It was a good weekend for whale watching in the Pacific Northwest. Nearly 20 Southern Resident orcas were spotted in Puget Sound since Friday. To the north, in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, about 40 Biggs killer whales were spotted Saturday. They have since reportedly made their way to the San Juan Islands.

Nearly ten different orca families were sighted in the vicinity.

The sighting was unique in how many whales there were, but isn’t completely unexpected given a growing population that welcomed nearly 90 calves since 2012.

A spokesperson for the Orca Behavior Institute says this week, 2019 officially passed 2018 for Bigg’s killer whale sightings in the Salish Sea.

While Bigg’s killer whale sightings are on the rise, Southern Resident numbers have declined over the same time span, with the current population estimated at just 73 due to declining salmon populations.

The good news is, two new calves were born this year, and researchers say both are doing well.