West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
So much else was going on this afternoon, we never got a chance to go into full whale-watching-sound-the-alert mode, but thanks to Eve for sending a photo as proof (and yes, we know it’s fuzzy, but hey, it’s A WHALE!): We’ve had several reports of a gray whale spotted in Elliott Bay, then heading southbound in the Sound, earlier this afternoon. Eve took that photo off Alki at 1:15 pm; Orca Network (which tracks sightings of non-orca marine mammals too) had a report of a gray whale in Elliott Bay, closer to downtown, just after 10 this morning. Orca Network also has a great page on its website explaining why you see grays in Puget Sound, most often at this time of year; see that page here.
Thanks to a tipster (who didn’t want to be credited) for pointing out the Coast Guard’s report of a partially submerged 65-foot tugboat at Island Tug and Barge, in the Duwamish, just north of The Bridge. It had more than 6,000 gallons of fuel and oil on board, but according to the Associated Press, it was brought back up this morning without spilling anything but 25 gallons of oily bilge water.
Not West Seattle, but taken by a West Seattleite, and some WS riders had to have been in the crowd – that’s a ferry full of bicycles, headed from Bainbridge Island to downtown Seattle after the Chilly Hilly, photographed by John LaSpina, who caught this view too:
This has apparently been in beta a few weeks but we hadn’t heard about it till a mention on WSDOT‘s Twitter feed today: The Vessel Watch page, which tells you where any given state ferry is at any given moment, has been upgraded – the map used to be static, and now it’s dynamic, with panning/zooming capabilities among other things. Check it out here. (And while that feature can identify a state ferry for you, if you’re looking to ID any other kind of vessel, MarineTraffic.com’s the place to go.)
Tonight’s e-mail update from the Orca Network confirms another baby for Puget Sound’s resident orcas: If you go here, you’ll see a photo of L114, seen with L77 in B.C. waters yesterday. That brings the resident population – J, K, L pods – up to 89. (That page also has photos of half a dozen other babies born to the local orcas since the start of 2009; and you can see yet more here.)
On a picture-perfect morning, the USS John C. Stennis, CVN-74, was spotted from West Seattle shores, headed toward Bremerton (WesCAddle mentioned it in the WSB Forums). Thanks to Kevin for this carrier-and-mountain view!
No guarantee they will show up this far south, but we would be remiss not to share the alert – Orca Network says a big pod of so-called “transients” (to separate them from the ones who live in Puget Sound year-round), maybe up to 25, was seen heading south as recently as a couple hours ago off North Kitsap shores. If you spot any, please let Orca Network know as well as sharing the news here – thanks! 3:20 PM UPDATE: They’re still north of here but Channel 7’s chopper is over them – live video feed here.
Thanks to Sharonn for sending that photo after we mentioned this earlier on Twitter: After a note from Deborra asking about the unusual-looking white ship in the middle of Elliott Bay. We looked it up with a website you should bookmark if you get curious about ship sightings too: marinetraffic.com’s Seattle map. It’s the Mona Lisa, a chartered passenger ship according to this info-page (which also has a closeup file photo). More background here helped indirectly point us to confirmation of what Sharonn said she’d heard – The News Tribune reported last week that Mona Lisa is one of the ships headed to Vancouver to serve as floating hotels for workers coming in for the Winter Games. 3:33 PM UPDATE: Zack shares a closer view – first, the entire photo, then a closer view, since his note to us called attention to the funnel art honoring the ship’s namesake:
First – Cecile shared photos with us taken at Alki Sunday – that’s her in the water – saying, “This morning photographer Jenny B. and I went to Alki and took some awesome pictures!!! Thought it displayed our beautiful Puget Sound as a wonderful place to live!” We thought there had to be more to the story – a modeling shoot, maybe, given the striking outfit? Answering our followup, Cecile explained, “We were just experimenting with some new photographic equipment and threw together an outfit that we thought would bring out the colors of the nature, which it definitely did! I’m a classical musician so I thought it would be a good opportunity to get new pictures for CD covers/headshots etc.” Read More
Yet more must-share photos have come in – first the Saturday sunset, from Kelly Johnston (who has more here); then, a few more views of the Three Tree Point Duwamish Head sailing race – this one from David Hutchinson:
And this one from Rick Rasmussen:
Doesn’t look like race results are online yet, by the way, but they should eventually appear here. (Several other photographers’ images were published here earlier.)
All those sailboats you saw off West Seattle shores today? The Three Tree Point Yacht Club‘s 31st annual Duwamish Head Race (here’s the home page). Thanks to JayDee for the first three photos.
