communities restaurants shops maps attractions winter activities lodging events shipwrecks whale sightings Each year we 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, let us know by filling out the form on the right! We accept photos, too! Confused? see the right hand column [desktop] bottom of page [mobile]. Check out this whale action from April 2019: And check out this killer whale sighted right in Duluth. Then check out all the North Shore Activities september 30, 2021 spouting off! September 26, 2021 Perfect title, right?! Motoring up the shore for the last week of trout fishing and saw this whale. Fished here many times, have only seen whales a few times and haven’t been able to get a shot until now. Not great but it’s a whale! – Patty lswws comments They can be so hard to photograph, good for you! september 30, 2021 saw it! July 7, 2021 I never believed this whale in Lake Superior stuff … until last week. We were up on top of Palisade Head and saw a group of people pointing. I pulled out my long lens and captured this image. If you need to see it to believe it, here’s proof! – Sally lswws comments Nice photo Sally. It must have been exciting to be up high looking down on the whale. I’ve never seen one from that vantage point. september 30, 2021 big spout! June 20, 2021 We were all zen on Stony Point, taking in the massiveness of the lake and then there was a huge splash. The lake went calm and we thought that was it, but no. It surfaced and blew it’s top! – Frankie lswws comments How exciting! september 19, 2020 breathtaking and wonderful September 19, 2020 Went snorkelling with family just east of Schroeder in late October last year. We saw 2 Orcas (killer whales). One was giving birth. Absolutely amazing. This is God’s glory. – Scott lswws comments Isn’t life grand? Note: no orcas in Lake Superior, so another breed september 4, 2020 humpback mother and calf September 4, 2020 We saw these two humpback whales (a mother and her calf) near Duluth last Saturday. – Clara lswws comments Thanks for the report Clara! april 2, 2020 humpback near taconite harbor April 2, 2020 We were checking out the boat landing to see if the ice was out yet and this beautiful whale came up just off shore! -Ben M lswws comments It is a beauty! march 30, 2020 what?! they’re here! March 30, 2020 I was taking a drive along Scenic 61 and had stopped at Bluebird Landing to look at the lake. At first I thought it was a rock. Everything was grey that day. But then it disappeared AND CAME BACK!! -Julia V lswws comments Official 1st sighting of the year! Congrats Julia! march 4, 2020 mega huge whale March 4, 2020 There was an amazingly huge whale in Lake Superior! The water came out of the top!! Amazing experience!!!!!!!!! – a november 1, 2019 a mystical encounter November 1, 2019 I was walking ’round dat dere river and saw one of ’em. It was in the river! This happened and I saw it. – Darrel lswws comments I believe this happened. It’s just not a whale. june 5, 2019 whale of a tale June 5, 2019 Saw this whale at Split Rock Lighthouse while hiking yesterday. – Ian lswws comments That’s a ballon, Ian. april 8, 2019 mother superior April 8, 2019 I love scuba diving in Lake Superior. You always can swim with these beautiful whales. They are in all depths. – A Local lswws comments Brrrr! april 7, 2019 whale soundings April 7, 2019 Sadly, this winter I hadn’t heard any whales sounding under the ice here in the Hovland MN/Chicago Bay by the big dock like previous years. Apparently, they were hanging out farther down the shore at the west end of the county. Someone from down there posted photos recently. – MJ april 2, 2019 spring activity! April 2, 2019 Took this just offshore at Surfside Resort Daniel april 1, 2019 april fools! April 1, 2019 Almost got sucked in..great one! – Jacqui lswws comments Not sure what you mean, Jacqui. april 1, 2019 guides April 1, 2019 I just read an article on google, called, “9 great whale watching places in North America”. Grand Marais has moved into the 10th spot! – Randy lswws comments Moving up in the world! october 6, 2018 i saw one October 6, 2018 We were up for fall colors and hiking Oberg and way out in the distance, you could a water spout. I tried to take a picture with my phone, but no luck. It was a great – fall colors and a whale sighting Jody lswws comments Sounds like the perfect fall day. Happy for you! august 10, 2018 summer splash! August 10, 2018 We had pulled down into Taconite Harbor to take in the sights and there she was – SPLASH! It was amazing! Wish the photo was better, but we’ll never forget it! The North Shore rocks! – Bibi lswws comments Isn’t it fabulous?! july 13, 2018 foggy sighting July 13, 2018 Spotted this whale briefly between Tofte and Lutsen – Peggy lswws comments 🙂 may 7, 2018 no way! May 7, 2018 Whales aren’t real. me lswws comments Of course they are! april 27, 2018 whale April 27, 2018 Yes, a whale is what I saw!! – Bob lswws comments Bob writes from near Beaver Bay; looks like spring might be here! march 12, 2018 whales! March 12, 2018 There was a whale in a Lake Superior. I couldn’t believe it. The first thing I