Maui Mamas

Last month, the day before I was set to travel to Maui for a vacation with my parents, I saw a post on Facebook shared by the Orca Network saying that “Big Mama,” a well-known humpback whale who visits the Salish Sea, was just spotted near Lahaina Maui.
https://www.facebook.com/salishseahumpbacks/posts/602006980140671

A few days later I found myself on a whale watching boat leaving from… you guessed it: Lahaina Maui! I had never seen whales from a boat and was buzzing with anticipation.

Photo by John Evanston

We couldn’t have been on the water for more than 10 minutes when we saw our first spout. We headed towards it, slowing to a stop a little more than 100 yards away -- which was as close as we could legally get to the whales. We saw a humpback whale breach once with a big splash, and then again.

After the second splash, out of the corner of my eye I saw something else: a little pickle shaped body, less than half the size of our first whale, breaching to my right. It breached once, then twice just like its mama. It had to be the cutest little whale I had ever seen!

Photo by Lily Evanston

The boat captain made fun of my mother and me for calling the baby “cute” and “little” because, of course, it was actually about three times my height.

After the show, the mother and calf swam closer together and came to inspect the humans, swimming right under our boat.

Photo by Lily Evanston

The interpreters on the boat didn’t identify the whales we saw, but on my trip I must have seen around 5 pairs of mother and baby humpback whales, and I like to think that one of those mamas may have been the one that people know in the Salish Sea as “Big Mama.”

These humpback whales spend their winters in Hawaii and their summers in Alaska, so we get to see some of them in the Salish Sea during their migration in the spring and fall. It is so amazing to me that these huge animals make this epic journey every year. I thought my travels were exhausting and I only had to take a shuttle from Silverdale to SeaTac and then nap on a plane.

I am honored that I got to encounter these majestic mamas in their winter waters. Now that spring has sprung in the Salish Sea, I’ll have to get out and see if I can find any familiar flukes!

Photo by John Evanston

Written by AmeriCorps Citizen Science Educator Lily Evanston.

Come Dream with Us!

This year's Tides of March Benefit Dinner and Auction celebrates a Salish Sea Reverie at The Commons at Fort Worden State Park.

Join the camaraderie on Saturday, March 17, starting at 5:00 p.m., as we raise funds to support the mission of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center: Inspiring Conservation of the Salish Sea!

Kelp Kelp Kelp!

When we think of a forest, a few things come to mind. Many of us think of trees, plants, animals and, massive amounts of biodiversity. Forests are highly productive ecosystems on land. However, forests exist in the sea as well.

Kelp forests are important ocean ecosystems which exist along coasts all over the world. Here in the Salish Sea we have these forests around us, as well. Just as the forests on land provide habitat, these ecosystems also provide habitat, food, and shelter for many marine species.

The Salish Sea has two types of canopy-forming kelp: giant kelp and bull kelp. Giant kelp grows on the western coast of Washington down to Baja California. It doesn’t extend past the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Giant kelp has a different anatomy than bull kelp and its forests are where you find sea otters.

Giant Kelp (https://jayded.weebly.com/interesting-facts.html)

Bull kelp grows in the Salish Sea, as well as the west coast, and you’ve probably seen it washed up on the beaches around Port Townsend. It is part of an ecosystem that plays an important role in keeping the Salish Sea so productive.

New Volunteer Information Session

Saturday | February 10 | 10 am - noon Natural History Exhibit Classroom Do you know someone interested in learning about volunteer opportunities with the Marine Science Center? Please let them know about our volunteer orientation!  If they have any questions or to RSVP, they can contact Gabriele at volunteer@ptmsc.org. You can also share the link to our website page on Volunteering at PTMSC. Thank you!

Harbor to Harbor Beach Clean Up

Saturday, February 24th 9-11:30am

Cleanup starts and end behind Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend.
Bring your own gloves! 

Hosted by NWMC/OCEAN Program

Low Tide Walk at Night, Monday, February 26, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

When: Monday, February 26, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Low tide @ 7:11p.m. (-1.5 ft.)

Where: North Beach County Park, Port Townsend

Cost: FREE (donations accepted)

What: Find out what marine critters get up to after dark!

How: Join us for a guided low tide walk led by PTMSC staff and volunteers.

Bring: Weather-appropriate clothing, flashlight and/or headlamp!

Please RSVP to James Swanson
at jswanson@ptmsc.org or
call (360) 385-5582 x 115

Port Townsend Marine Science Center offers admission by donation to Natural History Exhibit

Pilot program will run through March 25

The Port Townsend Marine Science Center announced today it is offering "admission by donation" to the Natural History Exhibit through March 25. The exhibit, which features "Learning From Orcas: The Story of Hope," is open Friday through Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m., with last admission at 4 p.m.

PTMSC Natural History Exhibit featuring "Learning From Orcas: The Story of Hope," 

about a transient female orca that beached and died locally in 2002.

"We would all like to see more visitors in the Natural History Exhibit, especially this time of year," said PTMSC Executive Director Janine Boire. "Because we want to serve people from all walks of life, our admission pricing is already low, but even this can be a barrier for some visitors to Fort Worden State Park and from our community.

"We are hoping that this test period between now and the end of March will provide information about how we can best serve our community and visitors alike," Boire said.