Topic: Wildlife

Killer Ale IPA Launch Party

Written on March 4, 2019 at 5:50 am, by

Ghostfish Brewing Partners with Orca Protection & Rescue to Release Limited Killer Ale IPA – Launch Party March 9th Seattle, WA – Ghostfish Brewing is set to launch Killer Ale IPA on March 9, 2019, a bold and distinctly Northwest influenced India Pale Ale brewed to benefit Washington-based Orca Protection & Rescue. Founded in 2018  Continue Reading

SRKW Presentations

Written on March 2, 2019 at 10:26 am, by

Protect What You Love: Southern Resident Orca Presentations and Community Discussions Friends of the San Juans will explore the plight of the Southern Resident orcas and engage the community in actions that can help their recovery. Orcas Island – Thursday, March 14, 12 – 1:30 p.m., Orcas Senior Center, 62 Henry Rd. Lopez Island – Tuesday, March 19, 12 –  Continue Reading

Know Your Islanders Talk

Written on February 28, 2019 at 5:46 am, by

Adam Summers – The Sea: Inspiration for Art and Science Dr. Adam Summers, who runs the Comparative Vertebrate Biomechanics Lab at the Friday Harbor Laboratories, will present a naturalist’s opinion on nature as a source of inspiration for art and science.   Monday, March 4 at 7 pm San Juan Island Library Free Refreshments will  Continue Reading

What Birds Are These?

Written on February 14, 2019 at 1:28 pm, by

We received this photo from Ruth Offen, “Just saw this gathering of I think commerants or loons all floating together. First thought it was herring ball, but not. Have you or anybody else seen this sight before?” Click on the photo to enlarge the image and if you know these birds and what they are doing please  Continue Reading

Humming Bird in Snow

Written on February 13, 2019 at 5:36 am, by

Thanks to Richard W. Wright for this great photo (Taken Feb 12, 2019)… 

The Eagle and the Hawk

Written on February 7, 2019 at 5:30 am, by

Thanks to John Miller for this great photo… click to enlarge photo.

#ScanAllStars: Scientists at the UW Labs Scan Sea Stars

Written on February 4, 2019 at 5:35 am, by

Mo Turner, Ph.D. candidate in Biology at the University of Washington and Cassandra Donatelli Ph.D. candidate at Tufts University are collaborating scanning sea stars. In January they presented their preliminary findings to the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology. The following by Mo Turner, with Cassandra Donatelli is excerpted from February’s Tide Bite, the newsletter of the  Continue Reading

Swan Survey Results

Written on February 1, 2019 at 5:47 am, by

Here’s a note from Kathleen Foley to all the folks who participated in this year’s swan count. Just thought you might like to see it… Hello swan counters, Thank you for your participation in the 2019 wintering swan count, held last Friday. Thank you as well, to everyone for returning your count forms to me  Continue Reading

Snow Geese Sunrise

Written on January 29, 2019 at 10:06 am, by

John Miller shares this photo he shot with a drone on Fir Island yesterday morning. Click to enlarge. Thanks for sharing John!

Protect What You Love

Written on January 28, 2019 at 5:50 am, by

During Valentine’s week Friends of the San Juans will explore the plight of the Southern Resident orcas and engage the community in actions that can help their recovery. Find out what the Southern Resident orcas need to survive and thrive including how the Snake, Frasier, Columbia, Skagit and other river systems impact the orca; how  Continue Reading

Salmon Still Declining

Written on January 18, 2019 at 5:45 am, by

State’s New Report Shows Salmon Still Declining: Recovery Projects Funded at Only 16 Percent of Estimated Need OLYMPIA–Despite two decades of efforts to recover them, wild salmon are still declining—and a report released today by the Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office stresses that adequate funding is needed to turn the tide on the iconic species’ future.  Continue Reading

Welcome New Baby L124

Written on January 11, 2019 at 7:32 pm, by

This just in from the Center for Whale Research… On January 10, 2019, TV stations in Seattle aired live aerial footage of several groups of killer whales in Puget Sound near Seattle, and discerning viewers were able to see a very small whale among them. CWR researcher, Melisa Pinnow, was able to see that L  Continue Reading

Local Research Finds New Forage Fish Spawning Beaches

Written on January 9, 2019 at 5:49 am, by

Did you know that our local sand and gravel beaches nurture incubating fish eggs? These eggs are virtually undetectable to the naked eye and come from two species of marine fish – surf smelt and Pacific sand lance. These species are among those referred to as “forage fish” for the vital role they play in  Continue Reading

Statement from PWWA

Written on December 17, 2018 at 5:44 am, by

The Pacific Whale Watch Association issued the following statement… Whale watching and responsible no/low-impact ecotourism is critical to education and conservation efforts that we all are engaged in to protect all whales in the Salish Sea. As the Legislature, the Governor’s Task Force, and the public continue working towards ensuring the safety of the Southern  Continue Reading

Inside the Killer Whale Matriarchy

Written on December 12, 2018 at 4:00 pm, by

The Center for Whale Research is excited to announce the release of a wonderful 5-minute animation that tells the incredible story of the importance of grandmothers in the Southern Resident orca community. Click the image above to view it. Thank you TED-ED, Darren Croft and Michael Weiss.

In the Mailbag

Written on December 12, 2018 at 5:37 am, by

In the SJ Update mailbag we have a letter from Allison Lance… The more diverse an eco-system is, the greater its odds are for survival. Genetic diversity insures robust populations. This applies to Earth’s life forms, which includes humans. In order to ensure our survival we need robust biodiversity. Therein lies the problem, nature is  Continue Reading