Pacific Mammal Research - PacMam

Pacific Mammal Research - PacMam Pacific Mammal Research - PacMam is a research and education organization dedicated to the study of marine mammals and their environment.

Pacific Mammal Research (PacMam) was created in October 2014 by Dr. Cindy Elliser. PacMam is a 501c3 non-profit organization and is dedicated to understanding more about marine mammal populations in the Salish Sea and the Pacific Ocean and passing on that knowledge through scientific publications and education. The primary study area is Burrows Pass (between Burrows and Fidalgo Islands) and the su

rrounding waters of the Salish Sea. The initial research focus of PacMam is using photo-identification (photo-ID) techniques to identify and track individual harbor porpoises, Phocoena phocoena, over time. A feasibility study conducted with the Harbor Porpoise Project (under the Pacific Biodiversity Institute) determined that features such as pigmentation, scars, and dorsal fin markings could be used to positively identify individuals. Dr. Elliser is also working with other organizations to collect photographs from other areas to create a regional photo-ID database for the harbor porpoise. Little is know about the harbor porpoise population in the Salish Sea and this study will provide novel and valuable information, as photo-ID of this species is rarely attempted. Dr. Elliser plans to expand the photo-ID coverage to include harbor seals, which can be identified by the spots on their pelage, around the head and neck. Harbor seals are plentiful in the study area, have local haul outs, share the waters with harbor porpoises and are often seen in Burrows Pass together especially during feeding. Few studies have focused on photo-ID of pinnipeds, especially in this area, and this will provide novel and valuable information on this species as well. PacMam will correlate photo-ID and environmental data to learn more about the populations of harbor porpoises and harbor seals in the Salish Sea, providing critical information to the scientific community and public alike. Future work may incorporate other species and topics, stay tuned!

The votes are in! Meet the newest named seal in our catalog, seal #258 Odyssey! Thank you to everyone who participated ...
05/16/2026

The votes are in! Meet the newest named seal in our catalog, seal #258 Odyssey! Thank you to everyone who participated in voting for a name!

Help us name seal 258 in our photo-ID catalog! Cast your vote for which name you like most in the comments of this post....
05/11/2026

Help us name seal 258 in our photo-ID catalog! Cast your vote for which name you like most in the comments of this post. All the votes will be tallied this Friday May 15th at 5pm! Check back in Friday to find out the results! 🦭

Happy Mother's Day to the harbor porpoise moms out there! Swipe through for some fun facts about porpoise motherhood - t...
05/11/2026

Happy Mother's Day to the harbor porpoise moms out there! Swipe through for some fun facts about porpoise motherhood - they truly are hardworking moms!

Let us know if you see a bunch of seals grouped up together!
05/07/2026

Let us know if you see a bunch of seals grouped up together!

We were hopeful this whale that has been in the Salish Sea since September was finding food, but is stranded and died to...
05/06/2026

We were hopeful this whale that has been in the Salish Sea since September was finding food, but is stranded and died today. It was a young male, and was emaciated. Thank you to all the responders doing what they could for this animal, and collecting data and samples so we can learn for the future.

SAMISH ISLAND — A fin whale, a species rarely seen in Puget Sound, died Tuesday morning after it was found beached on Samish Island.

05/01/2026

We collected 3 eDNA samples and saw other amazing wildlife on this trip. Keep an eye out for more trips to come, and join us!

We have been seeing a lot of Steller sea lions in the pass over the last month or so. Tis the season, as spring and fall...
04/28/2026

We have been seeing a lot of Steller sea lions in the pass over the last month or so. Tis the season, as spring and fall we tend to see them more. Did you know they are the largest sea lion, with males reaching up to 11 ft and 2500lbs?

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1513 A Avenue
Anacortes, WA
98221

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+13602022860

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