Justin Cox
Photos From the 2026 Wine & Sea Auction!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 Wine & Sea Auction! Under the theme Expanding Science, Expanding Hope, we gathered on a beautiful, sunny Orcas Island afternoon to celebrate the power of science, community, and generosity in protecting the Salish Sea.

Thanks to our donors, sponsors, guests, and volunteers, this year's event was a great fundraising success that will help fuel SeaDoc’s ongoing work. Your generosity is an investment in hope—for marine wildlife, healthy ecosystems, and the people who care deeply about this remarkable place.

Photos From the 2026 Wine & Sea Auction!
Justin Cox
New Study: Largest-Ever Dataset of Elemental ...

From mercury and cadmium to selenium and zinc, the elements that accumulate in an animal's body can offer valuable clues about its health and the environment it inhabits. A newly published study in the international journal PLOS ONE is helping scientists better understand what those clues look like in one of the Pacific Northwest's most iconic marine mammals: killer whales.

Drawing on 25 years of opportunistically collected tissue samples from stranded killer whales across the northeastern Pacific Ocean, researchers analyzed concentrations of both essential and non-essential elements in three distinct killer whale ecotypes—fish-eating residents, mammal-eating transients, and offshore killer whales that specialize in eating sharks and other fish. The study represents the largest and most comprehensive dataset of its kind ever assembled for killer whales worldwide.

New Study: Largest-Ever Dataset of Elemental Concentrations in Killer Whales
Justin Cox
Science With an Impact: SeaDoc Funds Six New ...

We’re excited to announce that SeaDoc Society will fund six new science projects in 2026, investing nearly $270,000 in research to better understand and protect the Salish Sea. Carefully selected by our brilliant Scientific Advisory Committee and made possible by passionate donors like you, these projects tackle some of the region’s most important conservation challenges.

Science With an Impact: SeaDoc Funds Six New Research Projects!
Justin Cox
Photos from Our Special Low-Tide Walk on Orcas ...

Last month a special group of SeaDoc supporters joined our team for a low-tide walk along the shores of the Salish Sea. With the Salish Sea shorelines pulled back, we spent the evening exploring tide pools, spotting sea stars and crabs, and getting a closer look at the incredible marine life that’s often hidden beneath the surface.

Like our good friend Adam Summers over at Friday Harbor Labs told us, you have to be tough to survive in the intertidal waters. Depending on the tides and the seasons, these species can spend hours under the sea or in the direct sunlight; or sloshing about in between the two! Our Science Director Joe Gaydos often shares that message before we respectfully explore the wonders of the intertidal, always leaving it as we came.

Photos from Our Special Low-Tide Walk on Orcas Island
Justin Cox
Salish Sea Wild Episode about Grizzlies Gets ...

For the second year straight, the SeaDoc Society’s Salish Sea Wild series has been nominated for an EMMY by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences! 

This year our immersive piece about Grizzly Bears–which saw Joe Gaydos, Bob Friel and the team descend into the Canadian wilderness–was nominated in the North West Chapter's Environment/Science - Long Form Content category!

Salish Sea Wild Episode about Grizzlies Gets Nominated for an EMMY!

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Photos From the 2026 Wine & Sea Auction!

Photos From the 2026 Wine & Sea Auction!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 Wine & Sea Auction! Under the theme Expanding Science, Expanding Hope, we gathered on a beautiful, sunny Orcas Island afternoon to celebrate the power of science, community, and generosity in protecting the Salish Sea.

Thanks to our donors, sponsors, guests, and volunteers, this year's event was a great fundraising success that will help fuel SeaDoc’s ongoing work. Your generosity is an investment in hope—for marine wildlife, healthy ecosystems, and the people who care deeply about this remarkable place.

The Day that Changed my Life, by Dr. Deborah Giles

Can I tell you a story that changed my life? 

We crested the hill on the west side of San Juan Island and watched as Haro Strait opened up before us. It was July 7th, 1987—my 18th birthday. 

Next came the sound of blows echoing across the water, and there they were: nearly a hundred Southern Resident Killer Whales all within calling distance of each other! I would later learn that every member of J, K, and L Pods was in attendance that day. A true Superpod. 

I stepped out of the car and started to cry.