Organized whale watching started in the United States, when the Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego was declared a public venue for observing the migration of Gray Whales; the spectacle attracted 10,000 visitors in its first year, 1950.[1] In 1955 the first water-based whale watching commenced in the same area, charging customers $1 per

Dolphins and whales are closely related. Orcas were given the name ‘killer whale’ by ancient sailors’ observations of groups of orcas hunting and preying on larger whale species. They called orcas asesina ballenas, or ‘whale killer’ – a term that was eventually flipped around to the easier ‘killer whale’. Their Latin name, Orcinus orca,

The San Juan Islands provide one of the best whale watching opportunities anywhere in the world, offering calm waters and a huge variety of wildlife which includes our three pods of resident Orca whales. There are also humpback, minke, and grey whales that frequent the waters surrounding our departure locations.

The individuals of any particular pod share the same repertoire of calls, a vocalization system called a dialect. Although scientists have noted that there is some type of structure to the calls, a dialect is not the same thing as a language. Analysis of killer whale call patterns has demonstrated substantial differences between the

"Kids for Orcas" Activities start at 3 pm Saturday at Whale Bell Park in Langley. Then join us for an educational presentation by London Fletcher, Jr. Orca Advocate at 5 pm at our Langley Whale Center.

Check this out.  Folks are starting to mobilize. People are paying attenting. The recreational fishing and whale watching communites in Puget Sound is way about ahead of this, but any help is appriceiated. http://www.thurstontalk.com/…/puget-sound-recovery-caucus-…/

The gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus),[1] also known as the grey whale,[4] gray back whale, Pacific gray whale, or California gray whale[5] is a baleen whale that migrates between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. It reaches a length of 14.9 meters (49 ft), a weight of 36 tonnes (40 short tons), and lives between 55 and

1 / 2 Largest of the dolphins, the orca, is a highly successful predator, feeding on fish, seals, and sometimes whales. Common Name: Orca (Killer Whale) Scientific Name: Orcinus orca Type: Mammals Diet: Carnivores Group Name: Pod Average life span in The Wild: 50 to 80 years Size: 23 to 32 ft Weight: Up to 6

Killer whales have a diverse diet, although individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey. Some feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals such as seals and dolphins. They have been known to attack baleen whale calves, and even adult whales. Killer whales are apex predators, as there is

Killer whales are very sophisticated and effective predators of marine mammals. Thirty-two cetacean species have been recorded as prey, from observing orcas' feeding activity, examining the stomach contents of dead orcas, and seeing scars on the bodies of surviving prey animals. Groups even attack larger cetaceans such as minke whales, gray whales,[122] and, rarely,