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.
Our marine naturalist training course (MNTP) is an intensive five-day overview of the natural history of the San Juan Islands and the marine waters of Washington and Southern British Columbia (known as the Salish Sea). This course includes an in-depth treatment of the ecology and conservation of local marine species, presented by highly trained local naturalists, environmental educators, and scientists. The upcoming summer session will be dynamic, high-quality hybrid experiences that leave graduates qualified as a regional professional or volunteer naturalist. We are sold out on the field trip portion but still have spots available for the virtual portion.
Virtual Presentations (approximately 9-4 Pacific time): July 8-12, 2025
In-Person Field Trips on San Juan Island: July 25-27, 2025 (must have completed MNTP to participate)
Class days will mostly be full days, starting around 9:00 am and ending around 4:00 pm PT.
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 it in-person at TWM or stream using this YouTube link!
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!