Subject: [Tweeters] My Summer's Largest Lifer
Date: Tue Sep 22 18:00:16 PDT 2020
From: Jeff Gibson - gibsondesign15 at gmail.com

Walking atop the North Beach bluffs at Fort Worden I was leaning on the guardrail and contemplating the upwelling tidal movements in the straits below, and just as I turned away I noted a largish dark shape appear, disappear , and appear again down in the swirling water.

There was something funny about it; too long for porpoise, probably about 16 ft long or so, it also had a larger long pointed head. As it rolled it showed a sharp small dorsal fin about two thirds down it's long dark body. A Minke Whale - my first.!

While I've heard that Minke Whales are fairly common around here, after scanning the Salish Sea for more than 60 years this one was my first. I got some pretty good looks at it - it took its time rolling along - quite unlike the little Harbor Porpoise which typically appears for a frustrating second at a time.

Later down at North Beach I spotted a fair number of Water ( AKA American) Pipits, 30 or so, wagging around the wrack. Always nice to see my old friends from the mountains.


Jeff Gibson
On the last day of Summer
Port Townsend WA