Spring Migration Cruise May 26th

Just outside of Port Townsend is an amazing National Wildlife Refuge — Protection Island. Nearly 70 percent of the nesting seabird population of Puget Sound and the Straits nest on the island, which includes one of the largest nesting colonies of rhinoceros auklets in the world and the largest nesting colony of glaucous-winged gulls in Washington. The island contains one of the last two nesting colonies of tufted puffins in the Puget Sound area. About 1,000 harbor seals depend upon the island for a pupping and rest area.

This 364-acre island is covered by grass and low brush, with a small timbered area, high sandy bluffs for seabird nesting, and low sand spits on two ends of the island.

The Port Townsend Marine Science Center – in collaboration with Puget Sound Express – hosts special expeditions to Protection Island. Cruises are scheduled in spring and fall, timed to coincide with annual migrations, with special trips planned for Thanksgiving weekend and New Years Eve.

Become a member of PTMSC and save $20 per person on your cruise!

BOOK NOW

Puget Sound Express hosts this special 2 hour expedition to Protection Island aboard the Red Head, with an on-board naturalist sharing information of bird and wildlife sightings.  On a recent Marine Science Center cruise, participants sighted a few tufted puffins, rhinoceros auklets, and an elephant seal among the harbor seals on the island beach. 

PS Express welcomes Marine Science Center members, volunteers, and the public with a special rate for the May 26 cruise of $45 for PTMSC members and $65 for nonmembers. The cruise departs from the Point Hudson Marina.

Location: 2333 San Juan Ave, Port Townsend, WA
Date: 5-26-2017
TIME: 3-5 pm

Spring Migration Cruise

May 6 | 1-4pm

$80 ($60 members)

Enjoy an afternoon on the water learning the history of Protection Island and the sea birds and marine life that make the island their home. The Port Townsend Marine Science Center - in collaboration with Puget Sound Express - hosts special expeditions to Protection Island. Cruises are scheduled on Saturdays in spring and fall, timed to coincide with annual migrations.

Become a member of PTMSC and save $20 per person on your cruise!

BOOK NOW!

The three-hour cruises depart from the Point Hudson Marina with Naturalists from the Port Townsend Marine Science Center serving as on-board interpreters to provide commentary on local birds, mammals, geology, history and weather. On-board refreshments are available, or you may bring a sack lunch.

On Wednesday, May 10, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center invites you to help raise $22,000 for summer camps scholarships and capacity-building to offer more camps through GiveBIG, a one-day, online charitable giving event hosted by the Seattle Foundation, but we can't do it without your help! Thanks to a challenge match from a group of local donors, the first $11,000 donated will be matched dollar-for-dollar. The #GiveBIG campaign only lasts for one day, so follow along onFacebook and the #PTMSC blog for stories and updates before the BIG day.

Port Townsend Marine Science Center to Host New Year’s Eve Cruise

Port Townsend, WA, December 31, 2016—The Port Townsend Marine Science Center is inviting participants to cruise with them to Protection Island aboard one of Puget Sound Express’ heated, fully enclosed whale-watching boats with 360-degree windows, wrap-around observation decks, and a cozy interior. The sail will take place on Saturday, December 31st from 1-4 pm, leaving from the dock at the end of Water Street in Port Townsend and setting off on a 3-hour adventure.

Port Townsend Marine Science Center Naturalist, Roger Risley, will be onboard to assist in wildlife spotting and interpretation, accompanied by informative Port Townsend Marine Science Center hosts.

A staple of the science center’s seasonal offerings, the New Year’s Eve cruise is wildly popular among tourists and locals alike. Participants enjoy a leisurely tour of the wildlife sanctuary and the enlightening comments from the onboard naturalist. In addition to experiencing and learning about the local marine life, participants have also gotten to witness a variety of birds while taking the cruise including loon, grebe, cormorant, merganser, duck, scoter, phalarope, tern, and puffin, just to name a few.

PTMSC Executive Director Janine Boire is confident this year will be no different. “We have been partnering with Puget Sound Express for this special holiday birding adventure around Protection Island for years,” Boire said. “It’s such a unique, special way to connect people with the Salish Sea and celebrate the holiday seasons. The New Year’s Eve cruise, in the midst of the busy holiday season, makes it particularly popular for those with family or friends visiting looking for a festive and warm way to get out on the water.”

