Center for Whale Research

L90 Update: September 11, 2011

2011-09-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

L90 in Haro Strait, September 11- Photo by Dave Ellifrit

L90:
We have been episodically monitoring L90 - taking respiration rates, surfacing/

dive intervals/traveling speed, and videotaping , as well as taking good-quality close-up photos of her melon, etc.

She continues to consistently trail the other whales and is breathing at frequent intervals ranging from 20 sec-120 sec, with

most in 30 second range. Her dives are typically shallow (often visible underwater at about 60'), and when observed the in calm water near East Point on September 20th, she was making brief vocalizations between breaths. At the time, she was lagging behind the other whales by about one and a half miles. Her surfacing posture is unusual - when logging she "bobs" for each breath, and when traveling she surfaces horizontally and then dives rather "stiffly", as if there is a problem with her spine. She has been doing this since July 6, before the alleged vessel strike.

We recently noted her surfacing about 100 feet behind a yacht wake and she appeared to be thrown off balance from the wake. She was also observed rolling on her side going through kelp. She does not show evidence any emaciation. The most notable aspect of all of this, and it is also notable for other ailing/trailing whales we have monitored in the past: there is little to no obvious care-giving behavior exhibited by the other whales. Presumably she is eating, otherwise she would show evidence of emaciation.

We all have concerns for the fate of this whale, but there is very little that anyone can do but observe. This has happened before, and it will happen again.

Audio slide show with Ken Balcomb:

2011-09-09T15:57:00.000-07:00

Two Endangered Icons: Southern Resident Killer Whales and Chinook Salmon

Slideshow on Aug 24, 2011 by Jennifer Morton from QUEST Northwest

Click Here to view the slide Sshow featuring Ken talking about the important connection between local killer whales and salmon:
Slide Show with Ken Balcomb

L90 Update

2011-09-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

L90 in Haro Strait on September 3rd, Photo by Dave Ellifrit

After the alleged vessel strike last week and the recent unusual behavior displayed by female killer whale, L90, the Center for Whale Research staff had an an opportunity to further observe her condition on Saturday September 3rd. This was the first time she had been seen since the incident. The following is a summery of that encounter:

"After receiving a report of whales on the west side of San Juan Island in the early morning, Center staff cast off from Snug Harbor in vessel Orca at 8:15 a.m. and found members of J,K, and L pods heading north in Haro Strait off Limekiln lighthouse at 8:25 a.m., spread out in singles and groups. The main mission of the day was to find L90 and monitor her health and behavior, so we moved from group to group trying to locate her.
Around 9:15 a.m., we found L90’s main traveling companions, L26 and L92, in the proximity of J pod members near Kelp Reef, moving rapidly north in Haro Strait. About a half-mile to the southeast of this group at 9:33 a.m., we found L90 traveling north by herself at slow to medium speed. She was trailing the other whales by as much as 3/4 mile and never less than 200 yards. We collected respiration data on L90 for two periods from 9:40-10:46 a.m. and 1243-1342 a.m., during which times she was breathing regularly at intervals averaging 33.6 seconds and 29.9 seconds, respectively. Meanwhile, the rest of the whales traveled north in Haro Strait, and then northeast into Boundary Pass. During these two data recording periods, L90 only made one “long” dive of 180 seconds which was immediately followed by her shortest recorded dive of 8 seconds. Her swimming speed was 4.4 and 4.6 knots, respectively, during the data recording periods.

When sea conditions and proximity allowed proper observations, it was apparent that L90 was not diving deeply and her surfacing motion seemed stiff – often with more of her back behind the dorsal fin exposed than a healthy whale would have exposed on a normal surfacing. However, she showed no visible signs of emaciation and did not have foul smelling breath, two common indicators of illness. Based on our observations it is clear that her behavior is abnormal, however the cause remains unknown.

Around 2:15 p.m., as the leading whales picked up speed near East Point, L90 also increased speed and caught up to the other whales just north of East Point. She joined with L26 and L92, and the three traveled rapidly (>7 knots) NNW toward Point Roberts amidst other loosely spread, rapidly moving, mixed groups of southern residents. We ended the encounter at 2:51 p.m. approximately 3 miles north of East Point."

L90 was again encountered the following day, September 4th, and appeared to exhibit the same behavior. We will be taking every opportunity to continue to observe L90's condition and will provide subsequent reports.

L90's Alleged Vessel Strike

2011-08-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

The Center for Whale Research received a report this morning of a potential vessel strike with a southern resident killer whale. The whale that was believed to be struck is L90, an 18 year old female. Witnesses described the whale logging, or floating at the surface, for a prolonged period after a private vessel was observed passing very close to where the whale was thought to be. L90 was then reported to remain on the surface and was breathing heavily. Once we received the report we quickly departed and found L90 with her mother, L26 just off Lime Kiln State Park. She was moving slowly and spending several minutes resting at the surface. She was taking shallow dives and barely moving north with the rest of the whales. We were able to observe her very closely and found no evidence of a vessel strike. On numerous occasions she spent several minutes hovering just below the surface of the water allowing us to get a good look at most of her body, and we did not see any wounds or scratches. We continued to follow her for a few hours and observed that she eventually began to travel at a more normal pace, although remaining behind the rest of the groups of whales. The other whales in the area were behaving normally, resting, foraging and socializing. Based on our observations and descriptions of the event from witnesses, we do not believe that L90 was struck by the vessel. Based on her age and previous behavior we have concluded that she may be pregnant. It is also possible that she may be ill or have some unknown condition.

