Submitted by The Whale Museum

A special Soundwatch meet and greet will be held at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 31 at The Whale Museum. Meet the new Soundwatch Coordinator Sadie Youngstrom and the 2017 team.

The Soundwatch Boater Education Program was initiated in 1993 by The Whale Museum to reduce disturbances to marine wildlife caused by irresponsible boater behaviors. This innovative program educates boaters on guidelines and regulations for marine wildlife through shore-based education, reinforces the learning experience through on–the-water educational patrols, monitors vessel activities to characterize vessel trends, and evaluates existing guidelines and laws. The main focus is the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales, but there are other marine mammal species of importance in our region, including transient killer whales, Minke whales, Humpback whales, Fin whales, Harbor porpoise, Dall’s porpoise, Harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and many other cetacean and pinniped species. Visit www.whalemuseum.org/programs/soundwatch/soundwatch.html for more information.

The meet and greet is free and open to the public. The Whale Museum is located in Friday Harbor at 62 First St. N. Founded in 1976, The Whale Museum’s mission is to promote stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem through education and research. In addition to providing exhibits, the museum provides other programs including the Marine Naturalist Training, Orca Adoption Program, SeaSound Acoustics Program, San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and the Whale Hotline. The Whale Museum can be found at www.whalemuseum.org.