July 11-17, 2010
Fort Worden State Park
Port Townsend, WA
Few creatures on Earth capture
our imagination like whales…
This summer, spend an exciting week on Puget Sound with marine scientists and artists, who will take you into the world of whales - orcas, minkes, grays, humpbacks and others. You'll engage in exciting, fun-filled activities that merge art and science.
- Examine an orca skeleton at close hand
- Conduct hydrophone research to learn about orca communication in Puget Sound
- Assemble a gray whale skeleton and compare its bones to your own bones
- Experience a simulated whale migration from Baja, California to Alaska
- Create sound and art works based on whales
- Listen to the sounds of the sea - whales, dolphins, shrimp, grunt sculpins, and others
- Take a whale sighting trip and visit to The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor.
Camp activities take place on local beaches as well as in laboratories, performance studios, aquarium and a natural history exhibit. Each day contains an active, hands-on mix of science and arts activities. Campers work and play in small groups to allow for direct involvement with materials and tools, as well as maximum personal attention.
Campers stay in the dormitories at Fort Worden State Park with supervision by experienced dorm counselors. Meals are provided at the Fort Worden Commons, where food is fresh, organic and local.
The all-inclusive price for this week (tuition, room, and board) is $695.
The Port Townsend Orca and What it Tells Us
In early January 2002, a female transient orca was stranded and died off Dungeness Spit. A young male orca, assumed to be her son, stayed in shallow water close to the dead female for several days. Volunteers repeatedly tried to move the male into deeper water but he kept returning. Finally, they were successful and the male swam off.-
The dead female’s body was analyzed and found to contain some of the highest contaminant concentrations (PCBs and DDT) ever reported in tissues of marine mammals worldwide. The body was then buried on a farm until 2008, when the Port Townsend Marine Science Center received permission to retrieve its skeleton for use in its exhibit and classes. The bones have been cleaned and are ready for your study and examination.
Puget Sound Whale Quick Facts
There are currently only 86 orcas that call Puget Sound home. In 2005, they were classified as endangered; conservation efforts are underway to save this population
- Gray whales are not residents of Puget Sound but do pass through on their migration, often spending long periods in local waters
- Minke whales are commonly seen in Puget Sound and humpbacks have increasingly been observed feeding in Puget Sound
Hydrophone Research
In October 2006, two hydrophones (underwater microphones) were installed beneath the Port Townsend Marine Science Center pier. These hydrophones are one of five “nodes” of the Salish Sea hydrophone network, a project sponsored by NOAA and The Whale Museum. This network allows scientists and the public to listen to orcas, or killer whales, and other marine animals in Puget Sound waters.
The project goals are to monitor underwater noise pollution levels, detect the sounds of endangered southern resident killer whales, and raise awareness about underwater sound. You can listen to any of the nodes live at http://orcasound.net. Learn how to be part of the solution for Puget Sound’s orca population.
