There was another encounter with "the" fin whale earlier this week. Here's a look at the world's second longest whale species in front of Washington's third tallest mountain, Mt. Baker (Kulshan). 📷: Sophia Madden, Outer Island Excursions

The story of the "mystery trio" made it all the way to National Geographic! www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...

THIS IS NOT A DRILL…WE HAVE AN ORCA EMOJI!!! 🫍🫍🫍 iPhone users, the day you’ve been waiting for is finally here, but you’ll need to install the latest software update to see it. Hopefully Android users will get it soon! 🫍🫍🫍

How stinking cute is this? On the left is T049A Nan's firstborn, T049A1 Noah (born 2001), and on the right is her newest calf, T049A7 (not yet nicknamed), who was first documented earlier this month. 🥹 📷: Tomis Filipovic, @eaglewingtours.bsky.social

SPYHOP! Gray whale season is heating up, and the number of grays in the Salish Sea is now in the double digits. Most are feeding in Washington's Puget Sound, but at least one has been confirmed off Vancouver, BC as well. 📷: Rachel Rodell, @pugetsoundexpress.com

Happy Hump Day! 🐋 While most humpbacks are still on the southern breeding grounds, a few have already returned to the Salish Sea. We spotted at least three last week including this mystery lunge-feeder who never showed its tail. 📷: Jeff Friedman and April Ryan, @sjiwhalewatch.bsky.social

For the last few years, we've shared a "treasure at the end of the rainbow" pic for St. Patrick's Day. We're keeping that tradition alive today with this vibrant rainbow over Bigg's orcas in the Strait of Georgia. Happy St. Patrick's Day! 🍀🌈🐳 📷: Jade Baird, @seabreezewhales.bsky.social

The fin whale's still in town! On Saturday, many lucky whale watchers added "fin whale" to their life lists. From the dorsal we can confirm this is the same whale spotted last September, and again this past January. When and where will they pop up next? 📷: Kelly Klein, @sanjuansafaris.bsky.social

A great white would be AMAZING to see! 🦈👀 www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Why is the local Bigg's (mammal-hunting) orca population growing? As the first photo illustrates, it's because they have lots and lots of food! Sea lions often get a bad rap, but they are an important part of the food web as both predators *and* prey. 📷: Ian Roberts, SpringTide Whale Watching

FINALLLLLLY!!! 🥳 "iPhone users can expect these new emojis to arrive on their devices in late March or early April when iOS 26.4 is released to the general public." www.iphoneincanada.ca/2026/03/09/a...

On this day 50 years ago, a group of Bigg's orcas was captured near Olympia, WA. Fortunately, someone special was watching that day, and his fight led not only to the release of the "Budd Inlet Six", but to the end of North American orca captures for good. www.theolympian.com/news/local/a...

A victory for fish! 🐟 www.king5.com/article/news...

Over the weekend, the T36/T36B and T99 matrilines of Bigg's (mammal-hunting) killer whales paid the area a visit. Here they are in front of Anacortes, WA before continuing south into Puget Sound near Tacoma. 📷: Sam Murphy, Island Adventures Whale Watching

According to a new study, fish-eating orcas in Alaska have a far broader diet than previously understood. Unlike endangered Southern Resident orcas (76 individuals), there are ~1,000 resident orcas from Southeast Alaska to Kodiak Island. oceanographicmagazine.com/news/fish-ea...

"A new calf has been born to the critically endangered southern resident killer whale population in the Salish Sea. Biologists from the Washington state-based Center for Whale Research documented the calf with L Pod on Monday near Race Rocks." www.timescolonist.com/local-news/n...

Another gray whale has returned for the season! CRC-2362 "Thidwick" was spotted a few days ago near Washington's Hat Island. Thidwick, a confirmed female, first came to Puget Sound in March 2021, and she's been a regular visitor since. Welcome back, Thidwick! 🥳 📷: @pugetsoundexpress.com

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, a day to celebrate love. If you *love* the planet, please skip the balloons! This heart-shaped balloon was retrieved last year on Valentine's Day, and is one of hundreds of balloons the PWWA removes from the Salish Sea each year. 🚫🎈 📷: @eaglewingtours.bsky.social

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution recently announced that they've discovered the oldest known recording of whale song in their archives. The recording was made in 1949 near Bermuda. 🤯 www.wbur.org/news/2026/02...

The Seattle Seahawks will call the coin toss in today's Super Bowl. What would you pick — heads or tails? 😉 📷: Amanda Colbert, Blue Kingdom Whale & Wildlife Tours

An actual photo of us racing into the weekend. TGIF! 🥳 📷: Dall's porpoise. Prince of Whales Whale Watching

Entanglement is one of the greatest threats to whales around the globe. It's a complex problem, but we hope Canada's new "whalesafe" strategy finds success on the east coast, and that similar action will be taken on the west coast soon. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Ha! This shot made us do a double take. Look closely and you'll find that no seals were harmed in the making of this photograph. 📷: Matt Stolmeier, Outer Island Excursions

After feeding for 6 weeks in Puget Sound, gray whale CRC-53 "Little Patch" surprised us when he showed up near Victoria, BC on Jan. 28! What's next for LP? Will he return to Puget Sound, head north to Vancouver as he did last year, or keep exploring? 📷: Val Shore, @eaglewingtours.bsky.social

A win for wild salmon! 🐟 campbellrivermirror.com/2026/01/29/m...

We've observed, on occasion, solo bubble-net feeding here in the Salish Sea, but we'd LOVE to see cooperative groups like they get in Alaska and now, apparently, northern BC. Hopefully this trend will continue to spread to southern BC and Washington! oceanographicmagazine.com/news/immigra...

