West Seattle, Washington
06 Wednesday
8:21 AM: Thanks to Jeff Hogan of Killer Whale Tales for the tip: Orcas are southbound in the Fauntleroy ferry lanes right now.
9:32 AM: Still southbound – see comments, with photos including the one we reposted above, from Jsmyth.
4:30 PM: Now northbound, visible from The Arroyos, reports Kersti Muul.
8:40 AM: Again this morning, you have a chance to watch for orcas off West Seattle shores. Kersti Muul tells us they’re headed northbound and about to emerge from Colvos Passage on the west side of Vashon Island, so watching from west-facing West Seattle might yield a sighting. Rain will hamper visibility to some degree – but on the other side, those dorsal fins are extra-visible against silver water. Let us know if you see them!
10:44 AM: Just talked with Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail, at Constellation Park looking for the whales. Not in view yet, she says, but visibility is improving.
(Added: Photo Kersti shared in comments)
9:52 AM: Thanks to Kersti Muul for the news that orcas are headed this way again: Southbound, approaching the mouth of Elliott Bay.
10:41 AM: Kersti reports they’re visible from Constellation Park south of Alki Point.
4:05 PM: Kersti says in comments that they’re off south Vashon now.
3:57 PM: You might have seen TV-helicopter aerials of orcas off south Vashon Island earlier today. Kersti Muul sends word the orcas have emerged from Colvos Passage on the west side of Vashon and are northbound in the Southworth vicinity. So if you want to whale-watch, grab your binoculars and take a look from west-facing West Seattle. Let us know if you see them! (And remember that The Whale Trail has an Orca Talk tonight, as featured in our highlights list.)
4:07 PM: Just talked to Kersti. These are residents, she says, and they’re now moving fast – off the south end of Blake. Closer to the west side of the Sound so you DEFINITELY need binoculars.
Usually we point lost/found non-pet listings to their own special WSB section – but we’ll showcase the occasional unusual lost/found item on the front page, like this one. Erin from Brace Point e-mailed: “We lost a buoy and wondering if you could post this picture … contact 206-932-0326 if someone finds it.”
Just got word from Donna Sandstrom of The Whale Trail that orcas are in the area again – last reported passing Bainbridge Island’s Eagle Harbor, southbound. She’ll be at Constellation Park south of Alki Point if you are looking for expert guidance in looking for them from shore.
12:30 PM: Thanks for the tips! Jeff Hogan of Killer Whale Tales and Kersti Muul both send word of orcas headed southbound, now coming into view midchannel off Alki. Let us know if you see them!
1:06 PM: As Kersti notes in comments, the orcas in the area include Southern Resident Killer Whales. We aren’t able to go look for them due to unrelated events we have to go cover so sightings appreciated, either here or 206-293-6302 (our text/voice 24/7 hotline) – thank you!
1:13 PM: Among those out watching is Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail; she says most reports so far are to the north so keep your eyes (and binoculars) pointed that way.
3 PM: Thanks to Kersti for the updates in comments!
7:55 PM: Added above, a photo by David Hutchinson, who explains that it “shows Maya and Mark Sears on their way out of Elliott Bay to document and observe the Southern Resident Orcas that visited our area today. The yellow pennant flying from the stern of their boat has their NOAA permit number.” Below, you can glimpse them and an orca, captured by photographer Anthony K while he was focused on a rainbow:
Was trying to get a shot of the rainbow when a whale splashed down in the bottom left corner of the frame. @wsferries @komonews @westseattleblog @StormHour pic.twitter.com/KT8BSD6Z30
— anthonyk (@anthonykdrives) November 5, 2018
Thanks to Jim Borrow for the photo! It’s that time of year when purse-seine vessels are seen off West Seattle, fishing commercially for salmon. According to this state Fish and Wildlife Department bulletin (PDF), this type of vessel is allowed to fish in this area of Puget Sound 7 am-6 pm today, and must release chinook and coho.
Thanks to “Diver Laura” James for sharing her newest 360-degree view video from Cove 2 off Seacrest, recorded last night. “Complete with Giant Pacific Octopus!” she notes, adding, for gear aficionados, “Testing out the newest consumer 360 camera. Camera and housing for under $500 and depth rating to 30m / 60 min :). Amazing how fast technology is moving in this space.” If you haven’t viewed 360-degree video online before, you should be able to grab it and pull it around to look up, under, back, forth, etc. (If you can’t, try going directly to YouTube.)
