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Whale-related Activities for Kids
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The Gray Whale Project
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Staying close to home? Looking for some whale-related activities for the kids to do? Look no further! The Whale Museum has you covered! TWM has an Educator Resources web page where you can find whale themed coloring pages and maze activities here. There is also a curriculum posted on this page entitled “Gentle Giants of the Salish Sea” that’s great for kids and adults to learn more about whales. New content will be added to this page in the very near future, so stay tuned!
We also offer all our Education PowerPoint programs (such as Southern Resident Killer Whales, Cetaceans of the Salish Sea, and Puget Pinnipeds), in addition to the PowerPoint portion of our lab programs, virtually through webinar/videoconferencing software, called Cisco Webex. We can even do virtual tours of our upstairs exhibit gallery! If you are interested in doing a virtual program with us, all you would need is a computer, internet, webcam, and microphone/speakers (often built into computers). When you book a virtual program, we are your virtual “host” and send an electronic invite, through email, with a link that you simply click to join the virtual “meeting” at an appointed time/date. It’s as easy as that! Rates for virtual tours are $50 (scholastic) and $75 (non-scholastic). Prices for all other virtual programs are $75 (scholastic) and $100 (non-scholastic). Virtual programs last approximately 45-50 minutes. There is no minimum or a maximum number of participants. You can book any of these programs by contacting Tracie Merrill email or 360-378-4710 ext. 23. Any of our virtual programs can be booked even while TWM is closed to the public.
For the current Salish Sea Association of Marine Naturalist (SSAMN) members, we additionally offer free webinars on a quarterly basis about exciting marine topics. The next one coming up is April 17 and is about the giant Pacific octopus! Not an SSAMN member but want to join? You can join online here.
As you can see, learning doesn’t have to stop! We hope you will explore, and take advantage, of our digital offerings.
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A recording of Southern Resident Killer Whales plays in the stairwell of the museum. As you head up the stairs into the main gallery, the mural painted walls take you from the depths of the Salish Sea, past the images of Southern Residents gliding peacefully by, and up to the surface. As you "breach," you head into the gallery and the sounds of the orcas fade away replaced with the din of families and visitors exploring and learning from our exhibits. Right now though, the recording is off and the halls are quiet. But the natural world continues even when our doors are closed. If you tune into the Lime Kiln hydrophone, you might hear a humpback passing by or a Southern Resident calling to its Pod. Folks who live near the water might still catch a dorsal fin cutting across the Salish Sea. We may not be able to share our exhibits right now, but we can still share our mission, our ideas - and those persist even when the lights are out in the gallery.
One of those ideas we always hope visitors leave with is the notion that stewardship of the Salish Sea and the creatures that call it home starts in our own homes. The choices we make each day, from what we eat to what we recycle, have far-reaching effects that can help not only the whales of the Salish Sea but animals in the oceans, rivers, and streams, wherever they are. Whether it's sharing a story about the Southern Residents with a friend, adopting a whale for a family member, or just taking a shorter shower - you can do your part to help our mission of "promoting stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem through education & research." And when we re-open, we will be just as excited to hear about what you did as we will be to welcome you back into our gallery.
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Photo credits: Jeanne Hyde
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This time of year, J Pod spends time in the inland waters, most often to the north nearer Comox, British Columbia where salmon are more plentiful. It can take a lot of energy to catch a meal as shown here in this historical image series of Raggedy (K-40).
We continue to monitor the hydrophones, listening for not only J Pod who continues to spend time in Canadian waters but also to listen for K and/or L Pod whales, in the event, they come into the Salish Sea.
We use a likeness of Raggedy's dorsal fin in one version of our logo, seen here on our official Whale Museum 2020 hat. We also memorialize her in the Storykeeper Series.
We are looking forward to the 2020 season and the presence of the Southern Resident Community of endangered orcas. |
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The San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network (SJCMMSN) is continuing to respond to strandings as they're reported but is definitely missing the help of our great volunteer network. Last week, we received a call about an adult harbor seal with no apparent wounds or injuries except for scavenging inflicted by nearby eagles. So far this year we've documented 4 strandings, which, despite COVID-19, is on par with our last five years of strandings. As harbor seal pupping season nears, SJCMMSN is preparing for a busy summer and we are happy to have the aid of two summer interns, Audrey Holloway and Sarah Teman.
Remember, if you're in the San Juans this summer and you see a harbor seal pup or any other stranded marine mammal on a beach, remain 100 yards away and call SJCMMSN at 1-800-562-8832
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Welcome to our new Sightings Network Coordinator, Salma Abdel-Raheem. She asks us to please remember, if you see marine mammals in your area, get excited!! And please give them plenty of space, and let us know by calling The Whale Museum Hotline at (800)-562-8832 or emailing us.
The “5 Ws and 1 H” when leaving a report!
- What: animals and behaviors you observed
- Who: if you can confidently identify the individual animal(s) from a pod
- Where: the animal(s) were observed
- When: the date and time you observed the animal(s)
- Why: any obvious environmental factors that you think are important (i.e., orcas chasing salmon are probably feeding)
- How: many animal(s) you observed
Learn more on our website.
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Shop to Support the Salish Sea!
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The Whale Museum Diner Mug - Granny (J-2)
This 10 oz. Diner style mug is printed with The Whale Museum and a memorial likeness of Granny (J-2). Heavyweight and thick-walled, it will keep beverages hot and is durable enough for the microwave and the dishwasher.
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Cetacean Audioscope Print
Proceeds from the purchase of this print benefit our SeaSound Remote Sensing Network program.
8.5 in. x 11 in. print by Ninjagrl from her original art. Prints come unframed.
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We are able to maintain The Whale Museum's Orca Adoption Program working from home, shipping times may be extended. We can’t express enough gratitude for the support we are receiving during this unprecedented, difficult time.
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Get To Know Hy'Shqa (J-37)
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Meet Hy'Shqa (J-37). Her name is a Coast Salish/Samish word for "blessing" or "thank you." To see other orcas available for adoption, click here. Eco Adoptions are paperless, delivered via e-mail to the designated e-mail address. By purchasing an Orca Adoption, you help support our mission to promote stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem through education and research.
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#GivingTuesdayNow is a global day of giving and unity that will take place on May 5, 2020, as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19.
Thank you to all those who have made donations to The Whale Museum recently and over the years. Whether it is a purchase in our Gift Shop, a gift card, a membership, an Orca Adoption, or a donation, every dollar you spend supports our mission and keeps us working on behalf of the orcas. We appreciate you so much and thank you for helping us continue to tell the whales' stories every day!
Following the guidance given by the State of Washington, The Whale Museum exhibit hall & gift shop will remain temporarily closed to the public until at least May 4th. All in-person programming for the near future has been canceled as a preventative measure to help slow the spread of COVID-19 through our community.
We are disappointed that we won't be able to welcome you to the museum during this time, but we are committed to trying to minimize the impact on our visitors and employees during this closure. As a nonprofit, these are not easy decisions, and we will be carefully considering our options and maximizing strategies to support our reopening. Please check back with us.
Our online site (www.whalemuseum.org) for orca adoptions & shopping remain open. We appreciate your patience and understanding and look forward to seeing you at The Whale Museum soon.
Sincerely,
The Whale Museum Team
Please contact the administration office via email at info@whalemuseum.org with any questions.
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For more infoomation visit our website, follow us on Twitter, or like us on Facebook.
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