The public is invited to meet San Juan Island author Monika Wieland Shields, author of the new book “Endangered Orcas: The Story of the Southern Residents.”

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, March 30 Shields will be at the Langley Whale Center to sign books and answer questions, according to a press release.

The Southern Resident killer whales are icons of the Pacific Northwest, a beloved population of orcas that are considered the most-watched whales in the world. Despite decades of research and focused conservation efforts, they are on the brink of extinction. From the capture era and the beginning of killer whale research to the whale-watching boom and endangered listing, the whole story of the Southern Residents is told here, the release states.

Monika Wieland Shields is the cofounder and president of the non-profit Orca Behavior Institute, which conducts non-invasive behavioral and acoustic research on the orcas of the Salish Sea.

She has been studying, photographing and sharing stories about the Southern Resident killer whales since 2000. She lives on San Juan Island.