The Humpback Comeback of the Salish Sea

A humpback breaching in the Salish Sea. Photo Credit: Naturalist Tiffany Waldner

The return of humpback whales in Anacortes and the Salish Sea is one of the most incredible wildlife recovery stories in the Pacific Northwest. Driven to the brink of extinction by commercial whaling, humpback whales have made an incredible comeback–transforming the region into one of the best places for whale watching in Anacortes to respectfully observe humpback whales in their natural habitat.

From Whaling Industry to Near Disappearance

Back in the late 1800s, commercial whaling dominated the Salish Sea. Humpback whales were one of many species that were targeted for their blubber and baleen. When boiled down, blubber became oil used for lamp fuel, paint varnishes, and at one time, soap and margarine. Baleen, the keratin plates and hairs these whales use to feed, became parts in corsets, umbrellas, and fishing rods.

A humpback fluking in the Salish Sea. Photo Credit: Naturalist Tiffany Waldner

Shore-based whaling stations across Washington and British Columbia severely impacted local whale populations, decimating the Pacific humpback to less than ten percent of their original numbers. By the early 1900s, under 10,000 humpbacks remained.

The Return of Humpback Whales in the Salish Sea

In 1966, the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling, and in 1972, the Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed. Finally, humpbacks had a chance to recover. But humpbacks–who migrate to the Pacific Northwest to feed in the summer months–had learned to avoid the inland Salish Sea. 

A lunge-feeding humpback in the Salish Sea. Photo Credit: Naturalist Sophia Madden

In 1999, a biologist conducting a survey on grey whales spotted what he believed was a humpback–the first spotted in the Salish Sea in nearly a century. No one believed him, and without photo evidence, he couldn’t prove it. But two years later, that whale returned, the same biologist identifying her by the unique coloration on her tail. And this time, she wasn’t alone, bringing along a calf.

Big Mama, as she became known, is credited as spreading the good news to the humpback population that the Salish Sea is once again a safe haven for these majestic creatures. Twenty-six years after Big Mama’s arrival, over one thousand humpbacks have been identified in the Salish Sea. In 2025, Big Mama was nominated to become the mayor of Eastsound in Orcas Island. 

Whale Watching in Anacortes Today 

Today, visitors to the area can appreciate humpbacks, orcas, grey whales, and minke whales in their natural habitat. Whale watching tours in Anacortes offer people the opportunity to witness these animals from a respectful distance socializing, eating, and thriving in the Salish Sea. To book a whale watching tour in Anacortes visit www.OuterIslandX.com.

A breaching humpback with barnacles under his jaw. Photo Credit: Naturalist Tiffany Waldner

If humpbacks are on your bucket list, plan your trip between May through September, the peak months that humpbacks feed in the area. You might even be lucky enough to see Big Mama. In 2025, she returned to the Salish Sea with her eighth calf.

A Conservation Success Story

A humpback fluking in front of the Canadian Coast Mountain Range in the Salish Sea.

The return of the humpback whales to the Salish Sea represents one of the great marine conservation success stories of our time. From the end of the whaling era to the humpback comeback, the waters near Anacortes are alive once again.