To keep whales safe, Coast Guard launches boat alert system in Seattle

The U.S. Coast Guard has launched a pilot program to alert ships to whale sightings in Washington state’s Salish Sea. The goal of the agency’s "cetacean desk" is to keep the marine mammals safe from boat strikes and reduce noise in the highly transited inland seawaters by collecting sightings from civilians and mariners.

Tokitae's ashes to be returned to Lummi Nation

After years of fighting, the last orca in captivity was set to return home to the waters of Western Washington. Instead, members of the Lummi Nation are preparing a funeral. 

New resident orca viewing regulations

Beginning in Jan. 2025, recreational boaters will be asked to stay 1,000 yards away from the endangered orcas at all times. This roughly triples the current rules, which require vessels to stay at least 300 yards back, or 400 yards out of the path when in front of whales.