Salish Sea Whale Sanctuary

Bioregional Protected Area for

Whales, Orcas, Dolphins & Porpoises

Restore

Whale, Orca, Dolphin & Porpoise Populations
Throughout the Salish Sea to More Than 50%

of Historic Levels as Soon as Possible

Cetaceans of the Salish Sea

The Salish Sea is full or part-time home to at least 22 marine mammals of the order Cetacea.

Pacific White-sided Dolphin 2

Dall's Porpoise 2

Short-finned Pilot Whale 4

Pacific White-sided Dolphin 2

1/7

Short-beaked Common Dolphin
Long-beaked Common Dolphin
Risso’s Dolphin
Pacific White-sided Dolphin
Northern Right Whale Dolphin
Striped Dolphin
Bottlenose Dolphin
Orca Whale
False Killer Whale

Pygmy Sperm Whale
Short-finned Pilot Whale
Harbor Porpoise
Dall’s Porpoise
Baird’s Beaked Whale
Hubb’s Beaked Whale
Stejneger’s Beaked Whale
Cuvier’s Beaked Whale

17 Species of Toothed Whales

Gray Whale 2 cropped

Minke 3

Bryde’s Whale 2

Gray Whale 2 cropped

1/5

Gray Whale
Minke Whale
Fin Whale
Humpback Whale
Bryde's Whale

5 Species of Baleen Whales

Whale Sanctuaries of the World

Whale Sanctuaries vary widely in size, authority, enforcement, and rules and regulations. The general practice is a designated body of water where the killing or taking of whales is prohibited. For some whale sanctuaries, such as those designated by the International Whaling Commission, that is more or less the extent of protections. Others, such as the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, have a management plan hundreds of pages long.

Salish Sea Whale Sanctuary

The New Evolution

Since time immemorial, the First Peoples of the Salish Sea Bioregion have always recognized, understood and respected the Salish Sea (Sche’ne) as a Sanctuary for Whales and All Life, with a profound understanding of Kulthlala’mechen (Orca People) as Ancestral Beings of the highest order.

Salish Sea Whale Sanctuary takes the Best Management Practices from existing models, and makes several key improvements:

Bioregional Designation - Whales throughout the Salish Sea, their prey, and even the water itself traverse the colonial border between Canada and the US. Issues within one part of the sea effect the entire sea and everything within, which is why the entire Salish Sea must be cared for equally.
Proclamation by the People - Sanctuaries enacted by governments or governmental agencies can be weakened by bad-acting politicians or industry lobbying. Salish Sea Whale Sanctuary's strength comes from the people that live here and are involved in the issues facing this region.
Active Restoration - Other whale sanctuaries focus on the protection of existing whales, and in some cases, their habitat. Salish Sea Whale Sanctuary looks comprehensively at all the negative or limiting factors and works to restore population levels and quality of life for whales in the Salish Sea.