Rompus Marine Radio
HYDROPHONE SERVICE • PUGET SOUND & BEYOND • NINE STATIONS
Tune In
Every station on this dial is a real hydrophone hanging in the Salish Sea right now, from central Puget Sound to northern Vancouver Island. Most times it's the sea's current, shrimp crackle, and often it's engine noise. Sometimes it's whales. Patience is part of the program. All of this is inspired by, meant to amplify, and in solidarity and support of the work of the scientists, mariners, and tribal communities who study and cherish this region.
Program Guide
An underwater microphone takes some getting used to, and these feeds are live — no enhancement or cleanup has been performed. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are used to hearing sounds that have been curated by a sound designer or editor. In traditional radio and television, raw microphone source is cleaned up through the use of eq, compression, noise cancellation, and other audio wizardry designed to make the sounds pleasing, impactful, and understood in context. In this case, we do not have that luxury. Here's a guide to what you may hear:
◌ The Quiet
A soft hiss and a crackle like static, often snapping shrimp, among the loudest small animals in the sea. This is the baseline broadcast.
ON THE SCOPE: a dim, even wash with faint speckle.
⚙ A Passing Ship
A deep rumble that swells over long minutes. Container ships, tankers, and ferries are the loudest voices in these waters, all day, every day.
ON THE SCOPE: a heavy band along the bottom that grows, peaks, fades.
◙ Orcas
Squeals, whistles, and echoing calls that sound almost conversational. Maybe they are. This is what the hydrophones were deployed to listen for. Let Orcasound know if you hear them!
ON THE SCOPE: sharp curving strokes, like handwriting.
◓ Other Voices
Rain hisses like frying oil. Sea lions bark like distant dogs. Humpbacks moan through on their way north. Even some fish grunt.
ON THE SCOPE: bursts, blotches, and sudden weather brightenings.
⚠ The Hum That Isn't the Ocean
A steady electrical buzz means the equipment is not fully functional. This 60 Hz hum may be familiar to you as it is not uncommon on land either.
ON THE SCOPE: one thin, unwavering line that never breathes.
Credits & Fine Print
Orcasound operates the six Puget Sound stations as an open community-science network, shared under CC BY‑NC. My understanding is that this is free to hear and share non-commercially, with credit. The clip button records what you're hearing to a small .webm file on your own device under that same license. They also train volunteers to listen for and report whales at live.orcasound.net.
Lime Kiln is operated by The Whale Museum with SMRU Consulting (CC BY‑NC‑SA 4.0) and plays here listen-only in keeping with their terms. OrcaLab appears via its official YouTube live stream. Ocean Networks Canada's Barkley Canyon observatory opens at its own player.
Rompus Marine Radio is part of Listening to the Sound, an independent, nascent outreach project built on open hydrophone data. It is not affiliated with the networks above, but it is so incredibly grateful to them.