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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · 3d

Did you know Harbor seals are opportunistic predators? This means when octopus are locally abundant they become a food source for hungry seals. While the realities of nature aren’t always pretty, the interconnected relationships species maintain are essential for healthy self sustaining ecosystems.

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · 3d

A series of predictable events...

Unfortunately for this gull, a hard earned hefty catch like this one isn’t going to be given up so easily. New strategy? The #LongGame, with the hopes that over time this seal might warm up to idea or drop a few scrapes in the process. 🥊🦭

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Sep 2

Ever wondered how you can get involved in community science programs in the Salish Sea? 🥼🌊🐬 Curious to learn more? Find out how you can join on our next sighting adventure, we are collecting research year round so it is never too late! ➡️ www.pacmam.org/volunteering

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Aug 13

We are always looking for different ways to share our science - check out poems, like this one, and plain text summaries about our work here: www.pacmam.org/science-summ.... Art and science can work so well together! 🐬🐳🎨

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Aug 13

Can you spot the difference between porpoises and dolphins?🐬👀

A couple differences: Porpoises have round, blunt mouths unlike dolphins' elongated snouts. Dolphins have curved dorsal fins while porpoises have smaller, triangular ones.

📷: Harbor porpoise: Cindy Elliser, Pacific Mammal Research

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Aug 6

🔔 Discovery alert: A local resident population of harbor porpoises has been frequenting Burrow’s Pass for 11 years!🐬🐳

Why do you think they have an affinity for Burrow’s Pass? Learn more about our most recent study: www.mdpi.com/2673-1924/6/...

📷: Cindy Elliser, Katrina MacIver, and Ciera Edison

Harbor porpoise surfacing in front of rocks

Harbor porpoise surfacing in front of green island

Two harbor porpoises porpoising, splashing water in front of brown wooded island with a house.

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Aug 5

It “takes a village” is quite the understatement. When putting the picture together, to discover how our neighbors below the surface live, every piece of the puzzle counts! 🧩🌊🐬

Curious to learn more about our community scientist opportunities? ➡️ www.pacmam.org/community-sc...

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Aug 5

We recently published a study showing long-term site fidelity for harbor porpoises in the Salish Sea…but what the does that mean? 🔬🐬

Long-term site fidelity roughly means an animal is returning to and remaining in the same geographic location year over year.

🔎https://www.mdpi.com/2673-1924/6/1/9

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Jun 18

Excited to have our colleague Bill Keener from the Marine Mammal Center in CA out to the field site today! We have collaborated with him and other colleagues on many papers on foraging and mating behaviors of harbor porpoises. Together we are learning more about this amazing species! #collaborations

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Jun 13

Join us for another great trip collecting eDNA! Don't miss this chance to collect data that will help us better understand the genetic population structure of harbor porpoises in the Salish Sea!

More info here: www.thesalishseaschool.org/adult-sessions

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Jun 9

Always a great time at the Anacortes Waterfront Festival! Thanks to the staff, volunteers, interns, and everyone who stopped by!

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Apr 29

Check out this great article about PacMam in the Salish Current!

salish-current.org/2025/04/28/h...

Harbor porpoise subpopulation may be forming in Burrows Pass

Harbor porpoises are finding food and low risk in Burrows Pass, off northwest Fidalgo Island.

salish-current.org

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Apr 26

We are interested in sharing science in a variety of ways. We have a very talented poet, Tegan Keyes, that helped us translate one of our papers into a poem - check it out!

#sciencecommunication #marinemammals #baldeagle #porpoise #foodstealing 🐬

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Reposted by Pacific Mammal Research

salishseainstitute.bsky.social @salishseainstitute.bsky.social · Apr 24

Come to our webinar at noon, Apr 30: Successes, Challenges and Maintaining Hope for #SalishSea Restoration and Protection: A Report from the Front Lines foundation.wwu.edu/event/succes...

