Killer Whale Tales

What Killer Whale Tales does

Killer Whale Tales is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2000 by Jeff Hogan that delivers environmental science education focused on the conservation of Southern Resident killer whales to elementary schools across the Pacific Northwest. The core offering is a free in-school program consisting of a 60-minute storytelling presentation followed by hands-on breakout activities (Fish and Chips scale analysis, Who am I & Where am I Going? photo identification, Say What? acoustic communication, Drone On! aerial imagery analysis, The Secret Lives of Killer Whales D-tag data exploration, and an Orca Acoustic Game Show), coupled with the Kids Making a Difference Now (KMAD) overnight conservation activity and optional Deep Dive remote learning follow-up sessions. The curriculum is built on proprietary data assets including individual whale acoustic recordings, underwater behavior telemetry, aerial drone imagery, and photographs supplied through formal partnerships with NOAA West Coast Fisheries, the Seattle Aquarium, and the Center for Whale Research.

The organization operates an event-driven, grant-funded model in which foundation grants (Discuren Charitable Foundation, NOAA, Washington Endowment for the Environment, Russell Family Foundation, Rose Foundation, and others) and individual donations cover the cost of free program delivery to schools that complete the KMAD conservation activity. Schools opting out of KMAD pay $5 per student, but this represents a minor revenue stream relative to grants. Distribution is primarily direct in-person school visits across the Pacific Northwest, with the Seattle Aquarium acting as a channel partner handling registration and scheduling for up to 2,000 students plus booking services for an additional 3,000. Since 2004 the program has reached 1,009 schools, 4,055 classrooms, and 139,302 students. Funding and partnership depth, rather than pricing power, drives the operating model.

Name

Killer Whale Tales

Legal name

Killer Whale Tales

Website

https://killerwhaletales.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Killer Whale Tales is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free, storytelling-driven environmental science education about Southern Resident killer whales to K-6 schools across the Pacific Northwest, funded by foundation grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural & Environmental Education Expeditions (Citizen Science, Conservation Volunteering) (THAAAOAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Educational Adventure Programs (Outdoor Education, Skill Development) (THAAAAAO), Education & Community Programs (Junior Ranger, Citizen Science, School Programs) (THAAAGAK), Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)

Keywords

• Environmental education programs
• Marine science curriculum
• Wildlife conservation education
• School classroom programs
• Orca conservation outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Primary funding comes from foundation grants (Discuren Charitable Foundation, NOAA, Washington Endowment for the Environment) and individual donations. This enables free program delivery to schools that complete the KMAD conservation activity.
2. Per-Student Program Fee: Schools that do not wish to participate in or complete the KMAD Conservation activity pay $5 per student to receive the program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Killer Whale Tales is a 501(c)(3) environmental education program that delivers in-person storytelling presentations and hands-on field-based science activities to K-6 elementary school classrooms throughout the Pacific Northwest, focused on the conservation of Southern Resident killer whales and their habitat. The core program includes a 60-minute storytelling presentation followed by breakout activities, an optional KMAD (Kids Making a Difference Now) overnight conservation activity, and optional online Deep Dive follow-up sessions. The program is provided free to schools that complete the KMAD conservation activity (funded by grants and donations) and at $5 per student for schools that do not participate in KMAD.

Product overview

Killer Whale Tales is a 501(c)(3) environmental education nonprofit offering a free in-school program combining storytelling and field-based science to inspire conservation of Southern Resident killer whales. The core program consists of a 60-minute storytelling/slide presentation followed by hands-on breakout activities (Fish and Chips, Who am I & Where am I Going?, Say What?, Drone On!, The Secret Lives of Killer Whales, and Orca Acoustic Game Show), a conservation project (Kids Making a Difference Now/KMAD), and optional online follow-up sessions (Deep Dive: Remote Learning). Schools completing the KMAD conservation activity receive the program at no cost; others pay $5 per student.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KMAD: Kids Making a Difference Now - a conservation activity program where students complete homework activities to reduce their ecological footprint and help protect orca habitat.
• Deep Dive

