Bigg's 201 ~ A fully virtual version of our flagship Bigg's 201 course

Scholarship available for this class:

Yes

Registration opens:

MAY 2025

Class Cost:

TBD

In this 4 month fully virtual course, you will work with whale biologist Monika Wieland Shields of the Orca Behavior Institute to improve your scientific literacy by doing a deep dive to learn more about Bigg’s killer whales of the Salish Sea. Regardless of your background, this class will help you practice reading and understanding scientific papers and let you explore real-world sightings data to create graphs and maps as you follow a specific Bigg’s family group. This class culminates with a virtual presentation where you can practice what you’ve learned about how to communicate science effectively. If you ever wondered what a career in marine biology might be like or you want to take your understanding of killer whales to the next level, this is the course for you!

Our full version of the class, which includes in-person boat trips, will run again in early 2026.

• 11 two-hour virtual Zoom sessions with Monika Wieland Shields including lectures, group discussions, and plenty of time for Q&A

• Access to 5 years of OBI's real-world sightings data on a specific family group of Bigg's killer whales

• Commemorative class T-shirt‍

• Community Discord server to connect with instructors and students between class sessions (and a tutorial on how to use Discord if it's new to you!)

• The opportunity to practice everything you've learned through a final virtual presentation with your classmates

There are no specific prerequisites other than a willingness to learn, challenge yourself, and engage with
others on throughout this educational experience. No specific scientific background is needed; in fact, we
anticipate that everyone's unique backgrounds will enrich the experience for everyone. The general
expectation is that students will spend 1-3 hours on class assignments in between sessions.

While the class will begin with a review of basic orca biology and life history, this is considered a more
advanced class for those with existing basic orca knowledge, rather than an introductory class for those
just learning about orcas for the first time. The Salish Sea School is offering an alternative class that may
be a better fit for those seeking an introductory level course.

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Who is this course for?

This course is for anyone 18 and older who wants to:

Expand their knowledge of Bigg’s killer whales
Improve their scientific literacy
Learn what scientists do to take a research project from start to finish
Be able to read and understand scientific papers
Communicate effectively about science

Do you offer a payment plan and how do I sign up?

Splitting the class fee into 3 equal payments is also an option with an additional 2.9% per
payment added to cover transaction fees. You can visit our payment plan page (when available) HERE

What is your cancellation policy?

Cancel by August 31, 2025 to receive a full refund minus a $100 administrative fee. No refunds for cancellations made after September 1, 2025.

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