On several encounters this summer, we have noticed L90 traveling slowly by herself in a rather “mopey” manner. L90 has always been a “whale of concern” to those of us that see her frequently. She is a noticeably a small animal compared to other females who have reached reproductive age.

Additionally, there seems to be something unusual about L90’s body condition. Her body shape is different from every other whale in the L26 matriline. She appears to have a kind of a two-lobed swelling behind the blowhole and a slight arch to her spine in front of the dorsal fin. Whether this swelling is just excess blubber or a sign of illness, we do not know. The only other whale who has been seen with a similar looking swelling behind the blowhole was L107, a calf born in 2005 who did not survive its first summer. It is certainly a different look from the emaciated “peanuthead” look that we have previously seen in several whales who subsequently died.

The slow moving and logging behavior she exhibited today and yesterday may be a sign of that she is in labor and therefore very tierd. She is a whale that we would expect to have a calf at any time since she has passed the age when most females have had their first calf ( about age 14). Although we have no concrete information to support this, we do have concerns that her small body size may make for a complicated pregnancy and birth. Labor pains or a difficult pregnancy could explain her behavior.

The other possibility, that she is ill, is supported by previous observations in other animals. In the summer of 2008 L67(deceased) was observed floating for prolonged periods at the surface before she showed any signs of the emaciated condition that proceeded her death. Therefore L90 could also be showing signs of distress due to an unknown illness.

With respect to today's event, we suspect she may have been laying on or near the surface already when the vessel passed close by, but most likely missed her. It is very difficult to determine distances between vessels or between whales and vessels from the water level. Therefore she may have appeared closer to the vessel than she was.

In any case, we will continue to observe L90 over the next few days. Our hope is that the next time we see her she is traveling with a healthy new born calf.

Southern Resident Orca Population Status (With Notes On J-1)

2011-02-22T10:44:00.000-08:00

2010 ended well for the Southern Residents. The total population as of December 31^st was 87 individuals: 27 in J pod, 19 in K pod and 41 in L pod. By the end of the year, 5 of the 6 calves born in 2010 were alive and healthy. We had one edition to J pod, J47 (calf of J17); one edition to K pod, K43 (calf of K12); and 3 in L pod, L115 (calf of L47), L116 (calf of L86), and L117 (mother unknown).

So far 2011 has been full of sightings and encounters. J’s, K’s and L87 have been seen often in Haro Strait and Puget Sound. They were first encountered by the Center on January 3^rd in Haro Strait, then again on the 7^th. J’s and K’s were also encountered in Haro Strait and San Juan Channel on the 23^rd and 26^threspectively. Residents were sighted at least once a week throughout January (eight confirmed sightings in all). February has been even better with almost daily sightings of J’s and K’s in Puget Sound (eight sightings since Feb. 20^th)

There was a possible sighting of L pod on January 15^th. Most likely the L12’s, but because of the distant photos we can’t say for sure. Ken encountered L pod spread out and foraging off Monterey Bay on February 10^th. There have been several killer whale sightings on the west coast of Oregon and California this winter, but no other southern resident sightings have been confirmed.

No new calves have yet been seen in 2011. It is still too early in the year to have an official population estimate as not all individuals have been accounted for. However, there have been several encounters and sightings of J pod where J1 has not been seen or photographed.

J1 is the oldest male in the southern resident community, estimated to be 60 years old. He is an iconic figure for the entire population and by far the most easily identifiable whale. His tall wavy fin has given him the name “Ruffles” and made him a favorite among visitors and local whale enthusiasts. He was last seen on November 21^st off Victoria.

Although there have been several encounters with J’s over the past few months, the pod configuration has been spread out and all individuals were not photographed. Although J1 is most often seen in the presence of J2, the eldest female in J pod, he is frequently sighted off on his own far away from the rest of the pod.

At this point all we can say is that J1 is officially missing. We will be keeping an eye out for him as we head into spring and encounters and sightings increase.

Posted by Erin Heydenreich

Baby Killer Whales, Their ID Numbers, Their Names, And Their Parentage

2010-08-22T17:55:00.000-07:00

Ken Balcomb, CWR founder.

By K.C. Balcomb

22 August 2010

The Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) population underwent a genetic bottleneck sometime between one and two-and-a-half whale generations ago that has resulted in a very small and fragile effective population size – only about 25 whales currently parent any offspring, while the remaining 60 or so whales are either too old or too young to contribute to population growth. That fact alone makes every baby whale precious, or at least it should be precious, to everyone on this planet that cares about the survival of these charismatic icons of the Pacific Northwest. Being born is one thing, surviving in the modern world is another.

My goal is to encourage our human society to make it possible for the effective population size of SRKW’s to grow during the current generation, and for the foreseeable future. Too often, for too long, and too recently we have seen it decline. In order to see increase we must give priority to allowing the whales sufficient food = salmon to survive, year-round, and that amounts to a lot of fish.

