Port Townsend Marine Science Center

Where’s Dart (9)?  Can you name the mountain behind him?  Hint:  Notice the top is missing.  He was required to stay in the car while we visited this National Monument.

Before we left Port Townsend yesterday, I visited the Marine Science Center.  It is very small, but very nice and hands on.  This is a great place for kids.  The staff is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about transferring their knowledge about the sea creatures in their tanks.  All of the animals can be found in the Salish Sea.  (It is bounded by the top of the Strait of Georgia, the southern tip of Puget Sound, and the western end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.)

The whale skeletons were particularly interesting.  Look at the difference in the mouths of the Gray Whale and the Orca.  I also found out that the Transient Orcas are increasing in number while the Resident Orcas are declining.  The Resident Orcas eat salmon and their food supply is severely depleted.  The Transient Orcas eat marine mammals and their food source is increasing.

We had to leave Port Townsend yesterday and we were sad to go.  We tried to see if we could stay longer but all the camping is booked for awhile.  The best we can do is plan early for next summer and see if we can stay for a month or more.