
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10:15 a.m. - Gray whales #44 Dubknuck and #383 (no name) are traveling together between South Whidbey Island and Point No Point, Kitsap northbound heading towards Admiralty Inlet at a quick pace. -Called in by Janine Harles, aboard the Saratoga
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We saw them (grays, see 10:15 am report) pass by the northwest side of Possession Bar around 9:30 am. Too far for a phone picture. -Jody Moran
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May 12 - Hammersley Inlet - 4:41 p.m. - as of now he's still circling in the area. He just went out of our sight up into Oakland Bay. Looks like fish and game or some other official vessel just went by headed his direction. -Collin Long
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4:00 p.m. - Whale in Hammersley Inlet today around 4PM headed into the port of Shelton. Looked like it was feeding, as it rolled onto it's side and slapped it's fin. No dorsal fin so I think it was a Gray Whale. Sorry no photos, I didn't have my phone. -Jody Johnson
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3:35 p.m - Good afternoon. We are watching what appears to be a single grey whale in Hammersley Inlet, just west of Jacobys Shorecrest Co Park. He's mid channel and doesn't seem to be heading in any general direction. -Collin Long
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May 12 - Case Inlet - No picture, whale was too fast... probably a gray whale traveling south between Grapeview & the north end of Hartstine Island about 11AM. -Cammy Malm LaRiviere
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I saw my first humpback whale of the season! Welcome back, BCX1210 Slate! It was nice to see him near the East Point lighthouse (Saturna Island BC). -Photo by Justine Buckmaster, San Juan Clipper, May 12, 2018
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6:30 PM - Just peeling away from THREE Humpbacks in eastern Juan de Fuca. One IDd as Split Fluke (BCX1068 pictured). Got a tail throw, several trumpets and a breach. -Photo by Debbie Stewart, May 12, 2018
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May 12 - We caught up with five (or more) minke whales off Partridge Point. They were actively feeding, with some glimpses of their beautiful heads as they were lunge feeding. -Bonnie Gretz, volunteer naturalist
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Unidentified whales - May 12 - 3:45 p.m. - South of Bush Point - mid passage/wind line. Watching it from Dolphin Drive porch...A small passenger cruise boat Constellation heading to Anacortes actually stopped mid channel and watched it - had better view. We thought it was a large grey based upon the size of the fluke. It stayed in place for about 45 minutes then we lost it. -R Miller
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Email at 11:12 a.m - We saw two whales in Hood Canal just off the water of Port Ludlow! We couldnt see how many but at least two! -Abbe Sutton
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Spotted a solo humpback Saturday morning between Lummi Island and Clark Island. -Photo by William Riggs, May 12, 2018
May 12 - (Just prior to publishing we received word that this whale is a match to humpback photographed by Barbara Howitt in San Juan Channel on May 21st. ID in Keta Coastal as Key0014. We will include those photos and any ID updates in our next report. - alb)
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May 11
Juan de Fuca Strait - We headed out today with great weather and Two full boats of adventure seekers from France, Poland, Germany, Australia, England, United States, Canada with no reports, but within minutes Cpt. Dan finds Transient Killer Whales just east of Sooke travelling west! These two orca T125A and his Brother T128 are rarely seen in our area so this was an extra special day! -Paul Pudwell (see photos below)
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May 11 - The T123s are continuing to hang around the Salish Sea, and we encountered them again this evening near Waldron Island. From left to right that's mom T123 Sidney, her 18 year-old son T123A Stanley, and her six year-old daughter T123C Lucy. -Photo by Monika Wieland Shields, OBI, May 11, 2018
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Friday May 11th - with no reports of whales close by, we headed out - first checking a California sea lion on a channel marker, then west via the San Juan Islands, and were viewing several Steller sea lions and harbor seals by Speiden Island when we heard - Whales!! We quickly turned north towards Sucia and Patos Islands, and found the T123 group of Transient/Biggs killer whales, Mom T123, her son T123A and daughter T123C. We had amazing views of these 3 on a sunny windless day, perfect conditions. Homeward bound via the north side of Orcas Island, we enjoyed seeing some harbor porpoise and more seals/sea lions, and incredibly beautiful scenery. What a day - well done Capt. Eric! -Jill Hein, volunteer naturalist.
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May 11 - Saratoga Passage, Oak Harbor area - Ed Miller reports seeing a small gray whale feeding just east of Polnell Point in Crescent Harbor, in Oak Harbor. He says the whale has been there for the past 4-5 days.