saw was the spout of water , then sure enough, up came the back, and finally the tail. It was awesome! I was at the Silver Bay Marina. Check it out if you’re there. – John lswws comments Thanks for the report! january 11, 2018 hmmm, whales in lake superior? January 11, 2018 Amazing – Will lswws comments Yep! november 30, 2017 free willy November 30, 2017 While honey-mooning in Grand Marais with my husband (Zachary) we came upon an unhealthy sight. There were whales in the lake! I don’t know how on earth they got there, but I think they should be freed. This is not a good environment for their well being. Set the Willy’s free. – Nancy lswws comments The Lake Superior ecosystem supports a great number of living organisms. Evidence of the variety indicates a healthy habitat. august 28, 2017 excellent sighting in two harbors!!! August 25, 2017 Look what I saw August 25th! lswws comments Absolutely outstanding!! august 15, 2017 just off park point! August 15, 2017 Just after our picnic, we went down to Park Point beach to build sand castles and enjoy a rare warm Duluth day! I posed with the kids for a photo and my wife got an amazing shot! – Jim lswws comments Perfect Summer Day! august 15, 2017 rock of ages- orcas feeding August 15, 2017 The warm August waters drive Killer Whales to greater depths. We spotted a pack on the Rock of Ages reef. Thanks to Grand Portage Charters for the whale watching tour! – Clay lswws comments Sounds like a great charter! FYI – a group of whales is called a pod. august 2, 2017 iowans spot minnesota killer whale August 2, 2017 We had a special photo bomber while scaling the rocks of Thomsonite Beach. – Allie lswws comments Sweet! july 31, 2017 orca in grand marais!! July 31, 2017 My wife and I spent our 10th Anniversary in the Grand Marais area this past weekend. The sites and town were beautiful! We had heard of whale sightings in the area, so we decided to spend an evening eating pizza and custard on the roof of Sydney’s and spotted this beauty (and were fortunate enough to get a pic)! We were expecting humpbacks or narwhales, but definitely not an orca! What a wonderful surprise!! – Matt lswws comments Love this shot! And Happy Anniversary! june 29, 2017 in duluth June 29, 2017 Next to the Aerial Lift Bridge! Betsy lswws comments I’ve had verbal confirmation, too. The whales are on the move! february 8, 2017 rare canal park sighting February 8, 2017 Walking along Canal Park one afternoon and this beauty breached the water. Good thing I had my camera out to get a shot of the lighthouse! – Nisa lswws comments Wow! Nice shot! january 21, 2017 january sighting near lutsen January 21, 2017 Upon arriving at our condo in Lutsen I stepped out on the deck with my camera, (D300 Nikon with 600mm telephoto lens) and got incredibly lucky with this shot. Not sure what type of whale it was, and never saw it again although I monitored the lake for hours during our week’s stay. – Gary lswws comments Great shot, Gary! Looks like the Lake Superior Minke whale. january 11, 2017 grey whale migration in marquette January 11, 2017 Caught a group of Grey whales feeding up in the shallows along McCarty’s Cove. Cold day, but a couple Yoopers came out to watch. The Grey Whales should be around a couple more days before continuing their migration up to Copper Harbor. – Clay lswws comments Thanks for a report from the South Shore of Lake Superior! august 30, 2016 whales breaching August 30, 2016 My family and I were having some frozen custard on the rooftop deck at Sidney’s in Grand Marais when we caught the tail end of a whale breaching in the bay. Probably the same whale Mary saw while snorkeling! There was a crowd there – it was a warm day! – Cindy lswws comments Fantastic Cindy! The warmer summer and warmer lake temps have increased whale activity in the Grand Marais area. june 29, 2016 snorkeling happenstance June 29, 2016 While snorkeling off Grand Marais’ harbor, this past June 25th, we were startled to come upon a twain of whale romping in the shallows. We were able to snap a quick shot, capturing the blowhole, before the twosome took the plunge. – Mary lswws comments Outstanding Mary! You have our admiration for snorkeling in June, too. june 13, 2016 i have not seen a whale yet June 13, 2016 I hope I will see the migration soon – Katherine lswws comments We are seeing the whales in the Two Harbors areas now june 3, 2016 i think i saw a beluga whale June 3, 2016 . . . off Black’s Point in Lutsen LeRoy lswws comments It wouldn’t be a beluga as that breed is not found in Lake Superior; good to hear they are moving up the shore. may 28, 2016 memorial day weekend best for great lakes whale watching May 28, 2016 There has been an explosion in the population of Great Lakes whales in Lake Michigan. Once, nearly driven to extinction from over-harvesting by the whaling industry in the mid-1800’s, the numbers of the inland cetaceans have seen a dramatic increase in recent years. So much so that it has set off a corollary boom in the popular whale watching cruise boat fleet, which enjoyed full occupancy on most of its vessels and waiting lists for bookings this