March Anacortes Lecture
Elephant Seals of the Salish Sea. What a local resident named Elsie Mae has to teach us about Salish Sea marine mammals.
March 19, 2027 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Garry and Dianne will explore the behaviors of Salish Sea elephant seals and introduce us to Elsie Mae, an elephant seal that has, in recent years, beached herself on the shore of Fidalgo Island.
Elsie Mae’s presence has prompted awareness and curiosity in community residents about the prevalence and behaviors of elephant seals in the Salish Sea. A volunteer network has grown up to to protect her and other stranded mammals, illustrating ways we can engage in protecting such vital resources right on our own doorstep.
Garry Heinrich was a middle school math and science teacher and captain on the Tall Ship, Hawaiian Chieftain, with years on the sea and interactions with marine mammals. He has worked at Marineland, the marine mammal care facility and oceanarium in southern California, and moved to Whidbey Island in 2010; in 2012, he began volunteering with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, part of the Orca Network and NOAA’s West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network. Heinrich is currently the response coordinator for the MMSN Central Puget Sound.
Dianne Norton: Dianne and her husband Randy have been an Elephant Seal Steward for the past 5 years. Dianne has been the local Anacortes Volunteer Coordinator for the past 3 years. She is am retired Social Worker for the State of Washington. As the lead coordinator for Elsie Mae sightings, she has seen their “home-grown” group has more than doubled over the last three years to almost 60 active volunteers. In 2026, these volunteers logged about 2700 hours over 83 days. Elsie Mae has a minimum of two volunteers with her from 6AM until 10PM, 7 days per week.
Reservations are required for this popular event! Walk-in seats will not be available.
Ticket Reservations will open at 9:00 am on Friday, March 5, 2027
Doors will open at 6:15pm. Please arrive to the lobby for check-in no later than 6:50 on the evening of the lecture. We will start promptly at 7pm. Those who arrive after 6:50 pm may lose their reservations!