The endangered southern resident killer whale population isn’t getting enough to eat, and hasn’t been since 2018, a new University of British Columbia (UBC) study has determined. The animals have been in an energy deficit, averaged across spring, summer and fall, for six of the last 40 years—meaning the energy they get from food is […]
Tag: Chinook salmon
Harassers of resident orcas could face $1M fine, jail time
Boaters who don’t follow mandatory sanctuary and approach distances could be fined up to $1 million and face up to 18 months in jail. B.C.’s federal whale protection unit has warned boaters, drone pilots and paddle boarders to keep their distance from southern resident killer whales this summer. With only 75 animals left off B.C.’s […]
When Chinook salmon is off the menu, other prey will do for endangered orcas
For nearly 20 years, Robin Baird has been following killer whales, trying to figure out what they eat. At first, he would look to see what was in their mouths as the whales feasted on fish near the surface. But then he and his colleague, Brad Hanson, started looking for more subtle clues in their […]
Orca Mother Who Carried Dead Calf 17 Days Is Pregnant Again
Tahlequah, the southern resident killer whale who broke hearts around the world when she carried her dead calf for 17 days and more than 1,000 miles, is pregnant again. Tahlequah’s grueling journey called attention to the plight of the endangered orcas who roam the waters between Washington state and British Columbia. The animals are threatened […]
Sea lions to be culled to protect salmon
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is accepting public comments on a new plan to cull sea lions on the Columbia River, along the Oregon-Washington border, in order to benefit populations of salmon and steelhead, which have been falling in recent years. Current management policy allows up to 92 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) to […]
Petition: Take Action to Save Endangered Orcas
Conservationists are applauding Canada for announcing it will be taking some important steps towards protecting an increasingly endangered family of orcas living in the Pacific Northwest. These unique orcas, who are otherwise known as the Southern Resident killer whales, have gained increasing attention in recent years as they move closer and closer to extinction. Even […]
POLL: Should there be an immediate reduction of the Chinook harvest to save the Orca?
Days before the start of the summer fishing season, when guides and outfitters on Canada’s west coast gamble their financial prospects for the year, fishing lodge owner Ryan Chamberland received devastating news. The coastal waters of Vancouver Island, which he and four generations of his family had fished for salmon, would be out of bounds. […]