At the risk of designating a baby whale an ID number or a name when there is a good chance that it will not survive, and thereby perhaps offending some and wasting numbers, I am going to exercise my prerogative and name a few:

Star

In J pod, there was a new calf born in November 2009 to a sixteen-year old new mother designated J28. I earlier designated the new female calf J46 and called her “Star” for the starring role I hoped she would play in inspiring the public interested in conserving the fish resources needed for the entire SRKW population (and for humans).

Looker

Also born into J pod in January 2010 was another new calf, this time a young male whose very young mother is twelve-year old J35. I designated this new male calf J47, and now call it “Looker” because it frequently (and delightfully) raises its head high above the water as if looking around when swimming alongside its mother.

Speedy

In K pod, there was a new calf first seen in February 2010 with an experienced mother K12, who is also a grandmother. Virtually every time we see and photograph this new rambunctious baby whale it is racing alongside its mother, so I have called it “Speedy” and have designated it K43 - the newest member of slow-growing K pod.

Hope

In L pod, a new calf appeared in the summer of 2010, itself an unusual event because most new SRKW’s are born in winter months. The births typically occur in mid-winter seventeen months after the party times of historically abundant summer salmon migrations to these inland marine waters.

Conception of this new calf, designated L115, must have occurred around January or February 2009 when all three pods made an unprecedented mid-winter appearance off Victoria (see Encounter 3, 2009 CWR webpage). The mother is L47, who has lost her previous four consecutive babies (L99,L102,L107,L111) since giving birth to her two successful daughters (L83 and L91), in 1990 and 1995. Without yet knowing the sex of L115 the newest calf of L47, I am going to call it “Hope”, for obvious reasons. “Toast” was submitted, but it is not very optimistic for a whale name when we hope it survives.

Molly

L113 was born in the autumn of 2009 to fourteen-year old first time mother L94, and she is healthy and doing well as of this writing in late summer 2010. This year has been a relatively good year for salmon in the local waters, so we are wishing all is well for her. I am going to call her “Molly” after a very good friend whose ashes were spread as L113 and her extended family swam nearby in Haro Strait this summer.

Victoria

Two other recent L pod calves are worthy of mention: L112 born to L86, probably in January 2009 and first documented in the afore-mentioned Encounter 3 of 2009 when she was less than a month old; I am going to call her “Victoria” for the beautiful city waterfront where she was first seen. [Hold your nose until the sewage issue is resolved! Maybe we should call her “Stinker”?]

Flapper

And, last but not least, we have L110, a very rambunctious young male born to a young mother, L83 first daughter of L47. We first saw him in August 2007, still showing evidence of fetal folds from recent birth; but, by October he had clear evidence of a mark that will no doubt remain with him for the rest of his life: a large flap of his upper right lip had been torn askew and was protruding awkwardly from the starboard side of his face, perhaps from an encounter with the steel leader of a fishing line. He also now has evidence of a bulbous tooth abscess just in front of the flap. I am going to call him “Flapper”, in anticipation that a bit of Aussie humor will be good for him. He probably does not mind his easily remembered name, though others might.

My apologies to those who may be offended by the names and numbers I have given these whales. I’ve given the subject a fair amount of thought over three decades, and have refrained from giving them meaningless, stupid, or unpronounceable names. You may call them anything you wish, but I have been keeping the official records of these whales from the beginning of their study, and these names and numbers are what we will write in our books. The paternity paper is in preparation and due out soon; and it is likely to be at least as interesting reading, if not downright scandalous. Here’s a little teaser: the whales apparently live up to the motto: “Old Guys Rule” and you can guess what that is about.

We will discuss the reasons for the SRKW population bottleneck in another writing. Meanwhile, do whatever you can to promote healthy wild salmon populations, particularly Chinook salmon, in the Pacific Northwest if you would like these babies and the SRKW population to survive.

R.I.P., L114

Another new calf in L pod, L114 born to L 77, first appeared in February 2010, but it did not survive to summer. No name, but only a number for its tombstone in our records. (see Matriline guide on our website).

Photos by the author, Ken Balcomb

The Orca Calf 'Star' Continues To Shine

2010-08-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

Eight month old orca calf 'Star'

Last November, when this calf was born the Center for Whale Research broke from custom and gave the baby the name 'Star' in addition to assigning it the usual number (J-46, 'J' for its family pod, and '46' for the fact that it is the 46th J pod member identified):

The new baby is designated J46, and we are going to call it "Star", for the role that it will play in showing the human inhabitants in this region that it is important to clean up Puget Sound and restore healthy abundant salmon populations to the Pacific Northwest. That mission brings a message to all of the relevant human nations – USA, Canada, First Nations, Treaty, and non-Treaty – that the first intelligent mammal residents of the region are also investing in these efforts. We could not ask for a more charismatic indicator, a baby whale, to measure the success of our renewed efforts for restoration.

J pod is the most watched family of whales in the Pacific Northwest, or perhaps in the world; and, this is the first year in recent decades that they have produced three babies within one year. We will all be watching, here and worldwide, carefully and respectfully, to see if they beat the odds and all survive. This is the reality show that really means something.

'Star' at two months old.

All of the J-pod calves born last year look healthy, and if you look carefully at the picture below you will see all three of the calves together with Star's mom and grandmother, the calves no doubt enjoying some play time together.

'Star' swimming with mom J-28, grandmother J-17, uncle J-44 and cousin J-47

So far, Star's future is shining brightly, as people continue to increase efforts to restore Chinook salmon populations and modify commercial fisheries. This little whale is indeed an icon of humanity's progress, and we'll keep an eye on this Star and report her progress as time goes on.

