Pacific Whale Watch Association

Researchers 'ping' great white shark near Vancouver Island | CBC News It’s far from the sandy shores of Florida, where you might expect to see a great white shark, but earlier this week, one "pinged" off the coast of Vancouver Island, researchers say.

A great white would be AMAZING to see! 🦈👀

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Why is the local Bigg's (mammal-hunting) orca population growing? As the first photo illustrates, it's because they have lots and lots of food! Sea lions often get a bad rap, but they are an important part of the food web as both predators *and* prey.

📷: Ian Roberts, SpringTide Whale Watching

Apple Reveals 163 New Emojis for iOS 26.4: First Look at Orca and Bigfoot | iPhone in Canada Apple has officially pulled back the curtain on its latest batch of emojis with the release of iOS 26.4 beta 4 this morning. This update gives us the first look at several highly anticipated designs f...

FINALLLLLLY!!! 🥳 "iPhone users can expect these new emojis to arrive on their devices in late March or early April when iOS 26.4 is released to the general public."

www.iphoneincanada.ca/2026/03/09/a...

Baby orca named for Olympia man who saved its relative from capture 50 years ago He helped fight to free the whales known as the Budd Inlet Six. It was the last time orcas were captured in United States waters.

On this day 50 years ago, a group of Bigg's orcas was captured near Olympia, WA. Fortunately, someone special was watching that day, and his fight led not only to the release of the "Budd Inlet Six", but to the end of North American orca captures for good.

www.theolympian.com/news/local/a...

Seattle spent years misleading the public about Skagit River salmon. Now it will pay $1 billion for fish passage For years, Seattle City Light insisted its hydroelectric dams on the Skagit River were not harming salmon.

A victory for fish! 🐟 www.king5.com/article/news...

Over the weekend, the T36/T36B and T99 matrilines of Bigg's (mammal-hunting) killer whales paid the area a visit. Here they are in front of Anacortes, WA before continuing south into Puget Sound near Tacoma.

📷: Sam Murphy, Island Adventures Whale Watching

Fish-eating orcas switch prey across Alaska foraging hotspots - Oceanographic Southern Alaska’s orcas have a diverse, seasonal diet of salmon and groundfish, challenging belief that Chinook dominate their prey.

According to a new study, fish-eating orcas in Alaska have a far broader diet than previously understood. Unlike endangered Southern Resident orcas (76 individuals), there are ~1,000 resident orcas from Southeast Alaska to Kodiak Island.

oceanographicmagazine.com/news/fish-ea...

New calf for southern resident killer whales The calf was documented with L pod on Monday near Race Rocks, off Metchosin in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

"A new calf has been born to the critically endangered southern resident killer whale population in the Salish Sea. Biologists from the Washington state-based Center for Whale Research documented the calf with L Pod on Monday near Race Rocks."

www.timescolonist.com/local-news/n...

Another gray whale has returned for the season! CRC-2362 "Thidwick" was spotted a few days ago near Washington's Hat Island. Thidwick, a confirmed female, first came to Puget Sound in March 2021, and she's been a regular visitor since. Welcome back, Thidwick! 🥳

📷: @pugetsoundexpress.com

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, a day to celebrate love. If you *love* the planet, please skip the balloons! This heart-shaped balloon was retrieved last year on Valentine's Day, and is one of hundreds of balloons the PWWA removes from the Salish Sea each year. 🚫🎈

📷: @eaglewingtours.bsky.social

Oldest known whale song recordings discovered in Cape Cod archives The files, found on a bygone piece of audio recording equipment, may give scientists new evidence about how humans have changed the ocean.

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution recently announced that they've discovered the oldest known recording of whale song in their archives. The recording was made in 1949 near Bermuda. 🤯

www.wbur.org/news/2026/02...

The Seattle Seahawks will call the coin toss in today's Super Bowl. What would you pick — heads or tails? 😉

📷: Amanda Colbert, Blue Kingdom Whale & Wildlife Tours

An actual photo of us racing into the weekend. TGIF! 🥳

📷: Dall's porpoise. Prince of Whales Whale Watching

California Approves Innovative Whale-Safe Pop-Up Gear for Spring Dungeness Crab Fishery Explore Oceana news and press releases to get the latest ocean news.

On that note, there's been some major progress in California as well. Starting this spring, commercial crabbers will be allowed to use alternative ("pop-up") gear. 👏

usa.oceana.org/press-releas...

Canada rolls out whalesafe strategy to curb right whale entanglements | CBC News The federal government is rolling out its "whalesafe fishing gear strategy," a five-year plan to develop and support the use of new fishing gear to reduce the risk of entangling whales — specifically ...

Entanglement is one of the greatest threats to whales around the globe. It's a complex problem, but we hope Canada's new "whalesafe" strategy finds success on the east coast, and that similar action will be taken on the west coast soon.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Ha! This shot made us do a double take. Look closely and you'll find that no seals were harmed in the making of this photograph.