Products and services

• In-School Orca Education Program The core environmental science education program for K-6 elementary students combining storytelling presentations with hands-on breakout activities (Fish and Chips, Who am I & Where am I Going?, Say What?, Drone On!, The Secret Lives of Killer Whales, Orca Acoustic Game Show) to teach about Southern Resident killer whales and their conservation, delivered in-person at schools throughout the Pacific Northwest.
• KWTales Deep Dive: Remote Learning Online follow-up sessions where students engage in 55-60 minute activities exploring the world of Southern Resident killer whales based on the in-class curriculum. Free, designed for grades 3-6, with up to 25 participants per session. Sessions are held on Friday mornings and involve multiple schools/classrooms with in-depth whale research topics.
• Kids Making a Difference Now (KMAD) A student conservation activity program where K-6 students complete overnight homework worksheets to identify and reduce their ecological footprint, implementing strategies such as reducing bathwater and shower time. Schools whose students complete and return KMAD worksheets within 2 weeks receive the In-School Orca Education Program at no cost. Demonstrated measurable outcomes including 36,211 gallons of water conserved during the 2018-2019 school year.

Quantifiable outcome

• 36,211 gallons of water conserved by students in 2018-2019 school year through KMAD activities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal annual contract relationship with NOAA West Coast Fisheries. NOAA aids in funding the program through government contracts and provides contact information for interested schools. NOAA staff are developing a 'Springer Returns Home' curriculum packet for teachers. KWT uses teaching materials from NOAA to supplement after-visit activity programs.
• Seattle AquariumcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeattle Aquarium promotes and advertises KWT's curriculum and provides visits as a combined package in their Educator Guide distributed to schools throughout the region. They assist by registering and scheduling KWT school visits and aquarium visits for up to 2,000 students, plus booking services for an additional 3,000 students. They also provide bus transportation and admission funding for eligible students and provide orca whale identification trading cards.
• The Center for Whale ResearchcoreTechnology or IntegrationOffers students an opportunity to help identify individual members of the Southern Resident Killer Whale community using photographs collected by the Center. Students learn to determine and define the orcas' critical habitat using the Center's research photographs.
• Orca NetworkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAssists by distributing KWT curriculum packets and activities for classroom teachers, as well as copies of their 'Orcas in Our Midst' booklet to supplement the program.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Whale Museum (Friday Harbor): The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor, WA is a nonprofit focused on Southern Resident killer whale education and research, with a similar regional footprint and mission to inspire stewardship of orcas in the Salish Sea.
• Orca Network: Orca Network is a Washington-based nonprofit that operates an orca sightings hotline, hydrophone listening network, and educational outreach—all directly overlapping with Killer Whale Tales' mission to engage the public in orca conservation.
• Center for Whale Research: The Center for Whale Research is the primary scientific authority on Southern Resident killer whales, providing photographic identification data that KWT uses in its curriculum; both organizations share the same subject population and educational/research mission.
• SeaDoc Society: SeaDoc Society is a marine science and education nonprofit in the Salish Sea region that combines research with K-12 and public education programs focused on the same marine ecosystem as Killer Whale Tales.

Broad incumbents

• Seattle Aquarium: Seattle Aquarium is a regional incumbent that packages KWT curriculum with field trips and offers its own marine education programming targeting similar Pacific Northwest school audiences.
• The Marine Mammal Center: The Marine Mammal Center is a larger California-based marine mammal nonprofit with K-12 education programs and a similar free-to-schools model, comparable to KWT in mission and school-engagement approach though at significantly greater scale.
• Ocean Conservancy: Ocean Conservancy is a national ocean conservation nonprofit with significant education and youth engagement programming, frequently competing with regional nonprofits like KWT for foundation grants.

Regional players

• Pacific Marine Mammal Center: Pacific Marine Mammal Center is a regional marine mammal rescue and education nonprofit in Orange County, CA, offering comparable K-12 marine science education programs focused on local species and conservation.
• Pacific Science Center: Pacific Science Center is a Seattle-based science education institution that delivers school programs and field trips in the Pacific Northwest, overlapping with KWT's classroom science offerings and school district relationships.

Emerging players

• EarthEcho International: EarthEcho International is a planet-facing youth environmental education nonprofit founded by Philippe Cousteau Jr., running classroom STEAM programs that compete for the same teacher and grant-funding pool as KWT's school programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KWTales
• Facebookfacebook.com/killerwhaletales
• Instagraminstagram.com/kwtales
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/killer-whale-tales

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Killer Whale Tales