Where do the orcas go when they’re not here? One just got tagged

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

The orcas seen off West Seattle on Saturday weren’t the “transients” who spent so much time recently in the South Sound. Instead, expert whale-watchers identified them as members of J Pod, one of the three groups of endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales. Federal researchers hoping to help save the SRKW from extinction are trying to find out more about where J-Pod orcas, in particular, goes when they are not here at “home,” so once again this year, they have tagged a member of the pod. According to this report on the Northwest Fisheries Science Center website, researchers tagged J27 yesterday, while J Pod was northbound through north Puget Sound. What little they know from previous tries suggests that, more than the other two SRKW pods, this one stays closer to home. Finding out more, they say, can help them identify “critical habitat” among other things. They promise to update the page from which we got the map you see above – follow it here.

AHFamily December 29, 2014 (8:06 pm)

Heartfelt thanks to WSB for informing us. We need to understand how to improve the critical habitat of our amazing, resident J Pod orcas and reverse the trend of orca losses – first the death of the newborn calf a few months ago, who was first spotted cavorting with adult orcas in local waters, and now very recently the death of a pregnant female J Pod orca with a full term fetus.

westseattledood December 29, 2014 (11:37 pm)

People who are interested can check out the newly re-opened Environmental Center at Seahurst Park in Burien.

Turn right off Ambaum on the block just before the Huckleberry restaurant. Take one more right down the hill then following the signs, park and walk north on the newly naturalized beach promenade. There is no longer an erosion promoting bulkhead. Someday the newly planted eel grass will hide critters like salmon upon which the orca are dependent.

Go visit the Environmental Learning Center and learn about their programs. Tara Luckie, Ph.D., of West Seattle and former WS Helpline Director, has just begun leading the Center’s new programs. The possibilities for Westsiders to learn are here. They are waiting for people to show up and then roll up their sleeves to pitch in.

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