The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor is a great place to visit in December! Join us on Saturday, December 1st for the Island Lights Festival in Friday Harbor. To get everyone warmed up, come to The Whale Museum for our annual Holiday Open House Saturday from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm. Fun for all ages!  Continue Reading

Here’s a message from the State of Washington Recreation and Conservation Office… OLYMPIA – Earlier this month, a woman reportedly released two large coolers of live tilapia into Sammamish Lake, a popular location for water sports and hiking. A concerned citizen saw the act and reported it to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.  Continue Reading

Here’s a letter from Kyle Wall and the Pacific Whale Watch Association… Statement from the Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA): The Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) is a committed partner focused on efforts to protect the health of the Southern Resident killer whale population. We appreciate the work of our fellow members on the Governor’s  Continue Reading

In the SJ Update mailbag this morning we have this letter to you from Debbi Fincher… Hi Friends, Family and all around Supporters of J, K & L Pods,    I have to try… I can’t sit idly by when our local orca pods need our help more than ever. I want to be sure  Continue Reading

Wolf Hollow is excited to introduce our new Executive Director, Chanda Stone. Chanda joined Wolf Hollow in September, assuming the helm from our previous Director, Amy Saxe-Eyler.  Chanda Stone – Contributed photo A native of southern California, Chanda has many years of experience as an arborist, wetland restoration coordinator and volunteer specialist. She earned a  Continue Reading

In the SJ Update mailbag this morning we have this letter to share with you from Brian Goodremont at www.sanjuansafaris.com… Proposed Southern Resident Orca Watching Suspension Fails to Address Science-­ Based Issues: Save the Salmon, Save the Whales Headlines are dominated by the proposal to suspend vessel-­based viewing of Southern Resident killer whales in Washington  Continue Reading

On Saturday, November 10th from 11am – 3pm, an Orca Recovery Day of Action will take place at Jackson Beach on San Juan Island in coordination with Conservation District events around Puget Sound. Come hear speakers Dr. Deborah Giles, Science and Research Director for Wild Orca, Resident Scientist at UW Friday Harbor Labs, and Research  Continue Reading

Dear Safe Shippers and Orca Protectors, Governor Inslee’s Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery and Task Force has issued round 2 of the draft recommendations for actions — winnowing 63 recommendations to 36. This is our chance to comment on every one — for the orca! The Southern Residents are well-represented by this hard working Task  Continue Reading

Letter to the Editor: The clock is running out for Southern Resident Killer Whale recovery. But the question is not, ‘How much time do we have?’ rather, ‘What can we do that will reverse the current extinction trend and how quickly can protection and recovery actions be implemented?’ As members of working groups for the  Continue Reading

Summer may have gone but Fall is here, which means it is time to gear down and reconnect with others interested in learning more about the Salish Sea! Everyone is welcome to come join us for two big events this weekend being put on by The Whale Museum: Saturday, October 20: Gear Down Workshop for  Continue Reading

From Shona Aitken at Wolf Hollow… When someone mentions visitors to the islands, most of us immediately think of crowds of people streaming off the ferries in the middle of summer. But there are also wild creatures that are only here part time. Ospreys, Turkey Vultures, swallows and many hummingbirds and warblers spend the summer  Continue Reading

Friday Harbor Film Festival is very excited to announce our 2018 Andrew V. McLaglen Lifetime Achievement Awardee; Captain Paul Watson, founder of both Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd… Each year since 2013, the Friday Harbor Film Festival, located on beautiful San Juan Island, Washington, invites dedicated and talented Filmmakers to showcase their Documentary films unique ability to  Continue Reading

Dr. Astrid van Ginneken has worked with the Center for Whale Research since 1987. She is co-principle investigator for CWR’s Orca Survey and has published both scientific and popular articles in addition to a book about killer whales. Astrid has great enthusiasm for Southern Resident orcas and her stories of these wonderful creatures are beautifully  Continue Reading

On September 25, Dr. John Durban from NOAA and Dr. Holly Fearnbach from SR3 SeaLife Response, Rehabilitation and Research will present on “Photogrammetry Study of the SRKWs.” The lecture will take place at 7:00 pm at The Whale Museum.  Dr. Durban leads the Cetacean Health and Life History Program at NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center  Continue Reading

On October 13thfrom 11 am to 5 pm, the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) will deliver a free training session in Friday Harbor, WA for citizens interested in surveying for marine debris. The COASST Marine Debris program is focused on the intersection of science, conservation, and communities. Rather than simply identifying debris, the  Continue Reading

Amy Lambert, lecturer at the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, University of Washington Bothell, will be giving a Pub Night Talk: “Encountering Rarity: Restoring the Endangered Island Marble Butterfly”. Once thought to be extinct, the Island Marble butterfly is making a comeback in the San Juan Islands. Lambert, a conservation biologist, explains why saving the  Continue Reading

“The message brought by J50, and by J35 and her dead calf a few weeks ago, is that the SRKW are running out of reproductive capacity and extinction of this population is looming, while the humans convene task forces and conference calls that result in nothing, or worse than nothing, diverting attention and resources from  Continue Reading

Here’s a note from Safe Shippers… Proudly, our San Juan County Council Members recently joined their Canadian counterparts, the Islands Trust Council, in calling on Prime Minister Trudeau to abandon the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion project, once and for all. As Safe Shippers well know, if approved, this project would increase tanker traffic by 700%  Continue Reading

The Whale Museum invites everyone to the first annual event, “The Dinner Party,” an elegant fundraiser and auction on Friday, September 14, 6:00 pm, at Brickworks. Proceeds benefit the museum’s mission of promoting stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem through education and research.  The evening will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a reception  Continue Reading

The Port of Friday Harbor Commission recently presented the following letter to the Governor’s task force. Here it is for you to see… Dear Council Staff, The Port of Friday Harbor respectfully requests that the Pacific Fishery Management Council set aside an allocation of 250,000 chinook salmon from the Fraser River for the endangered Southern  Continue Reading

What types of woodpeckers might you see on the San Juan Islands?   How can you tell if they are living in your woodland? Join Shona Aitken, Education Coordinator at Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehab Center to find out more about these fascinating birds and their important role in our local forests.   Refreshments are courtesy  Continue Reading

Did you know that most of the otters we see around here are river otters? It is true. The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) has adapted to our salt water environment. “River otters are semi-aquatic mustelids (the weasel family), and are traditionally thought to be freshwater animals.  However, across both coasts of North America, river otters  Continue Reading