Skip to main content
The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature
  • About
  • The Sanctuary
  • Whale Aid
  • The Whales
  • Deeper Dive
  • Blog
  • Events

Donate  Subscribe

  • About
  • The Sanctuary
  • Whale Aid
  • The Whales
  • Deeper Dive
  • Blog
  • Events

Site Search in Washington State

Posted October 26, 2019 in News by Michael Mountain

(Second in a series of posts about our search for the best location for a seaside sanctuary for captive orcas or beluga whales. This post is about the San Juan Islands off the coast of Seattle.)

While the sites we explored in B.C. are remote from cities, those in the San Juan Islands are within easy reach of a major metropolitan area. That’s a big plus in terms of having access to power, infrastructure, and all the facilities that staff members would need for their families who are living there year-round.

It also means, of course, that many of the sites we’ve looked at that would be ideal for a sanctuary are also close to people with homes and businesses nearby. And while they love the idea of a sanctuary, many people prefer not to give up any coastal access.

One location that doesn’t have this challenge is Deepwater Bay on Cypress Island, which is sparsely populated and close to the mainland. Deepwater Bay is home to some Department of Natural Resources operations. It was formerly a salmon hatchery that failed two years ago, and the owners must give up possession by 2023, so we’re working to see if we can acquire the bay sooner than that for an orca sanctuary.

The bay has good depth and excellent tidal and current flows, and can be segmented to accommodate the net enclosures. It is also close to the mainland and it continues to be one of our preferred sites.

 

Plight of the Southern Resident Orcas

Orcas being rounded up in Penn Cove in 1970. Photo: Wallie Funk/Whidbey News Times

Just as the region we explored in British Columbia is home to the Northern Resident orcas, the waters around the San Juan Islands are home to the Southern Residents.

For more than a decade, starting in 1965, some 270 orcas were captured in these waters. More than 50 of them were dispatched to entertainment parks around the world. Others either died or were later released. The Southern Residents have never recovered from this travesty, and their situation is only made worse by pollution, noise and lack of food.

In the summer of 2018, the world was transfixed by the scene of a mother orca carrying her dead infant in what could only be interpreted as a display of profound grief and loss. Tahlequah/J-35 had given birth to a daughter who had lived for only 30 minutes. With help from other members of her family, Tahlequah kept the dead baby afloat for 17 days as the pod continued to ply the waters of the Salish Sea, off the coast of Seattle, in their search of an ever-diminishing supply of food.

At the same time, another young member of the family, Scarlet/J-50, was ailing, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) asked the Whale Sanctuary Project, along with several local organizations, to join in an emergency effort in the Pacific Northwest to try to save her life.

“Our team has expertise to assess her health and to provide help to her at this critical time,” our Executive Director Charles Vinick said. “It is something we must do and as much as we are committed to improving the welfare of captive whales, we must also do all we can to help free-ranging whales.”

As it turned out, it was too late to save Scarlet’s life. But it was also clear to us that if our sanctuary were to be in these waters, and with a full staff of veterinarians and caregivers at hand, it could play a key role in providing emergency short-term care to other free-ranging whales in need.

The Lummi Nation and Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut

To most of us, they’re killer whales or orcas. But to the Lummi Nation of the Pacific Northwest, they are “qw’e lh’ol’ me chen” – our relations who live under the water.

“Lolita” entertaining tourists at the Miami Seaquarium

One of those relations is the sole survivor of the infamous kidnappings of infant Southern Resident orcas. Now 53-years old, she still spends her days in a concrete tank at the Miami Seaquarium, where she is known as Lolita. To the Lummi, however, she is Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut, and they are determined to bring her home.

Last year, they carved a totem pole in her honor and brought it to Miami, where they held ceremonies to press for her return. The totem itself is a stunning artistic achievement: a 16-foot orca resting on two harbor seals and with their mythic “Whale Rider” on her back.

We are honored to be collaborating with the Sovereignty and Treaty Protection Office of the Lummi Nation and with other tribal nations as we work to create a seaside sanctuary for orcas who are retired from life in concrete tanks and that can also serve as a rescue and rehabilitation facility for marine mammals in the region.

