About Salish Sea Wildlife

Salish Sea Wildlife is dedicated to fostering appreciation and understanding of the incredible marine mammals that inhabit British Columbia's coastal waters. We believe that education is the foundation of conservation.

This website provides free, accessible information about whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, and otters found in the Salish Sea and surrounding BC waters. Our interactive tools help visitors learn to identify species, explore their habitats, and even listen to underwater sounds.

We aggregate data from trusted scientific and community sources to provide accurate, up-to-date information:

• BC CRIMS: Coastal Resource Information Management System - species distribution data
• iNaturalist: Community science platform for wildlife observations
• Ocean Networks Canada: Research organization providing ocean data and education
• Orcasound: Community hydrophone network monitoring orca populations

Our content is designed to be accessible to all ages and knowledge levels. Whether you're a student, teacher, tourist, or lifelong marine enthusiast, we hope to help you connect with the amazing wildlife in our waters.

Many of BC's marine mammals face threats from climate change, ocean noise, pollution, and habitat loss. The Southern Resident Killer Whales, for example, are critically endangered. By learning about these species, we can all play a role in their protection.

This project was built with open-source tools and open data. We thank the BC Government, iNaturalist community, Ocean Networks Canada, and Orcasound for making their data publicly available for educational use.