The first North Puget Sound gray whale, known as a “Sounder,” has appeared early in the Salish Sea this season.
Cascadia Research and Orca Network confirmed that Little Patch (CRC-53), a well-known gray whale, was spotted and photographed in Saratoga Passage Wednesday.
“After I spotted the whale, I was joined by other Camano whale watchers who were excited to greet the first Sounder of the season,” said Serena Tierra, co-coordinator for Orca Network’s Whale Sighting Network. “This is such a special time of year for residents of North Puget Sound because it provides an opportunity to see whales close to shore and form connections as you get to know them as individuals.”
This marks the fifth consecutive year that Little Patch has returned early, forgoing the usual migration to winter breeding grounds in Mexico.
Little Patch has been observed in the region during December or January every year since 2019.
Other Sounders are expected to arrive between January and April, with most returning in early March.
The Sounders are a unique group of gray whales that detour from their migration between the Bering Sea and Baja, California, to spend time in the waters of the Salish Sea.
Cascadia Research first documented this group in 1990, and they have been studying them ever since.
Little Patch was first identified in 1991 and has been seen for 26 different years.
While in the Salish Sea, these whales primarily feed on ghost shrimp in intertidal regions around Whidbey and Camano Islands and the Snohomish River delta.
Over the past few years, the Sounders’ population has grown due to an Unusual Mortality Event between 2019 and 2023, which affected thousands of whales in the eastern North Pacific.
During that time, the number of Sounders increased to nearly 20 individuals as hungry whales discovered the abundant ghost shrimp in the area, leading some to remain in the Salish Sea instead of continuing their migration.
Vessel operators are reminded to stay alert for these slow-moving animals and to share the waters.
Gray whales can surface unexpectedly, so vessels must slow to under 7 knots and stay at least 100 yards away from them when sighted.
Public whale sightings provide vital data about the whales’ movements.
Timely reports help researchers gather identification photos and collect prey and fecal samples.
Sighting information is also shared with Washington State Ferries and other large vessels to prevent ship strikes.
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