Town Meetings

In July of this year, we held a series of six town meetings across the Salish Sea region – Seattle, Olympia, Gig Harbor, San Juan Island, Lopez Island and Orcas Island – to discuss our concept for a home in the San Juan Islands for orcas who are retired from entertainment parks, and how it can also serve as a rehab/rescue facility for the endangered Southern Resident orcas.

Here’s the presentation at the meeting in Seattle. Lori Marino talks about the origins of the Whale Sanctuary Project in the wake of the movie Blackfish as public opinion began pressing for an end to using whales and dolphins as a form of entertainment. She describes how a group of whale and dolphin scientists, former trainers, attorneys, writers and other experts came together to plan the creation of a seaside sanctuary where orcas and belugas could be retired; and what it’s like for whales and dolphins living in concrete tanks.  Jeff Foster describes the main features of a seaside sanctuary and how it can also serve the needs of orcas in the wild. And then Charles Vinick talks about the locations we’ve been exploring and what it will take to create the sanctuary itself. The presentation runs 42 minutes:

After each of the presentation at the six town meetings, there was a Q&A period, including general comments and discussion. Here’s the Q&A session from the meeting on Lopez Island, trimmed to 20 minutes from its original 40:

And here are some photos from the various town meetings:

  • The Seattle Times announces the town meetings.
  • At the Seattle town meeting, Jeff Foster explains some of the criteria that go into choosing a location for a seaside sanctuary.
  • Lori Marino describes what characterizes an authentic sanctuary and how it's different from a zoo or commercial entertainment facility.
  • Charles Vinick answers questions at the Lopez Island meeting.
  • At each town meeting, we hand out a brief info package that summarizes the presentation.
  • The meeting room at Orcas Island. (Fun fact: Orcas Island isn’t named after orcas. It’s an abbreviation of “Horcasitas,” the Spanish viceroy of Mexico, who sent an expedition to the region in 1791.)
  • Lori Marino with Gail Leese, friend and supporter of the Whale Sanctuary Project.
  • Some more candid shots taken after the meeting on Orcas Island. (If one of these in this or the next couple of slides is you, let us know your name and we'll drop it in the caption.)
  • Ken and Mariann Carrasco (left) were a huge help in organizing and publicizing the meetings on Orcas, Lopez and San Juan islands.
  • Jeff and Katy Foster give a shout-out to our friends at Munchkin Inc., the lead sponsor of the Whale Sanctuary Project. Munchkin makes great products for babies and children like four-month-old Maggie!

Next: Nova Scotia.

 

 

1 Comment

  • Deb Kaukol says:
    November 4, 2019 at 2:40 PM

    I fully support this. We need the Orcas back in familiar waters with their families.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Site Search Report

A series of posts about the status of our work in selecting a location for the first seaside sanctuary in North America for orcas and beluga whales being retired from captivity at marine entertainment parks. Site Search in Nova Scotia

Third in a series of posts about our search for the best location for a seaside sanctuary for captive whales. Local communities have been a major help in in finding a suitable location and in working with us as potential partners in the creation of a sanctuary.Read more

Site Search in Washington State

Second in a series of posts about our search for the best location for a seaside sanctuary for captive whales. Sites we’ve explored in Washington State have easier access to infrastructure, etc. But most also have vacation and other homes and businesses nearby.Read more

Site Search in British Columbia

First in a series of posts about our search for the best location for a seaside sanctuary for captive whales. The number of possible locations in British Columbia must be in the thousands. Most of them, however, are too far from human civilization – fresh water, power, transport, schools, medical facilities – to be practical.Read more

     *          *          *

Thank you for supporting the Whale Sanctuary Project. Your donations make this work possible.

 

Also on the Blog

  • Canada Bans Captivity of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises
  • Orca Brains and Intelligence
  • A Deep Dive into Environmental Analysis
  • TEDx Talk “Whales Without Walls” by Charles Vinick
  • Whale Aid Russia

Live Series of Webinars

What is an authentic sanctuary?
Latest discoveries about beluga whale societies
The psychology of captivity.
Free Willy and the legacy of Keiko.
… and many more.

A series of engaging conversations >

Join Us

Subscribe for Latest News

Make a donation

Get email updates

Subscribe

Follow Us

Help create the sanctuary

Make a donation
  • Privacy Policy |
  • Terms and Conditions of Use |
  • Contact Us |
  • UX Design by Dialogue Theory

© 2023 The Whale Sanctuary Project. All Rights Reserved.