‘Western Flyer’ returns to the Pacific Northwest
Image: ‘Western Flyer’ at dock during extra-low tides in Yaquina Bay in Newport, OR, on May 14, 2026. One of the world’s most famous fishing vessels, Western Flyer, has, once again, returned to its old stomping grounds in the Pacific Northwest. In March 1940, Nobel Prize-winning writer John Steinbeck and esteemed marine biologist Edward “Doc” […]
Invasion of the European Green Crab
Image: How to identify a European green crab. Credit ODFW. For boaters in Puget Sound, a small but destructive invader is worth your attention: the European green crab. Also known as the “five spine crab,” this species has spread across coastlines worldwide, and its recent expansion along the Pacific Northwest raises real concerns for navigation, […]
The Orca Report – May/June 2026
Last updated April 16, 2026, reflects activity since February 16. Encounter Information is from the Orca Network, Orca Conservancy, and the Center for Whale Research.
Migratory Whale Considerations
Image: Figure 2 Gray whale mother and calf on northbound migration. Credit: NOAA Fisheries In addition to flowers blooming, springtime in the Pacific Northwest means migratory whales passing through these waters to their northern feeding grounds. What challenges do our whales face—and what best habits can boaters adopt to help them? Last summer, I met […]
Axial Seamount: The Pacific Northwest’s Well-Behaved Yet Unpredictable Volcano
Volcanoes are a familiar backdrop in the Pacific Northwest, but did you know the region’s most active volcano is actually underwater? Axial Seamount is a large submarine volcano rising about 3,600 feet above the seafloor, situated on the western ridge of the Juan de Fuca plate. Despite several eruptions over the past 30 years (1998, […]
Case Closed for the Cause of Sea Star Wasting Disease
Sunflower sea star. Photo Credit: NOAA We are all too familiar with pandemics, and we are even familiar with diseases that affect animals, like avian flu, or plants, like blight and root rot. It may come as a surprise that even marine invertebrates, like sea stars, experience their own public health crises. The cause of […]
Return of Klamath River Salmon
In the department of positive environmental news, Chinook salmon are impressing biologists and tribal members with their remarkable comeback on the Klamath River. In mid-November 2025, 140 fall-run Chinook were reported on the far reaches of the upper Klamath River tributaries, returning to spawn after nearly a century of absence. The Klamath River, which flows […]
Encounter information is from the Orca Network, Orca Conservancy, and the Center for Whale Research.
Last updated February 5, 2026: Since the beginning of the year, there have been several encounters with the Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKWs). Scientists documented multiple sightings of the newest addition to the population, K47, who was first observed on December 10, 2025. On January 3, K-pod was spotted near Eagle Point on the west […]