The Whale Museum facts for kids

The Whale Museum is a cool place in Friday Harbor, Washington. It's a natural history museum that opened in 1979. Its main goal is to teach people about whales living in the wild. The museum wants to help protect wild whales in the Salish Sea. They do this through fun education and research programs.

What You Can See: Awesome Exhibits

The Whale Museum has many exciting things to see!

• You can find huge, life-sized models of whales.
• There are also real whale skeletons on display.
• Learn about the Southern Resident killer whales. These are special orcas that live nearby.
• The museum shares the latest science about local whale species.
• You can also see exhibits about pinnipeds (like seals and sea lions).
• Learn about porpoises and other marine mammals of the Salish Sea.
• Watch cool videos about wildlife.
• See artifacts from Northwest Native American culture. These items are linked to marine mammals.

The museum also helps with real-life whale stories. For example, they were part of the story of orca Springer. They also helped investigate Sooke (L-112). Sooke was a young orca found near Long Beach, Washington in 2012.

Learning and Helping: Programs and Research

The Whale Museum runs several programs to help whales and teach people.

Whale Sighting Network

This program keeps track of whale sightings in the Salish Sea. People have been reporting sightings since 1976. You can call the toll-free Whale Hotline to share if you see a whale!

Marine Mammal Stranding Network

This network started in 1981. It helps when marine mammals get stranded, whether they are alive or not. If an animal is alive, it might go to Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Dead animals are studied by scientists at University of Washington Friday Harbor Labs. This helps them learn about the health of local whale groups and the ocean.

Listening to Whales: Hydrophone Network

The Whale Museum is part of the Salish Sea Hydrophone Network, called SeaSound. Hydrophones are like underwater microphones. They listen for whale vocalizations (whale sounds). They also detect boat noise and other sounds underwater. The museum mainly uses a hydrophone near Lime Kiln Point State Park. They have had a research lab there since 1983.

Adopt an Orca: Orca Adoption Program

This program lets you learn more about the Southern Resident Killer Whales. You can learn about their unique markings and their family trees. It's a great way to connect with these amazing animals.

Education for All Ages

The museum offers many learning programs for both kids and adults. Some topics include:

• Southern Resident Killer Whales
• Whale Acoustics Lab (learning about whale sounds)
• The Gray Whale Project
• Cetaceans of the Salish Sea (all types of whales and dolphins)
• The Orca ID Lab (how to identify individual orcas)
• Puget Pinnipeds (seals and sea lions in the Puget Sound)

Marine Naturalist Training

This program happens twice a year. It's a deep dive into the natural history of the Salish Sea. You can learn a lot about the local environment.

Soundwatch: Boater Education

Soundwatch started in 1993. It teaches boaters and kayakers about laws for being near whales. It also promotes "Be Whale Wise" guidelines. These rules help keep whales safe from boats.

The Whale Museum is a non-profit organization. This means it's run by a board of directors and uses its money to help whales, not for profit.