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 Inquiry form
 Q. Is it possible to visit Hanson Island?
Unfortunately, it is very difficult. OrcaLab is accessible only by water, so getting there is difficult. Also, OrcaLab staff is usually very busy with their work and are unable to accommodate the needs of casual visitors. Members of the OrcaLive audience are able to visit OrcaLab one day each summer as part of a whale-watching trip -- if you are interested, please contact "Ellen Hartlmeier" <scimitar@telus.net>. Please excuse us for not being more encouraging about an independent visit.
Q. I'd like to study orcas, what kind of program do you suggest?
It is difficult to get into a formal program of study with orcas, or whales in general. Possibly the best thing is to study marine biology and try to find a professor who is interested in whales. Unfortunately, there are very few such programs/professors. The University of British Columbia in Canada has a Marine Mammal section of its Zoology Department; the University of Texas has one professor interested in whales; and Dalhousie University in Guelph, Canada, has one professor, Dr. Hal Whitehead, interested in whales.
Q. I can't see or hear anything. What's wrong?
+ A Check your "speaker" and "sound" settings.
Are the speakers plugged in/turned on; is the speaker volume turned up? What are the "sound" settings on the computer -- is the "silencer" on or the volume turned down?
+ Check your plug-in software.
In order to experience Nature Network you must have sound- and video-related software installed in your computer. Nature Network is provided via the Real Player (by Real Networks) system. Please install the necessary software to enjoy Nature Network.
+ Check the network
You may be experiencing network-related problems. If you are accessing from within a company network, the corporate LAN, for instance, may have a security FireWall that prevents data from getting through. Please consult the company's network manager in this case.
+If the screen is pitch black...
You have most likely accessed during nighttime hours at each live point. Please check the local time.
+ Reinstall Real Player
If all of the above are in order and you are still unable to see or hear Nature Network, try deleting all Real Player-related files and reinstalling the application. The most recent version of the free software is available from the following site:
 http://www.real.com/freeplayer/?rppr=rnwk
+ Nothing about your system has changed, yet suddenly you cannot access Nature Network
The local system is set in nature where weather and other conditions make the electricity source and data transmission unstable, thus disabling the system. The system self checks, so please try accessing again a few minutes later. It may also be possible that the system, cameras, and/or mics are being repaired, in which case there should be a related message in the "OrcaLab comments" section on the left of the screen.
Q. Whenever I try to access the site after receiving an alert, it always seems to be "playing to a full house" and I can't access.
Please excuse the inconvenience. We're a bit surprised (and pleased!) at how busy the site is this year and are beginning to wonder whether it's a good idea to send email alerts because the "house" becomes almost immediately "full" and seems to stay that way for hours. Of course, the answer to the problem is simple enough -- more server capacity -- but that's an expensive solution we are unable to afford at this time. We will try reducing our email alerts and usually use only the "Messenger" to alert people.
Q. May I link this site?
By all means, PLEASE DO! We only ask that you make the link to the top page http://www.orca-live.net Thanks for the support!
Q. What's your policy about using Nature Network's imagery?
Please see the "Copyright" section under "About the site" for details
OrcaLive
http://www.orca-live.net/about_ol/copyright_01.html
Nature Network
http://www.naturenetwork.net/about_nn.html
Q. I've received some unfamiliar emails from Nature Network/OrcaLive?!
Nature Network Project issues only Orca Alerts and Nature Network News via email; any other mailings represent illicit use of our address and may contain viruses. Do not open any attachments! To guard against such viruses, we suggest installing Antivirus software and all OS updates.
Q. There seems to be a long delay before receiving OrcaLive alerts?!
We are aware of the delay and are trying to find the cause so we can remedy the problem. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please bear with us.
Q. Is it ok for me to make a comment in a language other than English on the English comment column?
We welcome comments in any language. People from over 70 countries have visited our site so far this year, and we are pleased that what we are doing has such great international appeal.
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