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Museums generally commemorate the past, delving into history through art, fossils and relics.
Inspired by a local survey of orcas, or killer whales, the Whale Museum opened in 1979 to help the public appreciate and understand their marine visitors who have roamed the inland waters of the Pacific Northwest for thousands of years. They're down there under the surface, which creates a natural curiosity because you can't see them, so you wonder what they're doing. They're such intelligent and magical creatures. More than 30,000 museum visitors a year are introduced to the whale community in the Whalesong Art Gallery, where orca whales and the sea are described in photos, paintings and sculptures by area artists. On the second floor of the museum, the Gallery of Whales teaches visitors about the natural history of marine mammals, in particular the 89 orcas of the J, K and L social units or pods that visit San Juan Island every summer.