The Langley Whale Center officially opens to the public today.

Set for a soft opening, the free museum of Puget Sound’s marine mammals will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 1. A grand opening will likely be in April.

It is planned to be run by the Orca Network, a Whidbey-based collection of people dedicated to marine mammal advocacy. Howard Garrett and Susan Berta, Orca Network’s founders, hope to staff the center with volunteers, and anyone interested in helping them inform visitors about whales, porpoises and seals. For more information, call 360-331-3543.

Orca Network is set to receive $10,000 from Langley for operating the Langley Whale Center at the city council’s meeting 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 3.

Admission to the center is free and will share space with the Langley Main Street Association in the building on the northeast corner of Second Street and Anthes Avenue. Hoping to start a whale tourism industry in Langley, the city worked with Garrett and Berta, business owner Fred Lundahl and the Langley Main Street Association to see the whale center created in just the past few months.