From the L.A.Times: Scientists expected Obama administration to be friendlier

2010-07-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

The following was sent to us from WildSalmon.org, a group which is working in part to help re-establish Chinook salmon populations, the Southern Resident orcas main food. Please go to the original article and make comments if possible.

latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-na-science-obama-20100711,0,6168522.story
latimes.com

A culture of politics trumping science, many say, persists despite the president's promises. The use of potentially toxic dispersants to fight the gulf oil spill is cited as just one example.
By Tom Hamburger and Kim Geiger, Tribune Washington Bureau
9:42 PM PDT, July 10, 2010
Reporting from Washington
When he ran for president, Barack Obama attacked the George W. Bush administration for putting political concerns ahead of science on such issues as climate change and public health. And during his first weeks in the White House, President Obama ordered his advisors to develop rules to "guarantee scientific integrity throughout the executive branch."

Many government scientists hailed the president's pronouncement. But a year and a half later, no such rules have been issued. Now scientists charge that the Obama administration is not doing enough to reverse a culture that they contend allowed officials to interfere with their work and limit their ability to speak out.

"We are getting complaints from government scientists now at the same rate we were during the Bush administration," said Jeffrey Ruch, an activist lawyer who heads an organization representing scientific whistle-blowers.

White House officials, however, said they remained committed to protecting science from interference and that proposed guidelines would be forwarded to Obama in the near future.

But interviews with several scientists — most of whom requested anonymity because they feared retaliation in their jobs — as well as reviews of e-mails provided by Ruch and others show a wide range of complaints during the Obama presidency:

In Florida, water-quality experts reported government interference with efforts to assess damage to the Everglades stemming from development projects.

In the Pacific Northwest, federal scientists said they were pressured to minimize the effects they had documented of dams on struggling salmon populations.

In several Western states, biologists reported being pushed to ignore the effects of overgrazing on federal land.

In Alaska, some oil and gas exploration decisions given preliminary approval under Bush moved forward under Obama, critics said, despite previously presented evidence of environmental harm.

The most immediate case of politics allegedly trumping science, some government and outside environmental experts said, was the decision to fight the gulf oil spill with huge quantities of potentially toxic chemical dispersants despite advice to examine the dangers more thoroughly.

And the Union of Concerned Scientists, a Washington-based organization, said it had received complaints from scientists in key agencies about the difficulty of speaking out publicly.

"Many of the frustrations scientists had with the last administration continue currently," said Francesca Grifo, the organization's director of scientific integrity.

For example, Grifo said, one biologist with a federal agency in Maryland complained that his study of public health data was purposefully disregarded by a manager who is not a scientist. The biologist, Grifo said, feared expressing his concerns inside and outside the agency.

Most of the examples provided by Ruch, Grifo and others come from scientists who insist on anonymity, making it difficult for agencies to respond specifically to the complaints. Officials at those agencies maintain that scientists are allowed and encouraged to speak out if they believe a policy is at odds with their findings.

The director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, John P. Holdren, said in a statement last month that the president effectively set policy in his March 2009 memorandum calling for administration-wide scientific integrity standards.

"There should not be any doubt that these principles have been in effect — that is, binding on all executive departments and agencies," Holdren said, adding that "augmentation of these principles" will be coming soon.

Still, Grifo said, the volume of the complaints indicates a real problem and makes it "vital" that the Obama administration issue additional instructions. While overall respect for science may have improved under Obama, several scientists said in interviews that they were still subject to interference.

Ruch, referring to reports from government scientists in Alaska, said that under Bush, the agency that issues oil and gas drilling leases "routinely prevented scientists from raising ecological concerns about the effects of oil spills, introduction of invasive species, and any other issue that might trigger the need for fuller environmental review."

In keeping the Bush Interior Department managers and policies in place, Ruch said, Obama appointees have "turned a blind eye toward federal court rulings that said Bush-era lease reviews were environmentally deficient, as well as a GAO report documenting how agency scientists were routinely stifled and ignored."

Kendra Barkoff, a spokeswoman at the Interior Department, disagreed with Ruch's assertion, saying that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar "has made it very clear that decisions will be made based on a cautious, science-based approach."

Ruch's organization, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, also said it had been contacted by an EPA toxicologist who said a request for review of the toxicity of oil dispersants in the Gulf of Mexico was rebuffed.

EPA analyst Hugh B. Kaufman, a 39-year veteran, said he had heard similar complaints from colleagues. Kaufman believes that his agency "gave the green light to using dispersants without doing the necessary studies."

A past EPA administrator, William Reilly, said in an interview with CBS last month that he had refused to allow the toxic chemicals' use after the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off the coast of Alaska because of the potential effect on salmon.

Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, who has proposed legislation to prohibit dispersant use until further scientific studies are completed, said the EPA "has been entirely irresponsible" in its review of dispersants.

In May, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson acknowledged that dispersants could be problematic, but that "they are used to move us toward the lesser of two difficult environmental outcomes."

EPA Press Secretary Adora Andy said, "The data we have seen to date indicate that dispersant is less toxic than oil."

"If the science indicates dispersants are causing more damage than they're preventing, [Jackson] will be the first to sound the alarm," Andy said.

White House officials say the administration's commitment to science has not wavered.

