Were seeing unprecedented numbers of humpbacks puget. We just spent a random early spring weekend in port townsend, which is a fun little coastal town. A male gray whale that feasts on shrimp in the puget sound every year was spotted over the weekend, marking the start of an annual stay in washington state inland waters by. From the hotel, to the food, to the recreation everything was awesome. Well also watch for porpoise, seals, sea lions, and various types of birds. Ride the the fastest whale watching boat in the northwest on the only halfday whale watching tour from seattle. With cold water and plenty of prey like salmon to feed on, puget sound is the goto place for whale watching, meaning seattleites dont have to travel far to get a glimpse of these majestic mammals that call the sound their home. This saves money, time, and gives you two beautiful ferry rides in addition your puget sound whale watching tour. Entangled puget sound whale largely freed after unusual. First, as the population of humpback whales recovers to prewhaling levels the population may be nearing the carrying capacity of the traditional northern feeding areas, with more whales exploring these southern habitats along their migration route. The whale museum washington, usa has been collecting opportunistic sightings reports. About 20 southern resident orcas were spotted in puget sound since friday and some were seen off edmonds sunday afternoon.
The whales of puget sound whidbey and camano islands. Puget sound express we have been in operation for 33 years and it all began as sailing charters with the schooner alcyone, hanke said. Our 4hour whale watching cruise departs port townsend both in the morning 10am and in the afternoon 2. The best whale watching sites in puget sound you dont need a boat for. Whales are federally protected under the marine mammal protection act, so stay at least 100 yards away from whales the length of a football field. This recovery plan provides guidance for the protection and recovery of puget sound steelhead, a listed threatened species under the federal endangered species act esa. Among these, southern resident and transient killer whales commonly are found in puget sound. We were watching the whales, and then this guy comes blowing through really fast, said lisa. Killer whales near puget sound, washington youtube. Rare white whale spotted in puget sound over the weekend.
Port townsend 4hour whale watching tour puget sound express. Resident gray whales return to puget sound the seattle. Seattle, washington 98112 northwest fisheries science center. Puget sound express whale watching tour seattle bloggers. Whale of a puget sound problem lures researchers joel schwarz as the federal government inches toward listing puget sounds orca whales for protection under the endangered species act, university of washington researchers have launched a multiyear effort to determine the cause of the marine mammals plummeting population. That is absolutely crazy, said deborah giles, a killer whale expert. Researchers at oregon state university have worked out a way to detect and identify whales long after they move on just by sampling the water. The question of whether boatbased watching tours are really harmless has become more urgent in washington state, where southern resident killer whales have been declining since the 1990s. Its none other than the puget sound express, which offers some of the best whale watching in the world. Sightings of southern resident killer whales in the salish sea 1976. Puget sound express port townsend 2020 all you need to. My friend matt and i stumbled upon this pod of four humpback whales on october 1, 2012 on a perfect day.
Puget sound whale watchers accused of loving endangered. Orcaspotting expert alisa lemire brooks gives us her favorite places to whale watch. Seattle grab your camera, gray whale watching season has officially arrived around puget sound. Puget sound whale watching adventures in washington. Whale, whale, whalelook what the puget sound has here.
Suzanne russell and morgan schniedler ruff northwest fisheries science center. Gray whales are best seen between march and may, as they make their way to their summer feeding grounds. Three distinct groups of killer whales orcinus orca occupy the coastal waters of the northeastern pacific. In the waters of puget sound and the san juan islands there are two different types of orca whales. Humpback whales megaptera novaeanliae were some of the most common large cetaceans in the inland waters of washinton, including puget sound, in the early 1900s scheffer and slipp 1948. Seattle whale watching with puget sound express seattle. Its difficult to imagine a washington without orcas or salmon. Officially known as west coast transients but increasingly referred to as biggs killer whales, these marine mammaleating orcas orcinus orca are spending increasing time in the salish sea to consume their marine mammal prey including harbor seals, steller sea lions, and harbor and dalls porpoise. Rare white whale spotted in puget sound over the weekend kirotv.