The New Year’s Eve cruise departs at 1 pm on December 31 from the dock opposite the Puget Sound Express offices at the east end of Water Street in Port Townsend and returns to the dock at 4 pm. Tickets for the Protection Island New Year’s Cruise are $80 per person or $60 for members of PTMSC, Audubon, Burke Museum, or Washington Ornithological Society.

For more information on the New Year’s Eve Cruise, or to reserve your spot here or call (360) 385-5288.

The Port Townsend Marine Science Center is inspiring conservation of the Salish Sea. A new initiative—Gone Green? Go Blue! Support Your Local Ocean—encourages collective action and civic engagement. Located on the beach at Fort Worden, the PTMSC offers two public exhibits: the Marine Exhibit and the Natural History Exhibit. The Natural History & Orca exhibit is open Friday through Sunday, 12 to 5 pm. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for youth, and free to PTMSC members. The PTMSC also offers a wide variety of educational programs and special events. For more information, call 360.385.5582, e-mail info@ptmsc.org or visit www.ptmsc.org/events.

Port Townsend Marine Science Center Thanksgiving Weekend Cruise

Port Townsend, WA, November 26, 2016—The Port Townsend Marine Science Center is inviting participants to cruise with us to Protection Island aboard one of Puget Sound Express’ heated, fully enclosed whale-watching boats with 360-degree windows, wrap-around observation decks, and a cozy interior. The sail will take place on Saturday, November 26^th from 1-4 pm, leaving from the dock at the end of Water Street in Port Townsend and setting off on a 3-hour adventure.

Photo credit to Mike Reudink (elephant seals on the seashore)

Port Townsend Marine Science Center Naturalist, Roger Risley, will be onboard to assist in wildlife spotting and interpretation, accompanied by informative Port Townsend Marine Science Center hosts.

A staple of the science center’s seasonal offerings, the Thanksgiving weekend cruise is wildly popular among tourists and locals alike. Participants enjoy a leisurely tour of the wildlife sanctuary and the enlightening comments from the onboard naturalist. In addition to experiencing and learning about the local marine life, participants have also gotten to witness a variety of birds while taking the cruise including loon, grebe, cormorant, merganser, duck, scoter, phalarope, tern, and puffin, just to name a few.                            

PTMSC Executive Director Janine Boire is confident this year will be no different. 

“We have been partnering with Puget Sound Express for this special holiday birding adventure around Protection Island for years,” Boire said. “It’s such a unique, special way to connect people with the Salish Sea and celebrate the holiday seasons. The Thanksgiving weekend cruise, in the midst of the busy holiday season, makes it particularly popular for those with family or friends visiting looking for a festive and warm way to get out on the water.”

The Thanksgiving weekend cruise departs at 1 pm on November 26 from the dock opposite the Puget Sound Express offices at the east end of Water Street in Port Townsend and returns to the dock at 4 pm. Tickets for the Protection Island Thanksgiving weekend Cruise are $80 per person or $60 for members of PTMSC, Audubon, Burke Museum, or Washington Ornithological Society.

For more information on the Thanksgiving Weekend Cruise, or to reserve your spot, visit http://www.pugetsoundexpress.com/whale-watching-and-wildlife-tours/bird-migration-cruise/ or call (360) 385-5288.

2015 Marine Science Center Annual Report

Change and growth were significant themes for the Port Townsend Marine Science Center in 2015. An updated website, new logo, and a number of new staff members were welcomed this year.

In this report, you'll see exciting stories of the people and programs making the Science Center's growth a reality and highlights of 2015 accomplishments.

Check it out, and let us know what you think in the comments!

—

CELEBRATE FATHER'S DAY with free admission to our exhibits and a lovely afternoon on the water cruising to Protection Island and Rat Island in one Puget Sound Express' comfortable vessels and enjoying wildlife interpretation from our onboard naturalists. Become a member to save $20!

Protection Island

December 31 dawned chilly and clear; the perfect end to a great year. To cap off 2015, Katie and I were invited to join the Protection Island New Year’s Day Cruise run by Puget Sound Express. We were both thrilled to spend our last day of the year out on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Looking out at the water all day from the Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC) pier always makes me yearn to float.

Protection Island
Photo by Charlie Mostow

A view of the Olympic Mountains with Protection Island on the right
Photo by Katie Conroy

We boarded the Red Head over calm water and under clear skies. As if the weather wasn’t enough of a good omen, on trundled Jan North and Katherine Jensen, two fabulous PTMSC volunteers. It was a pleasant surprise to see them out of their full body  rain gear  and elbow length gloves (they are both part of HomeCrew, the team of volunteers that cleans the Marine Exhibit tanks). Rodger Risley, the onboard naturalist, peppered us with fascinating facts about the history of the island and the many birds and mammals we boated past.

