The Whale Museum is open daily from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm with some exceptions. View our current hours here.
Upcoming Events and Programs:
Note: all times are listed in Pacific Time.
The invisible loss of biodiversity before species has been identified and described in scientific literature has been termed, memorably, dark extinction. Dr. Williams coined the phrase “Bright Extinction” to describe its opposite: a decline in a well-studied population when the threats are well documented. The critically endangered Southern Resident killer whale population is one of the most well-studied marine mammals on the planet. Why are they not recovering? Dr. Williams will present findings from a recent collaborative effort to understand why. The talk will end with a vision of what we can all do to rebuild the natural resilience of our iconic orcas to human-caused stressors, and to prevent the extinction of this iconic population.
Dr. Williams is Chief Scientist and co-founder of Oceans Initiative, a conservation research nonprofit. He works to find creative solutions to address some of the world’s most pressing marine conservation issues. Rob’s work on killer whales began in Johnstone Strait, British Columbia nearly 30 years ago and continues today to identify and advance innovative solutions to support Southern Resident Killer Whale recovery. A Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation, Rob is committed to advancing our understanding on a diverse set of marine conservation issues including biodiversity assessments, Marine Protected Areas, fisheries bycatch, ocean noise, ship strikes, and deep-sea mining.
All Summer Lecture Series events are free and open to the public! Catch a recording of this presentation using this YouTube link!
The Whale Museum’s Summer Lecture Series continues July 23 at 7:00 PM PT with Erin Falcone and Greg Schorr from Marine Ecology and Telemetry Research! Their lecture is entitled, “Understanding the Impacts of Military Training on Southern (California) Residents” and will be available to attend for free at The Whale Museum or streaming live on our YouTube channel.
The Southern Resident killer whales have taught us that where a whale spends its time can really affect its life history, especially if its home range overlaps with humans. But these aren’t the only whales that form small resident populations in areas with lots of human activities, and we need to understand our impacts on these often sensitive populations to ensure their viability. This talk presents ongoing work to understand the effects of military training- especially the use of powerful sonar systems- on a uniquely challenging whale species: the goose-beaked whale.
Erin Falcone and Greg Schorr founded Marine Ecology and Telemetry Research, a small non-profit organization based in Seabeck, WA, to conduct conservation-driven marine mammal research. They lead a long-term study at a major US Navy training range in California to better understand the impact military activity has on local whale populations.
Do you have a little aspiring marine scientist in your household?
TWM's Junior Marine Scientist Camp might be the perfect fit! Geared towards youngsters aged 7 to 14 years old (2nd to 8th grades), this multi-day camp will help your youngster learn about whales, seals, sea lions, and salmon and is filled with interactive and hands-on activities such as building skeletons, games, PowerPoint presentations, crafts, specimens to touch and see, stories, & will end in a fun sleepover (Pod Nod) at the museum. Youth can be registered for each camp day and the Pod Nod separately or there is a package discount if they do the full program. We promise a high adult to child ratio and a whale of a good time for the children! To register and find more details, go here!
We periodically send out announcements, action items and updates about issues affecting the Southern Resident Orcas and The Whale Museum.
The Whale Museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization registered with the Secretary of State in Olympia, Washington. We acknowledge that The Whale Museum, and program operations affiliated with The Whale Museum, are situated on the ancestral homelands and waters of the Coast Salish Peoples who have called this place home since time immemorial. We aim to acknowledge and respect Indigenous cultures in our museum exhibits and educational programs.
Copyright © 2025 The Whale Museum. All right reserved.