PHOTOS: Orcas in Elliott Bay

2:37 PM: If you have some time for Saturday afternoon whale-watching, head toward the Elliott Bay shore – Kersti Muul just texted that transient killer whales are heading into the bay. Let us know if you see them!

3:51 PM: Jamie Kinney sent that camera-screen shot of an orca he saw from Don Armeni Boat Ramp. He says they’re still visible from there right now!

4:43 PM: And shortly thereafter, the whales headed out of the bay, per commenter EH.

6:41 PM: Thanks to those who’ve sent photos! These three are from Jamie:

And these two are from Robert Spears:

EH February 24, 2024 (3:51 pm)

Am at Duwamish Head and can see them directly across Elliott Bay, west of the grain terminal. They seem to be milling around. Lots of seagulls near them.

EH February 24, 2024 (3:59 pm)

Now Orcas heading out of Bay below Magnolia 3:58 PM.

James Riley February 24, 2024 (5:10 pm)

I saw a male and two males across the bay near the grain towers. Maybe Kersti can help us out with this picture. Are we looking at a pair of females with a youth, the small dorsal fin just to the front of the dorsal fin of the whale in the lead?

WSB February 24, 2024 (5:16 pm)

Don’t know if it’s the same one, but transients who were here almost two weeks ago had a new calf with them, as discussed in comments then:
https://westseattleblog.com/2024/02/whales-orcas-in-the-area-9/#comment-2535512
Donna, The Whale Trail February 24, 2024 (6:20 pm)

Hi James – Orca Network identified the whales in Elliott Bay as the T0046s and the T0124Ds. You can look these up in the Bigg’s catalog published by Fisheries and Oceans Canada here: https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2019/mpo-dfo/Fs97-6-3311-eng.pdf

To my eye the group in your photo looks like the 124Ds, which consisted of a mother and two calves in 2019. But it’s hard to be sure without seeing the size of the trailing fin.

Sorry, comment time is over.