Orcas
Few outdoor experiences surpass watching these beloved cultural icons of the Salish Sea chase salmon through the water. The males of this endangered species, which grow to 25 feet and sport a six-foot dorsal fin, are an awesome sight. Puget Sound Express runs whale-watching tours from Edmonds and Port Townsend.
Big Game
Get up close and personal with bison, elk, moose, and caribou on a tram tour through Northwest Trek Wildlife Park near Tacoma. An on-board naturalist provides an introduction to the ecology of these wild creatures with insight to the unique habitats they call home.
Salmon
Witness part of a yearly migration going back thousands of years at the Rocky Reach Dam Visitor Center in Wenatchee, where you can watch salmon and steelhead trout swim up the fish ladder to spawn in the upper reaches of the Columbia River.
Bald Eagle
In winter months, migrating bald eagles gather along the Skagit River to feed on the abundant chum salmon spawning there. Take a guided nature hike from the Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center at Howard Miller Steelhead Park in Rockport to learn the vital role salmon and eagles play in the Skagit River ecosystem.
Giant Pacific Octopus
They’re nocturnal, weigh on average 100 pounds, love to dine on Dungeness crab, and can change color in an instant. Learn more about these graceful, intelligent cephalopods at the Seattle Aquarium, where they glide and hide in large cylindrical aquariums connected by a transparent tube.
By Nicholas O’Connell
Photo Courtesy of the Seattle Aquarium