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May 11 - Possession Sound - There were two at the south end of Gedney last night (May 11th in reply to May 12th sighting), may be the same pair. Safe travels! -Lori Christopher
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7:45 am - two grays traveling together towards SE Gedney from the east. -Lori Christopher
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May 11 - Gray whale in Hammersley Inlet. -Photo by Pamela S Burger, May 11, 2018
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6:00 p.m. - Gray whale at Libby Point in Hammersley Inlet. Appears to be heading east. Friday, May 11, 2018. -Debbera Coker

May 10
In Yaquina Bay (Newport) on Thursday 05-10-18 at approx. 9:05 pm PST from the end of the public fishing pier near the South Beach Marina looking north-ish toward the Coast Guard HQ, I saw a lone, presumably male(?) Orca in Yaquina Bay. It was getting dark enough at that time for the CG HQ's lights all to be on, dark enough that I was surprised my camera would even attempt to take a picture, but attached is the photo I got as the Orca headed out of the bay toward the jetties....I've seen orcas in the bay before, and as before, this one simply appeared to be cruising around, checking things out. The sea lion population seemed unperturbed. -Howard Shippey
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May 10 - Oregon Coast Aquarium posted a VIDEO of who they ID'd as T49C in Yaquina Bay.
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May 10 - 7:57 p.m. - We just saw a humpback (believe is the gray) in Hammersley inlet, channel marker #4 (It is Libby Point channel marker, about halfway up Hammersley inlet),...heading east. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture. -Becky Meadows Groom

May 9
6:18 p.m. - two grays northbound up Saratoga, mid channel, just passed northeast corner of Gedney.
9:23 a.m - One gray just passed us, heading south, close to shore. East side of Gedney. There are boats galore as there's another spotted prawn opening today. Hopefully he/she makes it safely through the maze of it all! -Lori Christopher
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May 9 - 6:30 p.m - Whale of unknown species in Vaughn Bay in Case Inlet. Only top of head and blows visible. Shallow diving, no rolls, no visible dorsal fins or flukes. Staying in the deeper half of the bay. The tide is low and is probably leery about crossing the shallows to exit the bay. it will probably be here until high tide, hopefully it won't get stranded in the shallows. ....There was a post in reply to my post of a short video of probably the same whale in neighboring Rocky Bay last Sunday just drifting with full length of the body barely above water. No dorsal, almost positive a small grey. -Bob McEntee
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May 9 - We live on Hammersley Inlet near Shelton. At about 12:30 a.m. my neighbor and I heard what sounded like a whale exhaling and splashing water in front of our homes. Of course it was too dark to see anything. My husband believes it was an extremely large harbor seal. He did not hear the exhale sound. -Debbera Coker

May 8
T019B "Galiano" spyhopping in front of, the appropriately named, Burial Islet after they took down a harbour seal. -Photo by Gary Sutton, May 8, 2018
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Gray whales (North Puget Sounders & friends) - May 8 - Possession Sound - 7:01 a.m - I get up early to savor the sunrises, and sing to the whales. This morning they came and sang back to me! Four of them, plus some harbor seals! These beautiful, majestic gray whales will soon depart for Alaska. (Two went on towards Everett, and the feeding pair turned around and went back North towards Camano). Report & photo by Lori Christopher
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May 8 - Hit a few pit stops on our way home, stopped off at Sandy Point bluff and could see 2 gray spouts out from Langley. Stopped at Seawall Park, took Kai for a little walk so that I could watch them. They were on their way south to Sandy Pt, 5 min away. I headed back there, saw both of them rounding the point pretty close in. I was up on high bank..a nice half hr or so of whale energy before heading back home. Gray whale 383 one of the two whales passing Sandy Point, Whidbey; backdropped by Camano Head, Tulalip, and entrance to Port Susan. -Marilyn Armbruster
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... in the afternoon around 4:00pm, a single gray swam by Pebble Beach headed north up Saratoga Passage. -Peg Boley
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3:48 p.m. - 2-3 grays right now off of whale Bell park in Langley maybe 100 yards offshore spouting. -Craig Weiner
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11:20 a.m - we also saw #22 and #383 south bound from Fox Spit!
11:10 a.m - 3 grays in Saratoga off Mabana south bound. #21 Shackleton, #44 Dubknuck and and unidentified one on the distance heading towards Langley.
