It's Orca Awareness Month in Washington state, and Port Townsend is plunging into a monthlong celebration of our unique relationship with orcas and the Salish Sea.

Community events taking place June 3-24 bring together whale experts, educators, tribal representatives and artists for fun-filled, educational days of exploration focused on the area’s orca population and the broader whale ecosystem in the Salish Sea.

“Port Townsend Orca Fest will help tell the story of our orcas, and we hope will connect our community more deeply with the culture, science and future of these amazing animals,” said Pete Hanke Jr. of Puget Sound Express, which is hosting the festival together with Port Townsend Marine Science Center and the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce.

Orca Awareness Month was started 11 years ago by Susan Berta and Howard Garrett of Orca Network, and was proclaimed a tradition by Gov. Jay Inslee to raise awareness of the endangered Southern Resident orcas and the need to help them recover to healthy populations.

“There are many reasons why we celebrate orcas, the state’s official marine mammal. They are intelligent, social, and simply awe-inspiring in a way that few can deny,” said Inslee.

“Port Townsend’s central location in the Salish Sea makes it one of the nation’s finest destinations for learning about orcas,” said Janine Boire, executive director of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, which also celebrates its 35th anniversary June 3.