According to whale researcher rhonda reidy, the recent boom in humpbacks here may be the result of overlapping events. Would you like to see orca whales, the olympic peninsula and the san juan islands. A killer whale called luna a life does not have to be human to be great. Puget sound includes some of the countrys busiest ports, including seattle, tacoma, anacortes, everett, port angeles, and olympia. Puget sound whale watching tours highliner 202003t15. I have gone on a puget sound whale watching tour every summer for the last seven years or so and love these trips. This month, the whales were seen for just two days around san juan island. A rare whale attack, a clash of titans, in puget sound this week was captured on camera. Rare whale attack in puget sound witnessed near everett. Discover and learn about whales and other marine mammals you can see while whale watching throughout the globe.
Puget sound humpback whales michael mcauliffe photography. Southern resident orcas are seen yearround, but most of the whales in the area are just passing through. Sightings and movements of humpback whales in puget sound. They were heavily hunted in the eastern north pacific from early 1900s through 1965 rice 1974, 1978. Continue reading tracking whales in puget sound is as easy as following genetic bread crumbs left behind. These groupsnorthern and southern residents, transients, and offshoresare distinguished by diet, behavior, morphology, and other characteristics. Whale of a puget sound problem lures researchers uw news. We are the only company on the olympic peninsula that offers a daylong tour combining whale watching with a port of call on san juan island.
When we were driving home, i started to ask tove what her favorite. Anyone can do that by downloading the whale report app on a. Puget sound whale watching tours puget sound whale. Its the only halfday 45 hours, guaranteed whale watching trip in seattle. A killer whale called luna a life does not have to be human to be great duration. Three generations of our family have helped visitors have lifechanging experiences with some of the most majestic creatures on the planet. Puget sound express operates out of edmonds and port townsend less than two hours away from seattle on the olympic peninsula. After spending most of the summer in the san juan islands, our resident orca pods venture south into inland waters for the fall and early winter months, traveling down admiralty inlet chasing chum salmon runs into lower puget sound. Safe whale watching on the west coast be whale wise. The puget sound region is a coastal area of the pacific northwest in the u. Help washington state ferries track whales in puget sound with. Whale species orca, minke, gray, humpback and many more. The resident orcas are back as well, and with the weather becoming more and more summerlike each day, nows a great time to join us on one of our tours. Puget sound whale sightings in covid19 times islands sounder.
Depart from port townsend on the olympic peninsula for 4 hour and daylong tours, or depart from seattleedmonds for the metros only half. A whaling station at bay city, grays harbor, washington, processed 1933. These species are part of the cultural identity, fishing economy and tourism industry of our region. They range from southeast alaska to california, but over the last 15 years more members of. Each spring, majestic gray whales migrate from the southern waters north to alaska.
Puget sound express launches its seattle whale watching tours out of edmonds they also host whale watching trips out of port townsend, which is technically 18 miles from downtown. We will head out in search of orca, humpback, minke, and grey whales. Three excellent options for puget sound whale watching or sea life viewing while in the seattle washington area. Puget sounds killer whales looking good the seattle times. Get a sneak peek at the new and improved pike place market. Whale watching industry of greater puget sound a description and baseline analysis. There are many opportunities to observe the orcas from the many miles of shoreline on whidbey island, the kitsap and olympic. In puget sound, stay 200 yards away from any killer whale. Experience wa washington state vacation puget sound. To report whales please go to the orca network sightings report page, or email orca network. Killer whales in puget sound encyclopedia of puget sound. A gray whale entangled in fishing gear in puget sound on april was largely freed over the weekend after a response team fitted the whale with a tracking buoy, which then serendipitously caught on a yachts rudder and pulled off some of the entangling fishing gear, according to marine mammal entanglement experts that tracked the whale. Mammaleating orcas are most commonly seen in the area, as their population is thriving with ample food supply. Puget sound express edmonds 2020 all you need to know.