The race’s starting point was Des Moines.
That’s also where members are now gathered to wait for the results. The next photo is courtesy Russ Walker:
And shortly after we published this – another note with photos came in, from Chris D:
Then another one – from JH!
Thanks to JayDee, Russ, Chris and JH – got photos to share? editor@westseattleblog.com (or via Facebook, where we’re WS Blog) any time!
A happy followup today to the orca sightings that brought many out to the West Seattle shores yesterday afternoon, hoping to glimpse J-Pod passing by … Orca Network says the researchers who were following the whales for a while spotted a new baby! It’s been designated J47, born to mom J35, and you can see photos on the Orca Network website (scroll down from that photo and you’ll see the five babies born to the “Southern Resident” orcas last year – their population is now up to 88).
Three beachside scenes to share as the weekend ends – First, thanks to Colby for sharing the rainbow sighted at Lincoln Park, by Colman Pool. Next, while strolling Alki this afternoon, we spotted what appeared to be a wise and patient cat:
And a bit further south along Alki, the signs are up for the future pho restaurant we first told you about in October:
(We’ll check soon on the cafe’s progress toward opening.)
E-mail from Orca Network says J-Pod was spotted near Maury Island just before 1 pm, heading slowly north close to the Vashon side of central Puget Sound. The note adds, “NOAA Fisheries is heading out to try to get some fecal & fish scale samples – please let us know if you see the whales so we can help guide the researchers toward the whales – call us at 1-866-ORCANET – thanks!” (And keep us posted so we can share progress here and on Twitter and Facebook.) 2:13 PM: Just got a call they’ve been seen from Three Tree Point (here’s a map; a comment’s come in to that effect, too). Heading down to look from here!
3:32 PM UPDATE: Latest report puts them still south of Fauntleroy.
4:36 PM UPDATE: Whales passing Blake Island right now, still closer to the west side of the Sound.
4:54 PM UPDATE: As they say in sports, “called for darkness” (plus it’s starting to rain). Thanks to Donna from The Whale Trail, who says the view was best when they were off Marine View Drive/Arroyos, for letting us have a peek through her serious-sized binoculars toward the end of our stakeout at Emma Schmitz Viewpoint south of Me-Kwa-Mooks, and thanks to Janette from Seal Sitters for joining us on orca watch too. (Look for some seal pix/news later tonight.) Also thanks to WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli, who was also out on orca stakeout too, but they just didn’t get close enough. And thanks to everyone who commented, texted, called, tweeted with info. Next time maybe they’ll be closer to this side!
Thanks to Lina Rose for sharing photos taken by husband Scott Rose during last night’s low tide.
Lina says, “Our favorite thing from the evening was the small blue shrimp with iridescent eyes. We have never noticed these in the daytime but they were really cool. Also- I have never seen so many crabs out and about!” Tonight’s low tide is almost as low, another minus-three-footer, bottoming out around quarter past 11.
Looking ahead on the chart, it appears the tides won’t get this low again until June.
Some stories were joyful – like the last one in the slideshow – and some were painful. Photojournalist Christopher Boffoli assembled this group of more than 30 of the hundreds of memorable images he produced for WSB news coverage this year. He put them together in a black-and-white slide show (just hit “play” on the first frame and they will automatically advance). Many are from breaking-news scenes, where Christopher often arrived before your editor here even got word something had happened, but you’ll also see wildlife, volunteerism, aviation, and even JP Patches. Many of these scenes, you will probably remember; if not, there are brief descriptions on the photo set’s home Flickr page. We’ll have more to say about ’09 in the hours ahead, as well as a couple lists with New Year’s Day practicalities. And, once more, if you’re STILL not absolutely certain what you want to do tonight, we’ve added two more venues to the New Year’s Eve list on the West Seattle Holidays page.
Thanks to Eric Shalit of Box Turtle Design for sharing this sight from Alki (where the latest water-temperature reading is a non-balmy 48 degrees). Gives us an excuse, meantime, to note that two “polar bear swims” are on the calendar for the New Year – 10 am Friday (1/1/10) on Alki, across from Duke’s, is the annual-albeit-informal swim, and this year, Special Olympics of Washington has the Polar Plunge fundraiser at 11 am Sunday 1/24/10, also on Alki – go here to register.
That photo is courtesy of Alki wildlife-watcher (and raft-keeper) Guy Smith, who tells the pre-photo tale:
Alki Point residents saw an eagle swooping down to the water this AM during a sea lion’s breakfast. It actually tried to get the salmon out of the sea lion’s mouth on several passes when the sea lion was slapping the fish around on the surface to kill it; similar to a dog shaking a snake. Eagles sometimes sit in a tall tree on a hill across the street and have a good view of the water, but they’re usually not this aggressive. Didn’t get a shot of the eagle, but the attached photo shows the sea lion downing the salmon.
