Whales from Seattle in September - BQ??

[TomAndJane]

We are leaving on an Alaskan Cruise from Seattle on Sept 5th. What are the changes of seeing whales after we leave Seattle before we get north of Ketchikan (i.e. Snow Pass)? I know that the migration is over but I wasn't sure if there are any places on our first sea day (Pacific Ocean side of Vancouver Island) that they might be (i.e. Dixon entrance). I spend a lot of time either outside or in a forward facing lounge just hoping for a sighting.

 

Thanks

 

Tom

[Toyz711]

we were later in sept...saw a couple of pilot whales (?), right under our balcony, 1st sea day from seattle. we got to watch them for several minutes. none of the dramatics of watching humpbacks..but, what the heck, i will spend hours watching any whale.

otherwise everything was just distance sightings. the humpbacks start the migration (alaska to hawaii) about november..saw several on our whale watching out of juneau.

leaving glacier bay and heading back south, we saw some spouts and splashes around some islands.

[TomAndJane]

Thanks. I am the same way. A whale is a whale. Get excited as soon as I see a fin or a blow. Heck, I even get excited over dolphins and porpoises. haha Don't see to many of them in Ohio. Last May we were lucky enough when entering (first week) and leaving (second week) Glacier Bay (Around Point Ordofious - sp!) to see bubble net attacks. Really cool seeing three and four humpbacks coming out the water all at once. They were going crazy. Must have done it about six or seven times within a 10 minute timeframe. I'm sure they were different sets of humpbacks but it was Really cool!!!!!!!!!!!

[Norcal Cruiser]

We've been on cruises to Alaska twice in the past four years in September.We are going on our third and 4th cruise to Alaska this September.We have seen Orcas and humpbacks from the ship both times.Also look for Dahls porpoises riding the wake of the ship.They look like mini orcas.In Icy Strait keep your eyes on the water.We had humpbacks surrounding our tender boat and saw orcas from the shoreline.

[Budget Queen]

It isn't pilot whales, probably Dalls Porpoise??

 

Anyway, yes humpbacks are seen in Sept. Does your ship have a naturalist?? Will make a significant difference, since you otherwise won't know the areas. (you can only ask so many times questions of the bridge, I have found).

 

What is your routing??? times?? I can better give you ball park areas, to plant yourself out.

[mountainhouse]

It isn't pilot whales, probably Dalls Porpoise??

 

Why? It looks like short fined pilot whales, though not actually whales, inhabit that area.

[Toyz711]

the guys, at orca, were trying to figure it out, also. everything from a "beaked" whale to some type of pilot. since they didn't raise their head, i couldn't get a clear photo of the size/shape of the head. DH swears they had a "bump" on the front of the head, but i didn't see it that well.

 

to the OP, i won't plan on seeing humpbacks from the ship...some people get lucky, but with views from deck 9 to 12, sight will be brief and distance.

[TomAndJane]

It isn't pilot whales, probably Dalls Porpoise??

 

Anyway, yes humpbacks are seen in Sept. Does your ship have a naturalist?? Will make a significant difference, since you otherwise won't know the areas. (you can only ask so many times questions of the bridge, I have found).

 

What is your routing??? times?? I can better give you ball park areas, to plant yourself out.

 

Thanks. I know that they will be around in Alaska just wondering about the first sea day. We will be in Ketchikan from 7 - 3 so Snow Pass would be around 4:30 - 6:00 (I will be up at 5:15 unless we are already docked and looking until nightfall). We will be in Juneau from 7 - 1:30 and then we are off to Tracy Arm (will be looking until nightfall ). Skagway from 7 -5 and Prince Rupert from 4 - 10 (Have heard that a few hours before arriving in PR is a good place). Any help would be appreciated.

[TomAndJane]

Help!!!!

[Budget Queen]

Why? It looks like short fined pilot whales, though not actually whales, inhabit that area.

 

From those photos, not pilots, the second is clearly humpback, and probably the first is a mother and calf humpback. Pilots are pod whales, traveling in large numbers. Also very small to be seen from a cruise ship. Not big "surface" swimmers, and would be very hard to spot. I have never heard of any being seen on "inside passage" and have been traveling there a long time. I've seen Pacific White sided dolphins, in great numbers along with many Dalls Porpoises.

 

I have seen pilot whales several times on the Atlantic. I do go out at least once/season on multi day research boats. The real kick is to see the very endangered Right whales. But anyway, about 5 years ago, about 40 pilots beached themselves on Cape Cod, most dead/dying. Speculation about why was a big squid wash up 7-10 days prior which was earlier than usual and thought that the whales followed their food??? There are many reports on the distinct difference in behaviors, which definately helps in the identification of what you are seeing. Another useless story- again in the Atlantic, researchers are very excited to see some cross over behaviors of the fins doing more lunge feeding, like the humpbacks. Had one trip last year- which I was on, first ever I didn't see humpbacks, but they were tracking a couple fins, who were reported to be surface feeding. SURE enough, they were found, and there they were, fast skimming along the surface, mouths wide open, about 1 1/2 size larger than humpbacks, which are the size of buses. :) Lots of food the last couple years, and still peak this season- sand eels, the size of a pencil. SO, anyone wanting some cheap humpback looks go out of Cape Ann, Gloucester, or Cape Cod. I generally go about 10 times each summer.

[Budget Queen]

Help!!!!

 

Help???

 

 

Asking about the first sea day??? This isn't a focused area for humpbacks, unlike concentrated food areas- Auke Bay, Icy Strait, they can be spread out over hundreds of miles of Dixon Passage.

Juneau- again, be out, way early. Even in "darkness" you can many times see clearly, if going in June. The "two hours" around Juneau are usually not a whale area, so you need to gage yourself, if 3am has "light"??

 

Are you purchasing the add on Tracy Arm tour??? Significant increase in humpback viewing, and in my opinon, a "necessary" tour.

 

Around Prince Rupert is the northern Resident Vancouver Island orca pods fringe range. A sligth chance I suppose. FAR better would be to add time and get to Port Hardy/ Telegraph Cove and out on SEVERAL boat tours.

[Eaglecw]

Your chances of seeing a whale on the first day coming out of Seattle are just about slim to none.

[Budget Queen]

Your chances of seeing a whale on the first day coming out of Seattle are just about slim to none.

 

Unless, going early to Mid May. You do have a slight chance of a humpback, during their migration.

[TomAndJane]

We are going Sept 5th. Guess we will have to wait until after we leave Ketchinkan and start heading into Snow Pass. We have decided to do a Whale Watching Cruise in Juneau, will be looking from Juneau into Tracy Arm and afterwards, leaving Skagway hopefully we will get into Chatham Strait before nightfall and then the day heading into Prince Rupert.

 

I know we were lucky enought one evening coming back into Washington State waters to see Orac's breaching. We leave Seattle at 4:00 p.m. and it will not be dark until around 8:00 p.m. How often do the resident pods from the San Juan Islands or transient Orcas visit that area?