West Seattle, Washington
18 Tuesday
Thanks to Kathleen Fueger for the photo of a U.S. Navy submarine in view as it passed Alki this morning. That’s the second submarine sighting in less than a week, though we don’t know if it’s the same one; the Navy told us they generally don’t comment on specific submarines’ movements, though they did offer an explanation of last week’s steam emission.
Thanks for the tips and photos! Also seen on Alki this afternoon and getting a lot of attention, the SS Cape Intrepid. No, it’s not a U.S. Navy vessel – the Cape Intrepid is a U.S. Maritime Administration Ready Reserve ship that can support the Navy, and has been moored in Tacoma. Trackers say the Cape Intrepid is out on “sea trials” right now, passing the south end of Whidbey Island.
9:58 AM: Thanks for the tips and photo. A U.S. Navy submarine was in view off Alki Point a short time ago, with surface escorts. It’s not identified on the public tracking service we use, but a tugboat with it is tracking and continuing to head north.
10:05 AM: Another reader just sent the closer look we’ve added above. We have an inquiry out to USN Public Affairs to see if there’s anything they can tell us about the submarine.
1:12 PM: Lt. Zachary Anderson from Submarine Group 9 at Bangor didn’t identify the submarine, but regarding the attention-getting steam, he told us that “there are numerous routine submarine operations that may result in steam. The most likely is that the submarine was practicing using its diesel engine. When the boat does so steam and exhaust is released at the surface through its sail.”
The photo is from Timothy Oliver (thanks!), who just saw the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) from Alki Point, noting it’s his first time seeing one so close-up. The Nimitz is currently headed northbound in Puget Sound, according to VesselFinder.
2:48 PM: Thanks to Chris Frankovich for the photo! That Matson cargo ship (Manulani) is one of the vessels that have sounded horns in the past hour-plus as they navigated through sailboats participating in today’s Duwamish Head Race, organized by the Three Tree Point Yacht Club. While Chris’s photo showed a view from west-facing southwest West Seattle, VesselFinder shows about 20 racers currently off Alki.
ADDED 4:36 PM: Thanks to David Hutchinson for this closeup view of one of the participating boats:
10:13 AM: Thanks for the photos! (The one above is from Rick Cocker, the one below is uncredited.) That submarine was seen headed northbound a short time ago.
VesselFinder IDs it only as “U.S. submarine” and shows it already off North Seattle. Most submarines at Naval Base Kitsap are based on Hood Canal but Bremerton’s Puget Sound Naval Shipyard also hosts submarines in for maintenance or deactivation (the Kitsap Sun recently reported on two in the latter category).
3:56 PM: Commenter says it’s the USS Ohio, on sea trials after maintenance.
Thanks for the tip. Might be hard to see through the rain and murk, but the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) is inbound, passing Alki Point. It’s been out at sea for a week and a half. It’s been exactly four months since it changed homeports to Bremerton.
(Sunday photo by Andrew Vernon)
The U.S. Coast Guard is now handling the investigation of Sunday afternoon’s boat fire in Elliott Bay, so we asked them today if the cause has yet been determined. Short answer: No. Longer answer, from USCG public-affairs officer Lt. Chris Butters, no, and what’s left of the boat is still submerged: “The cause of the fire is still undetermined. Divers attempted to refloat the vessel with airbags, however, their efforts were unsuccessful due to the condition of the vessel. They will return tomorrow with a crane barge. It is located just offshore in Elliott Bay near the 32nd Ave Boat Ramp.” That’s on the Magnolia side. No one was hurt; authorities say only one person was on board, the person seen jumping into the water to escape the flames, before a nearby private vessel picked him up. The fire drew attention for miles around because the black smoke billowing from the boat was visible even inland.
Report from a reader on the water: Somebody in Fauntleroy with a green laser is pointing it at ferries again. Striking navigable vessels with a laser is a felony crime, not to mention a health and safety hazard. If you see anyone doing it, call 911.
Headed out after dusk, the aircraft carrier in Steve Rice‘s photo is the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), three weeks after its most-recent inbound sighting.
12:34 PM: Thanks for the photos, including the one above from Steven Rice – the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) is inbound, headed for Bremerton. According to this report, it left San Diego one week ago – the same day two other carriers departed.
ADDED 1 PM: This photo’s from Sid:
Thanks for the tip. The inbound aircraft carrier, just passing Alki Point, is the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), headed for Bremerton. We noted its outbound journey a month and a half ago.
With steady rain, you never know what’s going to float past on Puget Sound. RJB emailed from Beach Drive to report, Nice paddle board with attached paddle just swept by heading toward Emma Schmitz Overlook. Northbound.” No pic, but if you’re missing one, there’s where to start your search
11:17 PM SATURDAY: Thanks to Jamie Kinney for the video of transient orcas off Constellation Park late today. He explains, “I went down to Constellation Park to see the transient orcas that were reported via the Salish Wildlife Watch WhatsApp group. I saw these four transient orcas (a.k.a Bigg’s Killer Whales) pursue a harbor seal that was swimming directly toward us. The whales were approximately 100-150 feet away when I captured this video.” The video isn’t gory – in fact, Jamie believes the seal got away: “I have a photo of a seal catching its breath on the surface ~20 feet away from us after the orcas began to head back toward Vashon.” If it indeed got away, it’s lucky, as transient orcas are the ones that feed on other marine mammals such as seals and sea lions (while the endangered resident orcas prefer fish).
