{"id":384026,"date":"2026-03-14T00:42:19","date_gmt":"2026-03-14T00:42:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/384026\/"},"modified":"2026-03-14T00:42:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T00:42:19","slug":"mystery-orcas-in-wa-puget-sound-where-did-they-come-from","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/384026\/","title":{"rendered":"Mystery orcas in WA Puget Sound: Where did they come from?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>The Brief<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"content-list\">\n<li>\n<p>A previously undocumented trio of killer whales has been spotted traveling through the Salish Sea.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Researchers say the whales were first photographed in Alaska in 2025 and may have come from the Gulf of Alaska or Bering Sea.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Scientists are still studying why the mammal-eating orcas are visiting the region, calling them an unusual mystery.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>SEATTLE<\/strong> &#8211; Where did they come from? And why are they here?<\/p>\n<p>Those are the questions researchers are asking as a small pod of unfamiliar <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox13seattle.com\/news\/killer-whales-west-seattle\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:killer whales;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">killer whales<\/a> moves through the Salish Sea.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"&lt;div&gt;Mysterious orca spotted in the Salish Sea.&lt;\/div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;(Orca Conservancy)&lt;\/strong&gt;\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1242\" height=\"699\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"standard-img w-full w-full h-auto\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/882d532a2299d9bb7fc4baf2b4f7a0ce.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Mysterious orca spotted in the Salish Sea.<\/p>\n<p><strong>(Orca Conservancy)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The backstory<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Over the past few weeks, scientists have been closely watching a group of orcas that had never been documented in these waters before.<\/p>\n<p>According to SR3, a local nonprofit dedicated to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/soft-gold-maritime-fur-trade-015123216.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:marine wildlife;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">marine wildlife<\/a> research and rehabilitation, the whales were first spotted in British Columbia before appearing in the Salish Sea.<\/p>\n<p>The organization says that prior to their time in the region this week, the only time the whales had been documented was in Alaska in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers have identified the trio as T420, T419 and T421.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"&lt;div&gt;T420, T419 and T421 spotted in the Salish Sea.&lt;\/div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;(Orca Conservancy)&lt;\/strong&gt;\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1242\" height=\"699\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"standard-img w-full w-full h-auto\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/c0797d64ddbd4ad1fee6feeb2548ff47.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>T420, T419 and T421 spotted in the Salish Sea.<\/p>\n<p><strong>(Orca Conservancy)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Timeline<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Scientists with the Orca Behavior Institute have been documenting the whales\u2019 movements.<\/p>\n<p>The institute says the animals were first photographed in Anchorage in March 2025, marking the first time they had ever been documented.<\/p>\n<p>This month, the whales were first spotted in Vancouver Harbor, before traveling south into Puget Sound.<\/p>\n<p>Online the institute wrote: &#8220;After five decades of research, it\u2019s not often adult killer whales show up in the Salish Sea who don\u2019t match any of the existing photo ID catalogues.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"&lt;div&gt;T420, T419 and T421 pod observed in the Salish Sea.&lt;\/div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;(Orca Conservancy)&lt;\/strong&gt;\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1242\" height=\"699\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"standard-img w-full w-full h-auto\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/10d8cd65b592de27d5096d614430abcd.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>T420, T419 and T421 pod observed in the Salish Sea.<\/p>\n<p><strong>(Orca Conservancy)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>What they&#8217;re saying<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Researchers say the whales have what are known as &#8220;cookie cutter shark marks.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Based on those markings, scientists believe the animals may have traveled from waters near the Gulf of Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, or the Bering Sea.<\/p>\n<p>The whales are also believed to be mammal-eating killer whales, according to researchers.<\/p>\n<p>The Orca Conservancy reports the whales have most recently been spotted as far south as Tacoma.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What&#8217;s next<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For now, scientists say the whales remain something of a mystery unusual visitors whose origins and reasons for traveling into the Salish Sea are still being studied.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/wa-double-murder-suspect-samuel-150840903.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:WA double-murder suspect Samuel Ramirez Jr. captured, FBI Most Wanted;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">WA double-murder suspect Samuel Ramirez Jr. captured, FBI Most Wanted<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/arrest-made-2024-triple-fatal-050903221.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Arrest made in 2024 triple fatal Everett, WA hit and run;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">Arrest made in 2024 triple fatal Everett, WA hit and run<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/former-wa-resident-says-she-005308943.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Former WA resident says she was victim of alleged License Express flaw;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">Former WA resident says she was victim of alleged License Express flaw<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox13seattle.com\/news\/wa-judge-media-access-olympia\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:WA judge rules on media figures&#039; access to Capitol in Olympia;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">WA judge rules on media figures&#8217; access to Capitol in Olympia<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/seattle-mayor-proposes-410m-levy-213703400.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Seattle Mayor proposes $410M levy to fund city libraries;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">Seattle Mayor proposes $410M levy to fund city libraries<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox13seattle.com\/newsletters\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:FOX Seattle Newsletter;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\"><strong>FOX Seattle Newsletter<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/fox-local-live-news\/id6443995100\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Apple App Store;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\"><strong>Apple App Store<\/strong><\/a><strong> or <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.fox.fts.android&amp;hl=en_US&amp;pli=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Google Play Store;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\"><strong>Google Play Store<\/strong><\/a><strong> for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Source<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Information in this story came from SR3, the Orca Behavior Institute, the Orca Conservancy and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Brief A previously undocumented trio of killer whales has been spotted traveling through the Salish Sea. Researchers&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":384027,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[273],"tags":[175947,18,19,17,7368,175631,175948,88682,133,461],"class_list":["post-384026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wildlife","tag-bering-sea","tag-eire","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-killer-whales","tag-orca-behavior-institute","tag-orca-conservancy","tag-salish-sea","tag-science","tag-wildlife"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116224756588963409","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=384026"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384026\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=384026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=384026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=384026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}