Did we see porpoises off Shilshole Marina last night?

[Pibal]

Out in a Capri sailboat last night just off Shilshole Marina last night, and we swear we saw porpoises or dolphins doing their surface tricks. Never saw the telltale snout to be sure, yet they were definitely gray with a dorsal fin and the surfacing was identical to our past experience in more tropical climes. Is this possible?

A web search revealed dolphins seen in Olympia last summer (well actually it was Budd Inlet not actually “in” Olympia itself ;>), but apparently porpoises are less restricted to more temperate waters. Thoughts anyone? Enquiring minds wish to know…

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[JanS]

Shark !

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[westcoastdeb]

Harbor porpoise.

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[sweetflutterby41]

There are porpoises up towards the San Juan Islands. Maybe they came farther south?

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[PDieter]

Dall’s porpoise are throughout Salish Sea

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[herongrrrl]

Yes, most likely harbor porpoises. Dall’s porpoise are black, often with a white edge on their dorsal fins; they also have a hump on their tail stalk that is distinctive when they are surfacing in calm water. Occasionally a hybrid between the two is seen as well. When Dall’s are in a hurry, they will kick up a rooster tail of spray; hybrids may look like a harbor porpoise but act like a Dall’s. I work on a passenger boat in Puget Sound and frequently see porpoises off Shilshole (and have seen them off WS too, when the water is glassy calm).

The only dolphin we regularly see in Puget Sound is the orca, which is the largest member of the dolphin family. However, in the past couple years a pair of common dolphins and a pair of Risso’s dolphins have both come into Puget Sound and hung around for awhile, so it is *possible* to see other types here, just not very likely.

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