Orca (Killer) Whales are a favorite subject and pastime in the Pacific North
west, and we have our own familiar pods that come and go on their way to Alaska every year. Recently the Port Townsend Marine Science Center was awarded a grant for $150,000 to help us learn more about them and the environment they live in.
The money comes from a federal agency, The Institute of Museum and Library Services. The money will be used for a project involving an Orca Whale that was stranded on the Dungeness Spit in 2002 in Sequim, WA. This whale was found to have the highest PCBs ever found in a marine mammal. The plan is to build an exhibit to display the skeleton of this whale to tell the story of the condition and health of our waters.
The Whale museum in Friday Harbor as well as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will be assisting in this project. The center has one year to complete this project and raise matching funds.
Port Townsend Marine Science Center at Fort Worden
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