Both resident (fish eating) and transient (mammal eating) killer whales, also known as orca whales, live in the waters surrounding the San Juan Islands. The Salish Sea is home to a huge amount of biodiversity, allowing animals large and small to thrive. There is a lot of research being conducted on the whales, and one way scientists gather information is by recording underwater acoustics using hydrophones. This allows data on whales to be collected even when they are out of sight. One such hydrophone is in the water just off Lime Kiln Lighthouse here on San Juan Island.
Just yesterday the vocalizations of transient orcas were recorded off the point. It's exciting to know they are here, even if they are hard to spot!
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