Useful Links

Combining conservation biology with litigation, policy advocacy, and an innovative strategic vision, the Center for Biological Diversity is working to secure a future for animals and plants hovering on the brink of extinction, for the wilderness they need to survive, and by extension for the spiritual welfare of generations to come.

Friends of the San Juans
 is a non-profit who’s goal is to protect and promote the health and future of the San Juan Islands’ land, water, and natural and human communities through comprehensive planning, individual and community participation and fostering a stewardship ethic.

For examples of how you can take part in land based whale watching, take a look at the information that the Ragens have put together on their trips to San Juan Island. Click here.

The Whale Museum attempts to increase the public’s understanding and appreciation of the marine environment, with special emphasis on whales. Located in Friday Harbor, WA, the museum has a video theater and educational resource center, extensive exhibits devoted to whales, their environment and behavior, and a Whale Hotline to help track the behavior of marine mammals and potential dangers to them.

The Strawberry Isle Research Society is a group of naturalists living and working on the waters of west coast Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The Society conducts primary research and monitoring of various marine ecosystems in Clayoquot Sound, promotes public interest and awareness of the marine environment, and supports other researchers in their related studies.

Cetacean Society International is an all-volunteer, conservation, education, and research organization with volunteer representatives in 26 countries around the world, dedicated to the preservation and protection of all cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) and the marine environment on a global basis.

WhaleNet is an interactive educational project focusing on whales and marine research, sponsored by Wheelock College in Boston, Massachusetts with support from the National Science Foundation.

The Marine Mammal Center works to foster the survival and the conservation of marine mammals and their habitat through rescue and humane treatment of ill, injured or orphaned marine mammals, to return healthy animals to the wild; through scientific inquiry, to increase knowledge of marine mammals, their health and their environment; and through education and communication programs, to increase appreciation of marine mammals, foster informed decision-making and inspire action to protect the marine environment.

WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, is the world’s most active charity dedicated to the conservation and welfare of all whales, dolphins and porpoises.

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Protected Resources

Sign up for the MARMAM listserv. MARMAM is an edited e-mail discussion list which focuses on marine mammal research and conservation, run through the University of Victoria. The list was established in August 1993 specifically for marine mammal researchers and graduate students, as well as those actively involved in marine mammal conservation and management. As of January 2002 there were over 4,100 subscribers from 72 different countries. Anyone may subscribe to the list.

The North Pacific Universities Marine Mammal Reseach Consortium conducts research on the relationship between fisheries and marine mammals, such as Steller sea lions, in the North Pacific Ocean and the Eastern Bering Sea.

The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary is located off the Pacific coast of the state of Washington. The website will tell you all about the sanctuary and its marine mammal inhabitants, and what you can do if you come across a stranded marine mammal.

The Sea Doc Society is a science-based program focused on improving the health of the inland waters of Washington state and British Columbia, Canada (the Puget Sound/Northwest Straits/Georgia Basin region). The Society’s mission is to provide objective science on issues concerning wildlife and ecosystem health in an effort to inform and guide effective policy and management through funding and conducting research, and facilitating collaboration between regional scientists.