10:40 a.m - gray whales #49 and #53 circling SE of Gedney Island. -Justine Buckmaster
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9:00 a.m - Gray Whales still abound in Saratoga Passage...how fortunate we are to experience them. About 9 AM today, 5/8/18 We had a visit from a large Gray Whale feeding out front of Bells Beach, now heading toward Langley and about 20 minutes later we spotted 4 more across from us near the Camano shoreline feeding..too distant and foggy to get any photos. -Kristin Carlson
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8:00 a.m. - two grays swam past Pebble Beach, both headed north up Saratoga Passage. -Peg Boley
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May 8 - Pickering Passage - Hi, Alisa! We were lucky enough to see the whale again this morning at 6:00 a.m. and then again at 7:45 a.m. here on Pickering Passage. I did get a short video clip and while the video is not great, I do think I may have seen a dorsal fin upon zooming in. -Sharmane Michelson-Torres
(looks like the gray whale with unusually pronounced "knuckle" - alb)

May 7
Well there is an ongoing joke here that I have been cursed so far this year when it comes to witnessing predation events....always just too late or left just too early but the T101's broke the curse...They spent about 45 minutes in and around Porlier Pass hammering seals. -Gary Sutton
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Possession Sound - 1348: 5th whale is #44 Dubnuck
1324: 5 grays between southeast Gedney- 49, 53, 383, 723 and one we haven't IDd yet. All relatively close together in pairs and a single. -Renee Beitzel
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12:40 p.m. - One gray feeding in the delta near Jetty Island. -Lori Christopher
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May 7 - Saratoga Passage (Oak Harbor area) - 6:20 a.m. - Gray Whale feeding on East side of Polnell Point, Whidbey Island. -Jeff Humphrey
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Gray whales (Central & South Puget Sound Unknowns) - May 7 - 7:36 p.m - It's (gray whale) back again at the intersection of Pickering and Hanmersley. -Chad Queirolo
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5:30 p.m. - Lone Grey whale seen traveling South through Pickering Passage across from Jarrell Cove State Park. (Whale was dark grey with some small mottled white spots). -Sharmane Michelson-Torres
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Dolphins - May 7 - (reported as White sided, later ID'd as Common - alb) - dolphins spotted just north of Johnson Point (Olympia). One was coming up to the boat and being quite friendly. Seemed to be feeding and not really traveling. -Sarah Shaw

May 6
Bigg's killer whales - The T100s and T123s were heading slowly northwest in Shute Passage in a tight group...-Full summary report & photos at Center for Whale Research Encounter 31.
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Stanley (T123A) being awesome today. (The harbor porpoise disagrees.) -Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, May 6, 2018
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Hi Alisa, Howie, and Susan, Here is a photo I took from Glacier Spirit yesterday of T123A breaching west of Waldron Island. He was with the T100 pod and they had just made a kill. -Photo by Bart Rulon, Puget Sound Express, May 6, 2018
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May 6 - What an EPIC day, we found the T002Cs and the T23s together (Just south of Cape Mudge on Quadra Island), after a while hanging around with these guys we made the choice to go around Mittle Natch, where we by accident met the T19's, they ended up getting together with the rest of the families and they gave us a show we will never forget!!!! Rocky from the T002C family breached right at our boat. Rocky (T2C1) from the T002C family breached right at our boat. -Jos Krynen
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Coastal killer whales - May 6 - Hello! Saw a pod of 8-10 orcas just off the Astoria waterfront last evening. Are you able to track this pod? They were feeding in a concentrated area just east of the Astoria Megler Bridge on May 6th between about 6:30pm and 8:45pm. At dusk they headed west back out towards the river mouth. It was the end of tidal flood, slack high water. I'm hoping they will be back this evening and I can try to get more photos. "That is T125A" -Kristin Washburn Covert
(ID by Melisa Pinnow, CWR)
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May 6 - Possession Sound & South Saratoga Passage - Spyhop of a grey whale in Possession Strait -Photo by Nikolay Belofastow
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Fred Lundahl reports a gray whale between the Langley Marina and Sandy Pt at 10 am, moving south toward Sandy Pt.
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9:39 a.m. - Stephanie Raymond aboard the Clipper called to report three gray whales moving north in Possession Sound, just south of the ferry lane. ID'd were #53 Little Patch, #22 Earhart, and one other. It's a good sign they aren't leaving yet.
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9:25 a.m. - Alex Schaht called to report a feeding gray whale on the west side of Sandy Point in Possession Sound.
