Research teams race across Puget Sound when whales are spotted. There were a few other research speedboats besides this one that were following what I believe were Orca whales that were swimming north. I did see the whales with my own eyes :). Here's some information: "There are seven species of whales and dolphins that frequent the Puget Sound and Salish Sea (the waters that run up to the west of Vancouver Island): orcas, transient orcas, gray whales, humpback whales, minkes, fin whales, pacific white-sided dolphins, and pseudorcas."
@vignouse Here's a little info from the National Wildlife Foundation: "Some of the funding will go to helping scientists study feeding patterns of orcas, including coordinating with more than 20 salmon research efforts to investigate hatchery management and orca nutritional health to prioritize specific salmon runs for restoration."
Ian