"It is important to appreciate that this administration has made scientific integrity a priority from Day One — in the people we've appointed, the policies we've adopted, the budgets we've proposed, and the processes we follow," says Rick Weiss, an analyst and spokesman for the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

White House science advisor Holdren told the House Science and Technology Committee in February that his office had been delayed in releasing its guidelines on scientific integrity due to "the difficulties of constructing a set of guidelines that would be applicable across all the agencies and accepted by all concerned."

Scientists and environmental groups have lauded Obama for appointing highly regarded scientists to top posts within the administration. But so far, critics said, those appointments have not eliminated the problems faced by lower-level government scientists.

For example, Ruch said, he has been contacted by two federal scientists who charged that their efforts to implement stricter water-quality rules had been suppressed.

In the Pacific Northwest, Ruch said, his organization has heard in the last 16 months from multiple federal fisheries biologists who report that they are under pressure to downplay the impact of dams on wild salmon.

And in Western states, federal biologists report that they are under pressure not to disclose the full impact of cattle grazing on federal lands, according to Ruch's group and others.

Katie Fite of the Western Watersheds Project, an organization that monitors grazing, backs those allegations. Fite said that scientists had complained to her that "all of the incentives are geared to support grazing and energy development," which could adversely affect plants and other animals.

"Basically, science is still being scuttled," Fite said. "We are heartbroken."

Most critics said they were disappointed that protection of science and scientists did not become more of a priority after the election.

Eric Glitzenstein, a Washington attorney who has filed suit to block projects approved by the Army Corps of Engineers, the Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies, said he had expected the culture to change under Obama.

"The administration's been in long enough that if that was going to happen, we should have seen it by now," he said. "We simply haven't."

Please go online L.A.Times and make a comment, or email the authors. Your opinion counts!

tom.hamburger@latimes.com

kim.geiger@latimes.com
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
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Obama Administration officials are coming to Seattle and they want (need!) to hear from you!

2010-06-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

There is no issue more crucial to the survival of the Southern Resident orcas than assuring them of a reliable source of Chinook salmon, please attend if you can, and spread the message of this important event.

Sent to us by wildsalmon.org

"Likely attendees, from what we hear, include:

Secy of Interior
Head of National Park Svc
Head of EPA
Head of White House Council on Environmental Quality

And see http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/ and http://www.doi.gov/news/mediaadvisories/Public-Listening-Session-Announced-for-Americas-Great-Outdoors-Initiative-July-1-2010.cfm for more info

> Obama Administration officials are coming to Seattle and they want (need!) to hear from you!
>
> "America's Great Outdoors" Listening Session will be held on Thursday July 1st at Franklin High School. This is the most important opportunity in years to have your voice heard to help shape how our Northwest lands, rivers, fish and wildlife will be managed for the foreseeable future.
>
> And it represents a great opportunity to show Northwest support for restoring a healthy Snake River that works for everyone - salmon and other wildlife, and people in the fishing, farming, recreation, and other economies.
>
> Seattle's Listening Session may be the only one in the Pacific Northwest. It is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with senior administration officials and tell them about the opportunity to restore a working Snake River by removing four federal dams in eastern Washington so that this important river can once again support healthy populations of wild salmon and steelhead, family wage jobs, and diverse recreational opportunities, while supporting prosperous farming communities at the same time.
>
> Please help Save Our Wild Salmon and many other salmon, fishing, and conservation advocates take advantage of this opportunity and send a clear message to the Obama Administration - please put this important Listening Session on your calendar and join us on July 1st at Franklin High School!
>
> See details below.
>
> If you can attend, please contact Dan or Sam right away, and we can answer any questions you have and make sure you have "Salmon Talking Points" to guide your comments on July 1st.
>
> Dan Drais: dan@wildsalmon.org 206-286-4455, x107
> Sam Mace: sam@wildsalmon.org 509-863-5696
>
> Everybody is welcome - but you can help the planners by signing up to attend here now.
>
> Northwest Listening Session and Discussion Information:
>
> WHEN: Thursday, July 1, 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
>
> WHAT: Public Listening Session on the President's America's Great Outdoors Initiative
>
> WHERE: Franklin High School at 3013 South Mount Baker Blvd, Seattle, Washington, 98144
>
> WHO: YOU! And representatives from DOI, USDA, EPA, and CEQ who will be present to hear your thoughts and to participate in a conversation with you about landscape conservation, salmon restoration, recreation, and reconnecting Americans to the great outdoors.
>
> MORE INFORMATION:
> You can find more information here at the America's Great Outdoors Initiative Online
> Dan Drais: dan@wildsalmon.org 206-286-4455, x107
> Sam Mace: sam@wildsalmon.org 509-863-5696
>
> A PUBLIC LISTENING SESSION ON THE PRESIDENT'S AMERICA'S GREAT OUTDOORS INITIATIVE
>
> In April, at the White House Conference on America's Great Outdoors, President Obama established the America's Great Outdoors Initiative to develop a conservation and recreation agenda worthy of the 21st century and to reconnect Americans with our great outdoors. The President understands that protecting and restoring the lands and waters that we love and reconnecting people to the outdoors must be community-driven and supported.
>
> The President directed the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality to lead this effort and to listen and learn from people all over the country. Please join senior representative of these agencies for a public listening session and discussion on land conservation, recreation, and reconnecting Americans to the great outdoors.
>
> In the Northwest, you and many other citizens and organizations are deeply involved in the conservation of working farms, forests, lakes, and rivers, scenic lands, and historic areas, and in celebrating and enjoying the region's rich outdoor and cultural heritage.
>
> This public listening session and discussion is an opportunity for leaders of the America's Great Outdoors Initiative to hear from you about solutions for building a 21st century conservation and recreation agenda and reconnecting all Americans with the outdoors.
>
> We look forward to seeing you there!
>
> Joseph, Sam, and Dan
> Save Our Wild Salmon
> www.wildsalmon.org
> www.workingsnakeriver.org"