coming weekend, according to tour boat operators in Wisconsin and western Michigan port cities. The reason for what marine biologists have termed an “exponential increase,” has been identified as an unintended consequence of moving the Memorial Day holiday from its traditional date of May 30th to the last Monday in May, in order to ensure a 3-day weekend. The annual Spring rut of Great Lakes whales was known to 19th century whalers to coincide with the end of May holiday. Extending estrus to three days has naturally had the results we are now seeing in the population. The phenomenon has not been witnessed on any other of the Great Lakes, presumably because Lake Michigan is the only one of the five lakes that doesn’t straddle the border with Canada. Since Memorial Day is uniquely a U.S. holiday, the impact on the breeding season has been neutralized by interbreeding between U.S. and Canadian whales in those waters. – Gary Tefft – Menomonee Falls, WI May 27, 2016 lswws comments Brilliant scientific observations from an observer on a sister great lake. may 28, 2016 nice!! May 28, 2016 Boy I do love waking up to all these fresh water whales frolicking around!! – Kaiden lswws comments Nothing beats a morning whale sighting! may 28, 2016 great lakes whale originally on wisconsin state flag May 28, 2016 A Great Lakes whale was depicted directly above the shield on the design of the flag adopted by the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature in anticipation of being granted statehood. To the left of the shield stands a seaman, more specifically, a whaler, holding a hank of rope. (Great Lakes whaling, of course, was practiced by the more humane method of lassoing, rather than employing the cruel practice of harpooning, as was traditionally done in marine whaling.) In those days, the lead mining interests in the Southwestern corner of the state, represented by the miner standing to the right of the shield, held much sway in the Legislature and, with the help of wealthy owners of the logging industry up North, were able to get the whale replaced by a badger in the design approved in the first session after Wisconsin was admitted into the Union in 1848. The representatives of the mining and logging interests expressed concern that sooner or later Wisconsin would have a University and their sports teams might become known as the Whales. The motivation for seeking to replace the image of the whale was rooted more in a desire to maintain domestic tranquility than in a fight over “naming rights” to sports teams, however. It’s well known that the occurrence of obesity among 19th century women was no more prominent than in logging camps, where the phrase, “Eats like a lumberjack” was applied to the women who did the cooking. In what has become known as “The Two-by-Four Compromise,” a figure of a badger was substituted for the whale. Curiously, the flag carries no depiction representing a logger; or does it? In the parlance of the day, someone avoiding an issue was compared to a badger scurrying into its burrow. Meeting minutes from early legislative committee hearings suggest that the logging interests were satisfied in not having to convince their wives that the whale on the flag wasn’t a furtive reference to their figures. – Gary Tefft – Menomonee Falls, WI May 27, 2016 lswws comments Thanks for the history, Gary! march 28, 2016 whale spotted March 28, 2016 We saw the whales from afar and sure enough there was one! – Amanda lswws comments Spotting a whale, yes; a spotted whale . . . not yet. february 15, 2016 cold water jelly fish February 15, 2016 This jelly was seen digesting a dock near Grand Marais MN. – David lswws comments Way to capture the beast in action, David! january 1, 2016 so beautiful! January 1, 2016 The whales and narwhals swimming across the lake toward shore is an amazing sight to see! – Tom lswws comments We agrre. Every whale sighting is amazing! december 2, 2015 believe December 2, 2015 I’m a believer – Bob lswws comments We believe you, Bob. august 28, 2015 excellent viewing 1st week of september! August 28, 2015 The fall freshwater whale migration patterns are expected to change and move much closer shore due to this lunar phenomena .Viewing is expected to be exceptional the first week of September. Greg M lswws comments We love a good whale watching forecast! july 28, 2015 narwahl July 28, 2015 While I was disappointed that I didn’t see any humpback whales, I did spot a fine looking Narwhal. Wouldn’t have believed it unless I saw it with my own two eyes. – Sam lswws comments Sam, you are lucky! Not many narwahl sightings and fewer photos. Thanks for sharing! july 5, 2015 whales ! July 5, 2015 We were walking down the rock beach in Little Marais and it was evening and we saw a whale breach the water but didn’t have our phones on us to take a picture ! It was beautiful ! And then we saw a baby it was so cool ! – Matt lswws comments We appreciate the report, with or without photos. june 8, 2015 a pod playing in a laker’s wake June 8, 2015 We brought our whale pointing lab Pauly with us this spring. He spotted a pod playing in the wake of