Weekly Whale Watch Report: 03/15/26 – 03/21/26

A pod of Biggs transient orcas in the Salish Sea. Photo credit: Naturalist Sophia Madden

Whales in Anacortes WA: Who We Saw

What a week! The whale watching season is in full swing, with the third week of March bringing us the most variety of whale sightings yet. Across six tours, we encountered twenty five unique whales!

Species Seen This Week

Killer Whale - Total: 17

Humpback Whale - Total: 4

Gray Whale - Total: 2

Individual Whales Seen This Week

Killer Whale:

We encountered killer whales 3 times and identified 17 individuals across 7 matrilines.

These included:

• T46s 

• T46B1s

• T100s

• T46C2

• T49A1

• T124C

• T60s

Humpback Whale:

We encountered humpback whales 4 times.

These included:

• Split Fin (BCX1068)

• Gretzky (BCX1800)

Gray Whale:

We encountered gray whales twice. We did not get identifications on the whales.

Highlights from Anacortes Whale Watching Tours

In addition to the whales spotted this week, our guests were fortunate to come across our famous sea otter, Dexter. Dexter is one of only a handful of sea otters that call the Salish Sea home. 

Spring in the Salish Sea is one of the few times of year when humpbacks, grays, and orcas converge in the same habitat. The 2026 season is just beginning, but the whales are already showing up in force. If these spring sightings are any indication, the 2026 whale watch season will be one for the books!

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".