Fort Worden State Park

Killer Whales in the Salish Sea

Visitors and residents alike are invited to the opening of a new traveling exhibit entitled "Whales In Our Midst."

Developed by the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum and the Center for Whale Research, the exhibit is hosted by the Port Townsend Marine Science Center in Fort Worden State Park. It will be open from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, 2010 as part of the Natural History Exhibit .

Through video, photographs and text panels, the exhibit focuses on the interactions between people and whales in the Northwest -- from the first peoples' attitudes of fear and respect, through the early orca captures for Sea World in the 1960's and 1970's, to contemporary research and efforts to protect orcas.

Voices of the Strait at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center

Thursday August 26th, at 7:30pm, The Port Townsend Marine Science Center is presenting a showing of “Voices of the Strait”, a short documentary of interviews with people who have lived 70 years or so on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. What’s changed? What have we lost? What would they do to restore it?

The documentary was produced by Mountainstone Productions of Port Townsend, with support from the Feiro Marine Science Center and the Puget Sound Partnership.

Also showing will be a 6 minute short on voices of the scuba community, by Port Angeles high school graduate Cameron Little. A panel discussion with the filmmakers and some of the interviewees will follow.

Admission to the event is free.

Killer Whale Tales with Jeff Hogan

On August 7, 2010 at 2:30pm, The Port Townsend Marine Science Center is hosting Jeff Hogan and his Killer Whale Tales to help us all learn more about the special creatures that live right off of our shore.

Follow Jeff as he falls asleep one night and dreams of becoming a killer whale.  He follows the matriarch of “J pod,” and experiences the complex relationships whales share with each other and the environment around them.  Waking from the dream, Jeff returns to the real world with a new curiosity and the desire to make a difference.  The story is told through performance, slides, video and real orca calls.

Then participate in activities created to introduce you to current orca research. Identify orca whales, track their movements and learn basic whale behaviors.  Gain a new understanding of these wonderfully complex animals.

Jeff Hogan started Killer Whale Tales in 2000 with the goal of bringing the living science of the field into classrooms and museums. Combining his interests of teaching, photography, science, psychology and theatre, Jeff has created a program in which participants experience the world as the animals around them do. Jeff brings over twenty years of education experience and eight years of orca research to his position.

Killer Whale Tales will be held at the PTMSC Natural History Exhibit. The event is free with the price of admission ($5/adults, $3/kids).

July 4 Fish Printing at Port Townsend Marine Science Center

The Port Townsend Marine Science Center will be offering fish printing, also known as Gyotaku, on July 4th from 12pm until 4pm in the portico of the Natural History Exhibit (across from the pier).

 This has been a tradition for many years, giving both kids and adults an opportunity to try their hand at this ancient art form on T-shirts or paper. One dollar donation is requested for paper and supplies. Adult t-shirts cost $9, kids $8.

Gyotaku (pronounced GHEE-OH-TAH-KOO) is the art and technique of Japanese Fish Printing. Gyo means "Fish" and Taku means "Rubbing" or "Impression."

The earliest known Gyotaku were made to preserve a true record of the size and species of fish caught by Japanese anglers.

Orca Month Activities at Port Townsend Marine Science Center

June 2010 is Orca Month, and in recognition of the iconic mammal and its place in the Puget Sound ecosystem, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center at Fort Worden is producing a number of intriguing events for the public. The cost for each event is included with exhibit admission (Adults $5, Youth $3, members are free).

Saturday June 19th, 2:30pm
Marine Exhibit
Communication in Orca Societies

Hands on activities explore how orcas communicate and work together in family groups, and how these groups relate to what they eat and where they live.

Thursday and Friday, June 24th and 25th, 1-3pm
Natural History Exhibit
Orca Bone Atlas Open House

Learn about our unique bone atlas, which documents the skeleton of a transient orca, from the volunteers who are bringing this exciting project to life. You’ll also get to see how and why we made a set of false orca teeth.

Terroir in the Pacific Northwest: A Scientific Wine-Tasting

Join the Port Townsend Marine Science Center for a scientific wine tasting and get a geologic grip on grapes. 

Saturday, May 8, from 3-5pm in the USO Hall at Fort Worden, Dr. Scott Burns will explain how geology, soils, and climate (collectively known as terroir) influence a grape’s quality and a wine’s personality.

Attendees will learn about the terroir of Columbia (WA) and Willamette (OR) river valley wines through the geology of each region, then compare and contrast two wines from each region. 

Dr. Burns has taught geology for nearly 35 years with a specialization in soils, geomorphology, and regional geology.  Terroir is one of Scott’s many passions; his presentations are hugely popular with wine enthusiasts, cooks, and geologists.

Pre-registration is required for this science fundraiser for the Port Townsend Marine Science Center. $25 per person, adults only. Call Liesl Slabaugh at 360 385-5582 ext. 104.

Marine Exhibit at Fort Worden is Open

After months of polishing tanks, designing exhibits and collecting animals, the Marine Exhibit at Fort Worden is finally open!

According to the hard workers at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, the month of February and the first week of March were spent slowly buffing scratches out of the inside of the acrylic tanks using 6 different grits of sandpaper and two different liquid grits.

This was a slow process; each scratch can take up to an hour, depending on its size and depth. Since these scratches were inside the tanks and weren’t all at eye level, it took some creativity to get a correct position and a good view of the scratch.

Learn more about the Exhibit, and schedule a visit over at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center's website.

Bring Your Bones Day 2010

On April 3 from 1-5pm, The Port Townsend Marine Science Center would like to invite you to "Bring Your Bones Day 2010!"

One of their most popular annual events, PTMSC has invited Lee “Boneman” Post, an Alaskan master marine mammal skeleton articulator, as well as Dr. Tony Rogstad, veterinarian from Chimacum Valley Vet Hospital (who is also a wildlife specialist), and wildlife specialist Michael Etnier, a Bellingham zooarchaeologist specializing in marine mammals.

This is your chance to drop by to ask our experts questions, bring your bones for identification, draw, compare, identify, or simply feast your eyes on the wonderful display of bones from PTMSC’s collections.

Admission is free. Visit the Marine Science Center's site for more information.

Latest Research on Tracking Blue and Humpback Whales

Recent studies are revealing secrets of blue and humpback whale migrations and underwater behavior. Using new tags attached with suction cups, this work is providing a unique view into the underwater lives of these giants – as well as the threats they face. 

John Calambokidis, a research biologist and co-founder of the Cascadia Research Collective will discuss the latest research on whale tracking. In addition to photographs, John’s talk will feature new footage taken from the back of a blue whale.

His presentation will be part of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center's Annual Meeting, which will be held at February 20, at 4pm at the Port Townsend Yacht Club. Admission is free to PTMSC Members, $7 to non-members.

Brad Matsen Speaks About Jacques Cousteau

Twenty years ago, maritime writer Brad Matsen hung out at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, where he became acquainted with the Pacific spiny lumpsucker, one of the Center’s smallest attractions. That visit turned into “Shocking Fish Tales,” a classic little book about the wonders of the Northwest marine environment. Since then, Matsen has become a celebrated maritime writer, with books on salty topics ranging from commercial fishing to the sinking of the Titanic.

On February 13 at 4:30pm, Matsen will read from his new book: Jacques Cousteau: The Sea King - a highly-praised biography of the famous ocean naturalist. Matsen will be available for a book signing following the presentation.

When: February 13, 2010 4:30 pm
Where: Northwest Maritime Center, Maritime Heritage Building
Admission: $10, $7 for PTMSC and NWMC members. To register, call 385.5582 ext. 104.