While many Salish Sea humpbacks have already left for their winter breeding grounds in Hawai'i, Mexico, and Central America, the ones that are still here are sure making a splash! 🌊🐋 📷: Mark Malleson, Prince of Whales Whale Watching

We love this cover photo from Orca Network's most recent Whale Sighting Report. It shows gray whale CRC-531 "Gretchen" feeding in the foreground with a Southern Resident killer whale in the background (taken from shore). myemail.constantcontact.com/January-19--...

If you've heard there's no whale watching in the Salish Sea during winter, T19C "Spouter" wants you to know you've been misinformed. 😉 This photo was taken in Haro Strait last weekend following a sea lion hunt. 📷: Jeff Friedman, @sjiwhalewatch.bsky.social

What's that bright thing up in the sky? Could that be...THE SUN!? 😎 It's shaping up to be beautiful day around the Salish Sea, so try to get outside to enjoy it! 📷: Uwe Zimmermann, @seabreezewhales.bsky.social

It's hump day! 🐋 This is the 2025 calf of BCX1704 "Vivaldi". The one-year-old was seen off Victoria last month still traveling with mom. Calves stay with mom for ~12 months, and can separate on the feeding grounds, or travel back with her to the breeding grounds. 📷: Ian Roberts of SpringTide Tours

Welcome back, Sounders! Four Sounder gray whales have already been confirmed in the Salish Sea this season: CRC-53 "Little Patch", CRC-531 "Gretchen", CRC-2440 "Tahoma", and CRC-2246 "Azulão". Gray whales can be tough to spot. If you're a boater, keep an eye out! 🩶 📷: Alli Montgomery, FRS Clipper

A magical encounter with Northern Resident killer whales off BC's Sunshine Coast: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Happy New Year! We're charging into 2026 full steam ahead, just like Bigg's orca T075C "Bam-Bam". In the coming weeks we'll be compiling our 2025 annual report, sharing our data with researchers, speaking at a few regional events, and more. 📷: Clint William, @eaglewingtours.bsky.social

Calling all whale nerds... 📣🐳🤓 Registration for Orca Network's hybrid 2026 Ways of Whales workshop on Saturday, January 24 is now OPEN! Sign up before January 4 for an early-bird discount. See the full speaker lineup and register here: givebutter.com/c/e8NM4k

We love puffins! Sadly, these charismatic birds face many challenges throughout their range including habitat loss, predation, and climate change. If you care about puffins, please give this a read. www.audubon.org/magazine/tuf...

Happy Hump Day! 🐋 Today's break in the weather has us jumping for joy, just like BCX2046 "Pinnacle". Pinnacle travels to Mexico in winter, but was still in the Salish Sea as of two weeks ago. Many local whales have yet to start their southward migration. 📷: Katie Read, SpringTide Tours

A very interesting new study has been published about Northern Resident killer whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins potentially helping each other hunt salmon in BC. (And yes, we know killer whales *are* dolphins - it's not our headline! 😝) cheknews.ca/killer-whale...

We've received a tremendous amount of rain lately, even by Salish Sea standards. Our thoughts go out to those affected by flooding in BC & WA. There have, however, been brief moments of respite, allowing for beautiful photos like this one from Clint William of @eaglewingtours.bsky.social.

The days are short this time of year, but there are still plenty of whales to be seen! Here's Bigg's killer whale T46E "Thor" in the shadow of a snowy Tahoma (Mt. Rainier). 🗻 📷: Rachel Rodell, @pugetsoundexpress.com

Not from the Pacific, but worth sharing. Last month, researchers spotted an endangered North Atlantic right whale off the coast of Boston, MA that had only been documented once previously...off the coast of Ireland in July 2024! 😲 www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/...

It's December! We're officially at the tail end of the year. Here's Bigg's killer whale T049C "Neilson" showing off *his* tail end for a group of lucky whale watchers. 📷: Jessie Leo, Orca Spirit Adventures

Happy Hump Day! 🐋 While many humans prepare for a feast tomorrow, local humpbacks have already been feasting for months. A female humpback whale like BCZ0345 "Victory" here eats ~765,000 kcals *per day* - that's 2,550 slices of pumpkin pie! 🥧 📷: Melisa Pinnow, San Juan Excursions

The legend himself, T065A5 "Indy". 📷: Uwe Zimmermann, @seabreezewhales.bsky.social

Another entangled whale has been saved thanks to local experts. BCX1493 "Eugenia" was first reported as entangled near Nanaimo, BC last weekend. After intervention in Washington, we now believe she is swimming free. 🐋 cascadiaresearch.org/20251117mn_e...

We're flipping that it's Friday! Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. (Also, WHERE is that orca emoji we were promised!?!🤔🖤🤍🐬) 📷: Island Adventures Whale Watching

Social media has been BLEAK lately. In a hump day effort to cleanse your feed, we present this gorgeous shot of a chin-slapping humpback whale from captain/naturalist Sara Shimazu of @sjiwhalewatch.bsky.social on San Juan Island. 🐋

We would love, love, LOVE to see a basking shark! 🦈 salish-current.org/2025/11/17/b...

With two prominent notches in his dorsal fin, 27-year-old Bigg's killer whale T49C "Neilson" is easy to recognize. 📷: Sam Wallace, Outer Island Excursions

Bowhead whales can live to be more than 200 years old. A new study reveals their ability to repair damaged DNA, preventing cancer and other age-related illnesses. www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/b...