April 2026

April 2026 is in the book and here is our sightings map summarizing the first location every unique group of killer whales was first seen in the Salish Sea throughout the month. Note this doesn't represent everywhere orcas were seen, but rather where each group was picked up on a given day.

April has become one of most variable month for Southern Resident killer whale presence, ranging over the last decade from just a handful of days here to being present for almost the entire month. This year was on the lower end, though Js didn't make their spring exit until mid-month. We were able to confirm the presence of J-Pod on eight days of the month, and they were last seen on April 13th heading south down Rosario Strait, after which we assume they went west out the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Their return varies just as widely - they might be back towards the end of the May, or their absence may stretch all the way into July.

Ks and Ls spend most of this time of year on the outer coast, so the lack of reports of them over the first half of the year is not unexpected. Thanks to photos shared on social media, we did get word that K-Pod was seen in early April off Fort Bragg, California! It's not unusual for Ks and Ls to range as far south as Monterey, California this time of year.

On the Bigg's killer whale front, we were able to confirm the presence of Ts in the Salish Sea every single day in the month of April for the 7th time in the last 10 years. The overall number of sightings last month was 172, essentially on par with 179 clocked last year. Some highlights throughout the course of the month included:

* A visit from T167A and T167B, a pair of siblings that are uncommon visitors to the Salish Sea. They were seen here once in January, and prior to that, not since 2021.* The continued presence of the T419s not only in Puget Sound, but also a trip from them to the San Juan Islands

* A visit from the T49Bs, who have only been documented in the Salish Sea three times over the last three years

May has already started out gangbusters for Bigg's killer whales, with one day having at least 15 different groups of Ts throughout the Salish Sea from north to south. This can make our daily tracking efforts extra challenging, but it's incredible to document, and is only possible thanks to community members openly sharing sightings. It truly takes hundreds of whale watchers to gather and report the information that goes into these maps! Thank you to everyone who reports what they see out there.Note for reference: it is normal to have no Northern Residents in the Salish Sea in the spring months, and the gray dots on the map indicate unidentified orcas, where we were able to confirm the presence of killer whales but not confirm the ecotype.