Beam Reach: Recent Episodes
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Call to action: email the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans in Canada, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, at min@dfo-mpo.gc.ca and ask him to publish the full necropsy report and all other information known to the Canadian government to be related to the death of Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) J34! A ship’s propeller likely did this damage […]
Yesterday afternoon, endangered southern resident killer whales (SRKWs) were sighted in Monterey Bay, California. This was a very rare sighting of L pod members at the extreme southern end of their range. They haven’t been seen in Monterey Bay since 2011. Here’s what it looked like from the drone of Monterey Bay Whale Watch: SRKWs […]
Cause of blunt force trauma still unclear in endangered killer whales Annual status updates (in remembrance): 20 Dec 2020: Final necropsy report not yet released20 Dec 2019: Final necropsy report not yet released20 Dec 2018: Final necropsy report not yet released20 Dec 2017: Final necropsy report not yet released20 Dec 2016: Sechelt Band members spot […]
Today was the deadline for public comments on a 208-page draft “long-range” plan for Washington State Ferries (WSF). For the record, here are my comments (as President of Beam Reach) submitted via their web form. Don’t miss the very end; I really like the idea of hybrid ferries beam-reaching across the Sound under mega-kite power […]
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the Acoustical Society of America is offering select sessions via live and recorded webinars during their 175th meeting this week in Minnesota. I was even more pleased to see that there is some content relevant to animal bioacoustics! This is the sort of increased public access I’ve felt ASA […]
Today (5/1/18), the first meeting of the southern resident killer whale (SRKW) Task Force was held in Lacey, WA, and was live-streamed by Washington TV. Established by Executive Order of Governor Inslee on March 14, the SRKW Task Force is co-chaired by Stephanie Solien and Les Purse and today approved a draft charter which orders […]
Today (3/14/18) in Seattle, Governor Jay Inslee signed Executive Order 18:02, setting the stage for Washington State agencies to implement immediate actions to benefit the southern resident killer whales, (aka SRKWs) — an endangered population of salmon-eating orcas. The order also creates a SRKW Task Force which will guide “implementation of a longer-term action plan.” A […]
On Tuesday December 12, 2017, the Washington Maritime Blue initiative was launched at Bell Harbor conference center in Seattle. Overlooking Elliott Bay on a crisp winter day, the State unveiled the new 21-member Maritime Innovation Advisory Council. In a nutshell this appears to be an effort by local experts to generate a strategic plan for […]
Listening for whales A discussion of hydrophone networks — past and future — with an emphasis on the Salish Sea (Washington State, USA; and British Columbia, Canada) Talk and discussion hosted by the Puget Sound Chapter of the American Cetacean Society (Facebook event) January 18, 2017 at the Phinney Ridge Community Center in Seattle The […]
Ken Balcomb the biologist is sick of watching the iconic orcas of the Northwest die, especially mothers and their calves. On Friday (10/28/2016) he became Ken Balcomb the activist, asking us all (the public!) to participate in saving the salmon-eating killer whales he has studied for almost 50 years. Call to action: SUPPORT EXECUTIVE ACTION […]