ADDED 9:07 AM SUNDAY: David Hutchinson sent photos, including one of the seal:
ADDED SUNDAY AFTERNOON: As mentioned in comments, Jamie Kinney also has a photo gallery from the event. He gave us permission to republish some, too – here are three that caught our eye:
Thanks to Jeremy Barton for the photo! Shortly after 5 pm, the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) sailed past West Seattle, northbound. It’s been a month and a half since the carrier arrived in Bremerton, its new homeport.
Thanks for the photo and tip! Just one week after its previous inbound trip to Bremerton, the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) headed out again this afternoon. MarineTraffic.com shows it currently sailing past the west shore of south Whidbey Island. The Nimitz is scheduled for decommissioning in 2026, and a related contract was recently announced.
Thanks to Kersti Muul for tips that transient killer whales are in the area again today. A short time ago, she texted that “T65A5, the lone guy, is close to Alki Point SB,” which potentially means at least one whale in view from west-facing West Seattle. Let us know if you see any!
Someone called 911 a short time ago about a paddleboarder possibly in trouble more than a quarter-mile out in the bay, as seen from 54th/Alki. According to SFD, which sent one engine and a fireboat, a U.S. Coast Guard vessel just made contact with the paddleboarder, who was reported to be “fine … just reading a book,” they told dispatch.
Thanks for the tips (and thanks to Don Brubeck for the photo). Right around sunset, the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) was in view off West Seattle, headed back to Bremerton. We don’t have a record of when it headed out – no sighting reports. But as noted when we mentioned its previous inbound sailing a month ago, the Navy has initiated the process to decommission it in 2026.
Prime time for getting out on the water is nowhere near over. Alki Kayak Tours (WSB sponsor) has launched fall hours, and wants you to know about your options for tours, rentals, and classes:
September is here, but there’s still plenty of paddling to enjoy! Late summer/early fall is one of the best times to explore the Pacific Northwest waters with vibrant fall colors and increased wildlife sightings. Starting today, Alki Kayak Tours’ fall hours will be in effect (weather permitting):
Sea Kayak Tours (7 days a week by reservation)
•Alki Lighthouse Tour: 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
•Elliott Bay Tour: 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
•Sunset Tour: Departs 2 hours before sunsetHourly rentals by reservation, Friday through Monday from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Check our calendar for available classes and lessons.
Happy fall and happy paddling with Alki Kayak Tours!
AKT is headquartered at Seacrest (1660 Harbor SW).
The Northwest Open Water Swimming Association has three swimmers planning marathon swims in the area this week, starting with one happening right now:
HAPPENING NOW: Above is a screenshot of the tracker showing where Chelsea Lee was moments ago – at 10:45 am – in her attempt to complete what’s known as the Bert Thomas Swim, almost 19 miles from Old Town Dock in Tacoma to Point Williams by Colman Pool in West Seattle. NOWSA’s Amanda Winans explains, “Chelsea trains at Alki Beach and has also completed the Amy Hiland Swim in 2022, from Bremerton to the Alki Lighthouse.” Amanda is the official observer on the support boat for this swim and is one of two other swimmers who’ve done this swim since its namesake in 1956; the other is Andrew Malinak, who is also aboard the support boat as pilot. Chelsea started in the 6 am hour this morning and if successful will reach Point Williams in mid-afternoon. (Update: As of 2:20 pm, they are projecting 3 pm-ish. Second update: Tracker indicates she finished in just over 9 hours! Third update: Amanda sent the photo and reports, “Chelsea finished in about 9 hours, 3 min, at 3:07 pm at Colman Pool. She got to finish it off in style and go down the Colman Pool slide! Photo is by Stephanie Zimmerman.)
Amanda also tells us about two other marathon swims planned this week:
FRIDAY: Wendy Van De Sompele of Vashon Island – who you might know as aquatic director at Colman Pool – plans to swim from Alki Point to West Point, six miles. If successful, Amanda says, Wendy will be the first person to complete 5 out of the 6 swims in the Puget Sound Lighthouse Series. She plans to start her swim from Alki Point at 10 am Friday (August 23).
SUNDAY: This is a round trip, also from Alki Point, Amanda explains:
An all-female relay, supported by a female pilot and a female observer (local marathon swimmer Stephanie Zimmerman) will swim an unprecedented route for NOWSA from Alki Point Lighthouse, around Blake Island, and back to the lighthouse. Melissa Kegler, a Triple Crown marathon swimmer (English Channel, Catalina Channel, around Manhattan Island) spearheads the relay, which includes women covering all decades from 30-70: Becky Smith, Carol Horowitz, Guila Muir, Emily White, and Shea DeWald. They are all “Notorious Alki Swimmers” who you will find swimming regularly from the Alki Bathhouse, and Carol, Emily, and Shea are West Seattle residents. Boat support will be provided by Seastr PNW, an organization dedicated to inclusive access to waterborne activities for people who have been historically excluded from the maritime industry and water sports. They will be starting from the Alki Lighthouse at 8 am, and returning back sometime in the afternoon.
Both of those swims will use the same online tracker as today – find it here.
Thanks to the anonymous reader who sent that photo of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) as it passed West Seattle, headed for Bremerton, this past hour. It’ll be homeported there while getting work done at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard; for almost a decade, it’s been homeported in Yokosuka, Japan. The carrier was last seen here in 2013, when it was headed for San Diego.
6:34 PM: Thanks for the texted tip! MarineTraffic.com confirms that’s the USS Nimitz (CVN 68), southbound toward Alki Point right now. Four weeks have passed since the Bremerton-based aircraft carrier headed out.
7:44 PM: Added a photo, texted by a reader who was on the Bremerton ferry when it passed Nimitz. (Thank you!)
P.S. A search for recent news about the Nimitz reveals the Navy has initiated the “deactivation” process, looking ahead to decommissioning it in 2026.
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