This humpback whale sighted in Bellingham Bay surprised experts
The Port of Bellingham posted a photo on Monday, March 21, of an early-season visitor along the coast of Bellingham Bay near the Fairhaven Boat Launch.
According to Erin Gless, executive director of The Pacific Whale Watch Association, this early sighting so close to shore is rare, but more may be coming.
“It’s not super common to see whales all the way up in Bellingham Bay, so it caught me off guard. Unfortunately, I learned about the animal on Twitter and none of our (Pacific Whale Watch Association) operators got to see it first-hand,” Gless said.
According to Gless, these up-close sightings may become more common.
“This is becoming the new normal. Like many whales, humpbacks were hunted in this area and were almost lost a century ago. Fortunately, they are now protected and we are seeing them recover. We warn people to be aware and be careful as there are more around us in this area.”
According to John Calambokidis, a senior research biologist at Cascadia Research Collective, there are an estimated 2,000 humpback whales that feed off Washington and southern British Columbia.
“Most of these tend to feed in outer coast waters, and a smaller proportion feeding either regularly or occasionally in the Salish Sea. I would estimate that anywhere from a few dozen to around 100 or 200 might be feeding in the Salish Sea at any given point in time depending on how prey is distributed,” Calambokidis wrote in an email.
Humpback whales, which are commonly the size of buses, do not usually come too close to the shore, but likely explore some shallower areas looking for fish to eat. Humpback whales usually come into the Salish Sea from March or April until November, using the summer season to hunt fish or krill.
“Most humpbacks come into this area in April, so this sighting is one of the earliest of the season,” Gless said.
Gless also said that as orca whales can be seen in Washington year-round, gray whales will be migrating into the Bellingham area in the springtime, but only stay until early summer.
This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 9:41 AM with the headline "This humpback whale sighted in Bellingham Bay surprised experts."
