Passion is inspired by profound experience. Krista Gordon felt vibratory excitement after seeing orca whales in their natural habitat. Orca close encounters, from as near as 20 feet, are frequent just off the cliffs of Lime Kiln Point State Park on San Juan Island. This makes the location one of the best places on Earth to see orcas in the wild. She took away a lasting impression and internalized a message of stewardship – required to sustain the beauty of their underwater world.
Fueled by that day in the mid-90s when the orcas first welcomed her and her family to the Pacific Northwest, she knew she wanted to share the same exalted experience she’d felt alongside her own children with every child. “I’ve always realized what an amazing place we live in and how important it is to care about it. And the only way to care about a place, is to experience it firsthand,” Gordon said.
In its third year, the Salish Sea Experience has already taken over 1,500 children on an educational journey – one that fosters the lasting connection the whales provide and enhances our understanding of the Salish Sea and ourselves. Gordon remarked, “After you plant the seed of caring, there are a lot of ripples that go out. Because once you care about the whales, you’ll care about the salmon and then you begin to care about the pollution … and caring keeps going when you notice it’s all connected.”
To coordinate and lead fieldtrips for Whatcom County Schools, Gordon has committed to utilizing her teaching degree and inspiring kids not only to care, but also to act as environmental stewards. “My learning has rippled out and my focus has gone beyond the whales to understanding a host of different impacts,” she said. After nine years working in the office and library at Happy Valley School where she read local children’s book author Paul Owen Lewis’ prose, her most recent field trip was particularly special as he came along for the ride.
Lewis’ book Davy’s Dream (about a boy sailing with orcas) and Grasper (a coming of age story about a crab outgrowing his shell) were perfectly applicable. To have the author read the stories aloud, including his newest book Motomice, in the same location he was inspired to pen them, was a unique opportunity to bring the learning alive. “To be able to tie that literature in and hear the stories from the author and how they directly related to the field trip, to me, it was magical,” Gordon recalled.
From the decks of the Washington State ferry, students were rapt with Lewis’ tales of sea creatures coming to life. A special thanks is extended to Anne Boydstun for inviting him aboard.
Once disembarked from the short bus ride from the ferry to the park, all eyes turned to the sea after hearing other whale-watching boats report that southern resident orcas were in the neighborhood. Jeff Hogan, Executive Director of Killer Whale Tales, was peppered with questions about distinct pods. Hogan is part of the staff of educators that help bring the Salish Sea Experience to students. After 17 years of orca research, Hogan’s classroom story-focused presentations bring the living science of the field into the classroom. His engaging theater background and wry humor also manage to keep the students guessing.
Resident killer whale identification is the beginning to understanding the complexities of this endangered species. With laminated photographs of the J-K and L pods, the students hone their attention to the shape and size of the fins, the saddle patches and any unique scars in the fin or saddle patch area that identifies an individual whale. The orca whale trading cards passed out at the end are highly coveted.
In alternating groups, the student’s next stop is Dr. Bob Otis’ talk inside the lighthouse. As a volunteer and marine naturalist conducting orca whale research, his observations have been used in collaboration with researchers for over 30 years. Otis is a charmer and holds the students’ attention through poignant questions related to what they already know and what more is possible to understand.
When asked why Otis still volunteers every summer, he summarized with one word, “Love.” He pointed out a misty rainbow arching over a breeching mother and calf, lingered on the finer points of whale language and pointed to the beauty behind each animal’s individual story. His dedication to understanding the southern resident orcas shone through and the children were enthralled with his spirited Q&A. They were still glued to their seats as the video came to a close and it was time to move on.
Led by Krista Gordon, the 4th graders later headed to the rocky sea shore to interact with wildlife and take in the carved beauty of the island’s coastline. Later, as we walked down a dirt path to an overlook, the students discovered one of the biggest industries in the San Juan Islands. The restored lime kiln, responsible for producing enough lime to rebuild much of San Francisco after the devastating earthquake of 1906, gives the students a picture of what time might have looked like in 1860 (when the kilns originated) or at the turn of the century when workers still burned four cords of wood a day (cut from surrounding islands) to keep the kiln in production.
Boundless discoveries were claimed. And although the orcas never ‘buzzed’ the lighthouse for the students to see up-close, weeks of in-class preparation and an experiential approach to learning gave every child a lasting Salish Sea Experience. One 4th grader said, “The most important thing I learned is how almost everything connects to water and that we have to keep it safe.”
