Salish Sea – Over the past few weeks, scientists have been closely watching a group of orcas that had never been documented in our local waters before.
SR3, a local nonprofit dedicated to marine wildlife research and rehabilitation, reports that the whales were first spotted in British Columbia before appearing in the Salish Sea.
The organization says that prior to their time in our region, the only time the whales had been documented was in Alaska in 2025.
Researchers have identified the trio as T419, T420 and T421.
Bay Cetology, whose marine biologists and research technicians track local whale populations, said it is very rare for unknown whales to show up in the area. They said over 99.5% of the orcas photographed in the region are well known.
Scientists with the Orca Behavior Institute say the animals were first photographed in Anchorage in March of last year, marking the first time they had ever been documented.
This month, the whales were spotted in Vancouver Harbor, before traveling south into Puget Sound.
The whales, which are believed to be mammal-eating orcas, have most recently been seen as far south as Tacoma.
Biologists said, based on the orcas’ coloring and scars, they do not belong to the West Coast Transient population of Bigg’s killer whales. Hydrophones picked up the trio’s vocalization and they do not sound like any other type of orca commonly found in Washington’s waters.
(Photo of the 3 orcas taken by Alex Cole)