Kodiak Whale Fest Whale Sightings

Spouts Seen in the Distance from Town

2011-04-19T12:04:00.002-08:00

We got a call a little while ago that spouts were seen in the distance from the Cliffside/Abercrombie area. Walkers along Miller Point, Piedmont Point or Spruce Cape have an opportunity to see the whale spouts in the distance.

Aerial View of Grays Migrating Past Ugak Bay

2011-04-19T08:19:00.003-08:00

photo by Kate Wynne

Kate Wynne flew an aerial survey on Friday, April 15th and saw several grays around the mouth of Ugak Bay. She says some were migrating and others were feeding. The group pictured above were cruising southbound in Marmot Bay outside of Ugak.

Grays at Narrow Cape

2011-04-17T09:55:00.004-08:00

Saturday's Whale Walk produced great results according to a couple of the folks who went on the walk. There were numbers of gray whales moving between the Fossil Beach cliffs and Ugak Island. One viewer reported being able to see many spouts as well as the backs of the whales as they rose to the surface.

UPDATE: The group leader reports that there were about 30 gray whales at Narrow Cape for Saturday's Whale Walk. They were in groups of two to three for the most part...there were a couple with four in the group. She reports there might have been one calf, but they weren't certain. Viewing at Narrow Cape should be very good for the next week or more. Get out there!

Grays Sighted Today!

2011-04-11T13:09:00.002-08:00

Four gray whales were sighted on the outside of Long Island today.

Keep those reports coming in!

Whales off Cape Chiniak on April 3rd

2011-04-10T20:13:00.003-08:00

On Sunday, April 3rd about a half dozen whales were sighted off Cape Chiniak. The viewer thought they could be fin whales but wasn't certain.

To help in your identification of whales, remember that fin whales have a dorsal fin. Although it is not as prominent as an orca's dorsal, the sight of that fin can really help you distinguish between the back of a gray whale and a fin whale. When in doubt, take a photo - even a photo at a distance can help marine mammal experts identify the whale type.

Call 486-3181 or email pam (at) kmxt.org with your whale sightings!

Orcas Visit Again

2011-03-30T23:02:00.001-08:00

Five or six orcas were in the channel this evening for awhile before they headed out toward Spruce Cape. There was at least one youngster with the group, making quick shallow dives.

Orcas in the Channel Again

2011-03-29T10:52:00.002-08:00

The orcas are in the harbor area again this morning! There have been multiple reports of the orcas moving in the channel and near the green buoy at the entrance to the harbor. Good viewing points in the past have been the harbor spit or from the boat trailer parking lot on Near Island. City Dock/Fisherman's Terminal (Pier 2) has also been a good view point as they move back out to sea.

A Busy Morning in the Kodiak Harbor Area

2011-03-27T22:55:00.005-08:00

Three of the "Kodiak Killers" were in the channel and harbor area for several hours Sunday morning apparently hunting and feeding. They put on a great show, spy-hopping and tail-slapping a few times.

In other news, several spouts were seen off of Narrow Cape from the cliffs above Fossil Beach on March 22nd. Happy whale-watching!

Orcas reported in the channel March 27th

2011-03-27T09:18:00.002-08:00

Grab your cup of coffee and head downtown. Three to four orcas, including the big male with the bent dorsal fin have been sighted in the channel. More from the waterfront a little later.

Gray Whales off of Long Island

2011-03-20T09:31:00.002-08:00

Saturday afternoon three gray whales were seen off the north end of Long Island. Migration season is upon us!

St. Paddy's Day Parade of Orcas

2011-03-17T22:44:00.008-08:00

Three of the transient orcas known as the "Kodiak Killers" made a St. Paddy's day appearance along Kodiak's waterfront this evening. They spent some time traveling through the channel to Pier 2, then turned around and headed back to the front of cannery row. Among the three was the big male known locally as Bentley. His dorsal fin has toppled over and drags alongside him in the water.

Don't forget to call KMXT with your sightings at 486-3181. Ask for Pam.

Orcas Sighted in the Kodiak channel on Tuesday, March 8th

2011-03-10T16:47:00.000-09:00

It's official - the 2011 whale sighting season has begun! Several orcas spent time in the Kodiak channel and harbor area on Tuesday - entertaining residents and making sea lions nervous. Keep your eyes open - these guys often hang around the area for a few days, periodically cruising the channel.

KMXT is the official whale alert number this year, so give us a call at 486-3181 and ask for Pam. If I'm not around, leave a message.

Photo by Dake Schmidt

Whew! Last week was a busy one...

