VIDEO: Beachgoers capture up-close orca sighting in Washington
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A pod of killer whales thrilled onlookers as they breached along the shoreline of Point No Point Beach on the Kitsap Peninsula on April 1.
Seattle resident Hongming Zheng told KOIN 6 News that he snapped these killer whale photos just as he arrived at the beach.
“I ran up the beach just in time to see them passing,” Hongming said.
A killer whale breaches feet from onlookers at Point No Point, Wash. on April 1, 2024. (Photos by Hongming Zheng) killer whale
Multiple people shared their accounts of the sighting to the Facebook group Salish Sea Whales and Wildlife, like local man Ryan Stock. Stock told KOIN 6 News that he and his family rushed to the beach after word spread that a pod of transient orcas (T-party) was seen in the area.
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“My family and I follow Facebook feeds on the orcas daily,” Stock said. “When we heard there was a large T-party heading south from Bush Point, we knew we had just minutes to get to Hansville to see them.”
While the video shows the whales swimming feet from shore, Oregon State University’s whale stranding program manager Jim Rice told KOIN 6 News that it’s not unusual for killer whales to hunt in these shallow waters.
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“It’s fairly common for killer whales to come close to shore, particularly while they are pursuing prey,” Rice said.
Killer whales are also seen on the Oregon Coast between April and June as they hunt for gray whale calves migrating to Alaska. Oregon State Parks recommends Oregon’s central coast as a “hotspot” for whale watching between May and October.
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