Two whale-related notes:

DEAD GRAY WHALE: Thanks to Kersti Muul for the tip on this – a dead juvenile gray whale was found near the Coast Guard station on the downtown waterfront and towed away. Cascadia Research Collective will do the necropsy to determine the cause of death.

ORCA TALK THURSDAY: The Whale Trail‘s next Orca Talk is 7 pm Thursday at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor). The announcement, if you haven’t already seen it in our calendar:

(Spyhopping Southern Resident, 12/18, Mark Sears, Permit 21348)

Recovering the Southern Residents: lessons learned from other populations
Presentation by Dr. Timothy Ragen

With just 75 individuals in the population, the southern resident orcas are in danger of going extinct. Is it too late? What will it take to recover the southern residents, and what can we learn from similar efforts with other populations?

Dr. Tim Ragen will review the status of the southern resident killer whale population and then review conservation efforts for other marine mammals to highlight lessons learned and relevant to killer whale conservation.

Whale Trail Director Donna Sandstrom will also give an update on orca legislation, and Governor Inslee’s Task Force on SRKW Recovery.

Buy tickets now to reserve your seat.
$5 suggested donation; kids free.

Donna also sent word today that TWT has just been spotlighted in this KNKX Radio feature.