M ost residents of the pacific northwest think about whale watching, with their minds drifting to the coast to see 20,000 gray whales migrate each spring, or find themselves daydreaming of boating around the san juan islands, watching orcas in their natural environment. Perhaps you have walked along a beach in puget sound, stood on a bluff above the shoreline to enjoy the view, or have observed marine life while scuba diving offshore. The public can download the whalereport app and report sightings to commercial mariners within 10 nautical miles of the whales to help avoid. Suzanne russell and morgan schniedler ruff northwest fisheries science center. San juan islands whale watching from friday harbor low season. Three generations of our family have helped visitors have lifechanging experiences with some of the most majestic creatures on the planet. Saving the southern resident orca center for biological. Orca whales love the cold waters of puget sound and can be seen.
Some of these whalerich waters like cama beach state park even offer some cozy beachside accommodations for spoutspotters. The carcass of an 18yearold male, designated j34, was. 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. The best whale watching sites in puget sound you dont need a. I already knew the answer our whale watching adventure. Species and food webs, mammals, marine habitat, implementation strategies, disease, killer whales, monitoring, species of concern, salish sea currents magazine. To download pdf files of this and other reports in the series, visit our. This map from the orca network shows many great places around puget sound where you can watch whales, if there are any nearby. San juan islands whale watching from friday harbor low season take a scenic cruise from seattle to friday harbor, where you will embark on an exciting day of whalewatching and sea life exploration. When it comes to seeing whales, few, if any, think of tacoma and the viewpoints around point defiance park. It is much larger than a kayak and most recreational boats. Whale watching industry of greater puget sound a description and baseline analysis. A whaling station at bay city, grays harbor, washington, processed 1933 humpback whales caught.
In the san juan islands, there is a unique opportunity to watch killer whales from shore. Puget sound express is a family owned business thats cruised people around the sound for more than 25 years. They might be seen from whale trail locations in central puget sound october. When we were driving home, i started to ask tove what her favorite part of the weekend was, but. Dec 21, 2017 port townsend is also the launching point for whale watching tours aboard the puget sound express neah bay and shi shi beach. From your own custom luxury vacation cruise and maybe a. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity cf. More than 500,000 people annually go whale watching in the waters of washington and. Beach fishing puget sound shorelines is a prescription for. Whale watching from land whidbey and camano islands. The jamal is an elegantly appointed 75foot luxury yacht skippered by a uscg licensed captain and certified crew who have over 25 years of experience together and puget sound is an amazing location to charter the jamal for just about any occasion. Granny, worlds oldest known puget sound orca whale. Puget sound, deep inlet of the eastern north pacific ocean indenting northwestern washington, u.
Whale watching in the san juan islands is a unique opportunity to gain knowledge. Yet, each year, our corner of wilderness along the puget sound has dozens of whale sightings. Bay shore, washington was a small community located on oakland bay in southern puget sound, not far away from the present city of shelton, washington references. How a generation of killer whales was taken from puget sound. North puget sound gray whale photoid and feeding study. Jun 24, 2014 making liberal use of interviews, correspondence and newspaper accounts, as well as less intensive use of legislative, governmental, and nonprofit records, pollard constructs an easily digestible narrative for lay individuals curious about the hunting of puget sound s northern and southern resident killer whale groups between 1965 and 1976. Memorial day through late august we offer whale watching at sunset. Puget sound whales for sale significantly succeeds the former blackfish in breadth and depth. Here are two tips for identifying a grey whale yourself. Orcas in puget sound puget sound nearshore ecosystem.
The charismatic killer whale, or orca, is the totem species of northwest washington and coastal british columbia. On the west coast of canada and the united states, excellent whale watching can be found in alaska summer, british columbia, and the san juan islands puget sound in washington, where orca pods are sometimes visible from shore. The whale museums soundwatch boater education program educates pleasure boaters on the least intrusive ways to watch whales in the wild. A significant number of puget sound property owners have been altering their shorelines without required permits. Go whale watching at point defiance southsoundtalk. When is the best time for port angeles whale watching. It is believed the whale struck was a grey whale, a species common to the puget sound region.
For more than a decade, puget sound was the primary source of supply. 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. By greg johnston, seattle postintelligencer reporter. Whereand howto see whales and orcas in the puget sound. Still, the terrain is beautiful, there is other wildlife to experience we saw seals, a bald eagle, lots of cool jellyfish, some waterfowl, interesting seaweed and kelp and the majestic scenery is breathtaking. Our restoration focus area is the landmarine water interface within the puget sound.
