Whale Watching in the Puget Sound: Orca Season is Here!

Photo by Jim Maya, near Henry Island, August 10, 2008. Orca Network

Orca Network tracked all three pods of the Southern Resident orcas off Whidbey Island, Port Townsend, and as far south as the Kitsap Peninsula on September 30, thanks to watchful Whale Sighting Network participants.

This time of year offers wonderful opportunities to observe the orcas from the many miles of shoreline on Whidbey Island, the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas, and the inland waters of Puget Sound. Orca Network encourages shore-based whale watching, or watching for whales while commuting on Washington State Ferries. We offer a website and email list of recent whale sightings to increase opportunities for seeing the whales - it always helps to know when they are in the neighborhood! The Whale Sighting Network and Orca Network website also provide up to date information on the latest research and issues related to orcas and their habitat.

(c) Alspektor Langley whale bell rings when whales are close to shore..

Langley was added to the Whale Trail program when founder, Donna Sandstrom, found out about the whale bell in Langley recently installed to ring when whales can be seen offshore. At a ceremony in April of 2010, Langley Mayor Paul Samuelson proudly proclaimed Langley an official Whale Trail City!

Whale Trail Brochure - 1.3MB Whale Trail 2009 brochure

Whale Trail Website

Whale Watch Cruises

Mystic Sea Charters - Whale Watch Cruises...
The 100' Mystic Sea offers cruises though the San Juan Islands including whale watching, weddings, corporate events, parties and more.
Gray Whale

Grey Whale Season: April 2 - May 14, Friday - Sunday, Board 10 AM, Depart 10:30, Return 3-4 PM
Check-In Location: Channel Lodge Dock
205 N. First Street
LaConner, WA 98257

Orca Whale Season: May 15 - October 3, 7 days a week, Board 10:30 AM, Depart 11:00, Return 4-5 PM
Check-In Location: Cap Sante Marina, Dock A
710 Seafarers Way,
Anacortes, WA, 98221

Monte and Cindy Hughes (360) 588-8000 Phone: 1.800.308.9387 EmailWebsite

or 360.588.8000 EmailWebsite

Historically, only J pod remained in the inland waters during the fall and winter months, however the past nine or ten years all three pods have been reported off Whidbey Island and in lower Puget Sound into December or later. It is unknown why there has been this shift, but one guess is the depletion of Chinook salmon in feeding grounds the orcas headed to in past years during the fall and winter, and increasing runs of chum salmon in inland waters. More research is being conducted into the prey species, feeding habits and habitats of the Southern Resident orcas, through the NOAA Fisheries Orca Recovery Plan under the Endangered Species Act listing for this orca population and Canada's Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans.

According to the Center for Whale Research, the Southern Residents have had a tough year and seem to not be finding enough salmon. The Center typically has their annual survey completed by early summer, to confirm new births, deaths, and the exact population of this endangered community of orcas. But this summer the pods have not consistently stayed in the San Juan area, and when they are present, the pods are spread out over a large distance, making the survey more difficult. These behaviors indicate they are having a harder time finding salmon, especially Chinook which is their favorite.

Imagine seeing orcas swim by while you are standing on the shore of Whidbey or Camano Island! Howard Garrett, Orca Network

With the Federal listing of the Southern Resident Orcas as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act, NOAA Fisheries and the Northwest Fisheries Science Center is conducting research projects to study the winter travels, prey species, and health of the Southern Residents both in Puget Sound and along the coast. Orca Network is working with Ken Balcomb of The Center for Whale Research to assist in these studies by providing data collected through our Whale Sighting Network. Orca Network's Whale Sighting Network is also funded by the Whale Museum, the Russell family Foundation, Orca Network memberships, and contributions.

Also, here's the link to a few short videos taken this year off west Whidbey Island: you can either access them by going to our OrcaNetwork home page and clicking on the link on the right-hand side of the page.

Planning a vacation to see the whales?

As you can imagine, "scheduling" whales can be difficult, but we can give you some general guidelines about when to see what kinds of whales off Whidbey Island!

The most reliable sightings are gray whales from the end of Feb. through the end of May or into early June, & the best place to see them from is Langley, or from most beaches off S. Whidbey, & sometimes further north in Saratoga Passage. We have already had several gray whale sightings this year, a bit earlier than usual!

For orcas, we typically say Oct. - Dec., but we just had a pod of orcas off W. Whidbey the past two days! They are much harder to predict, as they travel back & forth between lower Puget Sound, Whidbey Island, the San Juans, BC Canadian Islands, & the outer coast (even down to California!).

Orca Network offers a free Whale Sighting Network where we send out emails with locations of whales in the area, & we also post them on our Website sightings page. You can find the sightings (& a link to join the whale sighting network) on our website at www.orcanetwork.org - hope this helps!
susan berta, Orca Network

When you do visit, we are asking for your help in keeping track of the orcas (and other whales), and request that you call in whale sightings so we can get the information as soon as possible. Whale reports may be called in to our toll-free number: 1-866-ORCANET, or you may email reports to us.

