The Whale Museum Bird Surveys

Soundwatch conducts an annual survey of pigeon guillemots in the San Juan Islands with the Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program, under contract to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Every May, the Soundwatch team travels to known nesting sites to help determine the stability of the species' population.

Soundwatch patrols the boundaries of 83 wildlife refuges and wilderness areas set aside as The San Juan Islands Wildlife Refuge by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These islands are wilderness areas where seabirds, eagles, and marine mammals have an undisturbed place to live and raise their young. All of the refuges are closed to public access, and boats of all types are required to stay at least 200 yards offshore.

Several islands have high cliffs and grassy slopes where seabirds such as cormorants, pigeon guillemonts, and gulls prefer to nest. Bald eagles, a threatened species in Washington state, build their nests high in large trees and catch fish in the surrounding waters. Harbor seals haul out to rest or bear their young on the smaller rocks and reefs, as well as on the rocky beaches of the larger islands.

When people in powerboats or kayaks get too close to nesting areas, baby birds and eggs may be crushed and trampled when adult birds leave the nest, as well as being left vulnerable to predation by other birds and mammals. Adult seals with pups, when disturbed, may crush their pups when rushing off haulouts or may become separated. February to October is a highly sensitive time for both birds and seals, and is also the time of highest vessel traffic from recreationists.

The Soundwatch team educates boaters in the vicinity of the refuges and hands out National Wildlife Refuge maps. Soundwatch also assists the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service by providing information and brochures at marinas, marine parks and visitor areas likely to reach boaters and commercial eco-tourism operators in San Juan County.

As the number of visitors to the San Juans continues to increase, especially in summer, this type of education and outreach is vital to maintaining the health of the marine ecosystem.