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May 6 - Gray Whale sighting between 3 and 4 pm, in Pickering Passage on the northwest side of Squaxin Island. Whale was headed south toward Hope Island and Olympia. -Email from clpotis
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3:22 p.m. - Another gray out in the same place right now. South end of Pickering. -Chad Queirolo
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Today about 1:00 pm a gray whale gave us a show while we were kayaking - Pickering Passage between Walkers Landing and the Hartstine Island bridge. It was slowly heading south in a straight line (no rolling or frolicking) toward the Hartstine Island Bridge, and didn't appear to be feeding. -Chris Williams
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May 6 - 9:15 a.m. - Two grays feeding...but at least one gray stayed in Port Susan all day. They were about 300 yards off Camano Is. (2000 block of Highland Dr.) Were feeding their way south. -Mike Fox
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Humpback whales - May 6 - 8:59 p.m. - Two humpbacks. Just passing Vashon ferry dock now. Closer to Vashon side. Heading south. -Kersti Muul
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7:35 p.m. - Just saw them approaching Alki point (humpbacks -alb). They were right on the surface arcing through the water. A boat came very close to them, they may have sounded? -Jan Watson
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6:28 p.m - Two whales, possibly humpbacks, heading south mid channel, passing Magnolia! (confirmed humpbacks - alb) There were definitely 2 whales, with a small hump, and one of them arched its back and showed a fluke as it dove. See Rebecca's Facebook VIDEO. -Rebecca Sherwood
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One of the two humpbacks off Magnolia the evening of May 6th. Screen grab from video by Rebecca Sherwood.
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Minke whales - May 6 - 8:22 a.m - Claudia Mitchell reports seeing a minke whale traveling south in Admiralty Inlet between Lagoon Point and Bush Point.
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Minke whales - May 6 - 8:22 a.m - Claudia Mitchell reports seeing a minke whale traveling south in Admiralty Inlet between Lagoon Point and Bush Point.
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May 6 - ...we had "glimpses" of two Minke whales north of Smith Island. -Photo by Jill Hein, May 6, 2018

May 5
Boundary Pass...In the afternoon, the T90s and T2B gave us a different kind of challenge. Though they had beautiful lighting on them and a beautiful background, they were in stealth mode, surfacing infrequently and changing direction often as they traveled north into Boundary Pass. -Justine Buckmaster
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May 5 - Puget Sound & Admiralty Inlet - T65As plus? This was today at 3:40pm in front of the lighthouse at Pt. Wilson, heading west into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. T65A6 powering along...-Photo by Carl Gray, May 5, 2018
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3:10 p.m. - We are watching from the bluff at Fort Casey on Whidbey Island. Pod is directly due west, in front of Port Townsend Marine Science Center Pier! Seemed to be miling, socializing, or hunting. Were circling. -Photo by Kimberly Sylvester, May 5, 2018
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1:40 p.m - Northbound approaching Marrowstone Point mid channel. T65A's with little 1 month old T65A6 out front with mom...near Marrowstone Point today. Look how tiny the baby looks compared to strapping big brother T65A2, who is not yet fully grown himself. -Photo by James Gresham, while aboard Island Adventures' IE 4, May 5, 2018
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And from the opposite shores of Whidbey Island...12:25 PM - here is a photo of them coming past mutiny bay heading north earlier today. -Photo by Danielle Pennington, May 5, 2018
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T65A & new calf T65A6 off Point No Point, Kitsap backdropped by Double Bluff, Whidbey Island across Admiralty Inlet. -Photo by Sara Frey, May 5, 2018
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~ Noon-ish - This was from Point No Point - baby T65A6 and mama T65A. They were traveling north at a good clip - baby is strong, no dawdling! -Photo by Donna Green van Renselaar, May 5, 2018
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11:17 a.m. - pod is now slightly north of Eglon, Kitsap still heading north towards Point No Point very much on Kitsap side. Still, the only boats on scene that I can see are: PSE Saratoga, w/Red Head approaching from north and Island Explorer coming from Possession. I've not seen one other boat go near this family the two hours I have been watching, which has been a huge welcome relief considering the many hundreds of boats out there for opening boating day.
10:23 a.m. - pod is north of Kingston dock. And for record and has been a relief: I've not seen one private motorboat approach the pod, nor any of the gazillion sailboats, they are all just going about their business boating while the whales navigate them on this day of mass human water activity. Only the Clipper and Saratoga have been on scene. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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~ 10:40 off Apple Tree Point, Kingston. -Photo by Sara Frey, May 5, 2018
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9:59 a.m. - Orcas spotted mid channel by channel marker adjacent to Kingston ferry terminal (buoy is south of) slowly heading north. -Darlene Moneypenny
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9:40 a.m. - T65As (+?) on the move northbound slow steady pace between Point Jefferson, Indianola, Kitsap and Richmond Beach in Shoreline. Victoria Clipper is leaving.