A harbor seal in the sunset.
Photo by Katie Conroy

Did you know that Protection Island is home to the largest colony of glaucous-winged gulls in the state? To say nothing of the nesting rhinoceros auklets, pigeon guillemots, and tufted puffins that call the island home in the summer. The day of our cruise was calm. We saw eagles circling overhead, several deer wandering around on Protection Island’s steep slopes, and a few mixed rafts of buffleheads, long-tailed ducks, and goldeneyes. It was wonderful to see the verdant, mellow island and imagine how bustling and wild it will be in only a few months. I spent a summer on a seabird nesting island so I know the sounds, movements, and, yes, smells, of thousands of seabirds very well.

A painting of Point Wilson by Jessica Artman (another Puget Sound Express passenger and a member of my family)

Thanks to Puget Sound Express and to the PTMSC volunteers who make these cruises possible. It was a wonderful way to close out 2015.

Our Spring Migration Cruises begin again on April 23. Reserve your spot today! Tickets are $80 per person — $60 for PTMSC members.

—

REBECCA MOSTOW is the Marine Exhibit Educator and an AmeriCorps member serving at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center.

COMING SOON: The Tides of March Benefit Dinner and Auction is the Center’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds allow the Center to connect face-to-face with over 20,000 people each year, spreading the message of marine health and local action. Our playful theme this year is Undersea Spree. Register Today!

Set Sail on the Adventuress September 5!

Join the Port Townsend Marine Science Center on a September 5 sail aboard the Adventuress with naturalist Roger Risley!

September 5 | 12 - 6 pm 

Reserve your spot at cruises@ptmsc.org.

The PTMSC offers one 6-hour sailing adventure each year to the Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge aboard the 101' historic schooner, Adventuress.

On this cruise, you can help the crew sail this historic vessel while enjoying a leisurely tour of the wildlife sanctuary.

As on all our cruises, Port Townsend Marine Science Center Naturalist Roger Risley, will be onboard to assist in wildlife spotting and interpretation.

The sail departs at 12 pm on September 5 from the Northwest Maritime Center dock at the north end of Water St. in Port Townsend and returns to the dock at 6 pm.

Tickets for the Protection Island Sail are $80 per person or $75 for members of PTMSC, Audubon, Burke Museum, or Washington Ornithological Society.

For more information on the Protection Island Sail, or to reserve your spot, email cruises@ptmsc.org.

2015 Wildlife Cruise Dates Now Available!

 Our cruises are hosted by seasoned naturalist Roger Risley, who provides excellent commentary on the natural history of the island and the wildlife sighted. Join us a 2015 cruise!

CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION AND
TO RESERVE ONLINE.

photos provided courtesy of Casey Gluckman

Protection Island Puffin Cruises

Have you ever seen a puffin? The Port Townsend Marine Science Center and Puget Sound Express offer Puffin Cruises every Saturday from now until August 8th.

From PTMSC.org: Protection Island, at the mouth of Discovery Bay, is a very special; place in the summer. Dry, brown and lonely, it looks like a most inhospitable place. But it is alive with thousands of nesting birds - rhinocerous auklets, glaucous-winged gulls, pigeon guillemots, double-crested and pelagic cormorants, black oystercatchers, and even a few pairs of tufted puffins. It is for a glimpse of the elusive tufted puffin that many visitors make the trip. As every birder knows, no guarantee can be made that they will be sighted on every outing, but chances are very good that they will be spotted especially on the south side of the island. Like rhinocerous auklets, for which Protection Island is the major nesting site, the puffin use burrows in the cliffs and uplands to raise one or sometimes two chicks. The chance to see them carrying many small fish at one time in their bills, or even swimming, flying, or diving, is exciting.

Reservations: Tickets are $55 per person ($50 for PTMSC, Audubon, Burke
Museum or Washington Ornithological Society members) and child or group rates
may be arranged. Proceeds go to support educational programs at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center.

Article about Puffin Cruises in the Everett Herald

Protection Island Cruises are offered in collaboration with Puget Sound Express. For reservations: (800) 566-3932 ~ (360) 385-5582 ~ e-mail: cruises@ptmsc.org