An extraordinary event occurred during a whale-watching tour in Anacortes on Thursday when a seal ended up in the mouth of a humpback whale. This rare incident was captured on camera, showcasing the surprising encounter between the two marine animals.
The tour, conducted by Blue Kingdom Whale & Wildlife Tours, was observing a humpback whale known as BCX1876 “Zillion” feeding on a school of small bait fish. In the midst of her feeding frenzy, Zillion lunged toward the surface for a mouthful of fish, only to inadvertently scoop up a harbor seal that was also preying on the same fish.
Seal Accidentally Caught in Humpback Whale’s Mouth During Anacortes Whale-Watching TourErin Gless, Executive Director of the Pacific Whale Watch Association, explained that humpback whales typically feed on small fish and krill rather than seals. Due to their throat size, which is about the size of a grapefruit, humpback whales cannot swallow larger creatures like seals. The seal found itself in an unfortunate situation but managed to escape unharmed.
Gless noted that while it’s not uncommon for humpback whales to accidentally catch small birds while feeding, encountering a seal in this manner was highly unusual. The seal eventually swam away after Zillion repeatedly opened her mouth and adjusted her head to help the seal free itself.