9:15 a.m. - Pod appears to be on a kill? Lots of surface activity and not making forward progress. Mid channel between Port Madison and Richmond Beach amongst the hundreds of sailboats and other watercraft, none within many hundreds of yards of them at this time. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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...we saw transient killer whales twice on the San Juan Clipper! In the morning, just outside Seattle, we met up with the T65As (and got to meet their newest family member!) as they sped across Puget Sound from Port Madison to Point Wells, not even slowing down as they fed on a porpoise they caught! The T65As insisted on remaining back-lit for the entire encounter, which made photography challenging...T65A & calf T65A6 Puget Sound. -Justine Buckmaster
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8:45 am Orcas in Port Madison Bay... just passed Indianola pier heading east. Victoria Clipper with them. -Sue Larkin
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Caught them going out of Agate Pass in Keyport, Kitsap this morning. Photo by PaulSherene Leanderson, May 5, 2018
(ID notes by Melisa Pinnow, CWR: "shows others because you have T65A4 and T65A3 in there but that lead descending fin is not a T65A member. T65A2 & T65A3, Calf T65A6 & breacher (mom T65A?) . Pretty sure the individual furthest to the right isn't either.)
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7:30 a.m - 4-5 Orca spotted in the north end of Liberty Bay, Poulsbo this morning. They are now heading towards Keyport leaving the bay. -Elyse Margaret
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6:38 a.m. - Orcas in Liberty Bay, Poulsbo directly in front of the town. Approximately 6, at least 1 male. Now headed out towards Keyport! -Photo by Sandy Pavey, May 5, 2018
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In the waning days of the North Puget Sound grays...a beautiful feet-from-shore spyhop! "Had the most amazing time watching 3 whales feeding just off the beach of Hat Island." -Report & photo by Stacy Olsen, May 5, 2018
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May 5 - Possession Sound & South Saratoga Passage - 7:10 pm: Just seeing a Gray whale, North of Langley, off the deck near Saratoga Creek Lane. He's heading north! -Ellen
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Saw a gray just north of downtown Langley feeding off krill about 7:07 pm. Could not get a good photo. -Missy Main
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Two grays at Langley Marina today at 6pm. -Fred Lundahl
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One gray whale passed Pebble Beach (Camano) just before noon today, within 100 feet of the point. Couldn't I'd or photograph it, we were too far away. -Peg Boley
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12:26 p.m - Another gray off the southern tip of Hat Island by the shrimp boats
12:15 p.m - Gray whale a half a mile off Mukilteo Ferry dock, headed towards Saratoga passage area. -Melissa Simmons
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May 5 - Saratoga Passage (Oak Harbor area) - 10:21 a.m - 1 gray whale off of Polnell Point. It is right up to the shore. -Caitlyn Woolbert
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8:05 a.m. - Grey Whale in Polnell Point feeding. -Jeff Humphrey
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May 5 - Thanks for reminding people about our dolphin visitors, we are still interested in all sightings. Even better they come with photos or video. After collecting bottlenose sighting reports for the last 8 months, we finally got to see one when we found Stump near McNeil Island on Saturday! - Dave Anderson, Cascadia Research

May 4
Puget Sound - 6:17 p.m - Pod about 5 orca (couple juveniles) off north Pt Robinson. Headed south. -Matt Hahn
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3:01 p.m - (orcas) South of Fauntleroy ferry lane heading south
2:40 p.m - (orcas) Now just south of Vashon ferry dock heading south
2:27 p.m. - (orcas) Trending south, now near north Vashon island
1:34 p.m - South of Blake island now...see 3 Orcas between Vashon and Blake. Viewing from Emma Schmitz park. -Mary Hartman
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14:20 - The 5 Orcas are now headed South South East about to go through the Fauntleroy Ferry route.
13:31 - I can now see two additional, making 5 Orcas total (There is a very small calf with the group as well)...They are Actually on the East side of Blake Island and now headed ENE
13:27 - I can see three Orcas on the East side of Blake Island eating something. At 1327 circling around. -Matt Graham
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At least 6 orcas (one baby, and possibly a bull (large dorsal fin) spotted E side of Blake Island just past the rocky marina wall. They were circling and very active, we thought they might be feeding but we didn't see any blood or other food evidence. There was a small juvenile in the pod, and one with a very large dorsal fin (possibly a male) They appeared to be feeding, but no evidence of food. They were circling for awhile, and very active, jumping out of the water and spinning circles. -Stephanie Oster
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12:53 p.m. - Spotted off Blake Island marina. At least 2 spotted hunting. -Ben Morgan
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Orcas off Blake Island, Puget Sound about 12:45 pm. -Photo by Jessica Hansen Crudup, May 4, 2018
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WSF also called in 2 reports from this morning: 10 am, small pod of orcas just outside Blakely Rock southbound; and at 10:30 a pod of 2 adults and 2 juveniles, southbound off Restoration pt.
