Puget Sound’s orcas welcome fourth calf in three months

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Photo by naturalist/researcher Jeanne Hyde, Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching)
Word started getting around last night that Puget Sound’s orcas, the Southern Resident Killer Whales, have another new baby – and researchers have confirmed that this is the fourth calf spotted in three months. Three of them, including this one, were born to J Pod. The first report came from the Pacific Whale Watch Association; one of its members, Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching, spotted the baby off Galiano Island, British Columbia, on Monday. This means the SRKWs – J Pod, K Pod, L Pod – are up to 81 orcas in the wild (and the 82nd, Tokitae/Lolita, in captivity in Florida). The newest baby is J52; it’s been exactly three months since J50 was spotted, followed by J51 in mid-February, and then the L Pod baby two weeks later.

seaopgal March 31, 2015 (12:54 pm)

Such great news! We just need to keep giving them lots of food, clean water, and quiet seas and they will do what comes naturally. SeattlePOD is a new group dedicated to doing just that! Please join us: https://www.facebook.com/events/802111516549150/

waitasec March 31, 2015 (4:14 pm)

seaopgal – there is not one detail on that facebook page about the mission. What is it? How do you intend to achieve it? How is this group different from all of the dozens of other environmental Orca-loving groups in the Salish Sea? Details of what, why and who should be foregrounded and should be spelled out in detail on the description rather than directions to”meetings. Thanks for caring abou the critters and our natural world. But, please, be specific. Thanks.

Orcaloveralso April 1, 2015 (11:37 am)

Request to wonderful non-profits not to rely solely on Facebook. Some of us are purposely not on Facebook. Thanks for all you do!

WSB April 1, 2015 (11:49 am)

Orcalover, we make the same point to small independent local businesses. It’s not just that many people purposely are not on Facebook – it’s that FB is deceptive about how your messaging is received by those who like/follow you; statuses are shown only to a small percentage of followers. We use it only as a supplemental channel; WSB is the only place all of what we cover (not to mention the forum, lost pets, etc.) can be seen. – TR

seaopgal April 1, 2015 (1:57 pm)

Thanks for your comments. We are a new group, and Saturday’s event is our second planning meeting. We will have a website (www.seattlepod.org) within the next few weeks and are currently active on Twitter (@SeattlePOD) and Facebook (www.Facebook.com/SeattlePOD). I should probably have posted our main page instead of the event.

We are well aware of the limitations of Facebook (although anyone can go to the address and see the page), and we are trying to cover all the bases. Many of us live in West Seattle and we will have events here … totally have appreciated the coverage provided by WSB in the past (e.g., the Lolita march in January) and will submit local events in the future. But its not easy for a city-wide (regional really) group to get attention in either local or regional media, so we’re doing our best …

The mission of SeattlePOD is to educate, raise awareness, and take action to free Lolita (Tokitae), save the Southern Resident orcas (J, K, and L pods), and to end captivity for all cetaceans. We will bring Seattle energy and resources to existing local initiatives as well as NEW actions.

So what makes us different is that we will be supporting and promoting all groups (such as The Whale Trail, Whale Scout — we already participated in one of their events — Orca Network, Orca Conservancy, etc., etc.) as well as our own events. And we are focused on actions that engage people who aren’t already aware of the issues or what they can do to help. … think orca baby showers, film screenings, pop-up marches, speakers, social hours, walking around the Street Fair in orca costumes .. whatever it takes to fulfill our mission.

Hope this helps! Thanks for your interest.

WSB April 1, 2015 (2:10 pm)

Thanks, sorry to add my FB rant but glad you’ll have a website. And whatever you do in WS, we’ll do our best – as local media (with a larger audience than many regional outlets) – to cover – TR