Link: https://www.myballard.com/2026/08/11/orcas-spotted-near-the-ballard-locks-and-golden-gardens/

A pod of orcas were hanging out near Ballard yesterday, with sightings at both Golden Gardens and the Ballard Locks.

Orcas at the locks are likely a boon for the salmon, which are currently running, since they prey on the salmon’s biggest predators, the seals and sea lions

“A rare occurrence of transient orcas below the spillway coincided with Chinook making their way toward the fish ladder and upstream habitat. While Chinook salmon are an important food source for fish-eating Southern Resident killer whales, transient (Bigg’s) killer whales primarily prey on marine mammals,” the USACE shared in their social media post.

“Their appearance during the salmon run may have been just that—a coincidence. Or perhaps the activity of harbor seals and sea lions that gather where salmon concentrate helped draw these marine-mammal hunters into the area. Either way, seeing transient orcas this far into the Ship Canal was an exceptional reminder of the ecological connections that extend from the Ballard Locks all the way to the Salish Sea,” they wrote.