Field identification guide to northern puget sound gray whales 2 mb pdf file cascadia research has been conducting photoid research on gray whales in n puget sound since 1990 as a part of a larger study of gray whales in the pacific northwest. Hiking the whale trail a walkable guide to whale watching. Learn about the areas vibrant ecosystem from the on board naturalist and tour a charming island town. Very sleek, dark back with a little dorsal fin, no spotting. Puget sound express whale watching tour seattle bloggers. Rare white orca spotted in puget sound waters just dont.
The smithsonian magazine names port angeles, washington as one of the countrys top whalewatching destinations. Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins in their natural habitat. He is only the second such whale known to have been seen in the salish sea, the transboundary waters between the u. Nov 27, 2018 facing the admiralty inlet to the north and puget sound to the south, brooks highly recommends point no point. Seattle, washington 98112 northwest fisheries science center.
The pacific and puget sound coastlines are ripe with footpaths along shorelines and buttes where gray, orca and humpback whales are commonly counted among the indigenous residents at dozens of sites. The whale museum estimates that annually more than 500,000 people go whale watching on commercial andor private vessels in the transboundary waters of washington and british columbia. Oct 29, 2016 statistics show that the the killer whale population in puget sound has worryingly declined. A study prepared for international fund for animal welfare in 2009 estimated that million people went whale watching globally in 2008. The sound is the submerged northern end of the cowlitzpuget trough, which extends for some 350 miles 565 km.
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. San juan island and orcas island, in particular, offer many options for boatbased whale watching opportunities. South puget sound public whale watching tours for family. Not sure if this is the same pod seen earlier between seattlebainbridge, or the rest of the 17 orcas that were all in puget sound together on the th. Whale watching at olympic national park my olympic park. Puget sound nearshore ecosystem restoration project. Learn to utilize technology and enjoy a variety of whales from a vantage point on the shore. Perhaps you have walked along a beach in puget sound, stood on a bluff above the shoreline to enjoy the view, or have observed marine life while scuba diving off shore. About a dozen of the whales frequent the pugent sound area each year. They were heavily hunted in the eastern north pacific from early 1900s through 1965 rice 1974, 1978. Whale watching from land whale watching is a favorite activity in and around puget sound. While plenty of commercial tours will charter you around the sound, whale watching does not always require a boat. The gray whale is very large and has a baleen filter.
North kitsap is a great hotspot for all species, but especially orcas as they pass close to shore as they cut that point coming into the sound, she says. In 2015 with support from dnr, cascadia conducted expanded dedicated surveys, photoid, initial tag deployments to examine feeding behavior, and. Whale watching is a favorite activity in and around puget sound. Alisa lemire brooks, the whale sighting network coordinator for orca network says that many can be seen from the shore with a pair of binoculars.
While we have wonderful boat tours that give you a great perspective, sometimes the whales schedule doesnt exactly match tour schedules. Jan 03, 2017 granny, worlds oldest known puget sound orca whale, missing and presumed dead at 105. Most seattle residents will consider it lucky to spot a single whale while in town, but those with an eye to the water. The death this week of another puget sound killer whale makes 2016 one of the worst in recent history for the endangered marine mammals. Download our app sign up for newsletters get the newspaper. Puget sound san juan island yacht charters pacific. That said, when i was asked to participate in a whale watching tour with puget sound express, i couldnt refuse. Im obviously not too familiar with the sound, but heres what i was hoping to do.
Whale watching with puget sound express visit seattle. It stretches south for 100 miles 160 km from admiralty inlet and whidbey island. Download the watching whales in the san juan islands brochure. Want an amazing whale watching experience, but dont have all day to spend on the water. Nov 25, 2008 we offer all day sightseeing excursions to the san juan islands with whale watching and a stop along the way included or half day whale watching and wildlife tours from port townsend. San juan islands whale watching from friday harbor low. Our 4 hour port townsend whale watching tour is the perfect trip for visitors and travelers with a busy schedule. Sometimes the action gets started before we even leave the dock as this bald eagle posed nicely. On saturday, jeff friedman and valerie shore were among the eyewitnesses to an extremely rare, possibly unprecedented sight. We offer all day sightseeing excursions to the san juan islands with whale watching and a stop along the way included or half day whale watching and wildlife tours from port townsend. Here you will frequently spot gray whales yearround right from the beach. This saves money, time, and gives you two beautiful ferry rides in addition your puget sound whale watching tour.
