Bush Point
Located at the entrance to Puget Sound, Bush Point is a great place to listen for the Southern Resident killer whales who pass through Admiralty Inlet about once a month in search of salmon. Can you be the first to hear them?
Other common sounds here come from ships heading to and from the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, and recreational boats using the adjacent ramp. The hydrophones were deployed in 2018 and were located 200m offshore at a depth of 16.5m. Within a few months, the long cable failed so we re-deployed hydrophones at the outer edge of the wharf, attaching them to the base of pilings (depth 1m, so they dry at some negative tides and you may then hear bird sounds). The Bush Point node is hosted by Orca Network with support from Bush Point Wharf and WhidbeyTel.
Status update 6/1/2023: The Bush Point wharf was badly damaged over the winter of 2022-23 and is currently being assessed for repair. The hydrophones have been removed pending completion of the assessment.