2010-04-19T15:10:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay in posting these sightings, but the whales were keeping me hoppin' last week.
First of all, most of you probably caught wind that the Kodiak Killers made quite a few appearances last week. I received several reports throughout the week and saw them myself on Thursday. The group consisted of only three animals; the large bent male fin, the three year old calf and their mom. The second female and her calf were no where to be seen.

Also on Thursday, Kate and I flew an aerial survey of the north half of the island. We counted 71 gray whales. Some of these whales were clearly feeding as we saw big mud plumes from the air, but some were definitely cruising by on their way further north.
I have not received any reports of gray whales out in Chiniak or Marmot Bays, but maybe the king fishing has been too hot to pay attention!

Those sneaky Kodiak Killers

2010-03-30T14:52:00.001-08:00

Everyone's favorite killer whale pod was back for a visit yesterday. I received several calls that they were passing through town and could be seen from the spit. Bently, the big male with the bent fin, was among them. Rumor has it that there may be a brand new calf with this group, but this has yet to be confirmed.

Happy Whale Watching!

First Sightings of 2010!

2010-03-25T08:13:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone and welcome back!

It seems that the gray whale are arriving.

Chris Fiala reported 30 to 40 gray whales traveling past buoys 3 and 4 yesterday in groups of 3 to7.

Kate Wynne and I flew a survey of the island yesterday and saw a half dozen gray whales near Dangerous Cape. We did not catch sight of the large group that can often be seen feeding from Narrow Cape. It doesn't mean they aren't there, though! That group often moves on and offshore and if you don't hit it right in the airplane, it's easy to miss them all together.

The Kodiak Killers came through the channel last week, but I have not received any reports this week. I'm sure it's only a matter of time. With the weather looking a little bleak for the end of the week maybe we can plan on them cruising through on Friday.

Sightings Galore!!

2009-04-22T10:25:00.001-08:00

My scouts came through! They traveled via boat from town to Ugak Bay yesterday (4/22) and reported the following during their journey:
3 humpbacks - Sacramento
2 grays - N. of Narrow Cape
4 grays - Narrow Cape
3 grays - S. of Narrow Cape
2 grays - Fossil Beach
3 grays - Mouth of Ugak Bay
1 humpback - Wild Creek Beach (near the head of Ugak Bay)

Now that's what I call a whale report!

Sightings!

2009-04-20T16:14:00.001-08:00

I received a report of a handful of whales out near Williams Reef. While the boaters were not able to identify the species, Williams Reef is right in the middle of the gray whale migration highway. Tomorrow I sending a couple of scouts to Ugak Bay and am hopeful they will provide me with a good gray whale "head" count from their journey.

I received a call Sunday morning that those pesky killer whales were coming around the corner at Spruce Cape. I did not hear from anyone else the rest of the day, so I'm not sure if they actually made it all the way into the harbor or not. Did anyone hear otherwise? I also heard from a second source that the big male (a.k.a Bentley or Sasha) was among the group last week. That is great news!
It sounds like the weather will be great for the next couple of days, so I'm sure the Kodiak Killers won't be making an appearance anytime soon. Just kidding...maybe we'll get lucky and have a great whale watching day this week!

WhaleFest is in full swing. Take advantage of all of the great activities!

Latest whale sightings

2009-04-16T09:01:00.001-08:00

Well, as some of you may have heard, we've had a couple of visits from the Kodiak Killers over the past few days.
I received several reports on both Monday and Wednesday that there were 5 or 6 cruising through the channel. I even had one report that "Bentley" was among them.
Unfortunately, circumstances prevented me from launching our skiff to take confirming photographs. Hopefully this is the start of several visits in the coming days or weeks.
For those of you who are keen on getting a good look at the Kodiak Killers during their next visit, you will be happy to know that I have finally figured out their pattern.
You can be sure to see the Kodiak Killers when:
1. Either Kate or myself are out of town (even better if we are both gone as was the case earlier this week)
2. Winds are greater than 20 knots

No gray whale sightings to report, although with this weather they would blend in with their habitat quite well.

Keep looking!

Whale sightings for 4/12/2009

2009-04-12T16:46:00.000-08:00

The NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson left port on April 10th for the Gulf of Alaska Line-Transect Survey. The survey started out on a good note with sightings of 5 gray whales about 3 miles off Long Island.

This marks the biggest group sighted so far. Does it mean we will soon see the big push? Let's hope!

Whale sightings for 4/8/2009

2009-04-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

It was pretty quiet on the old whale sighting hotline yesterday. I did receive a report of two whales spotted on Tuesday off of Spruce Island. Species couldn't be confirmed, but the term "heart-shaped" blow was used in the description. Sounds like a couple of grays to me!

