"the mountain and the sea are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books." -john lubbock
Meet Our Team
The Salish Sea School is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity, inclusion, and connectedness. We are able to grow and learn better together with a diverse team. We welcome the unique contributions that one can bring in terms of their education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs.
We are stronger together with the collective sum of individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, innovation, self-expression, and talent which ultimately brings about a healthier planet.
Click on the pictures below to learn more.
MARINE SPECIES OBSERVED THUS FAR
Rare sightings:
Brown Pelican (Iceberg Point, flying, July 7)
Giant Barnacle (James Island, August 19)
Horned Puffin (May-August)
Sea otter (nea Minor Island, August 3)
Six-gill shark (injured, August 5)
Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Buckeye Shoal, mixed in a bait ball August 24, 2020 - Photo by Amanda Colbert)
Cetaceans:
Southern Resident orca *endangered
Bigg's orca
Humpback whale
Minke whale
Harbor Porpoise
Pinnipeds:
Harbor Seal
Steller Sea Lion
California Sea Lion
Birds (from boat):
Tufted Puffin *endangered (May-September)
Lone Horned Puffin (May-August)
Rhinoceros Auklet (May-September)
Common Murre (May-December)
Pigeon Guillemot (May-December)
Marbled Murrelet *endangered (May-December)
Ancient Murrelet (October-December)
White-winged (August )
Red-necked Grebe (August, September)
Surf Scoter (August-December)
Harlequin Duck (May-DeceAugust,
Pacific Loon (May, August, September
Common Loon (May, August, September
Black Oystercatcher (May,
Red-necked Phalarope (May, August
Caspian Tern
Galucous-winged Gull (May, July, September,
Heermann's Gull (August, September ~300
Mew Gull (September,
Ring-billed Gull
Unknown Gull (September ~600)
California Gull (September,
Pelagic Cormorant (May, August, September
Double-crested Cormorant (May, August, September
Brandt's Cormorant (May,
Double-crested Cormorant
Bald Eagle (May,
Turkey Vulture
American Crow
Canada Goose (September)
Jelly fish:
Lion's Mane
Egg-yolk
Comb
Intertidal organisms:
Acorn Barnacle
Beach hopper
Rockweed isopod
Purple shore crab
Green shore crab
Graceful decorator crab
Red rock crab
Pacific blue mussel
Pacific oyster
False jingle shell
Nuttall's cockle
Manila clam
Limpet
Periwinkle
Snail
Monterey sea lemon
Woody chiton
Mossy chiton
Painted anemone
Short plumose anemone
Six-legged seastar
Purple seastar
Six-legged seastar
Orange seacucumber
Flatworm
Ribbon worm
Polychaete
Gunnel
Sculpin
Sucker fish
Seaweed:
Rockweed
Sugar kelp
Bull kelp
Sea cauliflower
Sea lettuce
Turkish washcloth
Turkish towel
Native eelgrass
Picture credits Amanda Colbert, Betsey Thoennes, Eric Ellingson, Amy Eberling
Birds (from land):
Trumpeter Swan (December)
Northern Shoveler (December)
Gadwall (December)
Mallard (December)
Northern Pintail (December)
Green-winged Teal (December)
Dunlin (December)
Gull sp. (December)
Great Blue Hearon (December)
Red-tailed Hawk (December)
Anna's Hummingbird (December)
American Coot (December)
Greater Yellowlegs (December)
Ring-billed Gull (December)
Glaucous-winged Gull (December)
Northern Harrior (December)
Bald Eagle (December)
Belted Kingfisher (December)
Northern Flicker (September, December)
Northern Shrike (December)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (December)
Marsh Wren (December)
Pine Siskin (December)
Dark-eyed Junco (December)
White-crowned Sparrow (December)
Golden-crowned Sparrow (December)
Song Sparrow (December)
Horned Lark (Skyline Marina, September 9, 2020)