West Seattle, Washington
13 Thursday
(Photo by David Hutchinson, from Constellation Park)
12:39 PM: You may have another chance to see Southern Resident Killer Whales from the West Seattle shore today. Both Kersti Muul from Salish Wildlife Watch and Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail tell us orcas from J-Pod and K-Pod – two of the three resident groups – are headed southbound in this direction, still a bit north of Elliott Bay. Let us know if you see them!
1:23 PM: See comments for updates; Kersti reports some turned into Elliott Bay.
1:54 PM: Donna called to say the whales are now visible from Constellation Park (south of Alki Point), back southbound in the Sound, but “bring your binoculars.”
(This photo and next by Jerry Simmons)
3 PM: Kersti’s update in comments – with photos – says some were visible without binoculars.
(Photo by Kersti Muul, who identifies this whale as J37)
Meantime, Sasha tweeted this video:
Just saw some at Linkin Park! pic.twitter.com/HyE3cYoTWM
— Sasha (@essrez) December 6, 2020
5:46 PM: Thanks to everyone who’s since sent photos!
(Photo by Jamie Kinney, who has more here)
Orcas are in the area again today. About an hour ago, whales were spotted in the Bainbridge ferry lanes, southbound, according to Kersti Muul of Salish Wildlife Watch, so if you’re by the water any time today, be on the lookout. She says the whales that passed by yesterday were transients, not residents.
Thanks to Stewart L. for the photos! We mentioned back in October that the heavy icebreaker USCGC Polar Star would be heading to the Arctic – and today, it departed. As the Coast Guard noted in October, Polar Star usually goes to Antarctica to resupply McMurdo Station, but a “limited resupply” was planned by air this year instead “due to COVID safety precautions.” In the Arctic, the USCG says, the 44-year-old Polar Star will “help protect the nation’s maritime sovereignty and security.”
P.S. Stewart L. also shared this photo of other Coast Guard work in Elliott Bay today – as Aids to Navigation boat 55107 visited the navigational marker off Luna/Anchor Park:
Thanks to Kersti Muul from Salish Wildlife Watch for the tip: Orcas are in the area again, southbound off Bainbridge Island (Yeomalt – here’s a map). Let us know if you see them!
Thanks to Stewart L. for the photo! That submarine was in view off West Seattle, northbound in Puget Sound, a little over an hour ago. While MarineTraffic.com doesn’t ID it beyond “submarine/military ops,” the tracker does show that it’s continuing that way, off south Snohomish County’s shore at last check.
9:57 AM: For the second day in a row, you have a chance to see orcas off West Seattle – Kersti Muul from Salish Wildlife Watch says whales are southbound, south of the Bainbridge-Seattle ferry lanes. Let us know if you see them!
10:32 AM: In addition to the updates in comments (thank you!), Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail called to say they’re between Blake and Vashon, visible through binoculars.
(Photo added, by Kersti Muul – Mom and son in the sunset. J26 Mike and J16 Slick)
12:36 PM: Southern Resident Killer Whales are back in our area! Kersti Muul of Salish Wildlife Watch reports J-Pod whales are southbound, visible from Alki right now, closer to the Bainbridge Island side of the Sound, so definitely binoculars are needed. Let us know if you see them!
1:24 PM: Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail says they’re visible off Alki Point, and if you need a point of reference, researcher Mark Sears has his boat out nearby.
2:32 PM: See comments for updates. Reported off Lowman Beach as of a short time ago.
11:13 AM: Two groups of orcas are heading in our direction, from opposite directions, according to Kersti Muul of Salish Wildlife Watch: Transient orcas are northbound, passing Three Tree Point a little while ago, while Southern Resident Killer Whales from J-Pod are reported to be southbound, off mid-Bainbridge Island at last report. Let us know if you see any of them.
12:15 PM: See comments for updates – thanks to everyone providing them!
Today began with a plane making an emergency landing – and included, it turns out, a cargo ship passing West Seattle on the way to emergency repairs. The photo and tip are from Duncan, who saw the ONE Aquila passing Alki Point this morning; this report says it was diverted into Puget Sound while sailing from China to Long Beach, after some of its containers collapsed in stormy weather. The report says it’ll spend at least two weeks in Tacoma for “an emergency survey, repairs and discharge of the collapsed containers.” A customer advisory says it’s then expected to sail to Long Beach, arriving around Thanksgiving.
7:46 AM: Thanks to Kersti Muul of Salish Wildlife Watch for the tip: Orcas are passing West Seattle, southbound off Blake Island.
10:39 AM: Kersti reports in a comment below that the whales (Southern Residents from J-Pod) have turned back northbound.
