The “Saratoga” or North Puget Sound Gray whales return to Saratoga Passage and Possession Sound each spring, for their annual three-month feeding foray in North Puget Sound. In greater Puget Sound, we see approximately 12 to 50 grays per year, and along the Pacific Coast a population of 250 Gray Whales known as the Pacific Northwest feeding aggregation lives.  These whales can be found along the coast of Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The whales are identified by the markings on the underside of their flukes, as well as by the patterns of barnacles, scars, and markings on their backs.

Gray whales typically arrive in early March and stay through the end of May, feeding on ghost shrimp along the sand and mud shores of Saratoga Passage between Camano and Whidbey Islands, and in Possession Sound. The annual spring visit of Gray whales provides an excellent opportunity to view whales from the shorelines of Island County or from the Mukilteo/Clinton ferries and whale watch companies.

To get the latest information on where the whales are, join and follow Orca Network’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OrcaNetwork where whale sightings are posted daily, along with news, events, and information about the whales of this region.

The Langley Whale Center, www.facebook.com/LangleyWhaleCenter, features displays and videos about Gray whales, Orcas and the many other marine mammals of the Salish Sea. Also on display are marine mammal bones and specimens collected and prepared by Orca Network’s Central Puget Sound Marine Mammal Stranding Network, to help visitors understand the anatomy and natural history of the marine mammals who share our island waters.

On April 16 and 17, Langley will host the Welcome the Whales Festival with an annual parade, hands-on displays, costume making and kids activities.

There will also be educational presentations and exhibits all focused on the area’s gray whale population.

For more information about Welcome the Whales or Orca Network’s Whale Sighting Network, visit our website at www.OrcaNetwork.org