Were blessed to live in whats been called the american serengeti, with some of the highest concentration of whales and dolphins and sea life anywhere in the world including our totem species. San juan island whale watching tour puget sound express. The whale may have been the wellknown patch, first photographed in the puget sound in the 1990s. In addition, hundreds of thousands of people come to the sound for its wildlife, natural beauty, and recreation opportunities, such as boating, kayaking, whale watching, and fishing. Depart from seattleedmonds for the metro seattle areas only halfday whale watching tour, or port townsend on. The public can download the whalereport app and report sightings to commercial mariners within 10 nautical miles of the whales to help avoid. Seattle new technology could help ships and ferries navigate around. Were blessed to live in whats been called the american. Tracking whales in puget sound is as easy as following. This book is a wise addition to the storyline, telling us how it all. Our 3 12 hour whale watching tours depart at 9am and 2pm 7 days a week. Over the years, the company has shifted from sailing charters, ferry service, fishing charters to now whale watching. While plenty of commercial tours will charter you around the sound, whale watching does not always require a boat.
During the warmer months, whales travel in a very consistent pattern around the san juan islands searching for salmonmaking for the perfect opportunity to spend the day on one of the puget sound. Puget sound is a magnificent and intricate estuary, the very core of life in western washington. The puget sound whale watching season runs from april through the end of september. Esa recovery plan for the puget sound steelhead distinct. Speeding boater hits popular gray whale in puget sound. Join puget sound express for whale watching tours on the fastest, most comfortable boats in the nw. The long history of killer whale capture and captivity is coming to and end with the announcement that seaworld will no longer display these animals. This daylong whale watching cruise in the san juan islands is also the official ferry route between port townsend and friday harbor. Resources esa recovery plan for the puget sound steelhead distinct population segment oncorhynchus mykiss december 30, 2019.
Whale watching tours puget sound whale watching and. Its hard to beat a day on the water with a camera and interesting wildlife that includes birds, sea lions, dolphins and of course whales. It is characterized by a complex array of saltwater bays, islands, and peninsulas carved out by prehistoric glaciers. Killer whales near puget sound, washington hoshana rabbah. The saratoga features spacious, comfortable indoor seating, large windows, wheelchairaccessible restrooms, outside viewing decks, and a great galley with homemade blueberry buckle. The purpose of orca networks whale sighting network and education project is to encourage observation and increase awareness and knowledge about the southern resident community of orcas j, k and l pods, and foster a stewardship ethic to motivate a diverse audience to take action to protect and. Puget sound whales for sale significantly succeeds the former blackfish in breadth and depth. Continue reading puget sound whale watchers accused of loving endangered orcas to death. According to pacific whale watch association officials. The 82 endangered whales are fat and sleek, and several appear to be.
This nonprofit organization is dedicated to tracking the health of orca whales in the puget sound as. See whales with puget sound express group tour magazine. Puget sounds most celebrated residents the j, k, and l pods of southernresident killer whales are looking good. Puget sound each spring, stragglers yearround adults mottled tan or bluegray with dark spots male. Humpback whale feeds in puget sound regardless, yukusam left a lasting impression on those who saw him over the weekend. It is located along the northwestern coast of the u. Southern resident orca whale recovery governor jay inslee. They range from southeast alaska to california, but over the last 15 years more. Our whale watching tours have been very successful, with sightings of transient orcas, humpback whales, minke whales, and a few gray whales so far. That question has become more urgent in washington state, where southern resident killer whales that feed around the san juan islands in the. Chart of sightings by species by month with big thanks to thorsten lisker for researching, designing, and building this incredible map and the printed handouts for participants at the orca network sightings training at the langley whale center sept. We head out towards the san juan islands, or to wherever the whales are on the red head, our comfortable and fast, 40seat tour boat. Puget sound express familyrun whale watching tours.
276 1446 1511 321 105 1275 703 1360 944 1085 2 656 1374 1103 569 540 281 919 1550 229 1043 1395 12 839 1473 1395 368 657 621 542 485 1328 1437