Thanks to Monica Cavagnaro for the photo. That’s the icebreaker USCGC Polar Star (WAGB 10), in Elliott Bay today. It’s based in Seattle so it’s not an unusual sighting, but soon it will be off on an unusual deployment – headed to the Arctic, the first Polar-class icebreaker to go there in 26 years, reports Military.com. The Coast Guard‘s announcement says the 399-foot Polar Star will head to the Arctic this winter “to help protect the nation’s maritime sovereignty and security in the region.” It usually goes to the Antarctic, but that’s not happening this year, as explained by the announcement:
Typically, the Polar Star travels to Antarctica each year in support of Operation Deep Freeze, the annual military mission to resupply the United States’ Antarctic stations, in support of the National Science Foundation.
This year’s maritime resupply at McMurdo Station was cancelled due to COVID safety precautions, and a limited resupply will be conducted via aircraft. However, Operation Deep Freeze is an enduring mission that requires a heavy icebreaker for a full resupply, and the Coast Guard anticipates resuming this critical deployment next year.
The 44-year-old Polar Star is currently the U.S.’s only heavy icebreaker. A new one is in design and due for completion in 2024.
On Sunday, we reported on another visit by Southern Resident Killer Whales. No visuals, though, until tonight:
That video is by Hannah Schuh, a seventh-grader at Madison Middle School. Her mom Liz Schuh sent us the clip, recorded at Point Robinson on Maury Island (a popular whale-watching spot since Puget Sound’s main channel narrows there and you have a better chance of a close pass). Viewing advice from Liz: “After the breaching whale, another group surfaces, including one of the babies.”
The babies are part of J-Pod, which may have another calf soon – we also received photos tonight from Brittany Philbin of PNW Orca Pod Squad Photography – a pregnant orca, also photographed from Point Robinson:
The photographer explains, “During their close pass, J46 Star breached just offshore and luckily I was in the right place at the right time and captured a photo at just the right angle to see her heavily pregnant abdomen. She has been confirmed by researchers to be pregnant. I just thought residents of West Seattle would love to see these photos of J46 Star. They are so beloved throughout the Pacific Northwest.”
J46 was born in November 2009.
11:40 AM: Just got a call from Kersti Muul of Salish Wildlife Watch – orcas are heading for West Seattle waters again, currently southbound in the Bainbridge Island ferry lanes. Let us know if you see them!
12:05 PM: Jeff Hogan from Killer Whale Tales says they’re visible off Alki Point.
12:17 PM: Saw them! From north Emma Schmitz Overlook, with binoculars.
1:51 PN: Just seen off The Arroyos, per commenter Desertdweller, still southbound.
10:05 AM: For a second day, orcas are in view off West Seattle. Donna Sandstrom of The Whale Trail just sent word that they’re southbound off Alki Point. Let us know if you see them!
10:20 AM: Jeff Hogan from Killer Whale Tales just called with an update – they’re now off Emma Schmitz Overlook, still southbound.
11:52 AM: Kersti Muul from Salish Wildlife Watch says in comments that they’ve turned around and are now northbound.
10:24 AM: Thanks to Kersti Muul of Salish Wildlife Watch for the heads-up: Southern Resident Killer Whales are heading in our direction, southbound off Shilshole at last report. Last time, they turned around before making it this far south, but here’s an early alert just in case they keep going this time.
11:50 AM: Getting closer – see comments.
12:55 PM: Donna Sandstrom of The Whale Trail called with an update – still southbound but slowly, off Bainbridge.
1:42 PM: Donna just called again to say the orcas are rounding Alki Point! Kersti says they’re from J-Pod.
Thanks to Roger for the photo (and to others who tipped us too). The two port cranes passing West Seattle on their way out of Elliott Bay this afternoon are from Terminal 46 on the downtown waterfront. We mentioned them 2 1/2 weeks ago; their previously scheduled sail date was in the midst of the wildfire smoke. These cranes are headed to Everett to be scrapped, says port spokesperson Peter McGraw, who also tells us one old crane was left behind at T-46 for longshore-worker training.
Two Washington State Ferries notes:
TWO WITH TUGS: Thanks to Maureen for the photo. That’s MV Spokane with tugs this morning, passing Alki. Don sent a similar photo of MV Tacoma going by with two tugs on Saturday. WSF spokesperson Ian Sterling confirms Spokane was headed to drydock at Vigor on Harbor Island today, while Tacoma was headed out after the same, sending this photo taken while work was under way:
Tacoma is back in service on the Bainbridge Island route today.
VASHON ISLAND DOCK WORK: If you use the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route, note that it will be affected this afternoon/evening by repair work:
(Today) WSF maintenance crews will be doing necessary repair work to components on one of the vehicle loading ramps at the Vashon dock. This work will begin after the 3:30 pm departure from Vashon and will require a closure of approximately 11 hours to complete. During this time, only one functioning loading slip will be available at Vashon, which will likely lead to vessel delays in the afternoon and evening. Updates will be provided as they become available.
If you’re awaiting a ferry, you can check its status via Vessel Watch.
