SEATTLE — A Washington state task force on critically endangered southern resident orcas wants to temporarily suspend whale-watching boat tours focused on those whales.
The group advising the governor voted Tuesday to recommend a three- to five-year moratorium on viewing southern resident orcas by all boats in Puget Sound.
Disturbances from boats can interfere with the whale’s ability to find food or communicate, researchers have said. The whales also suffer from lack of salmon and contamination. There are just 74 animals.
The proposed moratorium would not apply to boats viewing other whales in the region, including gray or transient whales.
Critics have said the move doesn’t address their dwindling food supply, and that barge and commercial fishing boats are far louder.
The recommendation is one of many that will go before Gov. Jay Inslee and the state Legislature.
Drink and Draw
PORT ANGELES — Drink and draw, a free event for all ages, is planned at 7 tonight.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. at the Loom in Studio Bob, upstairs at 118½ E. Front St. Drawing will begin at 7 p.m. A model will pose for three 20-minute sessions.
Beer, wine and soft drinks are available for purchase. Drawing supplies are available or bring your own.
Drink and Draw meets each month the Thursday before Port Angeles Art Walk the second weekend of the month.
Players set auditions for 2019 offering
PORT LUDLOW — The Ludlow Village Players will hold auditions for its production of “No Crime Like the Present” from 5 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, Nov. 15.
Auditions will be held at the Bay Club, 120 Spinnaker Place.
Rehearsals for the play by Bill Gleason are scheduled to begin during the second week of January 2019.
The play will be performed March 29-31 and from April 5-7, 2019.
Audition packets, including applications, character and plot descriptions, and other materials, can be picked up at the Bay Club.
For more information, call Vallery Durling at 360-437-2861 or email rkd@olypen.
Planting party planned for district
SEQUIM — Clallam Conservation District will host a planting party for the inaugural Orca Recovery Day at 1 p.m. Sunday.
The party will be held near the Albert Haller
soccer fields in Carrie Blake Park, 202 N. Blake Ave.
The district plans to augment the low water use landscaping demonstration garden with an additional 500 plantings.
The garden is designed to showcase landscaping plants that can tolerate poor soil and no irrigation.
According to a news release, as much as 50 percent of the Dungeness River is diverted to irrigate Sequim Valley during the late summer at the same time that many salmon are returning to spawn.
The district hopes that by reducing irrigation, salmon stocks will rebound and provide more food for the southern resident orca population.
Pre-registration is not required but will assist in event planning.
Volunteers should bring gloves and shovels or trowels.
For more information or to sign up, call 360-775-3747, email info@clallamcd.org or visit www.clallamcd.org.
