By Sohum Ratnaparkhi, Carter Kitterman, and Nyomi Garcia
Today, we learned about the species classification of different animals in the area. For those unfamiliar with the term “taxonomy,” it is the process of sorting animals into groups that are easy to understand. For example, an animal we were lucky to see on the shore near the docks of Friday Harbor was the Pacific harbor seal. Its scientific name is Phoca vitulina, the first word being the genus and the second being the species. We also learned about the different orders of classification (kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species). Then, we went down to the Friday Harbor docks where we saw all sorts of invertebraes and a harbor seal with its pup. We found more than ten different species and wrote down their phylum, genus, and common name, along with quick sketches of the animals.
After lunch, we headed west toward Lime Kiln State Park, famous for its land-based whale watching. We met up with Erin, who works at Lime Kiln and told us about the different plant species that made up the park. When we met the coast, we were fortunate enough to see a couple humpback whales off in the distance. The fact that we could see them from over two miles off certainly emphasized their enormous size.
We visited the local lighthouse where we met Dr. Bob Otis, who has been studying orcas for over thirty years. He was able to inform us about the local pods of orcas and the importance of the species as a whole. His sheer amount of knowledge and data surprised us all. Through Dr. Otis, we learned that often data can produce more questions than results.
Once we were thoroughly fascinated, we proceeded to go on a small hike up to a limestone kiln which gave the park its name. This experience was also very fascinating in its own way. Our guide Erin told us about the history of the kiln as well as the dangers that workers had to face while working. After learning about this interesting economy, we were able to check out the kiln up close. It was very large and very simple. You could clearly see the way that the kiln had once operated. We were also able to spot a pair of bald eagles perched on a tall tree in the distance. Satisfied with our experience at Lime Kiln State Park, we returned home fueled with excitement and ready to tackle the next project: dinner. And thus, we concluded our second full day at Salish Sea Sciences!
