Whale Museum

THE WHALE MUSEUM'S MISSION IS TO PROMOTE STEWARDSHIP OF WHALES AND THE SALISH SEA ECOSYSTEM THROUGH EDUCATION AND RESEARCH.

THE WHALE MUSEUM CONTINUED TO SUPPORT ITS MISSION DESPITE THE CONTINUED IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC. THE MUSEUM'S GALLERY OF WHALES REMAINED TO BE AN IMPORTANT FOCAL POINT IN DISSEMINATING OUR MESSAGE OF CONSERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP OF THE SALISH SEA AND ITS WILDLIFE TO OUR GUESTS. THE NUMBER OF VISITORS WHO TOURED THE MUSEUM INCREASED TO 25,683. FACILITIES PROJECTS MAINTAINED ACCESSIBILITY, USABILITY, AND COMFORT FOR VISITORS, RESEARCHERS, AND STAFF. IT UPGRADES CONTINUED TO HELP SAFEGUARD THE SECURITY OF OUR COMPUTER SYSTEMS, INFORMATION, AND RESEARCH.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL, SERVED MORE THAN 3,515 TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND LAY NATURALISTS THROUGH 196 PROGRAMS, TOURS AND WORKSHOPS FOCUSED ON MARINE SCIENCE, LOCAL ECOLOGY, AND HISTORY. AT LEAST 1,029 PARTICIPANTS WERE CHILDREN. VIRTUAL PROGRAM REQUESTS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY WHEREBY WE REACHED A MUCH BROADER AUDIENCE WITH OUR MISSION. THIS EQUATED TO OVER 165 PROGRAM HOURS AND AMONG THE MANY GROUPS SERVED, INCLUDED 60 AMERICAN CRUISE LINE GROUPS, 42 ROAD SCHOLAR GROUPS, AND 6 BACKROAD GROUPS. THE MUSEUM ALSO HELD EVENTS INCLUDING GEAR UP AND GEAR DOWN WORKSHOPS FOR NATURALISTS, LECTURES, AND THREE MARINE NATURALIST TRAINING PROGRAMS. THE OREA ADOPTION PROGRAM REMAINED ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR TWM PROGRAMS REFLECTING GENEROUS ENGAGEMENT BY THE PUBLIC. IT PROVIDED EDUCATION PACKETS ABOUT INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THE ENDANGERED SOUTHERN RESIDENT OREA COMMUNITY TO APPROXIMATELY NEW 2,000 ORCA ADOPTERS. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MEMBERSHIPS AND ORCA ADOPTIONS CONSTITUTED 2,200,. INCLUDING 30 CLASSROOMS AND 100 FAMILY ADOPTIONS. THE MUSEUM'S MONTHLY E-NEWS WAS SENT ON AVERAGE TO AN AVERAGE OF 21,500 SUBSCRIBERS. THE PRINTED CETUS NEWSLETTERS WERE PUBLISHED IN THE SPRING AND FALL AND SENT TO APPROXIMATELY 4,500 MUSEUM MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES.

THE WHALE MUSEUM'S SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PROGRAMS INCLUDED SOUNDWATCH (EDUCATION AND RESEARCH) WHICH OPERATED ON THE WATER FROM MAY-SEPTEMBER FOR 101 DAYS. SOUNDWATCH SPENT 492 HOURS MONITORING MARINE MAMMALS, 645 HOURS ON THE WATER TRAVELING 3,560 NAUTICAL MILES, AND CONTACTED 1,380 PEOPLE IN EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH. SAN JUAN COUNTY MARINE MAMMAL STRANDING NETWORK (SJCMMSN) RESPONDED TO 131 STRANDING CALLS, COMPLETED 96 FIELD INVESTIGATIONS, AND CONDUCTED 11 NECROPSIES ON DECEASED MARINE MAMMALS. SJCMMSN GAVE SEVERAL PRESENTATIONS IN LOCAL CLASSROOMS ON SALISH SEA MARINE MAMMOLOGY. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE SJCMMSN, SOUNDWATCH CONDUCTED 192 HOURS OF AND HOSTED NEARLY 16 PUBLIC DOCK TALKS, AN OFF-WATER PUBLIC EDUCATION PLATFORM WITH VISUAL AIDS AND OUTREACH MATERIALS FOR DISTRIBUTION. TOGETHER WITH THE SOUNDWATCH PROGRAM, SJCMMSN PUBLISHED 2 PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES. THE WHALE MUSEUM'S SIGHTINGS NETWORK ADDED OVER 11,500 REPORTS TO THE SIGHTINGS ARCHIVE. THESE REPORTS ARE THE RESULT OF THE ONGOING COLLABORATION BETWEEN DATA-SHARING PARTNERS, STATE/FEDERAL RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS, THE WHALE HOTLINE, THE WHALE MUSEUM STAFF, AND THE EFFORTS OF THE PUBLIC AND OTHER VOLUNTEERS.