SALISH SEA, Wash. – 2022 was a record year for whale sightings in the Pacific Northwest.

The Pacific Whale Watch Association reported over 1,200 sightings of Bigg’s Killer Whales in the Salish Sea last year.

That is up significantly from 2021, when the whales were only spotted 153 times, and double the amount seen in 2017.

Humpback whales were also spotted more often in 2022.

The Pacific Whale Watch Association said that nearly 400 individual humpbacks were documented last year, the highest number in nearly a century.

The organization acknowledged the actions of ship restrictions and marine debris cleanup as part of the whale populations’ growth.