The Whale Museum
Friday Harbor, WA
- UEI
- HNBPNVX9A7A5
- CAGE
- 3R4R3
- Primary NAICS
- 712110 Museums
- SAM.gov registration
- Active through
Company facts
- FY2025 rankings
- Self-certified in SAM.gov
- Entity structure
- Corporate Entity (Tax Exempt)
- Other NAICS codes in SAM.gov
- SAM.gov registration date
- Physical address
- 62 1st St, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
- Website
- whalemuseum.org
- Founded
- 1976
- Employees
- 11-50
- Estimated annual revenue
- $1M-$10M
- Industry
-
- Consumer Discretionary
- Media
- Movies & Entertainment
- SIC code
- 84 Museums, Botanical, Zoological Gardens
Registration and certifications come from SAM.gov and the SBA; company details from public web sources. Updated .
Contract obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Obligated |
|---|---|
| FY2027 To date | $0 |
| FY2026 | $192,039 |
| FY2025 | $168,312 |
| FY2024 | $157,427 |
| FY2023 | $161,325 |
Top agencies by obligations
| Rank | Agency | Obligated, FY2026–FY2027 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Department of Commerce | $192,039 |
Contract awards
Latest 5 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Grant awards
Latest 5 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Grant subawards
| Prime recipient | Prime award | Amount | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Fish And Wildlife Foundation | NA22NMF0150366 | $32,157 | |
| National Fish And Wildlife Foundation | HQ00342120014 | $299,167 | |
| Washington State Department Of Fish & Wildlife | NA25NMFX472G0007 | $384,675 | |
| National Fish And Wildlife Foundation | F21AP01079 | $55,000 |
Similar vendors
| Vendor | Location | Primary NAICS |
|---|---|---|
| Center For Whale Research | Friday Harbor, WA | 541690 Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services |
| Orca Network | Freeland, WA | 813312 Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations |
| Cascadia Research Collective | Olympia, WA | 541715 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) |
| Alaska Sealife Center | Seward, AK | 813312 Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations |
| Smru, LLC | Friday Harbor, WA | 541620 Environmental Consulting Services |
About the company
The Whale Museum, a tax-exempt nonprofit organization based in Friday Harbor, Washington, operates as a prime recipient of federal research and conservation grants and delivery orders, with 93% of recent awards in the prime role. The organization receives all funding from a single customer agency — the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) — and holds no federal contract vehicles of its own; work is performed at the Friday Harbor headquarters on a full-and-open, non-competitive basis.
The Whale Museum specializes in endangered Southern Resident killer whale research, monitoring, and public education in the Puget Sound region. Capability work centers on database management (Killer Whale Sighting Database), marine mammal stranding response and disease surveillance, vessel activity and boater compliance monitoring, acoustic monitoring via hydrophone networks, and the Soundwatch boater education program. The organization also conducts applied field research on killer whale foraging, health, and acoustic behavior; manages volunteers and seasonal staff to expand data collection capacity; and develops outreach initiatives addressing marine mammal protection and recovery.
The Whale Museum's customer concentration is extreme. NOAA accounts for 44 of 57 total awards ($5.9 million combined potential value) — 82% of award count and 96% of combined potential value. The remaining awards are scattered across the Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 9, the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense, none of which represents active engagement. Within NOAA, the museum operates under three single-award indefinite-delivery contracts, with the primary vehicle — IDV 1305M318DNFFP0011 — issued September 7, 2023, carrying a ceiling of $1.735 million through September 6, 2028. Four task orders have been issued against this IDV as of September 2026 (most recent delivery order valued at $192,038.96, issued September 1, 2026, with performance extending through August 31, 2027). A representative contract delivery order from September 2025 (valued at $168,312.26, ultimate completion August 31, 2026) funded killer whale sighting database maintenance, vessel activity monitoring, the Soundwatch boater education program, field studies support on killer whale foraging and health, hydrophone network operation, and acoustic outreach initiatives. The museum also received a $115,380 project grant from NOAA's Marine Mammal Data Program (CFDA 11.439) in January 2024 to document infectious diseases and parasites, employ unmanned aerial systems for pinniped disentanglement, and expand STEM opportunities for underrepresented minorities through the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program.
As a subgrantee, the museum performs Soundwatch program capacity-building work under the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (two awards, August 2025) and vessel monitoring and outreach for Southern Resident killer whales under the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (November 2024). Activity has remained modest and relatively flat — one to four awards per year over the past five years — with one award (valued at $192 thousand) facing ultimate completion in the next twenty-four months.
Quick answers
Is The Whale Museum registered in SAM.gov?
Yes. The Whale Museum's SAM.gov registration is active through August 3, 2027.
How much has The Whale Museum received in federal contracts?
Federal contracts obligated $168,312 to The Whale Museum in fiscal year 2025 and $679,104 in fiscal years 2023 through 2027.
How does The Whale Museum rank among federal contractors?
The Whale Museum ranked #18 in PSC B516 in FY2025.
What is The Whale Museum's most recent federal award?
The Whale Museum's most recent federal contract award is Task order 0004: killer whale sighting database, vessel activity monitoring, soundwatch boater education, support for… (1305M326F0154), from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, on September 1, 2026.
On GovTribe
See The Whale Museum's full federal record
- Federal contract awards
- IDV awards
- Federal grant awards
- Funding analysis by agency, NAICS and set-aside
- Similar vendors