At least 72 Bigg killer whales were spotted in the Salish Sea on Thursday, a new one-day record. “There have been days in the last decade with about 50 different Bigg killer whales reported, maybe 60,” said Mark Malleson, a researcher at the Center for Whale Research. “But Thursday was definitely the biggest so far.” The Pacific Whale Monitoring Association (PWWA) shared the news Friday, saying whale watchers in Washington and southern British Columbia saw 10 separate groups of whales. The largest group spotted by PWWA pilots was in the northern San Juan Islands, where 18 killer whales were spotted. One of the most notable sightings was the Chainsaw, an adult male born in 1978 known for its jagged dorsal fin. “We were watching a group of four whales when another 14 came out of nowhere,” said Sam Murphy, a native of Island Adventures Whale Watching, in a statement. “It was magical,” says Murphy. Other whales have appeared on the Hood Canal in Puget Sound, Washington, and as far north as the Campbell River. Monika Wieland Shields, director of the Orca Behavior Institute on San Juan Island, says the number of whales found is staggering. “We wonder how long this increase in Bigg killer whales will continue, but they continue to set a record,” he says. Bigg killer whales hunt marine mammals and are currently thriving due to the abundance of seals and sea lions in the area. The Bigg’s population is growing by more than four percent a year, according to the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Eleven new Bigg calves were born in 2021.