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Saw them off Blake Island around ten this am. There was definitely a small one with them headed south rather quickly. -Julie St John
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10:00 a.m - my friend reported seeing three orcas while on 9:40 Bainbridge Island to Seattle ferry this morning.. Not sure of direction of travel per her report. -Sue Larkin
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May 4 - These Orca were spotted off the Central Oregon Coast at approximately 11:15 am. Traveling north at a fast pace. These whales were approx. 1 1/4 mile offshore. Photos taken from Rocky Creek State Park. There were at least 2-3 in this group. Please let me know if you need any further information. Photos (below) taken by me, Melissa Janicek
(ID'd as the T73As, according Melisa Pinnow (Center for Whale Research)
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May 4 - Saratoga Passage (Oak Harbor area) - We've had the same gray whale here everyday for a week. Feeding between Mariners Cove and Polnell Shores. Facebook VIDEO by Terra of Gray Whale laying on her/his side near Polnell Point, Oak Harbor, WA. -Terra Parham
(match to what we are calling for now Unknown #2 - alb)
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Screen grab from video by Terra Parham of gray feeding off Polnell Point, Whidbey May 4, 2018
(Matches gray 1st photographed on April 18th & other dates - alb)
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May 4 - Saratoga Passage - ~ 2:30 p.m. - Gray whale Bells Beach, Langley. Spotted a gray making his/her way toward Freeland, about mid-channel. White patches seen on body, but not on tail, when he/she dove. This whale negotiated around a large odd boat that was heading North as well. It looked military with a black body and a tall "lookout" in the front that was at least 2 stories high. -Peggy Sullivan
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May 4 - Possession Sound - 11:46 am - one gray traveling north just passing marina NE Gedney, looks bound for Saratoga passage. -Lori Christoper
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May 4 - Budd Inlet - 3:18 p.m. - It is back. Just now. Heading south again into Budd Inlet - just at the entrance passing between Burfoot Park and Cooper Point spit across the waterfront each other. Same surfacing behavior....a small blow and shallow arch followed by a larger, more robust blow followed by a significant slow taller arch. Then a long dive. My husband is home and HE GOT TO SEE IT!!! It's not moving anywhere very fast. It never fluked while I was watching it....but it is very distinctive in spine/knuckles and lice, etc. So it is clearly I.D.able for either past of future images. -Kim Merriman
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~ 9:00 a.m - Noon - Gray whale in Budd Inlet. Headed south passing Boston Harbor on a very slow surfacing series. Two surfaces (the first one faint, then the second one more robust) with more of its back cresting the surface...Very distinct 'knuckles' as it looks like a humpback whale but with the dorsal curve heading the opposite direction. It did two of these series and then long dives....Cascadia Research was contacted and they put a team on the water. The whale eventually turned around and headed back north, on the Cooper Point peninsula side. Direction of slow and wandering travel is still heading north. And still in Budd Inlet. -Kim Merriman
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May 4 - Two juvenile humpback whales have been feeding in Boundary Bay over the last two days. One is a two year old known as "Google", the 2016 calf of BCX1188 "Jigger", originally documented by the Marine Education & Research Society. Humpback whales feed on a rage of zooplankton and small fish, and it was clear that Google and friend were feeding on some species of zooplankton rather than fish like herring, as local whale watchers could see dense swarms of the small creatures in the water where these two whales were lunge feeding. See Facebook VIDEO. -Tasli Shaw

May 3
Strait of Georgia - A grey whale has been feeding along the shores of the Sunshine Coast, BC, Canada for weeks. From Gibsons to Sechelt and in between. Just wonderful! -Photo by Cornelia van Berkel, May 3, 2018
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May 3 - Saratoga Passage (Oak Harbor area) - 8:30 a.m. - Our Grey whale friend is still here, just goes back and forth between Mariners Cove and Polnell Shores feeding. This is day 3 now! We have named him polkadot...(covered in white circles) right now hes just staying in one spot close to shore. -Marcie Barney Goldberg
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May 3 - Possession Sound & South Saratoga Passage - 7:00 p.m. - Up to 4 (grays) now.
6:20 p.m - 3 whales in my view between Hat and Jetty Island. -Amy Willoughby
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Our Happy Hour gray surprised us again today, right on time at 5:00PM. Motored by us fairly quickly to a feeding area just north of Pebble Beach, then stopped to feed for about ten minutes. Then he/she headed out into Saratoga Passage and headed south. Tried to ID the pectoral fin from Guide to Gray Whales, but didn't find a photo of a fin with this much white on it. -Peg Boley
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2:04 p.m. - Gray whale #21 at Mabana and we are now with 22, 383 and 531 east of Gedney and heading toward the delta. -Renee Beitzel
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High Noon - three whales moving south along southeast Gedney, these two were a little behind the third. (See this beautiful VIDEO which includes #22 Earhart - alb). -Lori Christopher
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10:15 am - 2 grays off Camano Island opposite Langley, Whidbey. -Fred Lundahl
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May 3 - Commencement Bay, Tacoma - 5:50 p.m. - Alrighty, spotted again below the Cliff House Restaurant headed west.