Whale sightings for April 7th

2009-04-08T08:23:00.001-08:00

Whale sightings for 4/7/2009

Kate Wynne and I flew an aerial survey yesterday afternoon. The survey covered the area between Long Island and Dangerous Cape, including offshore of Ugak Island. We saw a total of 23 gray whales, which was less than we expected but more than we had seen during the previous survey in March. As many of you might know, gray whales are often seen offshore of Narrow Cape year round so it's difficult to separate migrating whales from these year-round residents. However, I can tell you that we only saw mud plumes (which indicate feeding) associated with 3 of the sightings.
We will fly this survey again in early May.

No other sightings to report.

Whale sightings as of April 6th

2009-04-07T09:11:00.001-08:00

Whale sightings as of 4/6/2009

We had a report of killer whales in Monashka Bay on April 5th at about 8:00.
Dr. Jeremy Larsen reported seeing one large male very near to shore and 5 or 6 others across the bay.
Not sure if these were the Kodiak Killers or not, but if so, maybe this means a channel visit soon!

I also had a report of several spouts seen off Pasagshak Beach. These are likely gray whales and could be either migrants or part of our "resident" population.

Kate Wynne and I were scheduled to fly an aerial survey yesterday afternoon but had to postpone due to weather. Once we are able to take to the air, I will report on what we see!

Keep those sightings coming....
Bree

Latest Sightings

2009-04-06T06:31:00.000-08:00

We have some of our first gray whale sightings of the year!

Sunday, April 5th:

One whale was seen breaching about 4 miles north of Buoy 4. The whale was too far away to confirm what species it was.

Two gray whales seen at Buoy 4 traveling towards Long Is.

Keep the reports coming, the gray whales seem to have arrived and sightings should increase over the next couple of weeks.

Gray Whales at Narrow Cape!

2009-03-21T13:33:00.000-08:00

Two separate reports of whales seen at Narrow Cape over the March 14-15 weekend!
Due to high winds and white caps, exact numbers were difficult to determine but both humpbacks and gray whales were seen. Thanks to Linda Kozak and Kathy Hough for reporting these sightings!
Side note: The gray seen were most likely Kodiak's resident grays who have chosen to live here year round and not the migrating grays. This is, of course, a guess! :-)

test

2009-03-17T17:13:00.001-08:00

New whales

Killer Whales!!

2009-03-13T11:51:00.000-08:00

Killer whales (one adult female, one juvenile and one calf) were seen off the city dock started at about 10:30. The whales never came close enough to see which pod they were, but it did not appear to be the usual "Kodiak Killers."

Just a reminder that is you spot the killer whales coming through the channel please call Kate Wynne (48601517) or Bree Witteveen (485-1514).

April 28, 2008

2008-04-29T09:51:00.000-08:00

10 to 20 Gray Whales out by Narrow Cape, near Brechan Beach and Fossil Beach on Thursday AND Friday…
Despite the blizzard over the weekend, some hearty whale watchers made it out to Narrow Cape on Sunday and scored: at least 30 gray whales playing in the surf, and several were seen breaching further out.

April 22, 2008

2008-04-22T17:13:00.000-08:00

4 Gray Whales just seen at Bouy 4 (12:30pm)!

April 21, 2008

2008-04-21T12:29:00.000-08:00

Friday – 20+ gray whales playing in the surf on surfer’s beach past Pashagshak.

Sunday – 30+ grays seen off narrow Cape . 3 -4 humpbacks seen in the same area.

April 18, 2008

2008-04-19T12:19:00.000-08:00

April 18, 2008 – 10:50am

3 to 4 gray whales spotted at Spruce Cape towards Afognak, possibly heading toward this way.

April 12, 2008

2008-04-14T09:01:00.000-08:00

3 grays a few hours ago (Sunday) off the north end of Long Island were spotted.

About 30 gray whales off NarrowCape on Saturday. About 20 were definitely migrating and the other 10 weremilling around at the mouth of Ugak Bay, Pasagshak Point area and might havebeen our residents. Only adults were sighted, no calves.

April 15, 2008

2008-04-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

4/9: About 25 grays at Cape Chiniak.
4/10: A couple grays at buoy 4.

April 8 Update

2008-04-09T08:22:00.000-08:00

4 GRAY Whales spotted and identified by Andy Finke on the north end of Long Island!
Another report that many grays have been seen off Pashagshak Point to Surfer’s Beach, near Narrow Cape!

Orcas spotted by Horizon Lines city dock.

April 8, 2008

2008-04-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

Whale(s) spotted in the channel -- maybe humpback. Definitely not the orcas.

April 4, 2008

2008-04-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

Orcas spotted at Island Seafood.

March 29th

2008-04-05T15:10:00.001-08:00

Curved fin orca seen in harbor.