No joke: Juvenile whale swims up Willapa River in SW WA
Published 5:39 pm Wednesday, April 1, 2026
See updated story: https://chinookobserver.com/2026/04/01/wayward-willapa-whale-not-in-imminent-danger-but-keep-your-distance/
Updated videos by Jeff Clemens, for the Chinook Observer:
https://chinookobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/04/Whale-and-crowd.mp4
https://chinookobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/04/Willapa-Whale-5pm-April-1.mp4
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RAYMOND — In what seems like an April fool’s prank but which numerous witnesses say is the real thing, a small whale has made its way miles up the Willapa River in north Pacific County.
As of about 4:30 p.m., the whale is attracting many spectators to an area between the bridge at Alexander/Camp One and the bridge at Camp One/Mill Creek on the river, which feeds into Willapa Bay.
This is prime time for the gray whale migration up the Pacific Coast. Grays whale occasionally come into Willapa Bay, where they forage on burrowing shrimp and other marine animals.
But it’s highly unusual for one to go so far up a fresh water stream, and its life may be in danger.
Videos of the whale elicited much local excitement.
“Wow, that’s absolutely crazy and exciting! Hope he finds his way back home,” one person commented.
“It was amazing to see! Nothing I ever expected to see in Willapa!” said another.
The Chinook Observer’s north county correspondent Jeff Clemens is on the scene and we will try to bring additional news and video about it as it becomes available.
Clemens said at 4:50 p.m. Wednesday that a small place is overhead and that the U.S. Marine Mammal Stranding Response Network has joined the search.