Last updated: September 1, 2022
Place
The Whale Museum
Kim Karu Photography
Quick Facts
Amenities
10 listed
Benches/Seating, Bicycle - Rack, Bus/Shuttle Stop, Electrical Outlet/Cell Phone Charging, Gifts/Souvenirs/Books, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Parking - Auto, Restroom, Toilet - Flush
San Juan Island is rightly famous for the whales who call its waters home. If you want to see them in person, we encourage you to take our land-based whale watching tour. If you want to know more about their lives and natural history, you should head to The Whale Museum, located in the town of Friday Harbor. Check out their hours and admission fees here!
The whale museum was established in 1979 and combines public education with ongoing groundbreaking research. Visitors to The Whale Museum can learn about the many types of whales that call The Salish Sea's waters home. Actual whale skeletons give visitors a sense of the scale of these mammoth marine mammals, while recorded whale song enables you to understand how they communicate. Other exhibits focus on the environmental threats facing whales, encouraging visitors to exercise good stewardship and play their part in helping whales to flourish.
The museum’s main focus is on the Southern Resident Killer Whales, an endangered species of Orca who call our waters home. Visitors can learn the genealogy of the Southern Residents and understand the differences between their pods. Educational programs help give visitors a sense of these unique and breathtaking creatures. The museum also features a gift shop, regular lectures, information on recent whale sightings and child friendly activities.
The Whale Museum is not just a place to learn more about these charismatic creatures. It also supports ongoing research and conservation activities that help understand and protect whales. Its stranding network helps actively protect stranded or abandoned marine mammals on our shores. The Whale Museum’s network of hydrophones and whale hotlines provide ongoing information to the public about current whale activities. The Whale Museum also sponsors soundwatch, a program that trains boaters on responsible whale viewing and regular Marine Naturalist Trainings which inculcate stewardship values to participants.
The whale museum was established in 1979 and combines public education with ongoing groundbreaking research. Visitors to The Whale Museum can learn about the many types of whales that call The Salish Sea's waters home. Actual whale skeletons give visitors a sense of the scale of these mammoth marine mammals, while recorded whale song enables you to understand how they communicate. Other exhibits focus on the environmental threats facing whales, encouraging visitors to exercise good stewardship and play their part in helping whales to flourish.
The museum’s main focus is on the Southern Resident Killer Whales, an endangered species of Orca who call our waters home. Visitors can learn the genealogy of the Southern Residents and understand the differences between their pods. Educational programs help give visitors a sense of these unique and breathtaking creatures. The museum also features a gift shop, regular lectures, information on recent whale sightings and child friendly activities.
The Whale Museum is not just a place to learn more about these charismatic creatures. It also supports ongoing research and conservation activities that help understand and protect whales. Its stranding network helps actively protect stranded or abandoned marine mammals on our shores. The Whale Museum’s network of hydrophones and whale hotlines provide ongoing information to the public about current whale activities. The Whale Museum also sponsors soundwatch, a program that trains boaters on responsible whale viewing and regular Marine Naturalist Trainings which inculcate stewardship values to participants.