Thanks to Tom Stoner for the photo. That was the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) headed northbound past West Seattle earlier today. It’s been back at Bremerton a little more than a month after the latest stint at sea getting ready for deployment. After deployment, it’s scheduled to relocate to Norfolk, Virginia, and the carrier USS Carl S. Vinson (CVN 70) will be moved to Bremerton for maintenance.
Thanks to Beth for sending the video! She says a rescue operation got the SV Pointless away from Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook on Beach Drive a little while ago. We first mentioned the stuck sailboat on Tuesday; its owners publish Beach Drive Blog and wrote about the situation there.
11:48 AM: Thanks for the photo and tips. Another sailboat in trouble on this slightly blustery day – this one has come ashore at Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook on Beach Drive. Seattle Fire has a fireboat and land crew checking it out.
4:19 PM: Several more readers have sent photos of the grounded boat as the day has gone on the one above is from Sarah). Commenters say its owners are aware of the situation.
6:21 PM: The owners are also the publishers of Beach Drive Blog, where they’ve posted more about what happened.
Three sightings of note, in case you wondered too:
CAMP LONG: We received multiple questions late today about a big gathering at Camp Long that has police directing traffic. Hundreds of members of Ethiopian Orthodox churches from around the region are at the park for the annual observance of Meskel (Finding of the True Cross). The city’s Special Events Committee agenda from August notes that this is an annual event that has “grown to require (a) Special Event Permit.” Erika J. Schultz of The Seattle Times photographed the celebration at Camp Long two years ago (scroll down this page).
BEACH DRIVE: Beach Drive Blog noted a sizable turnout of motorcycle riders at Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook this morning. The occasion: The local edition of the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, raising money and awareness for men’s health issues.
PUGET SOUND: Thanks to JayDee for this Saturday photo:
That’s the SS Cape Intrepid, a ready-reserve ship long moored in Tacoma, headed out on sea trials, last seen on the MarineTraffic.com tracker as it entered open ocean outside the Strait of Juan de Fuca last night. (JayDee also contributed a photo of this ship almost exactly nine years ago!)
Thanks to Jim Borrow for the photo of the historic schooner Adventuress, which caught attention off Alki this afternoon. Adventuress is 105 years old; you can read its history here. It’s been a National Historic Landmark since 1989, and is operated by the educational nonprofit Sound Experience.
No guarantees, but we might be lucky and get a glimpse of the Southern Resident Killer Whales tomorrow. As night falls, Kersti Muul tips us, resident orcas are southbound just north of Elliott Bay, in the Discovery Park vicinity. As she points out, this is a bit earlier than the usual SRKW fall return. And it comes the day after the second of two public meetings about their plight. If you see orcas tomorrow (or any other time!) please let us know – our 24/7 hotline, text or voice, is 206-293-6302.
First a cow … now a polar bear, seen off West Seattle this morning. A texter sent that photo from Don Armeni Boat Ramp. The bear is in the area for this protest across the bay later this afternoon:
A family-friendly vigil happening Saturday, September 15 near the Pier 91 cruise terminal will highlight how human-caused climate change is impacting the health of the world’s oceans, especially the Arctic. The vigil will feature a floating art installation in Elliott Bay of a polar bear perched on a melting iceberg.
The vigil is happening on Arctic sea ice minimum day, the annual day when the sea ice extent is at its lowest. Sea ice minimum — which occurs in mid-September of each year — happens when the ice stops melting and the glaciers begin to accumulate again. The vigil will also draw attention to the role cruise ships play in accelerating the melting ice in the Arctic and contributing to sea level rise by burning heavy fuel oil, the dirtiest fossil fuel available for marine transportation.
The National Snow and Ice Data Center tracks sea ice at nsidc.org. A September 4 blog post by NSIDC says this year’s sea ice minimum is expected to be one of the ten lowest in the satellite record.
The event coincides with two other international vigils for Arctic sea ice minimum day, in London and Rotterdam. The event is also part of the region-wide Salish Sea Day of Action.
The vigil is happening by the Magnolia cruise-ship terminal 3-5 pm. (The ship in the background is the new megaliner Norwegian Bliss, docked today at Pier 66 downtown; the port touted its environmentally friendlier features earlier this year.)
7:15 AM: About six weeks after its most-recent departure on a training mission, the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) is on its way back to Bremerton. A texter just sent word that it’s visible passing south Bainbridge Island right now.
