Nature Canada would like to extend congratulations to the Southern Gulf Island Whale Sighting Network (SGIWSN), a multi-island project led by the Saturna Island Marine Research and Education Society, for receiving the recognition!

SGIWSN is a volunteer citizen-led organization for monitoring and gathering field data on whales around Saturna, Pender and Mayne Islands in British Columbia.

The sighting information collected by the SGIWSN is used by Ocean Wise and shared with other ENGOs, government agencies, and academic institutions for conservation-based research, critical habitat analysis, and the establishment of marine protected areas. The real-time sightings have also been used to inform the WhaleReport Alert System (WRAS), a tool used by commercial vessels to avoid ship strikes and disturbances to cetacean populations. The contributions made by SGIWSN are incredibly valuable given the organization’s proximity to the high-risk areas of Boundary and Active Pass, and the Interim Sanctuary Zones for the Protection of Southern Resident Killer Whales.

To learn more about the Saturna Island Marine Research and Education Society, the Southern Gulf Island Whale Sighting Network, and their important work to build awareness of marine life and ecosystems in the Salish Sea, visit their website.

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