Saving Snake River salmon will save Puget Sound killer whales

2010-06-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

From our friends at wildsalmon.org:

“This new baby will not have a life without salmon. Salmon make up the majority of their diet and they are good at finding and catching them; but, what happens if salmon populations continue to decline?"
- Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research reacting to the recent identification of a new member of the K-pod from the Salish Sea and Puget Sound, June 2010

Scientists Call for Lower Snake Dam Removal to Help Endangered Orcas
Full Text of the Letter from Scientists

The Threats Facing Endangered Puget Sound Orcas

orca.star
Killer whales, or orcas, are found all over the world. And yet their geographically distinct populations are actually genetically distinct populations. That is, the Southern Resident orcas found during the summer in Washington’s Puget Sound do not travel with other orcas, will not breed with other orcas, have a highly particular diet, and exhibit a variety of social and family traits that are completely distinct from any other orcas on the planet.

But this endangered population faces several dangerous threats. Their food is very often contaminated with long-lived poisons (PCBs and PBDEs). Being dependant on a form of sonar called echolocation, they have suffered with the increased noise that accompanies increases is the size and number of vessels on Puget Sound. Their population is so tiny (fewer than 90 whales) and their reproductive rates are so slow that it takes them a long time to add to their population. And, perhaps most importantly, these giant marine mammals require a lot of food – and they aren’t getting enough.

The federal agency responsible for trying to recover these whales won’t say which problem is “primarily” responsible for their decline, but clearly these five-ton mammals cannot recover without enough food to eat. Insufficient prey leads not only to starvation, but to increased mortality from disease and increased susceptibility to toxins, increased calf mortality, and drastically lower reproductive rates.

Smoltinpipe2That’s where Columbia/Snake salmon come in.

Southern Residents feed primarily on chinook salmon. In fact, the government estimates that even at its current depleted population level, this population of fewer than 90 animals may require 1.75 million chinook each year.

When the Southern Resident orcas are in the San Juan Islands off the northwest coast of Washington, they feed overwhelmingly on salmon from Canada’s Fraser River. But when they leave this area and head into the Pacific each winter, they must rely on chinook salmon from the other major salmon rivers – the Sacramento, the Klamath, and the Columbia. None of them is a shadow of what it used to be.

At the turn of the last century, up to 30 million salmon returned to the Columbia-Snake River Basin, making it the most productive salmon-producing river system in the world. But today, only than one percent of that historic number returns to spawn. Chinook (like other salmon populations) have plummeted, due largely to dam construction and habitat degradation on the Columbia and its largest tributary, the Snake, which have wiped out entire runs and severely limited the food supply of Puget Sound orcas. All species of chinook salmon on the Columbia- Snake are either listed as endangered or already extinct. This has proved devastating for the salmon, the fishermen, and now the killer whales.

Restoring Orcas’ Food

Leading Northwest scientists and orca advocates have called for the government to remove the four outdated federal dams on the lower Snake River. They say this will restore Columbia-Snake River salmon and renew a critical food source for endangered Puget Sound orca populations.

The science is clear that removing the four lower Snake River dams is the key to saving the Snake River’s four distinct salmon populations, including the chinook that are so important to the Southern Residents. Coupled with appropriate harvest controls, sound land-use regulations, renewable energy alternatives and hatchery reform, lower Snake River dam removal could restore salmon abundance to 15 million acres of forest, high-desert and wilderness areas, for productive use by people, communities and iconic predators like the Southern Resident orcas.

orca.smThe Southern Resident Recovery Plan

The government initially opposed listing Southern Residents as an endangered species. After a federal court rejected the government’s position, Southern Residents were listed in 2005. The government then developed a plan to help guide efforts to recovery Southern Residents to a healthy population. Prepared with input from the leading orca scientists in the United States and Canada, the plan contains two findings that should remain front and center as we contemplate the perils facing these spectacular icons of Puget Sound:

- “It is vital that meaningful increases in salmon abundance be achieved above and beyond those associated with periods of favorable ocean productivity.” SRKW Recovery Plan, p. V-8 (emphasis added).

- The SRKW population must increase by an average 2.3 percent per year for 28 years – that is, to 164 whales – in order to be removed from the Endangered Species list. The population today is 88, the same as it was when it was listed as endangered five years ago. p. IV-4.

For more information, contact:

Save Our Wild Salmon
206.286.4455
joseph@wildsalmon.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Orca scientists and advocates sound off

“Restoring Columbia River chinook salmon is the single most important thing we can do to ensure the future survival of the Southern Resident Community of killer whales. We cannot hope to restore the killer whale population without also restoring the salmon upon which these whales have depended for thousands of years. Their futures are intricately linked."
— Dr. Rich Osborne, research associate with The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor, Wash.

