Local guide

The channel the orcas travel.

Colvos Passage is the deep channel between the west shore of Vashon Island and the mainland shore at Olalla, and orcas travel it in every season. Orca Network's sighting reports document groups moving through the passage in both directions: Bigg's orcas most often, hunting the seals and porpoises along its shores, and Southern Residents mainly in fall and winter, following salmon. When a group travels the passage, it passes right by Olalla. There is no schedule and no guarantee; what there is, is a channel they keep choosing. Our recent sightings map shows the latest documented passes.

On October 13, 2026, the T123 family came up the passage past the Olalla shore in the middle of the afternoon. Nobody here had to go anywhere.

By Assaf, the Olalla Bay editor. Updated October 2026.

The passage itself

Colvos Passage runs the length of Vashon Island's west side, from the Narrows at its south end up to Southworth at its north. It is deep, steep-shored, and current-swept: kayakers and divers both plan around its currents, and the south end, off Sunrise Beach, is known for some of the strongest tidal movement in the South Sound. Depth and current are part of why the wildlife is here. Harbor seals haul out along these shores, porpoises work the tide lines, and the animals that hunt them follow.

Who travels it

Bigg's orcas, in every season. These are the mammal hunters, traveling in small family groups, quiet and unhurried. The passage's seal and porpoise population makes it a working hunting route, and Bigg's groups are the orcas most often reported here.

Southern Residents, mainly fall and winter. The fish-eating Resident pods range widely after salmon, and their routes bring them through the South Sound, Colvos Passage included, most often in the colder months.

Our orca season guide lays out which whales visit Washington in which season, and the orca watching guide covers how to watch from the deck and the shore.

Recent documented passes

October 13, 2026: the T123s, right past the house. Orca Network reported the T123 family traveling north up Colvos Passage on the Olalla side in the afternoon, passing the Olalla shore at about 3:38 pm and continuing past Southworth by about 5 pm. A full pass of the passage, in daylight, in front of the bay.

October 14, 2026: Indy at the south end. T65A5, a young Bigg's orca known as Indy, was reported around the Narrows and Fox Island, the waters at the passage's south entrance, with a predation event: a reminder that the hunting here is real, not a show.

These are the passes we can document. The map page tracks the most recent sightings near Olalla, updated as new reports are verified.

Watching from shore

The Olalla boat ramp shoreline. The public launch in Olalla looks straight out at the channel. If a group is traveling the passage, this is the in-town place to stand. The beach at the house is private and reserved for guests, so the ramp shoreline is the public window on the same water.

Sunrise Beach Park. North of Gig Harbor, this county park has about half a mile of shoreline on the passage, with views across to Vashon Island. It sits near the passage's south end, so groups entering or leaving the Narrows route pass this shore.

Watching well is mostly patience and stillness: scan for fins and blows, let the animals come to your stretch of shore, and keep the experience quiet. The full guidance is in our orca watching etiquette guide. One boundary worth knowing: Washington's 1,000-yard distance rule is a rule for boats around Southern Residents. From shore, your job is simpler: watch, enjoy, and report what you saw to Orca Network, whose reports are how the rest of us know where they have been.

Questions people ask

Do orcas really swim past Olalla?

Yes. Orca Network's sighting reports document orcas traveling Colvos Passage, the channel between Vashon Island and the Olalla shore, in both directions. On October 13, 2026, the T123 family traveled north up the passage right past Olalla in the afternoon.

Which orcas use Colvos Passage?

Bigg's (transient) orcas travel the passage in every season, hunting the seals and porpoises that live along its shores. Southern Resident orcas pass through mainly in fall and winter, following salmon.

Can I watch orcas from shore in Olalla?

Yes, when a group travels the passage. The public shoreline at the Olalla boat ramp looks straight out at the channel, and Sunrise Beach Park north of Gig Harbor has about half a mile of shoreline on the passage. Sightings are never guaranteed; the recent sightings map shows where orcas have been reported lately.

What should I do if I see orcas from shore?

Watch quietly and enjoy it. Stay back from the waterline, keep dogs leashed and out of the water, and never try to call or feed them. Reports help researchers: Orca Network collects sightings from the public. On the water, Washington law requires boats to stay 1,000 yards from Southern Resident orcas.