8:26 AM: Thanks to Jim Borrow for the photo! Added above. P.S. After 13 years homeported in Bremerton, the Stennis is scheduled to move to Norfolk soon, per this report from shortly after its July departure; the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), meantime, will be moving here.
“Diver Laura” James needs some research help. She’s looking into recent sixgill-shark strandings around Puget Sound – at least five confirmed in the past few months, she says. One happened recently near Alki Point Lighthouse, but “the tide came in and washed the carcass away before the scientists could get to it.”
What you see above is the remains of a six-gill found stranded in Sequim with a mesh crab-bait bag clearly visible. Laura says they want to check other strandings for something similar.
So if you happen onto a stranded/dead shark, she requests that you get in contact with her. Even better – take a picture and send it with the location. Better still, grab and freeze a tissue sample. She adds, “I’m also very interested in any old carcasses that might be around, as I can still get a DNA sample from them.” Laura is reachable at info@diverlaura.com.
P.S. Not familiar with six-gills? Laura points us to this:
(Southern Resident orca, photographed in 2015 by Gary Jones @ Alki Point)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The plight of the dwindling Southern Resident Killer Whale population is in a brighter spotlight than ever, as action to save them is debated.
Local advocate Donna Sandstrom, executive director of The Whale Trail, will provide an update at tonight’s Southwest District Council meeting (6:30 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle, 4217 SW Oregon).
Last night, her organization started a new season of Orca Talks – opening with an update from Sandstrom, who is also a member of the orca task force set up by Governor Inslee, and moving on to a featured guest’s presentation about a more-abundant, and mysterious, cetacean – the harbor porpoise.
(Photos by Dr. Cindy Elliser)
Next week – it’s a marine-mammal two-fer as The Whale Trail resumes its series of Orca Talks. At 7 pm Tuesday, September 4th, at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), here’s what you’ll see and hear:
Harbor porpoises are one of the most abundant animals in the Salish Sea, yet little is known about them. Pacific Mammal Research is dedicated to understanding more about this poorly understood population, using techniques such as photo-ID surveys and passive acoustic technology. Learn more about this shy and elusive species, and the research that is shedding new light on them.
The speaker, Dr. Cindy Elliser, has conducted marine mammal research for over 15 years. She worked with Dr. Denise Herzing and the Wild Dolphin Project studying Atlantic spotted and bottlenose dolphins in the Bahamas for 10 years before moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2014 and founding Pacific Mammal Research to study marine mammals in the Salish Sea. She also is an adjunct biology/chemistry instructor at Skagit Valley College.
Whale Trail founder Donna Sandstrom will also give an update on Governor Jay Inslee’s Orca Recovery Task Force (of which she is a member) and how you can become involved in protecting the Southern Resident orcas.
Admission is a suggested donation of $5 (kids free) – advance tickets are available here.
8:55 AM: Texter says orcas are northbound, passing The Arroyos – midchannel, at least three whales.
10:04 AM: Another texter says the orcas are now reported to be north of Blake Island, “at least five orcas, crossing north of the midchannel buoy.” Also, we’ve added a photo from the first tipster, Chris Frankovich.
Thanks to Jim Borrow for photographing the Peace Boat, arriving in Seattle for the first time early today; it’s now docked at Pier 66 downtown (shown on MarineTraffic.com with its official name, Ocean Dream). From the news release explaining the ship and what will happen during its visit here:
… Since 2008, Peace Boat has coordinated the “Global Voyage for a Nuclear Free World: Peace Boat Hibakusha Project,” inviting more than 170 Hibakusha (survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) to travel onboard the ship, calling for a nuclear-free future. On this voyage, two Hibakusha (one from Hiroshima and another from Nagasaki) and one 2nd Generation Hibakusha are visiting 25 ports in 24 countries, where they are sharing their testimony as a means to call for nuclear abolition. These participants are also acting as “Special Communicators for a World without Nuclear Weapons” as accredited by the Japanese Government.
Yesterday was the 73rd anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing; Thursday marks the same anniversary for Nagasaki. This is the last stop of the ship’s current voyage before it returns to Japan.
Thanks to David Hutchinson for photographing the R/V Sally Ride, seen off West Seattle today. It’s a U.S. Navy=owned research vessel, operated by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, named for the first American woman in space. Tonight, MarineTraffic.com shows it off the north end of Harbor Island. The 238-foot vessel was built by Dakota Creek Industries up in Anacortes.
P.S. If you’ve been noticing the big gray USNS Bob Hope anchored across the bay in recent days – looks like it finally left today; MT shows it currently up in Everett.
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