Another Orca Calf Spotted. So How Many Endangered Killer Whales Are There?

By srschram|April 1, 2015|News, Orca, Protection Zone|

According to the Seattle Times, a fourth calf has been identified, potentially raising the population of Southern Resident Killer Whales to 81.  A formal increase in the SRKW population should wait until the July 1 census, but until then we can regard the birth of four new Orca is a hopeful sign.  At the same time, the continued decline of breeding females remains the most serious indication that the Puget Sound Orca are in jeopardy.  Even if the four new-borns survive, this is only a small step in the much longer process of J, K, and L pods recovering fully.  We should not make the same mistake too-often made in fisheries management, when one good recruitment year lulls managers into not enacting needed conservation protections.  A Whale Protection Zone is needed even more for these younger whales to survive and thrive.

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