whale watching

In this image taken from a video, a humpback whale breaches from the waters off Seattle on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023.

Environment

Young humpback whale leaps out of Elliott Bay, dazzling onlookers

The Associated Press

A humpback whale visiting the waters off Seattle gave people on shore a show Thursday morning.

A lone beluga swims in Puget Sound in early October.

Environment

DNA left behind by solo beluga whale helps unravel mystery of its origins, but questions remain

Bellamy Pailthorp

Federal scientists have a few more clues about the lone beluga whale that was seen at various points around Puget Sound and the Salish Sea last month.

Bigg's killer whale T65A4 surfaces with members of the southern resident killer whale population in the distance.

Environment

Rare clash between two distinct kinds of orcas in the Salish Sea — and the endangered fish-eaters won

Bellamy Pailthorp

Whale watching in the Salish Sea is almost always a thrill. But a recent clash between two species of orcas presented a rare spectacle.

An orca known as L-95, right, swims with other whales from the L and K pods in the Pacific Ocean near the mouth of the Columbia River near Ilwaco on Feb. 27, 2016.

Baby orca unwell; rule issued to keep boaters away

The Associated Press

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has issued an emergency rule ordering commercial whale watch tours to stay farther away from an unwell baby orca to help her survive. J56, or Tofino, as the whale is also known, was born in May 2019 to an orca known as Tsuchi, or J31.

In this photo taken July 31, 2015, passengers aboard a commercial boat watch orca whales swim past in the Salish Sea in the San Juan Islands, Wash.

Environment

Whale watch operators insist their presence helps protect southern resident orcas

Bellamy Pailthorp

Operators of commercial whale-watching vessels are pushing back against proposed new regulations from the state. The Department of Fish and Wildlife is…

In this July 31, 2015 photo, one orca whale swims along as another leaps out of the water near a whale watching boat whose passengers happen to be looking the other way in the Salish Sea in the San Juan Islands, Wash.

Environment

New whale-watch licensing system will reduce noise, disturbance of endangered orcas

Bellamy Pailthorp

Update, Dec. 18, 2020: State officials have approved new rules that limit whale watch boats to a three-month season for viewing Puget Sound’s endangered…

A whale watching boat, from a distance, watches one of several transient killer whales during a whale watching trip last month.

Environment

Whale watching by land and by boat sparks 'sheer joy,' inspiring lifelong orca advocates

Bellamy Pailthorp

Experts and enthusiasts agree, whether on water or on land: it’s difficult to describe the feeling people get in the presence of orcas.“I wish you could…

Environment

Compromise on orca protection removes whale watching moratorium, garners criticism

Bellamy Pailthorp

A de facto ban on whale watching boats that would have required them to stay 650 yards away from endangered Puget Sound orcas for three to five years has…

File photo. A bill in the Washington Senate would require boats to slow down when they are in the vicinity of endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales.

Science

Mind Your Boat Speed, Leave Drone At Home Around Endangered Killer Whales

Tom Banse

In Olympia, state lawmakers are considering stronger protections for the critically endangered population of resident killer whales.

Environment

Orca Pods Expected To Arrive In Puget Sound Soon

Paula Wissel

Keep your eyes peeled for killer whales. The orca pods that spend the summer in the San Juan Islands are expected to show up in Puget Sound any moment…