By Fred Felleman

I’m deeply concerned about the long-term viability of our endangered southern resident orca community and for one of the institutions best situated to elevate the public awareness needed to help recover the whales from their precarious position on the planet. This is a call for the Whale Museum’s Board of Directors to start a search for a new Executive Director now that the position is vacant.

On May 23rd the Journal published a press release stating that the Museum’s Executive Director of 17 years has left the organization. However, I’m surprised there’s been no further news coverage, especially of what steps are being taken to fill that important position. The lack of attention may reflect the low profile the Museum has maintained in the community, other than as a gift shop and tourist attraction. Regardless, a change in leadership creates an opportunity to breathe new life into this well-positioned, but underperforming organization and to rally support for our iconic orca.

Throughout my adulthood, the whales have been an indelible source of inspiration and motivation for my public service. I came to San Juan Island to study the whales in 1980 – the year after the Whale Museum opened. I’ve been a research associate and a member of its Board of Directors. I’m currently an environmental consultant and serving my 3rd elected term on the Seattle Port Commission.

I share all this because I’ve long felt the Museum has not effectively fulfilled its worthy mission to, “Promote stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem through education and research.” Case in point, the Museum’s exhibits have needed to be refreshed for years and while its Soundwatch boater education program continues to provide important protection for the whales – it’s out-matched by the challenge with its available resources.

Why do these long-standing shortcomings remain unaddressed? After the release of four Free Willy movies produced between 1993-2010, there were numerous opportunities for past and present Directors to use the attention to transform the Whale Museum into a significant regional, if not national institution. Even after the story of Tahlequah’s (J-35) “tour of grief” during which she carried her stillborn calf for 17 days received international attention in 2018, highlighting the plight of the population, the Museum failed to seize the opportunity to sustain attention on the need for the whales to feed.

Despite many missed opportunities, the Museum still exists. This is due in large part to the dedication of its staff and volunteers, who like me, moved here for the whales. The question is will the Museum seize this opportunity to enable new leadership to help meet the whales’ needs — or does it want to try?

If so, the Museum’s Board needs to reflect on its mission and its own composition. Most importantly, it needs to quickly hire a new Executive Director who has the time, motivation, and leadership skills, to shape this venerable organization into an institution that has the capacity to rise to the urgency of the situation.

This is a call for action, not a job application, but I’m happy to serve on a search committee.