SEATTLE — Three unknown orcas have been spotted in Vancouver Harbour and more recently near Seattle and Olympia, sparking the excitement of western Washington residents who track local orca activity closely.
The trio of transient orcas, dubbed “mystery whales” by the San Juan Island-based Orca Behavior Institute, spent around four days in the Vancouver, B.C., area. On Wednesday, they were spotted in Seattle, and on Thursday they were seen near Olympia.
Bay Cetology, whose marine biologists and research technicians track local whale populations, said it is very rare for unknown whales to show up in the area. They said over 99.5% of the orcas photographed in the region are well known…