Bush Point

This is a great place to listen for the Southern Resident killer whales who pass through Admiralty Inlet about once a month in search of salmon. Other common sounds here come from ships heading to and from the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, and recreational vessels using the adjacent boat ramp.

A hydrophone system designed by Lon Brocklehurst and Ken Balcomb was deployed in 2018, with 3 elements deployed 200m offshore at a depth of 16.5m by diver Florian Grainer. After only a month, the long cable failed. Since then, 1-2 hydrophones have been deployed at the base of the deepest pilings. Their depth is only ~1m, so they dry at some negative tides and you may then hear seabird sounds!

The Bush Point node is hosted by Orca Network with support from Bush Point Wharf and WhidbeyTel.

Status update 10/18/2023: The Bush Point wharf was badly damaged over the winter of 2022-23 and has been assessed for repair. The hydrophones have been removed and we are planning a new deployment with support from WDFW.

Learn more about the Bush Point node

A 2023 upgrade to this node was funded by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife through The Department of Ecology’s Equipment Grant program to improve location detection of Southern Resident Killer Whales and other marine mammals during oil spills (SPPREG-2123-WaSDFW-00025).