About Us

Orca Network is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the whales of the Pacific Northwest, and the importance of providing them with healthy and safe habitats. Since 2001, Orca Network has been finding ways for people to work together to protect the rich, beautiful, diverse habitats and inhabitants of the Salish Sea. We raise awareness and inspire action through several key programs:

• Whale Sighting Network: Collects citizen sightings, providing data for research and information back to the public.
• Marine Mammal Stranding Network: Responds to strandings in Island, Skagit, and Snohomish counties.
• Education & Advocacy: Engages the community via the Langley Whale Center, online platforms, alerts, and outreach to highlight impacts and solutions for protecting species like Southern Resident orcas and Chinook salmon.

Based on Whidbey Island, Orca Network uses a grass-roots, collaborative approach to connect people with whales and motivate the protection of the Salish Sea ecosystem.

We acknowledge with respect that we are on the traditional lands and waters of the Coast Salish Peoples. We are grateful for their ancestral and continued stewardship of these land and waters and their traditional ecological knowledge. Through reciprocity, we show gratitude for the many tribal friends and elders we have had the pleasure to work with, who guide us as we work together in our shared commitment to orca and salmon recovery. We respect the rights of federally recognized and unrecognized Coast Salish peoples’ to sovereignty and self-determination.  We will continue to uplift Indigenous voices and initiatives as we become better listeners and learners as an organization and community.