"The new Federal salmon plan for the Columbia and Snake rivers is no better than previous plans in providing access to the basin’s best remaining salmon habitat in the upper reaches of the Snake River. The resulting declining salmon runs have a very real impact on the 88 endangered southern resident orcas that depend on these fish, as they have for centuries. As the salmon disappear, the orcas go hungry."
— Howard Garrett, co-founder of the Orca Network.

"Our leaders must look for solutions not only in Puget Sound, but also in the rivers that bring the salmon to the sea throughout the Northwest. The great salmon rivers like the Columbia and Snake can once again produce the healthy runs of chinook, on which our majestic orcas feed, but only if we recover salmon habitat. We must act quickly to restore clean water, abundant, sustainable salmon populations, and a safe home for orcas. The scientists tell us there is no time to waste."
— Kathy Fletcher, executive director of People for Puget Sound

Name the next WA ferry "Tokitae"

2010-04-02T16:47:00.000-07:00

Sponsored by:
Orca Network

The WA Transportation Commission is looking for suggestions for the 2nd new 64-car ferry (for the Keystone-Pt. Townsend run) now under construction (http://www.wstc.wa.gov/Naming/FerryNamingProposal.pdf).

Orca Network suggests that this ferry be named "Tokitae." ... Tokitae is a Coastal Salish greeting, used all around the Salish Sea, meaning "Nice day, pretty colors." Tokitae was also the name given to the orca captured at Penn Cove, near Keystone, in 1970 who is still alive in Miami at a marine park. Her clan, the Southern Resident Community, was declared endangered under the ESA in 2005. Orcas are the Washington State marine mammal and 2010 is the 4th consecutive year that June has been proclaimed "Orca Awareness Month" by the Governor.

Sign the petition here.
Signature goal: 1,000

It May Take An Act Of Congress To Help Lolita

2010-02-12T14:24:00.000-08:00

Please read more about the orca "Lolita" here.

Why Sound Is So Important In The Marine Environment

2010-01-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

Without the ability to optimize the use of sound, many marine creatures would be unable to exist. In the ocean environment; sound takes over where sunlight leaves off.

Find out more here as we explore this subject.

Comment Period For Proposed Vessel Regulations Closes Soon

2010-01-10T16:59:00.000-08:00

Please remember to send your opinions to NOAA by Jan 15th 2010:
It's Not The Whale Watchers That Are The Problem For Orcas In The San Juans

Five Resolutions You Can Make To Help The Orcas.

2010-01-01T09:43:00.000-08:00

Please visit our Seattle Post Intelligencer blog to see ways that you can make a difference for the Southern Resident orcas in the next decade:

Five Resolutions You Can Make To Help The Orcas

Will The Present Administration Act In Behalf Of Orcas And Salmon?

2009-12-20T07:49:00.000-08:00

Read Howard Garrett's series on how dams on the Snake/Columbia Rivers impact southern resident orcas.

Part one: We Can Replace 1000 Megawatts. We Can't Replace Salmon And Orcas.

Have A Heart SeaWorld, And Let Corky Go Home

2009-12-13T13:07:00.000-08:00

It is time to bring the captives home, read more on our Seattle P.I. blogsite!

Corky (Courtesy OrcaNetwork and OrcaLab)

Commercial Fisheries, Salmon, and Orcas

2009-12-01T10:54:00.000-08:00

Commercial fisherman Robert Sudar shares insight into the fisheries dilemma. (Click here for full article.)

Where Do Orcas Find Drinking Water?

2009-11-22T07:51:00.000-08:00

Orcas are beautifully adapted to life in the marine environment, but unlike fish, they are not able to meet their water needs by drinking seawater. Find out how they meet their needs here.

Swim With Orcas

2009-11-20T09:13:00.000-08:00

Click here to see what it is like to swim among these whales in the frigid waters of Norway!

New Orca Calf 11/11/09

2009-11-16T03:24:00.000-08:00

New Baby!

Please check the website's news page for more information on J pod's new addition!

Vote For Orcas and Salmon

2009-11-01T09:47:00.000-08:00

Photo by Stewart Macintyre

Please consider the orcas if you have yet to vote. I-1033

Orcas Appear in Ancient Artwork Worldwide

2009-10-31T09:45:00.000-07:00

Click here to read:
Made 6000 to 9000 years ago, Norway is home to some of the oldest known orca whale images.

Comedian Stephen Colbert Asks: "Why should I care about the ocean?"

2009-10-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

Find out how oceanographer Sylvia Earle answered his question:

http://blog.seattlepi.com/candacewhiting/

Senator Murray is Beginning to Listen to You on Orca issues

2009-10-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

If nothing else, the proposed Killer Whale Vessel Regulations have served to show how strong our community is in supporting the Southern Resident Orcas. Please read the blog at the Seattle P.I. for more information:
http://blog.seattlepi.com/candacewhiting/

Farmed Salmon Are Really Bad News - For Us, for Wild or Captive Orcas, and for the Environment

2009-09-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

Included in a serving of farmed salmon are 14 known toxins in much greater concentrations than wild caught salmon.

