Established in 1979 as the first U.S. museum dedicated to whales living in the wild, The Whale Museum promotes stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem through education and research. The Soundwatch Boater Education Program was initiated in 1993 by The Whale Museum to reduce disturbances to marine wildlife caused by irresponsible boater behaviors. This innovative program educates boaters on guidelines and regulations for marine wildlife through shore-based education, reinforces the learning experience through on-the-water educational patrols, monitors vessel activities to characterize vessel trends, and evaluate existing guidelines and laws. The main focus of our work is the endangered Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs) but there are other marine mammal species of