Article body copy

Busy waters surround the southern tip of British Columbia’s Vancouver Island in what is called the Salish Sea. To the west, the Juan de Fuca Strait acts as an off-ramp for container ships, tankers, and freighters moving into the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, or Vancouver, British Columbia.

Eighty southern resident killer whales make their home in the Salish Sea, anchored here by their preferred food: chinook salmon, the largest Pacific salmon species. However, busy international shipping lanes dissect the whales’ feeding grounds, and with the recent approval of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion, tanker traffic is set to rise by three percent.

The southern residents are well known by people living near and visiting the Salish Sea. They rouse strong emotions and concern over potential impacts such as oil spills and ship strikes, but one consequence of the increase in marine traffic doesn’t get as much attention: sound. Killer whales use squeaks, clicks, and other vocalizations to broadcast their location, communicate socially, and hunt. Ship noise can drown out these sounds. Especially loud are the sounds of cavitation, which occurs when the bubbles formed by a vessel’s fast-moving propeller pop.

But ships aren’t the only noisemakers—the Salish Sea is full of all kinds of noises. In this interactive map, we’ve assembled some hydrophone recordings from these waters.

Of course whales don’t hear these sounds the same way we do, as their ears detect different frequencies than ours, but this soundscape will give you an idea of the variety of noises that permeate these waters as well as others around the world. Some sounds, such as those made by paddling kayakers, may be benign to a whale; others, including cavitation and military sonar, are known to interfere with their vocalizations and can even damage their eardrums.

Due to size limitations, the map is not visible on mobile devices, but here are the recordings.

Due to size limitations, the map is not visible on mobile devices, but here are the recordings. Killer whale pod - Killer whales communicate and hunt using whistles, clicks, and other vocalizations. (Recorded at Ocean Networks Canada’s east node, Strait of Georgia, British Columbia.) Vehicle carrier - These large ships carry thousands of cars at a time. (Recorded at Ocean Networks Canada’s east node, Strait of Georgia, British Columbia.) Cruise ship - This cruise ship has a rope wrapped around its propeller shaft, creating an irregular sound. (Recorded at Ocean Networks Canada’s east node, Strait of Georgia, British Columbia.) Tanker - These cargo ships carry huge volumes of oil from pipeline terminals to overseas markets. (Recorded at Ocean Networks Canada’s east node, Strait of Georgia, British Columbia.) Tugboat - Tugs are common in coastal waters, towing barges or maneuvering larger ships to port. (Recorded at Ocean Networks Canada’s east node, Strait of Georgia, British Columbia.) Killer whale pod - Killer whales communicate and hunt using whistles, clicks, and other vocalizations. (Recorded at Ocean Networks Canada’s central node, Strait of Georgia, British Columbia.) Kayakers - Kayakers often stay close to shore and are not especially loud. (Recorded near Lime Kiln Lighthouse, San Juan Island, Washington.) Sonar - Military sonar is difficult to track or predict, but can be very loud. (Recorded near Lime Kiln Lighthouse, San Juan Island, Washington.) Bulk carrier and killer whales - A large cargo ship is heard alongside a pod of killer whales. (Recorded at Orcasounds hydrophone, San Juan Island, Washington.) Jackhammer - This jackhammer is likely being used on a dock. (Recorded at Neah Bay, Washington.) Piledriver - Driving pilings for a dock creates loud percussions. (Recorded at Neah Bay, Washington.) Container ship - These huge ships carry thousands of containers at a time, transporting consumer goods and bulk products around the world. (Recorded at Ocean Networks Canada’s east node, Strait of Georgia, British Columbia.) Note that the sounds for this map were collected at five locations, as identified in the captions. While we’ve placed each sound point where it is likely to be heard, for ease of navigation the location doesn’t necessarily match up with the precise point at which the sound was recorded. Click on the map to activate the sounds, then move your mouse over the dots to hear the soundscape. As you scroll over a sound, a description will appear beneath the map.

Recordings courtesy of the Salish Sea Hydrophone Network and Ocean Networks Canada.