West Seattle whale-watching: Orcas in Elliott Bay, The Arroyos

10:27 PM: Thanks to Kate Giannaros‎ for sharing that photo of one of two orcas she reported seeing in Elliott Bay this afternoon. Lise also reported seeing one from the Water Taxi. Two transient male orcas have been seen around the area in recent days. P.S. See a whale? That’s breaking news – text or call our 24/7 hotline, 206-293-6302 – thank you!

ADDED 7:11 AM TUESDAY: Someone just did exactly that to report a sighting in The Arroyos this morning.

8:02 AM: Another text – northbound orcas by Alki Point.

8:57 AM: Guy and Kate (who shared the photo above) have both reported in recent minutes that the orcas are back in Elliott Bay! (And thanks to Carolyn Newman for the photo above this paragraph, also from the sighting yesterday.)

6 Replies to "West Seattle whale-watching: Orcas in Elliott Bay, The Arroyos"

  • Eric1 April 21, 2014 (11:26 pm)

    I love the transients. Much more of a hunter-killer that uses stealth and surprise on hapless prey. More in line of what I learned as a kid rather than the more common salmon eating namby-pamby residents.
    .
    To be fair, some whales move up on my scale as well. I was also taught that humpbacks were a peaceful plankton eating whale. I have to say they went +2 on my books for being a intelligent herring munching machine rather than a animal that mindlessly filters the water.

  • Wondering April 22, 2014 (7:35 am)

    Say Eric, just curious where you rank sharks with lasers mounted to their heads?

  • Orca Network April 22, 2014 (1:37 pm)

    Here is the latest update we have from our Orca Network Facebook page – the two Transients went north but then were seen heading south again:

    Update on Orcas off Elliott Bay by Jim Devereaux:
    12:03 pm: Two orcas just off West Point. Frolicking/feeding with no direction of travel. Appeared to have made a kill of something – saw a splash of red. Very cool!
    12:15 – Now they are heading south.

    • WSB April 22, 2014 (1:49 pm)

      Thank you!

  • panda April 22, 2014 (3:37 pm)

    Ha- Wondering – good one…that red may have been the ‘laser’ the Orcas have mounted to their heads.

    I was up in the San Juans last week and went out whale watching. One of the Pods came right up to our boat to say hello. Beautiful creatures.

  • Eric1 April 22, 2014 (6:12 pm)

    I like my sharks plain… Their teeth are sharp enough to not need laser help. I am pretty sure Orcas don’t need lasers either with their dental setup.
    .
    I was just commenting on how perceptions change as we age. Sharks are a good example. When I was young, they were necessary creatures that cleansed the weak and unfit in the ocean. The movie Jaws comes along and suddenly they are villainous man eaters. Thirty plus years later, they have moved to cool animal status (no laser needed).

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