Best Time to See Orcas in the US
June, July and August is the best time to see orcas in the United States. This is a national picture built from 3,378 verified iNaturalist observations across 3 states, showing when and where orcas are most active.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
3,378 verified observations of orcas in the US, recorded across 12 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When orcas are recorded in the US
Peak month
June
620 records (18.4% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 70 | 2.1% |
| February | 42 | 1.2% |
| March | 147 | 4.4% |
| April | 268 | 7.9% |
| May | 407 | 12% |
| Junepeak | 620 | 18.4% |
| Julypeak | 543 | 16.1% |
| Augustpeak | 509 | 15.1% |
| September | 298 | 8.8% |
| October | 249 | 7.4% |
| November | 116 | 3.4% |
| December | 109 | 3.2% |
Orcas you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| Orca | 3,378 |
Across the country, orcas sightings peak in June, when 620 of the 3,378 annual observations are logged, about 18.4% of the national total. Nationwide activity stays high through June, July and August.
The best states to see orcas by recorded sightings are Washington (1,696), Alaska (1,117) and California (565). Each state page below breaks the year down month by month for that state.
The orcas you are most likely to encounter nationwide are Orca, the most-recorded species across all states combined.
Best states to see orcas
- orcas in Washington1,696 sightings, peak July
- orcas in Alaska1,117 sightings, peak June
- orcas in California565 sightings, peak October
Most-recorded orcas species nationwide
- Orca3,378 records
Go see them · Washington
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Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see orcas in the US?+
June is the single best month nationwide, with the broader peak running through June, July and August, based on 3,378 verified observations across 3 states.
Which states are best for seeing orcas?+
By recorded sightings, the top states are Washington, Alaska and California. Washington leads with 1,696 verified observations.
How many orcas sightings are recorded in the US each year?+
About 3,378 verified orcas observations are logged on iNaturalist across 3 states with enough data to chart a seasonal pattern.
What kinds of orcas live in the US?+
The most-recorded species nationwide are Orca, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.
Full orcas guides by state