📷: Matt Stolmeier, Outer Island Excursions

After feeding for 6 weeks in Puget Sound, gray whale CRC-53 "Little Patch" surprised us when he showed up near Victoria, BC on Jan. 28! What's next for LP? Will he return to Puget Sound, head north to Vancouver as he did last year, or keep exploring?

📷: Val Shore, @eaglewingtours.bsky.social

Mowi Canada West loses appeal over Discovery Islands aquaculture ban - Campbell River Mirror Case went before the federal court after Mowi launched an appeal of the decision to ban salmon farms

A win for wild salmon! 🐟

campbellrivermirror.com/2026/01/29/m...

‘Immigrant whales’ bring feeding culture to Canadian humpbacks 'Cultural knowledge’ crucial for survival of whales, underscoring need to integrate animal culture into marine management

We've observed, on occasion, solo bubble-net feeding here in the Salish Sea, but we'd LOVE to see cooperative groups like they get in Alaska and now, apparently, northern BC. Hopefully this trend will continue to spread to southern BC and Washington!

oceanographicmagazine.com/news/immigra...

While many Salish Sea humpbacks have already left for their winter breeding grounds in Hawai'i, Mexico, and Central America, the ones that are still here are sure making a splash! 🌊🐋

📷: Mark Malleson, Prince of Whales Whale Watching

January 19, 2026 WS Report: J Pod & K Pod visit Puget Sound with an appearance in Holmes Harbor; T36A1s & T137s made their way to South Puget Sound; T124A2s briefly visit Puget Sound Email from Orca Network January 19, 2026 PHOTOS OF THE DAY Gray whale CRC531 Gretchen feeding near shore of Camano Island as J Pod & K pods pass nearby as they headed north in Saratoga Passage. photo

We love this cover photo from Orca Network's most recent Whale Sighting Report. It shows gray whale CRC-531 "Gretchen" feeding in the foreground with a Southern Resident killer whale in the background (taken from shore).

myemail.constantcontact.com/January-19--...

If you've heard there's no whale watching in the Salish Sea during winter, T19C "Spouter" wants you to know you've been misinformed. 😉 This photo was taken in Haro Strait last weekend following a sea lion hunt.

📷: Jeff Friedman, @sjiwhalewatch.bsky.social

What's that bright thing up in the sky? Could that be...THE SUN!? 😎 It's shaping up to be beautiful day around the Salish Sea, so try to get outside to enjoy it!

📷: Uwe Zimmermann, @seabreezewhales.bsky.social

It's hump day! 🐋 This is the 2025 calf of BCX1704 "Vivaldi". The one-year-old was seen off Victoria last month still traveling with mom. Calves stay with mom for ~12 months, and can separate on the feeding grounds, or travel back with her to the breeding grounds.

📷: Ian Roberts of SpringTide Tours

Welcome back, Sounders! Four Sounder gray whales have already been confirmed in the Salish Sea this season: CRC-53 "Little Patch", CRC-531 "Gretchen", CRC-2440 "Tahoma", and CRC-2246 "Azulão". Gray whales can be tough to spot. If you're a boater, keep an eye out! 🩶

📷: Alli Montgomery, FRS Clipper

Orcas spotted rubbing bellies on rocks near shore in Gibsons, B.C. | CBC News A pod of orcas surprised people on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast earlier this month by swimming close to shore and rubbing their bellies on the rocks — a behaviour an expert says few killer whales around the ...

A magical encounter with Northern Resident killer whales off BC's Sunshine Coast:

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Happy New Year! We're charging into 2026 full steam ahead, just like Bigg's orca T075C "Bam-Bam".

In the coming weeks we'll be compiling our 2025 annual report, sharing our data with researchers, speaking at a few regional events, and more.

📷: Clint William, @eaglewingtours.bsky.social

Ways of Whales 2026 Hybrid Workshop

Calling all whale nerds... 📣🐳🤓

Registration for Orca Network's hybrid 2026 Ways of Whales workshop on Saturday, January 24 is now OPEN! Sign up before January 4 for an early-bird discount.

See the full speaker lineup and register here: givebutter.com/c/e8NM4k

Tufted Puffins Are Vanishing Across the Pacific Northwest—Can an Ambitious New Effort Save Them? Armed with enthusiasm, researchers and volunteers have joined forces to safeguard the flamboyant seabirds as climate change warms their ocean homes.

We love puffins! Sadly, these charismatic birds face many challenges throughout their range including habitat loss, predation, and climate change. If you care about puffins, please give this a read.

www.audubon.org/magazine/tuf...

Happy Hump Day! 🐋 Today's break in the weather has us jumping for joy, just like BCX2046 "Pinnacle". Pinnacle travels to Mexico in winter, but was still in the Salish Sea as of two weeks ago. Many local whales have yet to start their southward migration.

📷: Katie Read, SpringTide Tours