A community of ecotourism professionals with a shared commitment to education, conservation, and responsible wildlife viewing in Washington state and British Columbia. 🐋
Pacific Whale Watch Association
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Happy Hump Day! 🐋 The first humpback mom/calf pairs are starting to arrive from the breeding grounds. Here's an adorable pic of BCX2183 "Smoke" with her new calf. Other moms with calves this year include BCY0862 "Apollo", BCY1229 "Deca", and BCX1057 "Divot".
📷: Alli Montgomery, @FRSClipper
Alas, there is one less harbor seal in the Salish Sea following this incredible predation event the crew at San Juan Cruises in Bellingham, WA witnessed before they even untied from the dock!
📷: Elliot Shaughnessy-Lively
It's World Ocean Day! 🌊 Without healthy oceans, there'd be no whales to watch. It's our duty to be good ocean stewards. Here are some pics of our members removing trash from local waters.
📷: @sanjuansafaris.bsky.social
📷: SpringTide Tours
📷: @sjiwhalewatch.bsky.social
📷: Outer Island Excursions
🚨NEW SCIENCE ALERT 🚨
A new open-access article in Marine Mammal Science examines seasonal presence of Bigg's (mammal-hunting) killer whales in the inside waters of Vancouver Island. The PWWA is proud to have contributed sightings data toward this study.
doi.org/10.1111/mms....
This week, a massive group of Bigg's orcas entered the Salish Sea via the Strait of Juan de Fuca. All told, more than FORTY individuals were identified. 🤯 That means there are an awful lot of whales around right now, so keep your eyes peeled! 👀
📷: Mollie Cameron, @whalewatchingbc.bsky.social
Pacific Whale Watch Association
Minke May 2026 has come to a close. We hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know these mystical mysticetes a bit better. We’ll end by sharing a great shot of not one, but *two* beautiful minke whales swimming side-by-side in the Salish Sea.
📷: Matt Stolmeier, Outer Island Excursions
Happy Hump Day! 🐋 Forget synchronized swimming, synchronized *feeding* is all the rage within the humpback whale community. Check out these amazing photos of BCX1193 "Zig Zag" & BCY0523 "Graze" doing their thing in BC's Howe Sound.
📷: Sara Jenkins, Wild Whales Vancouver
Several PWWA member companies are participating, so while you won't see Southern Residents on a whale watch tour, you might see their fins and learn their story! You can find a map of all the fin locations here: www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/southern-res...
In honor of Orca Action Month, Orca Behavior Institute teamed with artists for the "75 Fins for 75 Whales" project. The project features life-sized dorsal fins - one for each living Southern Resident - at various locations throughout the Salish Sea and beyond.
vicnews.com/2026/06/05/e...
We love this series of young Bigg's killer whale T46B1D "Tashi" breaching up a storm. Looks like so much fun!
📷: Alison Engle, Western Prince Whale Watching Adventures
West Coast Transient (WCT) killer whales (Orcinus orca rectipinnus) hunt marine mammals along the west coast of North America from California to southeastern Alaska. However, little information is av...
OBI's research on the Southern Residents focuses on presence/absence in the Salish Sea, behavioral budget and behavioral shifts over time, and acoustic communication.