Successes, Challenges and Maintaining Hope for Salish Sea Restoration and Protection | The Foundation for WWU & Alumni | Western Washington University

We are excited to bring together a group of passionate speakers who are actively involved in programs dedicated to killer whale protection, shoreline restoration, clean boating, community outreach, an...

foundation.wwu.edu

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Apr 25

It was a wild time in the field last week, where our staff saw 6 mating attempts, including this one! Often we will see 1 or 2 at a time, but 6 was a bit over average. Guess they were feeling springtime!

#pacmam #research #mating #marinemammalscience #porpoise #marinemammals #marmamm 🐬

Harbor porpoise male leaping while attempting to mate with female.

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Apr 24

This was a very rare sighting, the first time we have seen a sea otter in our study site! So exciting to have more sightings if sea otters in the Salish Sea!

#pacmam #research #seaotter #salishsea

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Apr 24

Earlier this April we were lucky to see the T99s while out looking for harbor porpoises. Always exciting to get to see some Bigg's killer whales.

All photos taken with a zoom lens at distance and heavily cropped.

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Mar 30

Excited to read this! Social structure is such an important part of understanding the lives of whales, dolphins and porpoises (cetaceans).

Center for Whale Research @whaleresearch.bsky.social · Mar 28

Our Executive Director @darrencroft.bsky.social and Research Director @drwhale.bsky.social are among the contributing authors of this incredible upcoming book! Not only that but the cover image was captured by CWR and features members of J Pod! Available for preorder now! Set to release Jan 2026.

Darren Croft @darrencroft.bsky.social · Mar 26

🐳 UPCOMING BOOK ALERT 🐬
The Evolution of Cetacean Societies

Really enjoyed working on this project with a fantastic editorial team @andrewfoote.bsky.social @ellengarland.bsky.social @stephanielking.bsky.social

Preorder available now shorturl.at/Y58at out Jan2026

#whale #dolphin #animalbehaviour

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Mar 30

We were so excited to see a group of 3 mother and calf pairs swimming closely together recently. They were quite cohesive hanging out together!

#pacmam #research #marmamm #marinemammals #salishsea🐬

harbor porpoise group surfacing mother and calves

Harbor porpoise group surfacing mothers and calves

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Mar 30

Harbor porpoises take mating to another level - an aerial one!

Learn more in the chapter on porpoises we were a part of in the open access book: Sex in Cetaceans! link.springer.com/book/10.1007...

#pacmam #research #marmamm #marinemammals #salishsea 🐬

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Reposted by Pacific Mammal Research

Whale Tales @whaletalesorg.bsky.social · Mar 15

If you've listened to episode 78 with PacMam you will have heard about how bonkers Harbour Porpoise mating is - if you don’t know about this technique we suggest you swipe thru this carousel for a preview (warning many of this pics are NSFW👀)
buff.ly/fG0ZxxK
#WhaleTales @pacmam.bsky.social

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Reposted by Pacific Mammal Research

Whale Tales @whaletalesorg.bsky.social · Mar 10

It was great to have Dr. Cindy Elliser & Kat White from @pacmam.bsky.social on the #WhaleTalesPodcast to share their results from the paper Resident Harbor Porpoises in the Salish Sea: Photo-Identification Shows Long-Term Site Fidelity, Natal Philopatry, & Provides Insights into Longevity & Behavior

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Mar 8

We would love that! Thank you so much!

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Mar 8

👩🏼‍🔬Happy International Women's Day! Today, we’re celebrating the amazing female scientists who have inspired our team members through their careers in ocean science.

🐋Who's YOUR ocean science hero? Tag a female ocean scientist that you admire in the comments below!

#marmam #marinebiology #anacortes

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Pacific Mammal Research @pacmam.bsky.social · Mar 5

💚Thank you so much to the fabulous Whale Tales Podcast for interviewing PacMam on their most recent episode! We had a blast chatting with them all about harbor porpoises & harbor seals. Click the link below to listen!

whale-tales.org/podcast/epis...

#marmam #anacorteswa #marinemammalscience

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