West Seattle, Washington
03 Sunday
9:52 AM: Just got a text from Kersti Muul that orcas are southbound off Brace Point “in the shipping lanes.” Might be too far south for you know, but they’ll eventually have to head north again! Let us know if you see them.
10:17 AM: And in fact, they’ve already turned around, Kersti reports, now northbound off Blake Island.
12:24 PM: In comments, Kersti says they’re now off Bainbridge.
9:10 AM: Thanks to Donna Sandstrom of The Whale Trail for the tip: “J Pod is exiting Colvos Passage, heading north, We will be at Alki, south of the lighthouse, with binoculars to share.” (Colvos Passage is the waterway along the west side of Vashon Island.)
9:37 AM: Donna says they’re now visible from there.
10:22 AM: Update from Donna – they’re moving fast and now out of sight. She says local researchers Mark Sears and Maya Sears are with them.
A large group of orcas is southbound off south Bainbridge Island, Kersti Muul just texted, saying they might be Southern Residents.
Thanks to Richard for the texted report: “Humpback whale heading north from just south of Brace Point. A couple hundred feet offshore. Just now.”
Transient orcas were in Elliott Bay and visible from West Seattle shores for much of the day on Thursday, as noted here. West Seattle photographer Jamie Kinney caught some amazing views – the first four photos are his, and you can see many more in this gallery on his website.
As reported by Kersti Muul starting Thursday morning, these were transient killer whales (though Southern Residents were seen yesterday too).
The whales brought out a crowd, too – here’s a Thursday photo from Duwamish Head, received from an unidentified texter:
No reports of whales in the West Seattle vicinity yet today, but Orca Network commenters have seen several in the South Sound, so eventually they’ll have to head back this way again.
9:04 AM: Visibility’s a bit of a challenge at the moment, but orcas are out there, according to a texted update from Kersti Muul – a southbound group of transients was off the Bainbridge ferry terminal about half an hour ago, and another group of orcas was further north. Let us know if you see them!
10:03 AM: In addition to her update in comments below, Kersti texted: “Here they come! Southern group of whales now spread out SB from Shilshole to Bainbridge.”
4:54 PM: In addition to the updates all day in comments – thanks! – we have a text from someone who says four are in view right now from the Alki Beach volleyball courts.
4:59 PM: That texter now thinks they might actually be seeing dolphins.
6:25 PM: Kersti in comments and Erin via email tell us there are whales very close to shore along Alki Avenue, off Duwamish Head! (added) Erin sent this photo:
8:42 AM: Three orcas are in Elliott Bay, headed toward downtown, according to a texted report from Kersti Muul. Let us know if you see them!
9:51 AM: Thanks for the updates in comments, and the photo uploaded by A Labs.
5:08 PM: Transient killer whales are in the area, headed northeast from the tip of Vashon Island, according to a texted tip from Kersti Muul. Let us know if you see them too!
5:22 PM: Kersti says they’ve turned around and are now off Brace Point, headed southbound.
(Added: Video and photos by Jamie Kinney)
2:51 PM: Transient killer whales are back in the area! Kersti Muul reports four orcas are northbound, last seen off Brace Point south of Fauntleroy. Let us know if you see them!
3:18 PM: Passing Lincoln Park.
6 PM: Added some of Jamie Kinney‘s video and photos above, from the orcas’ pass by Emma Schmitz Viewpoint on Beach Drive.
12:22 PM: If you’re up for early-afternoon whale-watching, Kersti Muul reports transient orcas are headed this way, southbound, toward the north edge of Elliott Bay at last report. They’re closer to the west side of the Sound, so you’d need binoculars. Let us know if you see them!
4:48 PM: Thanks to Jill Anderson for sending video of the orcas as seen off the Bainbridge ferry earlier!
2:53 PM: Thanks to Kersti Muul for the report: Transient orcas are visible, northbound, from Emma Schmitz Overlook.
ADDED 4:35 PM: New from Kersti: “At least two humpbacks along the line from Alki near Cactus to Eagle Harbor. (Possibly three) heading toward Elliott Bay.”
Kersti Muul reports: “One lone male orca (likely T65A5 heading to meet family) is southbound, outer edge of Elliott Bay, past Skiff Point, Bainbridge Island.” (That’s directly across from West Point on the north edge of the bay.)
