WHALE SIGHTING: Humpback off West Seattle

2:37 PM: We’ve received multiple reports of a whale breaching off West Seattle this afternoon, and it’s not an orca. A texter says they’re 100 percent sure it’s a juvenile humpback. They last saw it off Me-Kwa-Mooks/Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook (4500 block of Beach Drive).

2:48 PM: Even the emergency crews responding to the day’s second Beach Drive water-rescue call (that call’s unfounded so far) have just mentioned the breaching whale.

3:31 PM: Thanks to Beach Drive resident Ruth Winter for sending the photo we’ve added above. She says, “It was spectacular” – something she’s never seen.

mike October 25, 2021 (2:43 pm)

Watching it now going south toward Fauntleroy ferry line

herongrrrl October 25, 2021 (2:48 pm)

Heading south fast, yes a humpback. Probably near Lincoln Park now. Hopefully not related to the water rescue call on Beach Drive right now?

joezaloom October 25, 2021 (2:54 pm)

Coast guard helicopter headed down towards Lincoln Park

WSB October 25, 2021 (3:05 pm)

Probably for the second so-far-unfounded water rescue response
https://westseattleblog.com/2021/10/water-rescue-response-off-beach-drive-3/

lamont October 25, 2021 (3:01 pm)

Looks like someone actually called the emergency crews on the humpback whale.

Scott October 25, 2021 (3:33 pm)

The Coast Guard is continuing search and rescue operations off the coast near 64th and Beach Drive. Here’s a short video of their fly by.https://www.instagram.com/p/CVd9XYFDBr6/?utm_medium=copy_link

WSB October 25, 2021 (3:48 pm)

Must be a “just in case” because SFD has long since closed the call, concluding that someone might have thought the whale was a boarder in trouble …

Rhonda P October 25, 2021 (3:43 pm)

there’s a commercial fishing boat with nets out where the whale was earlier.

jed October 25, 2021 (3:57 pm)

great shot Ruth! wow

StopCuttingDownTrees October 25, 2021 (4:21 pm)

Cool. How lucky we all are to live so close to the wild Sound.

anonyme October 26, 2021 (7:20 am)

Fantastic sight. Let’s hope there aren’t any transients in the area…

Herongrrrl October 26, 2021 (8:25 pm)

No worries there, anonyme, haven’t been any transients around here for a while now. And humpbacks are pretty fierce for a critter without any teeth–they’ve been known to interrupt transients hunting other whales and pinnipeds!

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