There’s no denying Seattle is one of the most picturesque cities in the world. There are mountains, miles and miles of green, Puget Sound and the incredible creatures that come with it. If you’re looking for a unique Seattle photo opportunity, you should go whale watching.
I recently went whale watching out of Edmonds (about 25 minutes from Seattle) with Puget Sound Express. The 4-5 hour trip usually takes you to the San Juan Islands or through the Straight of Juan de Fuca, but we got extremely lucky. No more than 15 minutes into our trip – just outside of Edmonds – we spotted a pod of transient orca whales.
There are only so many places in the world you can regularly see orca whales, and Washington is one of those spots. That’s why it is the official state marine mammal. But you have to be really lucky to see them from the shore, so a whale watching trip is necessary to really experience these incredible creatures.
Orcas aren’t the only whales that spend time in the Seattle area. You can also spot humpback whales, minke whales, and gray whales migrating in the fall and spring. On our whale watching trip, we also spotted a pair of gray whales in the water near Everett. We got a special show when the gray whales spyhopped (put their head out of the water to look around) three times when we were with them.
Seattle is known for its natural beauty. You can see bald eagles, bears, elk, and so much more in the surrounding areas. But to me, there’s nothing more special than whale watching. It’s such a rare sighting around here that any opportunity to see them is a special one. Not to mention, it makes for an amazing Seattle photo opportunity.
Have you ever gone whale watching in Seattle? How was your experience? We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Vimeo. You can also visit Moarly Creative to learn more about our video production and content creation company.
And if you’d like to learn about other photo opportunities in the area, be sure to see our posts about Skagit Valley tulips and daffodils, Sahale Glacier, golden larches, and cherry blossoms at the University of Washington.