ORCAS: Three more Southern Resident Killer Whales missing, presumed dead

(November 2018 photo by Trileigh Tucker – resident orcas being observed by licensed researchers)

The Center for Whale Research says the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale population is down to 73. CWR has announced:

We are saddened to report that three adult killer whales (orca) are missing and presumed dead as of July 1, 2019. These whales are from the extremely endangered Southern Resident killer whale population, that historically frequent the Salish Sea almost daily in summer months. Due to the scarcity of suitable Chinook salmon prey, this population of whales now rarely visit the core waters of its designated Critical Habitat: Puget Sound, Georgia Strait, and the inland reach of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

The missing whales are J17, K25, and L84.

J17 is a 42-year-old J pod matriarch and mother of Tahlequah (J35), who carried her dead calf for an unprecedented 17 days last year. We reported that J17 was not in good body condition last winter, perhaps from stress. She is survived by two daughters and a son, J35, J53, and J44, respectively.

Also missing is 28-year-old, K25, an adult male in the prime of his life who was not in good body condition last winter. He is survived by two sisters and a brother, K20, K27, and K34, respectively.

And, lastly, 29-year-old male, L84, has been missing all summer in encounters conducted by our Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans colleagues along the west coast of Vancouver Island. L pod has not come into the Salish Sea yet this summer. L84 was the last of a matriline of eleven whales, ten of whom died previously.

73 is just two above the population’s historic low, 71. And the numbers don’t represent the entire picture of their plight, as explained during The Whale Trail‘s April featured lecture in West Seattle.

11 Replies to "ORCAS: Three more Southern Resident Killer Whales missing, presumed dead"

  • Scott August 7, 2019 (4:29 pm)

    Tears falling down.  These great beings make me weep.  They have been through so much over the last couple of 100 years.  Sentient beings.  I wish we could leave them alone to live.  They bring us such joy.How sad.  How very sad.  

    • Everett August 7, 2019 (5:33 pm)

      Wonder if this has anything to do with all the sewage leaks straight into the sound Seattle has been having.  Huge leak last winter during a bad storm, and then another smaller one last month. Does anybody know if this could be the problem?

  • Susan Coddington August 7, 2019 (4:37 pm)

    This is absolutley devastating news, the critically endangered southern resident orcas are literally starving towards extinction.  The four lower snake river dams should have been breached years ago. The chinook salmon is endangered as well and yet those with the power to do something are doing nothing!  Governor Jay Inslee is running on a climate change platform  and yet will not listen to the many experts regarding the dire need for these orcas to have access to food, breach the dams, save the chinook which will save the southern resident orcas! 

    • Lagartija Nick August 7, 2019 (6:38 pm)

      The salmon from the the Columbia and Snake rivers don’t come anywhere near Puget Sound. And while there are other valid environmental reasons to breach those dams, doing so would have zero effect regarding the resident orca population in the Sound.

      • Also John August 7, 2019 (8:29 pm)

        The Southern Resident Population of Killer Whales (SRKW) leave Puget Sound for several months each year and head south to the Columbia River to feed on Chinook Salmon.  The four dams on the Snake River are devastating the number of Chinook that used to be found at the mouth of the Columbia River.I feel that our species population is the greatest threat.  We need a government that will step forward and put a limit of two children per couple.  However, I know that will not happen in my lifetime.  Hopefully one day…

  • Get real August 7, 2019 (9:41 pm)

    Things go up as on the skyline, things go go down as in wildlife. Welcome to our metropolis. Can’t have cake and eat it as well.

  • Everett August 7, 2019 (10:06 pm)

    Some people are numbskulls , we are not China, you cannot tell people to have a certain number of children, we are a FREE NATION.  We need more and more Electricity to keep Seattle powered at a semi-affordable level. Solar is gonna  gonna be enough.  I see fisherman catching Large Salmon everyday at Lincoln Park. The Dams are needed. Get Real, unless you want Nuclear Reactor in your *Back Yard*.

  • anonyme August 8, 2019 (6:17 am)

      Devastating news.  Way to go, homo sapiens (now there’s a misnomer if I ever saw one).

  • Orca fan August 8, 2019 (10:19 am)

    The saddest news! Please keep us posted on ways our little West Seattle community can help. Look forward to supporting any new legislation that could protect the Southern Resident population! In addition to salmon restoration, I have been reading noise pollution from whale watching tours and other water craft can be very disruptive as whales use their sensitive hearing abilities to navigate, communicate and feed. We need to give them space and quiet they need to find the salmon. 

    • KM August 8, 2019 (10:56 am)

      Ways we can help: don’t consume local salmon, bike, walk, bus instead of driving, keep chemicals off lawns, gardens and out of roadways, don’t wash cars in driveways, and as a general lifestyle adjustment, consume less across the board. Keep pressure on our legislature to expand the distance between commercial boats and orcas in our waterways. 

  • anonyme August 8, 2019 (11:14 am)

    The opening of Terminal 5 will be the death knell for orcas and other Puget Sound marine life, yet is rarely mentioned.  The construction and excavation alone will devastate the ecosystem, and the noise and disruption due to giant ships will be lethal to the whales.  All of these little “ways to help” are just feel-good tokens and will do little or nothing to save these magnificent, sentient, doomed beings.   Keep on trying, but even if everyone were on board (and they’re not) the time for meaningful change has passed.

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