Granny, worlds oldest known puget sound orca whale, missing and presumed dead at 105. Speeding boater strikes, runs over whale in puget sound. Id like to find a public, halfday or whole day guided tour of at least the south region of puget sound, also leaving from somewhere close to olympia where family lives, on a large, comfortable vessel with snack bar and restroom, that would cruise around the islands in the sound. We booked our puget sound express whale watching tour the night before we left seattle it was the only thing we planned the entire weekend.
Beach fishing puget sound shorelines is a prescription for relaxation. Downloadprint a pocket guide for responsible marine wildlife viewing. Help washington state ferries track whales in puget sound with. San juan islands whale watching from friday harbor low season take a scenic cruise from seattle to friday harbor, where you will embark on an exciting day of whale watching and sea life exploration. The puget sound nearshore ecosystem restoration project psnerp is a comprehensive assessment of puget sounds 2,500 miles of shoreline to understand how humans have impacted the nearshore zone our beaches, bluffs, inlets and river deltas and what opportunities exist to improve the health of the nearshore zone and its ability to support.
Port townsend 4hour whale watching tour puget sound express. May 07, 2015 guaranteed whale watching tours from port townsend olympic peninsula and seattleedmonds direct to the san juan islands. Plus they often have white spots from whale lice and parasitic barnacles. This book is a wise addition to the storyline, telling us how it all. They range from southeast alaska to california, but over the last 15 years more members of. A new report suggests that state and local regulators should increase enforcement and make penalties more costly for violators. 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. The whales of puget sound 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. Apr 15, 20 dead whale draws crowds to puget sound beach. It has many excellent deepwater harbors, including seattle, tacoma, everett, and port townsend, as well as a naval shipyard in bremerton. This intelligent, social predator is known to form lasting social bonds living in highly organized pods where everyone cares for the young, sick or injured. If you know what to look for, you can usually identify whales from the shore from fins and exhalations, brooks says. This map, produced for the orca network by thorsten lisker and alisa lemire brooks is a great way to find.
Puget sound express operates out of edmonds and port townsend less than two hours away from seattle on the olympic peninsula. Puget sound express familyrun whale watching tours. At 1830 this evening saw 3 orcas a hundred yards off shore of polnell point across from oak harbor on the east side of whidbey island. J2 with members of the southern resident killer whale community sept. Port townsend is also the launching point for whalewatching tours aboard the puget sound express neah bay and shi shi beach. Guaranteed whale watching tours from port townsend olympic peninsula and seattleedmonds direct to the san juan islands. 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. From the hotel, to the food, to the recreation everything was awesome. The whales of puget sound whidbey and camano islands. He doesnt want me to go back to shore and go home, as long as i am in the. The vaccination program raises the possibility of using vaccines to prevent disease among puget sound s southern resident killer whales, but no specific steps have been taken so far. Soundwatch boater education program the whale museum.
Statistics show that the the killer whale population in puget sound has worryingly declined. All of these occur in an area called the nearshore. Were blessed to live in whats been called the american. Swimming leisurely south, about 150 yards from shore. At this time of year in the pacific northwest the sun does not set until approximately 9. This lighthouse the oldest in puget sound has sweeping views of admiralty inlet to the north and puget sound to the south. Two decades ago, there were hundreds of killer whales and now barely 80. Many routes along washingtons ocean shores offer a great place to spy. The stock of southern resident killer whales srkw in. Mothers and calves travel closer to shore on their northbound migration. Three types of orca pods can be observed during the summer months in the northeast pacific. The best whale watching sites in puget sound you dont. Today we found t7 pod killer whales out near smith island, and we also spotted the first gray whale to return to puget sound this winter.
If surprised by a whale within 200 yards of your boat remember. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to tracking the health of orca whales in the puget sound as. Findlay, jean cammon, and paterson, robin, mosquito fleet of south puget sound, arcadia publishing 2008 isbn 0738556076. We just spent a random early spring weekend in port townsend, which is a fun little coastal town. Sightings and movements of humpback whales in puget sound. While we have wonderful boat tours that give you a great perspective, sometimes the whales schedule dont exactly match tour schedules. While its possible to see whales near the waters surrounding vashon island and seattle, the northern islands that surround puget sound are most commonly counted among the best spots to watch for whales. So i, along with a few other visit seattle staff members, made my way about 20 minutes north to the port of edmonds for a morning excursion. Hiking the whale trail a walkable guide to whale watching in. In the past six months, tacoma residents who know what to look for out in the murky waters have seen a pod of orcas and a few humpback whales from a couple of locations in point defiance.
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