A special free community presentation, "Celebrate Springer 2025!", is scheduled for Saturday, November 22, at 3:00 PM in Seattle, focusing on the extraordinary rescue and successful reunion of the orca known as Springer (A73).
The event will honor Springer’s story, which began in 2002 when she was discovered near West Seattle, lost, alone, and approximately 300 miles away from her home. After six months, Springer was successfully rescued, rehabilitated, and ultimately reunited with her pod on the north end of Vancouver Island. The successful reunion of Springer remains the only successful orca reunion in history.
Today, Springer is thriving and has three calves of her own.
The presentation is co-hosted by The Whale Trail and Inner Alchemy Sanctuary and Studio. The speaker will be Donna Sandstrom, Founder and Executive Director of The Whale Trail. Sandstrom was an integral community organizer during the effort to return Springer to her pod. She will share the inspiring true story of how the community mobilized for the rescue and how the whales responded.
Attendees are encouraged to come celebrate Springer's success and will also learn how they can help today's endangered southern resident orcas. Sandstrom has a background in marine conservation, having founded The Whale Trail in 2008 following the collaborative success of the Springer effort. In 2018, she served on Gov. Jay Inslee's Orca Recovery Task Force, where she championed solutions aimed at reducing noise and disturbance around the endangered southern resident orcas.
Sandstrom is also the author of the middle-grade nonfiction book, Orca Rescue! (Kids Can Press 2021). The book has received multiple accolades, including being a 2025 Sasquatch Award Nominee, a Washington Book Award finalist, and the Winner of the Best Children's Book 2022 (Science Writers and Communicators of Canada).
Event Details
The presentation, Celebrate Springer 2025!, is free and family-friendly. While the event is free, registration is required and can be completed via https://bpt.me/6748629. Donations will be gratefully accepted to support The Whale Trail.
The community presentation will take place at the Inner Alchemy Sanctuary and Studio, located at 3618 SW Alaska Street, Seattle 98126. The entrance is situated on 37th Ave SW, on the building’s lower level.
Doors open at 2:45 PM, allowing time for attendees to settle before the prompt 3:00 PM start. Guests are advised to arrive early to secure parking. Please note that Inner Alchemy Sanctuary and Studio is a shoes-free environment, and visitors are welcome to bring slippers
