.jpg "Killer whale becomes mom for first time. See her ‘little pumpkin’ swim off Washington")
A killer whale has become a first-time mom after a peachy-orange calf was spotted swimming with her off Washington, a whale watching group said. The baby orca was discovered March 20 in the Salish Sea between Port Townsend and the San Juan Islands, the Pacific Whale Watch Association said in a March 25 news release. […]
Tag: Orca
Petition: Free Corky—SeaWorld’s Longest-Held Captive Orca Needs a Sanctuary Now
Although SeaWorld ended its orca-breeding program, this does nothing to help animals like Corky who will continue to swim in circles inside tiny tanks for decades until they die. The company must empty its tanks and release these long-suffering animals into seaside sanctuaries, where they can have some semblance of a natural life. The only […]
90 Dolphins Stranded in Australia Are Being Euthanised. Here’s Why They Can’t Be Saved.
Wildlife rangers will Wednesday begin shooting 90 dolphins stranded on a remote Australian beach, saying the stressed creatures would be euthanised after attempts to refloat them failed. A pod of 157 dolphins from a poorly understood deep-sea species was found stranded Tuesday evening on an isolated beach in Australia‘s southern island of Tasmania. Tasmania’s environment […]
With Sea Ice Melting, Killer Whales Are Moving Into the Arctic
In the winter of 2020, Inuit hunters in Canada’s Central Arctic came across the frozen carcasses of 11 beached bowhead whales, enormous marine mammals that have made a slow but steady comeback since they were driven to the brink of extinction by late 19th and early 20th century whalers. Unsure of what killed the whales, […]
Iceland’s president urged to intervene over licence for Europe’s last whaler
A coalition of conservation and animal welfare groups are urging Iceland‘s president to step in and stop any plans the prime minister has to issue a whaling licence to Europe’s last whaler before the Icelandic election at the end of the month. Earlier this year, the country granted a one-year licence to Hvalur to kill […]
‘Access to food is not the problem’: new orca study deepens mystery behind endangerment
Last month, the ailing southern resident killer whales of the Pacific gave researchers a rare moment of hope: a new calf was spotted swimming alongside her mother. Until that point, only one calf had appeared this year, only to die a few months later. But by mid-October, this new calf, named L128, also appeared to […]
Orca baby born to Washington’s L pod
An orca has been born to the southern residents: L128, calf of a first-time, 31-year-old mom, L90. The baby is tiny, with clear fetal folds, making it probably about three days old. It was seen for the first time on Sunday, said Michael Weiss, research director for the Center for Whale Research, which confirmed the […]
Fishing in a fog: Ship noise hampers orcas’ hunting success
Underwater noise from ships is making it tough for killer whales, or orcas, to find and catch their favorite fish, a recent study has found. Orcas (Orcinus orca) rely heavily on sound to hunt. They emit ultrasonic echolocation clicks that bounce off objects. By listening for the echoes of these clicks, the orcas can identify […]