Public invited to hear regional orca experts

The region's experts on whales will gather on Whidbey Island for a Ways of Whales workshop Saturday. The event, open to the public, will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Coupeville Middle School Performing Arts Center in Coupeville.

Attendees can learn about the different types of whales found in the Pacific Northwest, their eating habits and threats they face in the local environment. The conference also will feature the latest research, photos and stories about the endangered southern resident orca population.

Speakers include Dr. Stephen Raverty, veterinary pathologist with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Fisheries, in British Columbia; Candice Emmons, research fisheries biologist with Northwest Fisheries Science Center; and Terrell Newby, the Fish & Wildlife biologist assigned to observe the 1970 capture of Lolita and other orcas in Penn Cove.

The capture will be discussed in Newby's presentation, as well as his research related to PCB levels in harbor seals. "Epidemiologic and Pathologic Findings of Killer Whales Stranded Worldwide, 1944-2005," will be presented by Raverty. Emmons will present a summary of recent research on the southern resident orcas as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Orca Recovery Plan.

The workshop is hosted by Orca Network, and the cost is $20 ($10 for students). To register, or for more information, call 360-678-3451 or go to www.orcanetwork.org.