West Seattle, Washington
26 Tuesday
(Photo added, sent by Dr. Brandon Premier)
9:44 AM: Thanks for the tips! Multiple reports of orcas in Elliott Bay this morning. Most recently, NB off Don Armeni, per Kersti Muul.
9:49 AM: She says they’re now westbound along Alki.
11:45 AM: Thanks to Marshall for the update – they’re now “center channel between Vashon and Fauntleroy, orcas tossing a seal … teaching how to hunt.” (Transient orcas eat other mammals like seals and sea lions, while the less-often-seen Southern Residents tend to focus on fish.)
Kersti Muul tells us orcas are in Elliott Bay, same transients as Monday, “and they have a brand-new calf with them.”
8:18 AM: They’re T124As and T124A1s, for those keeping track, currently by the Coast Guard station on the south end of the downtown waterfront.
We start Monday with orcas in the area! Kersti Muul tells us transient orcas are southbound approaching the Fauntleroy ferry lanes.
First orca report in a while! Kersti Muul says orcas are northbound in central Puget Sound right now, seen off south Blake Island. Let us know if you see them.
That pic is just in from WSB contributor Anne Higuera, on state ferry M/V Kittitas headed from Fauntleroy and Vashon. Let us know if you’ve seen it/them!
1 PM: Amid the murk, orcas are heading back into Elliott Bay right now, reports Kersti Muul, who says it’s the “cookie-cutter” whales that have drawn so much interest in recent weeks. Thanks again to everyone who’s shared photos/video of recent sightings (you can scroll this WSB archive to see) – please let us know if you see them today!
2:20 PM: Thanks to Liz for the photo we added above, and thanks to the commenters with location updates!
9:26 AM: Another orca visit this morning – Kersti Muul reports whales were seen in Elliott Bay, off the downtown waterfront, before 9 am. Please let us know if you see them!
4:09 PM: They’re still around this afternoon – Kersti says they’re currently “close to shore cruising Alki Ave toward Alki Point.”
6 PM: Thanks to Richard for this photo of orcas heading north past Brace Point:
10 PM: More photos! We’re told the whales seen today included both the “cookie cutter” orcas and “regular” transient killer whales. These photos are by Daniel Walsh:
And this group shot is from Robin Sinner:
Lots of opportunities to see whales lately – and you have another one this morning: Kersti Muul tells WSB orcas are northbound right now, seen passing Southworth about 15 minutes ago. Thanks to everyone who’s sent photos and video of recent sightings; please let us know if you see whales today too!
5:58 PM: It’s murky out there but if you have or can get the bay off Duwamish Head in view, we just got a texted tip (thank you!) that orcas are back. They’re apparently dining on prey, the tipster says, so we don’t have a direction of travel.
6:56 PM: They have headed west, per texter Bill’s comment below. Apparently they’ve been around much of the day; earlier we missed a 12:30 pm text from Kersti Muul that they were south of West Point. She says they’re off Constellation Park (it’s a little less murky now but the light is dimming as night approaches).
7:54 PM: Thanks to Kevin Freitas for the photos, added above and below!
9:44 AM: Orcas are in the area again this morning. Kersti Muul reports they were sighted in the Seattle-Bainbridge ferry-lane vicinity off Eagle Harbor, southbound, and are still “trending south.” Thanks to everyone who’s sent photos and video from recent sightings (scroll our coverage archive to see); please let us know if you see them again today!
2:49 PM: Kersti reports three orcas – a mom and her sons – have gone into Elliott Bay.
5:18 PM: Added a photo (above) by Robin Sinner – who says it’s “one of the cookie cutters,” seen off Constellation Park.
8:10 AM: Currently off Jack Block Park, reports Kersti Muul.
8:21 AM: She says these are the mysterious “cookie cutter” orcas again.
8:43 AM: Now off Duwamish Head.
8:58 AM: Thanks to the texter who sent a photo.
10:40 AM: And thanks to Joan for sending that video!
7:02 PM: Thanks to everyone who’s sent more photos and video! The two photos below are from Greg C:
This next one is from Robin Sinner:
And video sent by Mark Rhea:
10:04 AM: The weather’s a lot murkier than Monday, but Kersti Muul says the lone gray whale is “extremely close to shore,” heading north, off Beach Drive, in the Emma Schmitz Overlook/Me-Kwa-Mooks vicinity. See photos in our Monday report if you’re not sure what to look for!
12:05 PM: The gray whale is now off Seacrest (1660 Harbor SW, also home to the Water Taxi dock), according to a comment below.
