The Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) says sightings of Killer Whales in the Salish Sea are up 70 per cent compared to this time last year — with a least one whale seen every day since March 12.
The association adds that they’re seeing big groups of the whales, and new calves as well.
“It’s quite the streak,” says Erin Gless, executive director of the PWWA. “Knock on wood, but the season has been very good for viewing killer whales so far.”
July was particularly noteworthy, the PWWA says, with 214 unique sightings of Bigg’s Killer Whales last month alone.
According to the association, as many as 41 individual whales have comprised some of the groups spotted.
The Orca Behavior Institute (OBI), a local research group that compiles whale reports from professional whale watchers, regional sightings groups, and community scientists throughout Washington and British Columbia, says it makes sure to only count one spotting of each group per day.
But it’s not just orcas. The association says humpback whales are also being seen on a daily basis — with hundreds of the mammals swimming through the Salish Sea every year.
“We’re fortunate to live in a place where the question isn’t, ‘Will we see whales?’ but rather, ‘Which whales will we see?’,” said Gless. “Nothing in nature is 100 per cent guaranteed, but here in the Salish Sea, the chance of seeing whales is really high.”
—With files from Cole Schisler