Weekly Whale Watch Report: 02/24/26 – 03/07/26

Gray whale Stardust fluking. Photo credit: Naturalist Sophia Madden

Whales in Anacortes WA: Who We Saw

The 2026 whale watching season has officially arrived! We’ve already had some exciting encounters on our Anacortes whale watching tours.

On two tours at the end of February, we encountered 3 gray whales. One of those whales was identified as CRC2383, while the other two were new to the area, and not yet identified.

Species Seen This Week

Killer Whale - Total: 18

Gray Whale - Total: 7

Individual Whales Seen This Week

Killer Whale:

We encountered orcas twice and identified 18 individuals across 5 matrilines.

These included:

• T19s 

• T36s

• T99s

• T100E 

• T124As

Gray Whale:

We encountered gray whales 7 times.

These included:

• CRC2383 (no nickname given)

• Stardust

• Moran Park One

• 2 unknown gray whales

Highlights from Anacortes Whale Watching Tours

In addition to whales, our guests also enjoyed sightings of several other iconic Pacific Northwest species, including:

• Steller sea lions

• Red-tailed hawk

• Bald eagles

• Elephant seal Elsie Mae

These early-season sightings are a great reminder that whale watch tours in Anacortes, Washington can offer amazing opportunities to spot wildlife returning to the Salish Sea. 

Seeing both gray whales and Bigg’s orcas this early has made for memorable trips and an exciting kickoff to the 2026 whale watching season!

If you want to see more photos and videos from our tours, check out our social media accounts! Find us on Instagram @outerislandx, TikTok @outerislandexcursions, and Facebook as "Outer Island Excursions".