9:29 PM: Photos by Steven Rice added (thank you!).
11:29 AM: If you’ve got eyes on Elliott Bay, you might see a gray whale again today, five days after one was sighted (last Wednesday). Kersti Muul tells us the gray whale is headed toward Elliott Bay Marina on the north side of the bay. Let us know if you see it!
9:59 PM: Thanks for sending photos! The one above is from James Tilley; these are from Steven Rice:
1:58 PM: Just in from Kersti Muul, a report that southbound orcas in the Seattle ferry lanes are heading into the bay, so likely most visible from north-facing West Seattle. Let us know if you see them!
3:09 PM: A commenter says the orcas were in view near the downtown waterfront. Meantime, Kersti says a gray whale is now reported in the bay too, off West Seattle’s Anchor/Luna Park.
6:25 PM: No photos of the gray whale so far but thanks to the two photographers who’ve sent photos of the orcas – looks like some boats in the bay got great views! First two below are from Steven Rice:
Steven says the male (big dorsal fin) is T46E “Thor.” … Robin Sinner sent this photo:
(Added: Viewfinder photo by Brittany of PNW Orca Pod Squad Photography, at Pt. Williams)
11:56 AM: “We have an extremely rare orca sighting this morning,” Kersti Muul reports. “Currently off Brace Point southbound. These are whales with no IDs that have only been previously seen twice” – in the Gulf of Alaska and Vancouver (BC) Harbor – “and they have cookie-cutter shark marks on them, which means they came from warmer waters.”
3:30 PM: Steven Rice linked video in a comment below and also sent photos:
(added) Here’s his video:
8:55 AM: A texter reports three orcas in Elliott Bay, “way in next to container wharves!” Let us know if you see them too.
4:05 PM: Thanks to Steven Rice for sending photos from this morning’s visit, which he says happened fast!
1:25 PM: Thanks for the tips! Multiple reports of orcas passing west-facing West Seattle. Kersti Muul says they’re northbound off Beach Drive.
2:51 PM: Thanks to Rick Rasmussen for sending photos (the one above this line, and two more below).
3:39 PM: Erin reports seeing the orcas in Elliott Bay right now, at least three whales.
10:03 PM: Added above and below this line, photos from David Hutchinson:
These were transient orcas, not Southern Residents.
Saturday whale-watching, anyone? Kersti Muul tells us orcas are in the mouth of Elliott Bay, “surface-active, south of West Point.” Up to half a dozen had been busy “on a kill” but now, she says, they’re trending southbound. Murky out there – or at least it is up here – but let us know if you see them!
Orcas are in the area again today. Kersti Muul tells us four orcas are headed northbound, off the south end of Blake Island as of a little while ago.
(Added: Video by Mark Bauschke)
8:04 AM: Killer whales are in Elliott Bay this morning, off Duwamish Head, Kersti Muul tells us. She says they are headed toward Alki Point.
8:24 AM: She says three transient orcas are almost to the Vashon ferry lanes.
8:41 AM: A second group, she says, is still north of Alki Point, headed southbound.
9:23 AM: Update from Kersti, first group has passed Lincoln Park, SB, and the other is off Duwamish Head “on a kill.” Meantime, she adds that Southern Residents from K-Pod are in the Tacoma area: “Whales everywhere!”
1:04 PM: Thanks to Mark Bauschke for the video – added above.
5:22 PM: Thanks to everyone else who’s since shared photos and video too – we’ve been away from the desk much of the afternoon but are adding now. First, Trileigh Tucker caught a breach on video:
She also sent photos:
These next two photos are by Daniel Walsh:
ADDED: Video by Mark Rhea:
Check comments too!
3:20 PM: Southern Resident Killer Whales seen heading south this morning are now northbound, reports Kersti Muul – approaching Southworth.
3:33 PM: Donna Sandstrom of The Whale Trail says she’s heading to Emma Schmitz Overlook shortly with binoculars to share.
Just heard from Kersti Muul that “a large group of transients” is headed northbound past Blake Island. Let us know if you see them!
(Added: Photo sent by Kevin Freitas)
8:45 AM: Orcas are off west-facing West Seattle, Kersti Muul tells us, southbound – some passing Emma Schmitz Overlook – Southern Residents from J-Pod.
8:53 AM: She says some whales are still further north, headed this way.
9:43 AM: According to Kersti, transients are present too, and the passing residents include members of K-Pod as well.
9:47 AM: Another texter reports some of the orcas “just passed through the ferry lane – halfway between Fauntleroy and Vashon.”
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