Just texted by Kersti Muul: “We’ve got transients coming at a good clip from West Point, Seattle side, southbound. The 65As.” Let us know if you see them!
9:02 AM: Southern Resident Killer Whales have made their customary fall return. Kersti Muul tells us that orcas from J-Pod are in outer Elliott Bay, “spread across (the bay) from south of West Point,” generally headed southbound. Comment if you see them!
9:42 AM: Donna Sandstrom of The Whale Trail just called and said they’re southbound from Alki Point.
10:03 AM: Donna says the whales are now moving slowly northbound.
Two reports from Kersti Muul: Transient orcas, northbound, about half an hour ago, and a gray whale, also northbound. Both sightings were reported north of the north end of Vashon Island. Let us know if you see them!
(WSB photo from 2015 Alki ‘Free Lolita’ rally)
There will be no homecoming for the last Southern Resident Killer Whale in captivity. The 57-year-old orca known as Tokitae (previously Lolita) has died. She was estimated to be four years old when captured 53 years ago off Whidbey Island. The Miami Seaquarium announced her death on social media, saying in part:
Over the last two days, Toki started exhibiting serious signs of discomfort, which her full Miami Seaquarium and Friends of Toki medical team began treating immediately and aggressively. Despite receiving the best possible medical care, she passed away Friday afternoon from what is believed to be a renal condition.
The Seaquarium stopped making her perform two years ago. Recent plans to try moving her back to Puget Sound were still being developed – as we noted back in April – after years of protests and other advocacy, here and elsewhere, demanding she be brought home.
6:56 PM: Thanks for the reports! We’ve received word of at least two humpbacks seen heading northbound off The Arroyos and Fauntleroy.
8:04 PM: Three whales! John and Jan caught their spouts on video:
From Gary Jones, this sighting less than an hour ago: “At least two whales, most likely humpback heading south just north of Alki Point, well east of mid-channel.”
7:51 PM: Just texted by Kersti Muul, orcas are northbound, midchannel, approaching the Fauntleroy ferry lanes – so if you’re up for sunset whale-watching, head to the shore with your binoculars!
8:32 PM: Kersti says two humpbacks are in the area too, southbound off Bainbridge.
Last week we noted reports of a new arrival in L-Pod, one of the three groups that comprise the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale population. Now there’s word of two, from the Center for Whale Research – here’s their announcement:
The Center for Whale Research (CWR) can confirm two new calves in the endangered Southern Resident killer whale population: L126 (mother L119) and L127 (mother L94). CWR researchers encountered the two calves during a survey of a group of whales containing members of J pod and the L12 subgroup in the Strait of Georgia on June 30, 2023.
L126 is L119’s first calf, while L127 is L94’s third. We estimate that both calves are at least two months old, and neither shows any immediate signs of illness or abnormality.
Both calves were very active and social while we observed them. The sex of the calves is still unknown, but CWR staff will attempt to get additional images of both calves in the coming days.
These are the first calves born in L pod since 2021 and the first calves born in the L12 subgroup since 2018. The first year is challenging for young whales, but we hope that both calves and their mothers can survive and thrive well into the future.
You can see photos on the CWR website (we’ll add one here if and when we get permission).
Kersti Muul sends word that orcas are headed this way. A group is milling, slowly southbound, off Bainbridge, just across and north of Alki. Let us know if you see them!
(March photo by David Hutchinson, Southern Residents seen from Constellation Park)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
News of what’s believed to be a newborn Southern Resident Killer Whale didn’t emerge until after The Whale Trail‘s summer gathering four nights ago.
Nonetheless, it was an optimistic, even jubilant gathering just the same, with an update on the resident orcas from their spring visits and the new laws meant to “give them space” on the water.
The gathering filled C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) last Thursday night, with The Whale Trail’s founder/executive director Donna Sandstrom first providing an update on her organization, which is now educating people from California to Canada about the orcas (and other sea life) with more than 130 interpretive signs installed so far, including four in West Seattle, “to connect people more deeply to the place they’re at.” Almost half those signs are in British Columbia, where the newest one – in Saturna – was just dedicated, with a special audio feature so that visitors can hear local First Nations people’s songs about the whales.
4:10 PM: Just in from Kersti Muul, word of northbound orcas off West Seattle’s western shore – seen off Lincoln Park.
4:21 PM: Kersti says some are now in view off Constellation Park.
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