Celebrate Washginton Orca Awareness Month in June!

Go here for June 2008 is Orca Awareness Month poster.

See the new Orca Awareness Month website!



2008.Gov.Proclamation PDF

Orca Awareness Month is co-sponsored by:
Hoodsport Winery
Save Our Wild Salmon
The Center for Whale Research
The Whale Museum
Whale Watch Operators Association Northwest
The Highland Inn, San Juan Island

Orca Month event honors and celebrates Center for Whale Research

We truly hope you are able to join us for this great event - we promise an evening of fun, learning about whales, amazing orca photography and stories, and wonderful food, wine, and company!
Limited seating available - make your reservation soon -
Susan Berta & Howard Garrett, Orca Network

Center for Whale Research staff David Ellifrit and Astrid Van Ginneken featured at
Orca Month dinner and presentation
June 28th, 5:30 pm
Flounder Bay Cafe, Skyline Marina, Anacortes

Join Orca Network in celebrating Orca Awareness Month and honoring the Center for Whale Research for their decades of work surveying and learning about the Southern Resident orcas. Ken Balcomb began Orca Survey in 1976, when hired by the National Marine Fisheries Service to count the orca population after many had been captured for marine parks. Ken was only hired for one year, and his survey, in collaboration with Dr. Michael Bigg who was contracted by Canada to conduct a similar survey, revealed that approximately one half to one third of the population had been removed or killed during the captures. Ken also realized these were unique, intelligent, social whales, with long lifespans, and that very little could be learned about them in one year. Ken continued his Orca Survey and founded the Center for Whale Research, and has been learning and informing others about the Southern Resident orcas ever since.

Orca Network is honored to welcome Center for Whale Research staff members David Ellifrit and Astrid Van Ginneken as keynote speakers to celebrate Orca Awareness Month (and a surprise appearance by Ken Balcomb is possible - it's just difficult for him to schedule around the whales too much in advance!).

Dave and Astrid have dedicated their lives to conduct field research to better understand the natural history and demographics of the Southern Resident Orca Community. Dave and Astrid have accompanied the orcas, documenting their movements for countless hours over decades and have been instrumental in acquiring the information needed by the public and state and federal agencies to protect this endangered orca clan.

So what better way to wrap up a month-long celebration of Orca Awareness Month than to join us for dinner and stories with Dave and Astrid, presentations about the Southern Resident orcas, and to celebrate the decades of work accomplished by the Center for Whale Research, in an evening of sharing our love for and commitment to our amazing orca neighbors?!

Please join us Saturday, June 28th at the Flounder Bay Cafe at Skyline Marina in Anacortes for a 5:30 pm wine-tasting featuring Hoodsport Orca Wine from the Washington Wine and Beverage Company, appetizers, scrumptious dinner choices, and an evening learning about these amazing whales and what we can do to protect them. Cost of the event is $50, with proceeds supporting Orca Network's Whale Sighting Network and education programs.

For reservations, please contact Orca Network by June 26th, at 1-866-ORCANET or info@orcanetwork.org.

Sound Conversations With Ken Balcomb III
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Seattle Aquarium
Host Jeff Renner will converse with Ken Balcomb III, Founder/Executive Director, Center for Whale Research. Ken will share science and stories of his 30 year relationship with the local orcas, and what you can do to help. A reception with light refreshments will precede the program.

Please visit Orca Network at our display on Saturday at World Ocean Celebration at the Seattle Aquarium
Sat, 7 Jun, 2008 12:00 AM - Sun, 8 Jun, 2008 11:59 PM

Join the Seattle Aquarium as we celebrate World Ocean Day with a whole weekend of special talks and activities. Our World Ocean Celebration is all about whales. Special talks and activities will help us understand why whales are important to the Ocean, and how even the things we do on land can affect whales – especially our local Orcas.
Fees: Included with regular Aquarium admission.
Contact: 206-386-4300

Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit of Mountainside Films are pleased to announce several upcoming festival screenings of their award-winning feature documentary, Saving Luna, in Vancouver, Missoula, Telluride and Seattle. Saving Luna is the true story of Luna, a Southern Resident orca who was separated from his family and tried to make friends with people in Nootka Sound, BC. The film has screened at numerous film festivals throughout the world, and has been honoured with 10 awards, including an Indie Award for Best Documentary from the Canadian Film and Television Production Association.
Seattle International Film Festival, Seattle, WA
WASHINGTON PREMIERE
Saturday, June 7, 11:00 am, SIFF Cinema, Seattle, WA
Sunday, June 8 at 1:30.
Both screenings are at the SIFF Cinema, 321 Mercer St, Seattle. Tickets online at SIFF.
Michael and Suzanne will attend both screenings for Q&A.

The Whale Museum's June events include:
June 14 - 5:30 p.m. 2nd Annual Greeting Ceremony Mullis Center (Friday Harbor)
June 21 - evening Annual "OrcaSing" Lime Kiln Point State Park
June 22 - 11a - 3p The Whale Museum at the "Vote Your Choice" in-store event Patagonia Seattle (1st Ave.)
June 28 - 6:30 p.m. Pod Nod -- sleep-over for children The Whale Museum

People for Puget Sound's
PUGET SOUND VOICES 2008 celebrates Orca Month!.
Tune in to 91.7FM on Tuesdays at 5PM or listen live at KSVR, or listen to archived programs.

Tuesday, June 3
Orca 101 with
Howard Garrett will tell us about the most charismatic mammal in Puget Sound, and what's your story of the first time you saw an orca whale?

Tuesday, June 10
Best Whale-Watching Places
Learn about Lime Kiln State Park on San Juan Island where the annual Orca Sing event with the City Cantabile Choir takes place each June.

Tuesday, June 17
Orca Safe Boating
Kari Koski of the SoundWatch Program talks about balancing boating traffic and protecting the habitat of our resident orcas.

Tuesday, June 24
Watching Orcas by Boat
Whale watching is big business. Learn how tour operators are educating the public about orca populations and the health of Puget Sound.

June 21st the 7th annual evening Orca Sing concert at Lime Kiln State Park on San Juan Island, sponsored by ACS/PS, City Cantabile Choir, Friends of the San Juans, People for Puget Sound, and The Whale Museum. We are also thankful for support from the San Juan County Parks Department.

Please Support, volunteer for, or join these organizations:

Center for Whale Research
Orca Network
The Whale Museum and SoundWatch
Cascadia Research
Save our Wild Salmon
Killer Whale Tales
Friends of San Juans
Washington Toxics
People for Puget Sound
Puget Soundkeeper
Re-Sources
American Cetacean Society
Washington Environmental Council
Washington Trout/Wild Fish Conservancy
Earth Justice
National Resource Defense Council
National Wildlife Federation
Surfrider Foundation
The Nature Conservancy
OrcaLab
Lifeforce Foundation