Each year I report the movements of the whales on Lake Superior. The reports are sightings sent by residents and visitors along the North Shore of Lake Superior. If you spot whale activity, please send your sightings in via email. I accept photos, too! To report whale sightings and send whale photos ... ... ... email Whale Watch

Oct 5 2012 - east of Grand Marais The crazy wind and dropping temps sent this fellow in close to shore." John O, Wisconsin

Jul 3 2012 - near Cut Face Creek between Lutsen & Grand Marais "whales" Vlad I, visiting

21 June 2012 - Beaver Bay "We stopped at the bridge to check out the muddy water at the mouth of the Beaver River when a guy at the other end started pointing. Luckily I had my big zoom and got this picture. We saw these two just inside the mud line before the water got clear." Linda O, Bemidji, MN

Jun 2 2012 - Silver Bay "Saw the whales splashing, just couldn't get a better shot. How cool! And I took the picture from shore!!" Bibi P, Davenport, IA

May 1 2012 - Split Rock Lighthouse "A pair of whales sneak up on visitors to Split Rock Lighthouse." Kevin Nelson, Monroe, WI Nina's note - Don't you just want to yell, 'turn around!'

March 2012 - WOW! Nina's note - this is a spectacular photo! Best of those submitted to date! "Don't know if it's the early spring, the fact that the lake [Superior] didn't freeze over or something else; but we saw and - and got a great shot - of these two. Extra cool to see both the tail and the spout in one picture!" J & S, Schroeder, MN

21 August 2011 - Isle Royale "Here is another one, this whale can often be seen frolicking just under the surface, off Isle Royale. Some skeptics claim that this is nothing but an old shipwreck, but experienced freshwater whale watchers know otherwise." Mark W., Wheeling, IL

20 August 2011 Canal Park " I caught a glimpse of this whale just as she was submerging off Canal Park in Duluth." Mark W., Wheeling, IL

19 August 2011 - South Shore Well this isn't the North Shore, but whales do have run of the lake after all. We were on the South Shore near Herbster, WI, when I snapped this picture of a tail with fluke visibly protruding from the water. Let all the nay-sayers talk now! Danny S

2 April 2011 a different kind of sighting " I never saw whales when I grew up along Lake Superior, but I did see the Two Harbors chicken in Sedona Arizona this winter. Trying to warm up or just cross the road???" Marla T. B., Sedona AZ

24 Feb 2011 - undisclosed location "We awoke this morning to see this lovely whale at the edge of the shore!" Marissa, Minneapolis, MN

First Sighting of 2011
We have a first! The first sighting of 2011 and our first February sighting ever. Go Marissa! Last year's sightings will remain posted until the regular whale watching season begins. But send in your sightings and pics any time.

Previous Sightings


Kadunce River
"My husband and I were getting ready to hike up the Kadunce River in Hovland, along Hwy 61. I was standing on the bridge stretching and wondering about what I should bring on the hike when I saw some kind of waterspout out on the lake. I was asking my husband what he thought it could be, when three more water spouts went off, right in a row. Joel, who has spent time in the Pacific Northwest, recognized them to be the water spouts of whales! I was so amazed! What a thrill!"
Laura J., Afton, MN

BluBottle Bay
"While kayaking on Lake Superior the other day, off the shore at BluBottle Bay, a whale leaped completely out of the water, suspended there for a second while the behemoth looked me over, then splashed back into the depths. Sorry I didn't have my camera out at the time."
Linda O, Grand Marais

Gooseberry
"thought we'd see some color - didn't! didn't think we'd see whales - did!!!!"
The Brewers, Farmington, MN

Duluth
"Standing in the rose garden admiring the flowers when the crowd all rushed over towards the lake and there were three whales cavorting!"
Sharon

Artist's Point Grand Marais "I understand this rock 'whale' can be seen here regularly" Daniel B, Duluth, MN

McQuade Harbor "We walked out on the new harbor - beautiful! - and there she was, swimming off the south breakwall! Thanks for posting my pic!!!!!!" Kathy A, Spooner, WI

location not given "On the last day of our trip, we had a chance to go out on a boat. I had planned on getting up early and heading back to a swamp I heard about hoping to see a moose. But my son was excited about going out on Lake Superior. So we were out there and it is amazing to see the shore from the lake but it was pretty cold, too. We'd been out awhile and were just turning back when waaaaay out on the horizon I saw a big splash. I didn't say anything at first because I wasn't sure if I'd seen anything. But then I saw it again except waaaay closer. I told the driver and he sped up and headed toward it telling us it was a whale. We saw it again then another, that he told us was a calf and a third one that he thought was a year old. It was awesome! It's really hard to get a picture, but I did get this one of the mother. Definitely the highlight of our trip!!!!! Better than a moose! Clyde, Atwater, MN

Split Rock Lighthouse "Look at this! We were in front of the lighthouse looking down and saw the whale swimming just under the surface." Renee, Virginia MN

Flood Bay [just north of Two Harbors] "Nina- my wife snuck up and got this incredible close up of a basking pockmarked rock whale while walking the beach at Flood Bay." Sue and Jeff, LaCrosse, WI

Silver Bay marina "Sunday was gorgeous and we stopped to walk around the marina and saw this boat speeding out and there were three whales spouting. Please post this so my friends know I'm not crazy." Carlson Family, Des Moines, IA

from a charter fishing boat "I'm not going to tell you where we were fishing b/c we limited out on lake trout AND I got this picture." Todd & Sara, Ashland, WI