West Seattle scene: Fins and feathers

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

Thanks to Trevor Simonton for the photos from Sunday, taken from the shore at Lincoln Park. He writes:

My wife and I saw some kind of porpoises (and a harbor seal) fishing off of the Fauntleroy ferry terminal … I thought it would be fun to share some pics.

We would love to get some opinions on what kinds of fins we saw… maybe Harbor Porpoise? Dall’s Porpoise? (on the far right of the pic of the paddleboarder there’s a harbor seal’s head… he was bobbing up and down along with the porpoises)

Trevor’s photos included one that needs no ID help:

As for the fins – even with a species guide like the one offered by The Whale Trail, we couldn’t tell. Can you?

Donna, The Whale Trail May 21, 2019 (12:19 am)

Those are harbor porpoises – one of the world’s smallest cetaceans. They travel in small groups of up to ten animals. The harbor porpoise population has been increasing in Puget Sound. Read more in the Species section on our website: https://bit.ly/30xN6O5, or at NOAA’s website. Great pics!

WSB May 21, 2019 (6:56 am)

Thanks, Donna!

WSOwl May 21, 2019 (4:42 am)

Fantastic!

HS May 21, 2019 (9:11 am)

Loch Ness! Man, we have it ALL here :)

BPB May 21, 2019 (9:32 am)

I saw those fins recently on a paddle off seahurst beach! I could hear them breathing as they surfaced & I swear they put on a synchronized swimming show near me too. So cool all the life in the sound!

Aimee May 21, 2019 (11:08 am)

Thanks for sharing your pictures, Trevor! Here is another article about harbor porpoises – https://www.eopugetsound.org/magazine/harbor-porpoise. Apparently some call them “puffing pigs” because of the loud snorts they make on the surface.