THE ORCA PROJECT-THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS SUMMER 2020

Spend two weeks cruising the San Juan Islands in search of orcas!

Age: 15-18 Tuition: $1,650 Application Period: Jan 4th - April 17th

Orca Project June 21st-July 3rd

Credits: 2

Onboard: Orion 

Destination: The San Juan Islands 

Departs From: Seattle

Returns To: Seattle 

Research: Southern Resident and TransientKiller Whales 

Shipmates: Other teenagers from Washington and all over the country 

Sailing: Advanced Keelboat Sailing

Activities: Hiking, Swimming, Stand-up paddle boarding 

Will Write Home About: Your epic sunset sails with the Orcas 

Research Project Ideas: Do Orcas change their behavior as ship traffic increases? Can Orca vocalizations predict their behavior?What are the plankton concentration levels in areas where Orcas are present? 

The San Juan Islands are the summer home for two eco-types of orca whales. Transient killer whales face many challenges and the Southern Resident Killer Whales were listed as endangered in 2005. Since then a number of regulations have gone into effect to protect the whales. We will take a close look at the whales themselves, their environment and current efforts to protect them to form our own opinions about their place and ours in the Salish Sea. Living aboard Orion, you’ll learn to sail and navigate, as well as execute all shipboard operations, from standing watch to cooking for your shipmates. 

As we use Orion to follow the whales around the San Juan Islands, we will learn what makes these Orcas so unique. You will become a whale biologist as you do your own independent research or art project. Along the way we will meet with different researchers and “stakeholders” who provide insights into this ecologically and culturally dynamic environment. Throughout the cruise there will be a discussion of the different environmental policies that affect the lives of the whales and at the end of the cruise you will be tasked with making your own policy recommendations based on the findings of your research.

This two-week trip starts and ends in Seattle, Washington. During the cruise we will explore some of our favorite anchorages in the San Juan Islands and along the Straits of Georgia. We will also make a few ports of call; due to weather, whales and tide it is hard to predict where these will be but Friday Harbor, Anacortes and Port Townsend are some of our favorites.

WILD WHALES- SALISH SEA & JOHNSTONE STRAITS SUMMER 2020

Sailing and snorkeling adventure in the wilderness of the inside passage 

Ages: 15-18 Tuition: $2,150 Application Period: January 4th - May 8th

July 19 - August 8th

Credits: 3

Onboard: Orion 

Destination: Salish Sea and Johnstone Straits

Departs From: Seattle

Returns To: Seattle

Research: Cetaceans 

Shipmates: Other teenagers from Washington and all over the country

Sailing: Basic & Advanced Keelboat Sailing 

Activities: Snorkeling, Hiking, Swimming, Stand-up paddle boarding

Will Write Home About: Piloting Orion past a waterfall

Research Project Ideas: Do Harbor Porpoise prefer a certain water depth when foraging? Do Humpback Whales vocalize in the Salish Sea?

Orcas, Humpbacks and Minke Whales along with Dall’s Porpoise, Harbor Porpoise and Pacific White Sided Dolphins all call the Salish Sea home. Wild Whales is a three-week voyage into the wilderness of British Columbia to study what it means to be a whale in the wild. We will take an up-close look at these cetaceans and their environment. Along the way, we will be joined by researchers who are working in the wild to learn more about cetacean ecology. 

Cetaceans living in the Salish Sea face many challenges and are subject of a number of regulations from Canada and the US. All on board will join in the conversation about the whales’ place in our environment as we learn what is or is not being done to protect them. 

Experience life aboard a sailing ship from standing water and cooking for your shipmates to trimming the main sheet and starry nights at anchor. As we voyage north you will become a sailor as you learn the skills vital for sailing Orion. This part of the Salish Sea is home to some of the most scenic anchorages and sailing destinations in the world. We will spend our days seeking out whales and wildlife,sailing, hiking, snorkeling and taking full advantage of our time underway. You will become a whale biologist as you do your own independent research or art project.

Underway     

Although we take your education seriously on board we respect the fact that it is your summer vacation, hey it is our summer too. We try and keep a laid back feel on board and never miss an opportunity to have fun. What could be better than sailing a classic yacht through the Salish Sea with all your new friends?