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04/09/2009: "Voices Coming Through Water Off SJI"

It sounds like the beginning of a grade B science fiction show, but sonar pings and human voices traveling through the water on the west side of San Juan Island have caused concern about the negative impacts on the Orca population.

The noise was picked up Tuesday night by a woman (who goes by the blog name of Jeanne) as she was monitoring underwater listening devices placed off of Lime Kiln State Park. As was suspected, the noise was US Navy generated, and in this case by the submarine USS San Francisco that was moving through the strait




From Jeanne’s blog “Unfortunately for all those marine mammals nearby and their inner ears it seems that a vessel came through using its sonar several times as it passed by in the inland waters...I'm assuming it was the Navy as there was this electronic sounding voice ...sounded like it was counting down...I could hear the number 9 and the number 6 clearly within the 'counting' or whatever it was doing...”

Jeanne has posted a recording she received from “JR”, and can be accessed by going

The Whale Museum states the noise was generated south of San Juan Island. What is known for sure is that it was lound. Dr. Val Veirs is a professor of Physics (emeritus) at Colorado College, and current president of the The Whale Museum's Board, stated "The received levels of the signals at Lime Kiln Lighthouse were about the most intense sounds that the hydrophones there have recorded in the past several years of continuous operation."

The highest received levels came from SONAR pings. The highest received levels were approximately 140 dB re 1 microPascal. This is approximately the same as the most intense SONAR signals recorded in May 2003 when the US Navy Guided Missile "Shoup" transited the waters of Haro Strait

The Navy did confirm the action, and explained the voices were the result of communication between the sub and a surface support vessel.

The Whale Museum reports the sounds were also heard east of Whidby Island and out toward the ocean in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Any injured or stranded marine mammals should not be approached, but the Whale Museum would like a call.