Sightings & Sentinel
Actions ReportS

The PWWA uses the PWWA App, a private wildlife sightings app used by PWWA captains, naturalists, and crew members throughout Washington and British Columbia, to record our wildlife sightings and sentinel actions. The PWWA App is also utilized by researchers, ferry captains, professional ship pilots, emergency response vessels, the Canadian Coast Guard’s Marine Mammal Desk, and the newly-launched U.S. Coast Guard’s Cetacean Desk. Each year, data collected through the PWWA App is compiled into an annual Sightings & Sentinel Actions Report detailing wildlife sightings and sentinel activity in and around the Salish Sea.

2023 Whale Presence

In 2023, the PWWA App received nearly 40,000 reports of whales and other wildlife in and around the Salish Sea. Bigg’s killer whales and humpback whales were the two whale types most frequently documented by PWWA App users. Bigg’s killer whales were seen almost daily, documented as present in the Salish Sea on 332 days of 2023. Humpback whales were reported on 309 days. Minke whales were reported on 156 days and gray whales were documented on 131 days. Salmon-eating resident killer whales were seen least frequently, with Southern Resident killer whales reported as being present on 111 days and Northern Resident killer whales reported on 77 days.

2023 Sentinel Actions

Of 1,246 sentinel actions documented in 2023, 773 (62%) involved directly contacting other vessels. The PWWA was successful in slowing, stopping, or diverting nearby vessels in the presence of whales in at least 78% of vessel-related sentinel actions, resulting in safer conditions. This was an increase over 2022’s success rate of 74%. 

Last year, PWWA members retrieved more than 451 pieces of harmful debris such as balloons, plastic bags, and derelict fishing gear. The PWWA also documented 22 additional sentinel actions categorized as “other”. These other sentinel actions included alerting authorities of injured or entangled wildlife, reporting oil spills, and assisting boaters in distress.

2023 Sightings & Sentinel Actions Report

Want to take a deeper dive into our 2023 wildlife sightings and sentinel actions? The 34-page PWWA 2023 Sightings & Sentinel Actions Report is full of graphs, charts, and highlight photos from the 2023 whale watching season. Click here to check it out!

Previous Sightings & Sentinel Actions Reports

Curious about previous whale watching seasons? You can access prior PWWA Sightings & Sentinel Actions Reports below.