5:04 p.m - Alright it will be passing Jack Hyde Park in Tacoma in the next five to ten minutes. We are relocating to Browns Point Lighthouse. Whale is still headed West.
4:40 p.m - Ok we just saw a spout off of Ruston to the east of the two Navy Vessels along Ruston Way. Can't tell which direction it's headed. Tony Collins and I are watching from the Cliff House Parking lot. Apparent direction is WestBound toward the entrance of Commencement Bay. -Desiree Sauve
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11:36 a.m - Gray whale in Thea Foss, Tacoma, headed in. At bridge. -Jen Burke
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May 2 & 3 - Carr Inlet - Gray whale: The 3rd and the day before (2nd) it was going back and forth in front of our house on Von Geldern Cove Rd. It was mostly swimming around between Penrose Pt and Joe's Bay, in Carr Inlet, Puget Sound. -Anna Gladstone Bender
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May 3 - Lunge feeding humpback - Straight of Georgia. -Photo by Gary Sutton, May 3

May 2
6:54 p.m - 6!!! Most are moving to the Tulalip/Snohomish River side, 1 is heading towards Camano Head, 2 are milling closer to Tulalip than Hat or Jetty.
6:27 p.m - Definitely 5 maybe even 6 or 7. I'm going to reposition to see if I can figure it out.
6:20 p.m. - Watching 4 whales maybe even 5, but definitely 4 between Hat and Jetty Island. Cheers! -Amy Willoughby
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We met up with gray whale #531 in Saratoga Passage as she cruised north, fluking often. Then, in Possession Sound we met up with 4 gray whales socializing in a tight group! The group of 4 included #21 Shackleton, #22 Earhart, #383, and #723 Lucyfer. -Photo by Justine Buckmaster, Chilkat Express, May 2, 2018
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Spotted a blow in Saratoga passage this morning near Whidbey shore, south of Baby Island, north of the green six-second navigational light. We have seen a few over there this year. Usually we see Gray whales coming and going to the shallow waters on Camano with the incoming tide to feed on the mudflats and going out mid channel afterwards. -Pat Vivolo
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May 2 - Saratoga Passage (Oak Harbor area) 7:30 a.m - I already heard the gray whale this morning. S/he was heading north toward Mariner Cove. -Reported by Marcie Barney Goldberg
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May 2 - Puget Sound - 19:25 - (Likely) Gray Whale just outside of Elliot Bay. Sighted from sailing vessel Obsession. -Captain Joey Lamarche
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Humpback (was gray) whale sighting off of Meadow Point headed south to Golden Gardens Park on May 2nd, 2018 at 5:30p. I heard the whale blow 3 times and only spotted it briefly when it surfaced. -Michael Hamm
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Around 5:00 p.m - Gray off Shilshole Marina heading south. -Photo by Evan Boyd, May 2, 2018
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5:06 p.m. - Just saw what I'm pretty sure was a gray at Carkeek Park heading south toward Golden Gardens. Saw him come up 3 times but moving at a pretty good pace! -Photo by Bryan Nygren, May 2, 2018
(S/he is match to gray photographed by Jeanne Hyde April 18th)

May 1
Hood Canal - T65As - 7:42 p.m. - Headed toward Bangor.
7:15 pm. Look to be heading north, with tide, east side of Coyle, Bridge side. Def far side of channel from our vantage point.
6:56 p.m. - Changed directions and now look like are going north east? Lots of rolling. We are at Hjelvick Rd, south of Bee Mill Rd on 101. -Kimberly Sylvester
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7:06 p.m. - They just headed north back into Dabob Bay. -Bernadette Schuster-Nichols
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6:21 p.m. - pod is still in Dabob Bay steady southbound nearing the mouth of bay now on east side of channel (along Coyle side)
5:15 pm - T65As are currently in Dabob Bay, mid way, NE of Point Whitney, mid channel heading southbound. -Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network
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5:33 p.m. - Three Orcas, one small, one medium and one larger south bound out of Dabob Bay on the east shore side, too far away to ID or get pics but we can see a white boat keeps running up ahead and stopping in their path, unfortunately we can't see numbers on the boat but we'll keep an eye on it if they get closer to us. They are about the head of Quil Bay. -Lynn Stewart
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5:09 p.m. - Can see them from Point Whitney. They are on other side of the bay. Just south of where bay divides. East shore side close to beach. -Amanda Edwards
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T65A group observed at 5 pm, 1 May 2018 in Dabob Bay opposite Lindsay Beach. Occasional feeding, primarily traveling. -Photo by Alan Herold, May 1, 2018
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4:44 p.m. - Just saw them coming out of Dabob. (north bay). -Bernadette Schuster-Nichols
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3:00 p.m . - They are still in Dabob Bay, they went up northern bay. Waiting at gorgeous Point Whitney park for them to come back south.
