Rare 'celebrity' orca whales Tl'uk and Chainsaw spotted in the Salish Sea near Washington
Spring is a busy time for whales in the waters around Washington, and some lucky whale watchers got the chance to spot a few "celebrity" whales over the weekend.
The Pacific Whale Watching Association (PWWA) reported a total of 56 Bigg's transient killer whales spotted throughout the Salish Sea over the holiday weekend, including two high-profile whales that usually make headlines: Tl'uk and Chainsaw.
Chainsaw, an adult male who was spotted last week near the San Juan Islands and again over the weekend in the Haro Strait, is known among whale watchers for two distinctive notches on his dorsal fin, giving it the appearance of a large saw blade.
While the origin of his markings is not completely known, researchers guess that it was caused by a bite from a seal or sea lion sometime in his youth. Bigg's killer whales are known for eating marine mammals, differing from the southern resident orca pods who feed on salmon.
https://www.seattlepi.com/local/seattlenews/article/celebrity-orcas-spotted-in-salish-sea-washington-16086079.php