Pacific Whale Watch Association 2024 Sightings and Sentinel Actions
2024 Summary
When combining entries from all PWWA App users, Bigg’s killer whales were reported to the PWWA App on more days than any other whale type, documented on 339 days of 2024. Humpback whales were reported on 304 days, gray whales on 205 days, and minke whales on 136 days. Southern Resident killer whales were reported on on 151 days, and Northern Resident killer whales on 110 days. When including only GPS-based entries made from aboard PWWA vessels during whale watch tours, Bigg’s killer whales were reported on 295 days, humpbacks on 259 days, gray whales on 175 days, minke whales on 128 days, Northern Resident killer whales on 72 days, and Southern Resident killer whales on 60 days.
During 2024, PWWA captains, naturalists, and crew documented a total of 1,351 sentinel actions. The most common sentinel actions documented were vessel-related sentinel actions, with 923 interventions reported (68.3% of total sentinel actions). This included 477 reactive interactions involving vessels in the immediate vicinity of whales and 466 proactive interventions with other vessels nearby. Marine debris removals accounted for 398 sentinel actions (29.5%), and incidents classified as "other", such as reporting entangled or injured marine life, made up the remaining 30 sentinel actions (2.2%).
For the 923 vessel-related sentinel actions, PWWA members observed a positive change in vessel behavior following 697 (75.5%) interventions. Recreational vessels were the most frequently contacted category of vessel, involved in 679 (73.6%) sentinel actions. Most sentinel actions involving other vessels occurred in the vicinity of Bigg’s killer whales, with Bigg’s killer whales present during 735 (79.6%) interventions. July was the busiest month for sentinel actions in 2024, with 271 sentinel actions documented overall.
Law enforcement was recorded as being present during at least one PWWA whale encounter on 125 days of 2024. Of 26,513 GPS entries made by PWWA members, law enforcement was reported as being present in 538 (2.0%) entries. Law enforcement was most likely to be present with Southern Resident killer whales, present during 7.1% of entries, followed by Northern Resident killer whales (6.3%), and Bigg’s killer whales (3.2%). Law enforcement was least likely to be present during encounters with baleen whale species such as minkes whales (0.9%), humpback whales (0.6%), and gray whales (0.1%) Law enforcement was most likely to be observed during late spring, summer, and early fall and least likely to be observed during winter.
Citation
Gless, E. J., & Krieger, J. (2025). Pacific Whale Watch Association 2024 sightings and sentinel actions. Pacific Whale Watch Association.