1:34 p.m. - T65As have entered Dabob Bay, still northbound Brinnon side of mid channel. Loosely grouped
1:00 p.m. - T65As are still south of but approaching Brinnon at slow resting pace northbound.
12:15 p.m. - arrive at Triton County Park off Hwy 101 to see pod north of the park moving more towards mid channel at steady pace NB. 2 males ahead, mum & little one mid, one older trailing. -Photo by Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network, May 1, 2018
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Day report: First saw T65As around 11:15 am just north of the town of Eldon with them being closer in until Triton Cove State Park around noon (for about a half hour, was truly orca blessed, to capture some awesome moments quickly). About Triton Cove SP is where they started to move out further east near mid channel, but heading north towards up into Dabob Bay. Met up with my friend Alisa just after that and we stopped at a few other places to watch them and ran into new friends...we landed at Point Whitney north of Brinnon, beautiful place. We all met there for at least 2+ hrs patiently waiting for the orcas to come back out of Dabob Bay (north bay), they had to, they could not swim any further north at that point, its a dead end. Beautiful beach and mountains on our left side and the water on our right side. Met some awesome whale outdoorsy enthusiasts....loved this one family, mama and her 3 incredible young children, the daughter who I think she told me was 8, she could run the Langley Whale Center on her own, she knew so much. Their mama is amazing; just watching the dynamics of this family was pretty cool...Point Whitney is also where Alisa and I met up with Susan and Howie, Sweet Briar Pup and after leaving there, met up with Ken. To be with those four friends warmed my heart to pieces. A few of my photos I am pleased with. I love the stillness of the waters and reflections. -Marilyn Armbruster
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10:53 a.m - Pod is 1.5 miles south of Hama Hama coming north 6 knots. -Christopher Hanke
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Taken about 9:30 a.m just north of Hoodsport, Hood Canal. -Photo by Katie Dunn, May 1, 2018
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8:56 a.m - 2 or 3 Orcas in Hoodsport off of the Port Dock. They are heading North on Hoodsport side. (Now out of view as of 9:15 viewing from across). -Rustie Milam
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Orca sighting Hood Canal, Lilliwaup, near Colony Surf, they went by at about 6:15 am heading south on the north side of the canal. Reporting for a friend. -Deberra Coker
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May 1 - Saratoga Passage (Oak Harbor area) this evening off of Mariners Cove - (Both Marcie and Brian Goldbergs photos are match to Unknown #2 who was first photographed April 18th by Mary Jo Adams - alb)
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4:50 p.m - Grey whale just went by us headed south towards Polnell Point, Whidbey side. -Photo by Marcie Barney Goldberg, May 1, 2018
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May 1 - Saratoga Passage - 6:47 p.m. - watching 1 gray feeding at north end of Mabana. (Camano Island). -Krista Paulino
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4:50 p.m - Saw 3 grays (originally reported as humpback) very close to the shore in downtown Langley on Whidbey Island. They were rolling around for a bit and then continued south. -Becca Shim
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May 1 - Possession Sound - I could do this all day, and night. Two grays, came into the cove right at sunset to feed. Stayed about an hour, 50-100 ft off the beach. -Photo by Lori Christopher, May 1, 2018
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3:30 p.m. - at least one whale east of Hat, mid island, close to shore, feeding, slowly moving north. -Lori Christopher
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We saw two whales from ferry about 12:30 p.m - Harley first saw them near Clinton ferry dock before they moved east. He last saw them moving parallel to ferry headed to Mukilteo and closer to that side. -Sharon Ann Clark
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10:40 - Gray whale south of Mukilteo/Clinton ferry lanes headed west. -Reported by WS Ferries
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May 1 - 3:35 p.m - Hi all, we spotted a humpback from the Spirit of Seattle over by West Seattle! Hanging out between shore and the barge moorings...I didn't get a clear look at the dorsal fin but my coworker did. (Also possible this is a gray whale seen next day). -Kelly Greenwood
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Dall's porpoise - May 1 - ~6:30 p.m. - While we (Susan Berta, Howard Garrett, Marilyn Armbruster, and myself along with others) were on shore watching the T65As across Dabob Bay in Hood Canal, Howard caught notice of these Dall's in his binoculars. This pod of Dall's (at least 3) were much closer to use on the Hwy 101 side off north end of Seal Rock Campground, Brinnon. So exciting and sweet to see these Dall's who used to be more abundant in Puget Sound and the Salish Sea and are rare these days.