Whales have been returning to the Salish Sea earlier than usual, according to a news release from researchers.
The whale “Little Patch” is the first of the North Puget Sound Gray Whales, or “Sounders,” to return to the Salish Sea, as reported by the Orca Network and Cascadia Research Collective. Experts said the whale’s spotting has continued a trend of early arrivals.
Little Patch was first identified in the Saratoga Passage on 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,” Serena Tierra, Co-Coordinator for Orca Network’s Whale Sighting Network, said via the release. “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.”
Researchers said this is the fifth time Little Patch has shown up in either December or January, which means the whale chose to return to the Salish Sea early instead of migrating to winter breeding areas in Mexico.
According to the Orca Network and Cascadia Research Collective, the other Sounders should arrive between January and April, with most returning in March.
“The Sounders are a group of gray whales who annually detour from their migration between the Bering Sea and Baja, California, to spend time in the waters of the Salish Sea,” the release stated.
Cascadia Research said it first documented the Sounders in 1990. Little Patch was first identified in 1991 and has been seen 26 different years since.
Whale sightings from the public are critical for collecting data and relaying warnings to vessels traveling through the Puget Sound, the Orca Network stated.
To report a sighting, email sightings@orcanetwork.org or visit the Orca Network’s website.
Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.
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