Please provide us with the location, time, direction of travel, approximate number of whales, and if there are any adult males (with large five - six foot dorsal fins). Also include any behaviors you may observe (breaching, spy-hops, feeding, etc).

If you would like to be on our Whale Sighting Network Email List to receive whale sighting information to improve your chances of observing whales off our shorelines, sign up on our website: www.orcanetwork.org . A map of recent whale sightings and reports as well as archived reports may also be found on our website "Sightings" page.

Thank you for your help in keeping track of our whale neighbors - we are very fortunate to live in a place where we can look out our windows and see those majestic black fins parting the waters!
Susan Berta and Howard Garrett
Orca Network

Susan Berta & Howard Garrett
Orca Network
Email
Website
1-866-ORCANET

Stay tuned for the visit of the migrating Gray Whales in the spring! Welcome the Whales Day event - we do have general gray whale info. on our website.

Orca Network - Connecting whales and people in the Pacific Northwest
Orca Network is dedicated to raising awareness about the whales of the Pacific Northwest, and the importance of providing them healthy and safe habitats.

Projects include the Whale Sighting Network and Education Programs, the Free Lolita Campaign, and the Central Puget Sound Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

Gray Whale Watching In Saratoga Passage

Gray Whale Watching In Saratoga Passage Join WSU Island County Beach Watchers on a Whale-Watching Cruise leaving from Coupeville Wharf, Saturday, April 10th, 11 am-3 pm. This is the only gray whale watch trip from Coupeville in 2010. To reserve space, call 360-331-1030 or email (wsu.bw.island@gmail.com) as soon as possible.

$75 per person includes a four-hour cruise, lunch, beverages and on-board naturalists This is a fundraiser for WSU Island County Beach Watchers.
http://www.beachwatchers.wsu.edu/island/

Click here for an online downloadable map of boat launches and marinas:

Island County Boat Launches & Marinas - 7.1MB Large map of Whidbey & Camano Islands boat launches, marinas & trails.

The Port of South Whidbey has taken over the marina located in the City of Langley on South Whidbey Island. The Saratoga Passage location make a great stop for boats seeking protected passage between Central and South Puget Sound and North Puget Sound (Oak Harbor, La Conner, Anacortes, Bellingham and the San Juan Islands). The City of Langley offers galleries, antiques, boutiques, restraints, gourmet chocolate and a specialty florist shop. During the evening the local movie house offers current movies at only $6 for Adults!

For moorage information contact the Harbormaster (VHF 66A) Office contact Tel: (360) 221-1120 or email: Harbormaster - Marina offers transient moorage, electric, water, showers, lauch ramp and pump out.

Seeking tidal charts? Simply select a location listed under Possession Sound. Saratoga Strait, or Rosario Strait and the month you are interested in visiting. Learn more.

• Langley's municipal marina Book your mooring reservation NOW for the Island County Fair – August 19-22th. Join us for the 86th Island County Fair in 2010! Just a short walk from the marina, fun for the whole family.
  Come enjoy the community celebration of Whidbey Island's rich arts heritage for the Choochokam Arts Festival, July 10-11, 2010. The picturesque streets of downtown Langley are lined with artists. The air is filled with the sounds from three separate stages, each with its own flavor.
  
• To make reservations for the Langley Marina:
  Email: Harbormaster@portofsouthwhidbey.com or call 360-221-1120 or 425-387-4950 with date of arrival, length of stay, Boat name, LOA, Beam and Draft. Include contact your information. or Contact the Harbormaster at 360 221-1120 always has plenty of moorage for visitors.
• In Coupeville, you can access the town from the dock all day, and anchoring in Penn Cove overnight will offer a truly serene sleep. For more information regarding moorage at Coupeville wharf call (360) 678-5020.
• Oak Harbor's marina has visitor moorage, gas and charters. At Cornet Bay, located on the north end of Whidbey Island, you'll enjoy breathtaking views and gas and goods are available. http://www.whidbey.com/ohmarina/ or call (360) 679-BOAT or (360) 679-2628.
• Camano Island State Park has a floating dock for landing.Camano Island State Park
  2269 S. Lowell Point Rd.
  Camano Island, WA 98282 - (360) 387-3031
  Latitude 48D 7' 39.37" N (48.1276)
  Longitude 122D 29' 57.12" W (-122.4992)
  Body of Water Puget Sound
  Hours Summer: 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  Winter: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  The park is open year-round for camping and day-use.
  
• Camano Island Yacht Club
  Clubhouse Telephone: (360) 387-3737
  Email: camanoislandyachtclub.com
  Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1041, Stanwood, WA 98282
  Club Location: 129 North Sunset Drive, Camano Island, WA 98282

• Adventures in Boating Washington: This handbook is published by Boat Ed, the provider of Washington's boating safety course. Although this handbook is a convenient reference tool, students wanting to receive official Washington boating safety certification would benefit from studying Boat Ed's comprehensive boat safety course. All boating safety course material has been developed in conjunction with Washington Parks & Recreation, and is the same material used in their classroom courses. Take the Washington boating safety course.

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Whidbey and Camano Islands are only 25 miles north of Seattle, and 2 hours south of Vancouver. See Directions and Maps to learn more about how to get here.