a laker at the Silver Cliff Tunnel wayside. Of course with our luck and the fog and haze they didn’t show up in the picture. Jeff , Sue and Pauly, the whale spotting lab La Crosse, WI lswws comments Well done, Pauly! may 11, 2015 1970s sighting May 11, 2015 “Reminiscing about past Mother’s Day and found this photo from a drive we took up the shore Mother’s Day 1972. Going to have come back up and look for whales.” Linda lswws comments Wow! april 29, 2015 whale tagging on minnesota’s north shore of lake superior April 29, 2015 At the prime State Park on the North Shore to view fresh water whales; partaking in the State of Minnesota’s whale stocking program in Lake Superior. – Richard B & Gary H lswws comments Outstanding in every way! february 20, 2015 narwhal migration February 20, 2015 :I love getting up early with my boys to catch the narwhal migration along the shore.” — Dean B lswws comments It is amazing what lives below the surface of this big lake. february 11, 2015 2 cents worth February 11, 2015 “This sight is faker than a 3 dollar bill don’t trust it!” Austin E, Wayne, IN lswws comments Austin and other skeptics should read the articles under the box titled “Confused?” october 12, 2014 still looking October 12, 2014 Nina- I kept a close eye on the harbor and canal this year. Still no whales. ( I really thought the shirt would help too! ) Jeff & Sue LaCrosse, WI lswws comments With the cool water temps in Lake Superior this summer, it’s been an odd season. september 30, 2014 lake superior bay ontario September 30, 2014 “Caught a glimpse of this one in an Ontario bay last fall” Max S, Houghton, MI lswws comments What a beauty! september 14, 2014 we saw them! September 14, 2014 “A colleague took this shot on the Manitou Island ferry this weekend, heading back from North Manitou. My adviser thinks it was a female Megaptera boreas!” Laura Fischer Forestry Wildlife and Fisheries Michigan State University lswws comments Megaptera boreas is a Humpback whale august 7, 2014 andy saw them! August 7, 2014 Andy found a whale today in MN when we were paddle-boarding so I thought I would share these fun photos. Enjoy! Andy claims he saw a whale in Lake Owwaso today. I would call him an official Fresh Water Whale Watcher. Chrissy, Minneapolis MN lswws comments This Fresh Water Whale Watcher sighted one in his fabulous new t-shirt! july 4, 2014 eastern edge of lake superior July 4, 2014 “It’s too damn cold. I bet the whales are all stacked by the Soo trying to stay warm. Water temps are still 38-42.” Dale H lswws comments Dale is referring to the locks at Sault Ste Marie separating Michigan and Ontario june 27, 2014 splash! June 27, 2014 “Pretty sure this was a whale!” anonymous lswws comments pretty sure you’re right june 23, 2014 split rock lighthouse June 23, 2014 “While taking the typical tourist photos at split rock lighthouse wayside, my grandson saw two surface. Of course by the time I got the camera turned and zoomed out onto the lake they were long gone.” Jeff and Sue, La Crosse, WI, featuring super spotter Dameon lswws comments nice spotting! june 21, 2014 big bay, big whale June 21, 2014 “We thought we saw something in the water, joked it was a whale . . . and then it was! We think it was by itself. It barely broke the surface, but we did get this shot.” Anderson Clan lswws comments Nice! Note: Big Bay is northeast of Grand Marais april 3, 2014 brighton beach near duluth April 3,2014 “I thought you and the viewers of your fantastic website may find this photo interesting. I am guessing since the whales moved into Lake Superior a number of years ago it was only time before the bears followed.” Best wishes, Mike activities overview events lake superior agates bike trails fishing golf courses hiking trails kayaking outfitters whale watching winter activities confused? You might want to check out these articles from the Duluth News-Tribune and Seiche (MN Sea Grant Newsletter). see articles past sightings September 2020 (2) April 2020 (1) March 2020 (2) November 2019 (1) September 2019 (1) June 2019 (1) April 2019 (5) December 2018 (1) October 2018 (1) August 2018 (1) July 2018 (1) May 2018 (2) April 2018 (1) March 2018 (1) January 2018 (2) November 2017 (2) August 2017 (4) July 2017 (1) June 2017 (1) February 2017 (1) January 2017 (2) September 2016 (2) August 2016 (1) June 2016 (3) May 2016 (3) March 2016 (1) February 2016 (1) January 2016 (2) December 2015 (1) August 2015 (1) July 2015 (2) June 2015 (1) May 2015 (1) April 2015 (1) March 2015 (1) February 2015 (3) October 2014 (1) September 2014 (2) August 2014 (1) July 2014 (1) June 2014 (3) April 2014 (1) check out these north shore favorites upcoming events north house folk school november courses november 2, 2021 - november 30, 2021 thanksgiving skiing at lutsen mountains november 24, 2021 - november 27, 2021 harbor rail farmers market november 27, 2021 6th annual small business saturday craft sale november 27, 2021 annual craft sale november 27, 2021 see all events because words don't do it justice view gallery GRAND MARAIS WEATHER © 2021 northshorevisitor.com / nina simonowicz | inquire about advertising