As we get our first rain shower of the summer, we're reflecting on the amazing weather and whale watching we've had the past month.
There are three species of whales that we see this time of year in the Salish Sea: Bigg's orcas, humpback whales, and minke whales. July and August have been packed with sightings of all three! Bigg's OrcasWith each passing year Bigg's orcas are spending more and more time in our waters - hunting marine mammals such as seals, harbor porpoises and sea lions essentially year-round. | | Our three departure locations - Edmonds (Seattle), Port Townsend, and Port Angeles - have been able to spend time with an astonishing variety of Bigg's orca families, including the T18s, T19s, T35s, T35As, T36s, T36As, T36A1s, T37As, T38As, T46s, T46Bs, T46Cs, T49As, T63s, T65s, T65As, T65Bs, T69s, T75s, T75As, T75Cs, T77s, T99s, T109As, and the T137s. Whew!
We've had some dramatic moments out on the water, including multiple instances of orcas hunting harbor porpoises and "punting" them into the air. | | A treat for our guests (and crew) has been the absolutely perfect weather we've had this summer. After today's rain - which we are grateful to receive - the sun is scheduled to return. We are often asked when the best time to see whales is. Since we have whales here year-round the answer is "anytime" - but there is no question that summer is the most popular due to the sunny skies. | | Humpback WhalesThe "humpback comeback" continues in the Salish Sea, as more and more humpbacks are finding their way into our waters to feed on their journeys to and from Alaska. We have seen massive groupings of humpback whales north of Port Angeles the past month. This "humpback herd" often comprises more than 30 whales. It's an amazing sight. | | Often, when you're on-scene with that many humpbacks, it's a challenge to identify the whales (a great problem to have!), but among the individuals we've identified have been: Archer, Beso, Big Mama, Curiosity, Divot, Exclamation, Frankenstein, Geometry, Gretzky, Hemlock, Holey Moley, Hornet, Merlin, Monarch, Mozart, Nike, Olympus, Orion, Pinnacle, Pop Tart, Rumble, Sage, Scuttle, Seabird, Seltzer, Slice, Smiley, Smudge, Split Fin, Stitch, Titan, Ulli, Vanta, Victory, Vortex, Windsock, Zig Zag, Zephyr | | | | Puffin Tours End Soon!Whether you are a “lister” or an explorer, the Salish Sea provides tremendous birdwatching opportunities. Puget Sound Express offers the Pacific Northwest’s only birdwatching tours dedicated to getting you out to see marine birds. A special treat each summer is a chance to view tufted puffins. Just outside of Port Townsend are two iconic National Wildlife Refuges — Protection Island and Smith Island. Protection Island contains one of the last 2 nesting colonies of tufted puffins in the Puget Sound area.
Our Edmonds Puffin Tours end on August 19, and our Port Townsend Puffin Tours end September 13. In addition to Tufted Puffins, we've also been able to see Horned Puffins, which has been a real treat for passengers and crew! | |
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