(Photo: Center for Whale Research / Permit #21238 / WhaleResearch.com)
If we see the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales sometime soon here in central Puget Sound, look – from shore – for that new little one, J57. The Center for Whale Research has published its announcement about seeing the new calf (first reported by Lynda Mapes in The Seattle Times), accompanied by researchers’ photos (which we are republishing with permission).
(Photo: Center for Whale Research / Permit #21238 / WhaleResearch.com)
CWR believes Friday is the day J35 – at right, above, with the new baby and J47 – gave birth. Their researchers saw the newborn on Saturday in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. J35 is also known as Tahlequah, who broke hearts around the world two years ago by carrying her dead calf on her head for 1,000 miles before finally letting it go. Researchers knew she was pregnant again – orca gestation is 18 months – but she had not yet given birth as of researchers’ sightings in Haro Strait last Tuesday and Thursday, when they also saw the other expectant J-Pod orca, J41. In the Saturday sighting, CWR reports, the “new calf appeared healthy and precocious, swimming vigorously alongside its mother in its second day of free-swimming life.”
(Photo: Center for Whale Research / Permit #21238 / WhaleResearch.com)
CWR’s announcement adds, “We hope this calf is a success story. Regrettably, with the whales having so much nutritional stress in recent years, a large percentage of pregnancies fail, and there is about a 40% mortality for young calves.” For now, though, the SRKWs number 73, and advocates are hoping for a reduction in other stresses such as boat noise (we reported earlier this week on the request that U.S. whale-watching boats pledge to join their Canadian counterparts in not following the SRKWs).​
(Photo by Stewart L.)
Thanks to all the early risers who sent photos! Two more Terminal 5 cranes were moved out early this morning, on a Tacoma-bound barge.
(Photo by Jim Borrow)
When one of the cranes was moved on August 26th, the Northwest Seaport Alliance/Port of Seattle said two more would be moved this past week. However, when we followed up several days ago about the schedule, in hopes we could share advance news of when to watch, the port told us the move was rescheduled for the week of September 14th. So this is a bit of a surprise.
(Photo by James Bratsanos)
The three cranes’ Tacoma move follows Matson relocating its weekly Hawaii service there after a year at T-5.
(Photo by Chris Frankovich)
The port says the three cranes that aren’t moving will be dismantled before new, bigger cranes arrive at T-5 next year.
Thanks to James Tilley for the photo of an outbound U.S. Navy submarine, seen from West Seattle as it headed north in Puget Sound this morning. MarineTraffic.com shows it’s now off Whidbey Island, but as usual, identifies it only as “a submarine.” Last similar sighting reported by WSB readers was in June, and the general consensus in a lively discussion was that it was a Seawolf-class submarine. Three of them are homeported at Naval Base Kitsap (Bangor); the Kitsap Sun noted in June that the USS Jimmy Carter had been undergoing work at the Bremerton naval shipyard. (The other two are the USS Connecticut and USS Seawolf; the former completed work at Bremerton a year ago, while the latter was recently seen in Norway.)
In the 360-degree videos above and below, “Diver Laura” James takes you into the kelp forest off Lincoln Park.
Laura has been doing some informal research on the kelp, which was reported to be far denser along Puget Sound shores decades ago, before various man-made/-caused changes to the shoreline. If you’ve been observing the area – walking, boating, even diving – over the past 20 to 30 years, she would love to hear from you – info@diverlaura.me is the email address.
Thanks to Stewart L. for the photo. Seen in Elliott Bay this morning, that’s the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker USCGC Healy (WAGB-20), making an early return home. As announced by the USCG earlier this month, the Healy had to return for repairs after an August 18th electrical fire. It was off Alaska at the time, en route “to ensure national security and conduct science operations in the Arctic.” No one was hurt. The Healy is one of only two USCG icebreakers; construction of a new one is expected to start next year at a shipyard in Mississippi.
(Added: Photo by Stewart L.)
1:38 PM: Orcas are off Constellation Patk, southbound, fairly close to shore, Kersti Muul reports. Let us know if you see them!
2:16 PM: Kersti says they’re now passing Lowman Beach.
2:40 PM: And now, she reports, approaching The Arroyos.
10:50 PM: Tonight Kersti sent some of her photos from the visit, including the scene discussed in the comments – standup paddleboarders who got an incredibly close view:
Kersti followed along by land as the orcas headed south and says they dove for 10 minutes at a time, and the boarders just happened to be there.
She says the passing orcas were T137A (male) and T137B (female) – brother and sister. She adds, “T137A has fully recovered from a horrendous injury he had last year near his tail. It was a big gash that was most likely from a sea lion. He was unable to hunt for himself and he lagged behind his family as they helped him. I’m always happy to see him!”
The T’s are transient orcas, who, unlike the residents, eat sea lions and other marine mammals as well as fish.
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