WSMAG.NET Blog » The Outdoors

Local outdoor aficionados share tips and information about outdoor recreation, from fishing to bird watching.

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Orca Killer Whales

Are Puget Sound’s Orcas Making a Comeback?

Orcas have always played a significant role in Puget Sound, with cultural significance ranging back thousands of years. As apex predators, they are crucial to the local ecosystem, and they also assist the regional economy by bringing in tourism. These creatures have many … read more

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Ocean Life

Who’s to Blame for Climate Change? The Answer May Surprise You

No question about it — a blazing argument, sometimes lacking in cold-hard facts, continues globally and concerns whether or not our little globe is getting warmer (it seems to be, if ocean temperatures are a reliable marker). And who’s to blame? The sun? … read more

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Purple Ochre Sea Star

What’s Going on with the Diminishing Sea Star Population?

As many people have noticed over the last few years, there aren’t anywhere near as many sea stars around as there used to be. Beaches that were home to hundreds of stars now maybe have a dozen or perhaps none at all. This … read more

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Buoy

NOAA’s West Sound buoys help us learn about winds, weathers and general Sound health

NOAA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, part of the U. S. Department of Commerce, has deployed many distinctive, yellow data-gathering buoys globally. Six of them, all technically owned and managed by the University of Washington for NOAA, are located in Puget Sound. … read more

BLOG POST

Harbor Seals

Stranded or Sleeping? What to Do if You Find a Harbor Seal on the Beach

From late June to early September, harbor seals all over the Puget Sound are giving birth to their young. While these fuzzy, Bambi-eyed babies are drop-dead adorable, it is extremely important that beach visitors give these little friends a lot of space. If … read more

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Pigeon Guillemot

Pigeon Guillemot — the Whistler

There is at least one bird that really whistles. Most of the time, when you hear what sounds like a whistling bird, it is air passing through its feathers when it flies. This “whistler” is a small, black bird seen on Northwest waters … read more

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Deception Pass

How Long is Truly Our West Sound Coastline? It’s a Bit of a Paradox

The length of our coastline depends on the...

By simply using prominent points around the peninsula and measuring by the mile, the Coastal Zone Atlas of Washington (a product of the Washington State Department of Ecology) says the coastline of Kitsap County is 246 miles, Mason County’s 218 miles and Pierce … read more

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Crab

Minding the Regulations While Outdoors Helps Future Puget Sound Generations

Living in the Pacific Northwest and especially in the Puget Sound area, we have been spoiled with our ability to spend recreational time out in the wilderness, fishing and harvesting various shellfish. With more than 10,000 rivers and streams leading into Puget Sound, … read more

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Eurasian collared dove, latin name Streptopelia decaocto

Watch for Eurasian Collared-Doves Around West Sound

Eurasian collared-doves are setting some kind of a record when it comes to colonizing North America. They aren’t native to this continent but their numbers stretch from coast to coast. This bird is a native of Europe and parts of Asia. After being … read more

Pony Up Rescue for Equines
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