Whale, whale, whale, what do we have here?
Tuesday, April 22, 2014Posted by
Broch Bender
Break out the binoculars, mates. It’s whale-watching
season aboard the Washington State Ferries.
 |
| Occasionally, a humpback whale en route to Alaska pops up for a wave. |
Since April 1, 2014, more than 50 people reported sightings of gray and orca whales from our ferries, according to Orca
Network.
 |
| Spotting for spouts aboard the Sidney B.C. to Anacortes ferry. Photo by Sue Frause. |
Did you know that Puget Sound is home to a 103-year-old orca? Born in 1911, Granny (J-2, pictured below) shares the same waters as we do.
 | |||||
| When Granny was born, steamboats plied passengers through Puget Sound. Photo by Astrid van Ginneken. |
For our porpoises
(and Granny’s), it’s Earth Day every day at WSF
We’ve got a responsibility to help keep the Sound clean for
Granny, and all whales and marine life that call our region home. That’s why we’re proud to operate one of the
greenest ferry systems in the world on April 22 (Earth Day), and all year long.
Here’s how we sea it:
- All of our vessels are National Passenger Vessel Association Waters Program certified.
- EnviroStars, a regional pollution
prevention program, awarded WSF with five-star certification for demonstrated
leadership in recycling/compost programming and using sustainable/reusable
materials when feasible.
- In 2013, our ferries used up to 5 percent biodiesel. That’s more than 687,740 gallons of carbon-neutral, greenhouse-gas-reducing fuel.
- In 2014-2015, we’ll launch a pilot project to increase our biodiesel fuel to 10 percent.
- In 2016 the M/V Hyak will become afuel-efficient hybrid ferry, saving 237,000 gallons of fuel annually.
Water you waiting
for?
You can make it Earth Day any day of the week and hang out
with orcas in real time. Just take the Anacortes/Friday Harbor ferry to Lime Kiln State Park (photo, below) and get comfy.
Whale, there you have it, folks. Seas the day!
Oh, Canada!
Thursday, April 10, 2014Posted by
Broch Bender
Captain, let’s point the propeller toward the 49th
parallel, eh? Washington State Ferries’ seasonal return to Sidney B.C. has begun!
Photo credit:Ian Byington/sanjuanupdate.com
Sunday,
April 6, 2014, marked the annual opening day for our marvelous international ferry route.
Along
with swapping out currency and learning to add extra “u’s” to some words (e.g., 'colour' and 'neighbour'), our Canadian/American ferryboat run fosters friendship on both sides of the border.
Sidney B.C officials, local bagpiper and Town Crier join the festivities.
In fact, when the Sidney community heard that the Anacortes Town
Crier was unable to attend opening day festivities due to a fund raising event
for the victims of the Oso, WA mudslide, they all chipped in and raised $1,327
in relief funds.
Thank you, Sidney B.C! Your kindness and generosity is as lovely
and inspiring as your famous flowers.
 |
| Butchart gardens, pictured above, is a short drive west of Sidney, B.C. |
Our spring sailing schedule offers one round-trip sailing to
and from Anacortes, WA and Sidney, B.C. every day through June 14. We'll add a second round-trip to the mix mid-June through September.
See you at the border!
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