Monika Wieland Shields
@orcawatcher.bsky.social
Killer whale researcher, author, and photographer 🐳 Hockey fan, bird-watcher, part-time crusader 🌟 San Juan Island, WA 🌅
Summer evening vibes on San Juan Island, complete with unexpected orcas showing up for sunset 😍🌅
Somehow we have never watched fireworks from our boat before. We’re usually further away, so it was impressive to see and hear them up close!
We think the best kind of fireworks are whale fireworks! 🎆 🎇 Who do you think did it best? Add your vote in the comments below! #orcas #killerwhales #salishsea #4thofJuly #whalesky
We're wrapping up Orca Action Month 2026 with this short but beautiful tribute to the Southern Resident killer whales that inspired the creation of the Orca Behavior Institute. Please let us know what you thought of our #OBIArtForOrcas project via this short survey: forms.office.com/r/VybWQeNA60
Our goal for Orca Action Month is to raise awareness about the plight of the Southern Resident killer whales. If you're inspired to learn more, we invite you to get a copy of the book "Endangered Orcas", written by OBI's director Monika Wieland Shields. Get your signed copy: tinyurl.com/SRKW-Book
A photo from one last evening of birding in interior B.C. before heading home today! 40 species in 2.5 hours including a lifer dusky grouse 🧡 It’s been an incredibly memorable trip; I’ll share more photos in the weeks ahead! #roadtrip #beautifulbritishcolumbia #birdwatching
It doesn’t matter if you’re coastal or inland, summer scenics in the sub-Arctic region are always spectacular #yukon
Same mountains, different vibes - all taken from the same general location over the course of the week #alaska
“Alaska isn’t about who you were when you headed this way. It’s about who you become.” – Kristin Hannah
A few shots from the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward today: horned puffin, painted anemone, and coho salmon
A bustling black-legged kittiwake nesting colony at Cape Resurrection, Alaska
It's a precarious life for a newborn mountain goat on the cliffs above Resurrection Bay! ⛰️🐐 #alaska
Painting by natural light at 10 PM - a night owl of a girl could get used to this! 🦉🎨 #Alaska #LandOfTheMidnightSun #WatercolorPainting
I’ve been experiencing photo paralysis: such amazing scenery that I haven’t been able to choose which pictures to share, leading me to not share any 😅 I plan to change that starting today! At least one picture every day for the rest of the trip 🏔️ #alaska
So proud of this project and this community! We can't wait for you all to see the passion and creativity that has coalesced around raising awareness for the endangered Southern Resident killer whales. Learn more: tinyurl.com/OBI-SRKW #OBIArtForOrcas #20YearsEndangered #whalesky
Orca Behavior Institute@orcabehaviorinstitute.org · 2mo agoThe Southern Residents have been endangered for over 20 years. To raise awareness, I had an idea. Create 75 life-sized dorsal fins to represent each living orca. We asked & the OBI community responded. From 6/1, the fins will be displayed throughout the PNW & beyond! More info: tinyurl.com/OBI-SRKW
Seersucker kelp in the sunshine at American Camp on San Juan Island this morning. We saw it while tidepooling and enjoying one of the lowest daytime low tides of 2026! #salishsea
So much fun drawing gray whales this evening in our @orcabehaviorinstitute.org class with @hysazu.bsky.social ! #whalesky
It was so lovely we had to go back for another evening walk in the oak groves at English Camp ☀️
Absolutely gorgeous light for an evening walk at Mt. Young yesterday, and the perfect temperature out, too!
A few more of my favorite flowers! 🌹🌸 I love this time of year.
This weekend truly had all four seasons in Puget Sound! There were some beautiful sights to be had in between the squalls, like this Washington State Ferry in front of the Olympic Mountains sporting a fresh coat of snow. #salishsea
