Orca Action Month
Region-wide awareness month for Southern Resident orcas in the Salish Sea — events in Friday Harbor, talks, a parade of life-size dorsal fins, and orca sightings at their peak.
About the event
June is the month when Southern Resident killer whales — the endangered population of orcas that call the Salish Sea their summer home — are most consistently present in the waters around the San Juan Islands. It is also Orca Action Month, a region-wide campaign coordinated by the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau, the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor, and dozens of partner organizations to raise awareness of the Southern Residents' precarious status and connect the public with opportunities for stewardship. Events take place throughout the month across the San Juan Islands, in the Bellingham area, and at partner locations around Puget Sound.
The Southern Residents comprise three family groups — J, K, and L pods — totaling roughly 75 individuals. They are critically endangered, with threats including prey depletion (they eat almost exclusively Chinook salmon), vessel noise and disturbance, and legacy contamination from PCBs and other persistent pollutants. June historically offers the best sighting probability of the year as the orcas follow Chinook runs through the Salish Sea and spend extended time in the waters between San Juan Island, Victoria, and the Gulf Islands. Lime Kiln Point State Park on the west side of San Juan Island is the world's most accessible place to watch wild orcas from shore, and June is when the park's interpretive staff are most likely to make it happen.
Orca Action Month events are organized thematically around conservation action: fundraising for salmon habitat restoration, workshops on whale-safe boating practices, community science sighting networks, and advocacy for federal protections. The centerpiece public event is typically a parade of life-size orca dorsal fin sculptures installed along the Friday Harbor waterfront, each representing an individual Southern Resident whale and decorated by community artists.
What to expect
In Friday Harbor, the Whale Museum — the only museum in the US dedicated exclusively to whales and whale research — anchors the month with interpretive programming, film nights, and special exhibits. The museum's research program monitors the Southern Residents year-round, and staff and researchers are available throughout the month for in-depth conversations about orca ecology and conservation. Admission to the Whale Museum is paid, but many Orca Action Month talks and community events are free.
Lime Kiln Point State Park on the west side of San Juan Island is the primary whale-watching destination. The park's rocky shoreline sits directly on the Haro Strait shipping lane, and orcas pass within a few hundred meters of the lighthouse several times per week during peak summer presence. No boats, no fees beyond the Discover Pass — just bring a picnic and binoculars and wait. A naturalist is stationed at the park during peak season. Whale sightings are reported in real time on the Orca Network's sighting hotline (1-866-ORCANET) and social media feeds.