(No proof one of them was involved, but this is still a good excuse to point you to David Hutchinson‘s fabulous Christmas photo of 2 Alki eagles, if you haven’t seen it already.)
A table full of lantern-makers worked busily at Highland Park Improvement Club when we visited to see how the New Year’s Eve parade-prep project was going. The lanterns are papier-mache over balloons, to be carried during the “Not-So-Silent Night” neighborhood parade Thursday night:
Everyone’s welcome during the parade; meet at HPIC (11th/Holden) at 6:30 pm Thursday – it’ll be followed by a parking-lot performance around 7:30 and the HPIC New Year’s Eve house party indoors. (More West Seattle New Year’s Eve options here.) Meantime, nature put on its own beautiful show one more time today:
Chas Redmond shared that iPhone photo from along Beach Drive; David Rosen shared the view from West Seattle’s downtown-facing waterfront:
Looks like the clouds will hold centerstage for the next few days, though.
Thanks to David Hutchinson for the photo and the story behind it:
While driving past Alki Point this afternoon, my wife and I noticed a bald eagle perched in the old madrone tree on the summit of the small hill just west of the lighthouse. After watching it for about 20 minutes, we were rewarded by being able to observe the arrival of its mate. After a couple minutes, they both flew off heading in the direction of Duwamish Head.
And thanks to Nick for sharing this photo from along the west-facing West Seattle shore:
He explains, “Saw this intrepid gentleman while at Lowman Beach with the kids.” Thanks to David and Nick for sharing those sights from this spectacular, sunny Christmas Day, and to everyone who’s shared photos, stories, news tips, event announcements, etc., via WSB – where our fifth year has just begun. We’re thrilled to hear from you any time.
ADDED 7:15 PM: As discussed in comments – a closer look at the unique Christmas outfit donned by the boarder, who turned out to be Lowman Beach artist/Ducky Reserve keeper Ron Sterling:
From Rick R, a sighting off Brace Point this afternoon. Merry Christmas Eve! P.S. Our handy West Seattle holiday links again —
Christmas Eve/Christmas Day church services
Grocery stores’ hours for Christmas Eve/Day
Restaurants open Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day
Coffee shops that’ll be open a while on Christmas
Christmas Light displays we’ve featured
ADDED 6:17 PM: Another sighting!
Thanks to Cathy for the photo of Santa on 2 wheels.
Only one report so far but you know how we are about sharing whale reports, in case you want to keep an eye out: “Cloudbreak” shared e-mail from a friend who e-mailed an hour ago, “OK, a few minutes ago a gray whale cruised by Alki, turned East at the lighthouse.” (Maybe it was this one.) ADDED 11:57 AM: Now a second report, closer to downtown – from Zack:
I’m down at Argosy Cruises and we had a gray whale pass us and head into the east waterway…last view I got was about 10 ago and it was surfacing inbetween the cargo ships. Looks like it’s still heading south.
Bainbridge Island-based SoundWave caroled it from the Christmas Ship – “Let It Snow.” Didn’t happen during the Spirit of Seattle‘s final visit of the season to West Seattle shores, though, at Don Armeni Boat Ramp tonight – just a little mist – latest “forecast discussion” isn’t very snow-hopeful, either. The night also saw the weekend’s only Christmas Ship bonfire, since the now-ended burn ban was still in effect last night:
The Parks Department also set up the traditional tent with cookies and beverages (they apologize that the hot water was a little late) – and added extra decorations, including some luminarias along the shore, and the inflatables you see alongside Gayle, Rebecca, Mulryan and Jim from Parks:
(photo courtesy Rebecca Hall – substituted 12:41 am for our original photo which just had 1 Parks person)
One other sight from tonight – in addition to the lighted boats accompanying the Christmas Ship, two kayakers paddled out to watch (also seen in the top video clip):
While that’s it for the West Seattle stops this year, the Christmas Ship continues nightly trips to various Puget Sound/Lake Washington/Lake Union beaches through Dec. 23 – the schedule’s here; you can buy tickets to ride along, with part of the proceeds going to the Seattle Times (WSB partner) Fund for the Needy (donations welcome here). We also covered the Christmas Ship’s Seacrest (here) and Lowman Beach (here) stops last night (it also visited Alki) – thanks to everyone who contributed photos to enhance the coverage (don’t miss these).
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