Click on over to our blog at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer to learn why you should avoid eating this product, and why fish farming is harmful to the orcas (including the captive orca "Lolita"):

http://blog.seattlepi.com/candacewhiting/

Proposed Regulations for Vessels and Orcas

2009-08-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

Please come view these posts on the Seattle Post Intelligencer website:

http://blog.seattlepi.com/candacewhiting/index.asp

Dophins Often Protect Us

2009-08-28T08:04:00.000-07:00

By now, most of us have read stories or heard tales of dolphins coming to the rescue of swimmers and divers, and I thought this would be a good time to share some insights. We are now being asked to reconsider the impact that we have on the local orca population, and on October 27th our window for discussing the proposed guidelines for vessels and orcas will close. Hopefully we will come to understand the reasons and value of that increased protection - one of which is the mysterious nature of the whales themselves.

The bottom line is that for many species of dolphins, porpoises, and whales, their survival depends upon their maintaining group unity and culture, and for some dolphins this leads to demonstrations of compassion towards other species. Last year a dolphin led two beached Pygmy sperm whales to safety, an event which was somewhat astonishing and to my knowledge has not been recorded before.

But I got to thinking about it; this rescue occurred by a dolphin who enjoys being in the company of humans, and would therefore feel safe in coming to the aid of the whales when people were around. So possibly dolphins help species other than their own with some regularity but because they might fear us, or because it happens where we are not around, we just have not been fortunate enough to witness such occurrences.

Or maybe we just don't notice.

I saw the following video clip right before going to Hawaii a while back, and it gave me pause. Already phobic about sharks, seeing this did freak me out a bit, but ultimately having watched it help me to put my fear in perspective and I was able to swim with dolphins and turtles and celebrate the experience (however I did stay alert!). So a gentle warning, it might spook you if you have a vivid imagination. Not recommended for kids either. The titles are in French - essentially they describe the events as seen, which involved a Tiger shark.

For the most part, the people were unaware of the event as it unfolded, and it does make you wonder how often dolphins protect us and we never know.

Currently there is a movie out called "The Cove", which documents the slaughter of dolphins by a nation concerned with competition for fish with the animals, (coupled with a desire to eat the dolphins, it would seem). Yet I wonder how many times people in that nation may have received assistance from dolphins. Certainly, there are no records of unprovoked attacks on humans by dolphins.

I am proud to live in a part of the world where such barbarism is not allowed, and where we have evolved an attitude of seeking to achieve balance in how we relate to the Earth and the other beings that share the planet. We are learning to take a step back from conflict and seek solutions, and I am confident that we can come up with positive outcomes for everyone while protecting our local orcas and the waterways where they live.

The proposed federal guidelines for vessels and orcas can be found here, and we have provided links as well.

Orca Cultures

2009-08-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

While researching how our southern resident orcas hunt and capture fish, I came upon an interesting article that shows that the northern resident orcas (which live in British Columbia waters, generally north of the Fraser River) alter their hunting strategy depending upon prey availability, and that this is tied into large scale climatic variability. But when I checked to see if the southern residents showed a similar pattern, I encountered a really different, and surprising pattern.

According to a thesis, the local orcas don't seem to change their strategy in relation to climatic changes, but do extend the range and effort required to find adequate prey when it is scarce. And not all the pods showed the same changes in the same circumstances.

What is surprising is that the orcas did not concentrate their hunting efforts where salmon were most abundant, as measured by the capture rate by fishing boats. In other words, where fishermen had the most success was not necessarily where the orcas chose to hunt...although it became a 'chicken or egg' issue - did the fishermen have more success because the orcas weren't there? Or were there other features of the environment that were less desirable for the orcas at those places? Is there an aspect of the killer whale's culture at play, since they are different even from their "cousins" north of the border?

I looked at some other populations of fish-eating orcas, and again I found interesting variations between areas. When hunting herring, a population of orcas in Norway has

School of Herring (Creative Commons Photo)

been observed to keep schools of the fish near the surface. The whales flash their white undersides towards the fish and emit bubbles, which has the effect of driving the fish school to form into a 'ball'. The orcas then strike at the herring school with their tails, stunning and killing the fish, which the whales then eat one at a time. (I had no idea that herring can get to be 18" long!)

In Iceland, another population of orcas feeds very similarly upon herring, but in addition to emitting the bubbles the whales produce a loud droning type sound, possibly to help confuse and further compress the fish school (for video and a soundtrack, go here).

In the Russian waters of Avacha Gulf, orcas force tight schools of mackerel in a similar fashion, but then take turns swimming into the middle of the fish 'ball'.

In and around the Mediterranean Sea, a population of orcas hunts bluefin tuna (which are huge, 620 lbs is spawning size) by chasing them until the fish becomes exhausted...and in more recent times the whales have learned how to strip a fish from fishermen's long lines as the tuna are brought up from depth. Annoying to the fishermen, perhaps, who receive thousands of dollars per fish, but a sensible adaptation from the whales' point of view.

The following is from comments sent to me by Howard Garrett (see previous post), of OrcaNetwork, which speaks to the varied ways the orcas live and find fish:

When Rendell and Whitehead wrote Culture in Whales and Dolphins (2001) they summed up the findings that each orca community eats its own severely restricted diet, uses their own discrete repertoire of vocalizations, and maintains their own prescribed mating practices. The paper, published in the Journal of Behavioural and Brain Sciences, established that: "The complex and stable vocal and behavioural cultures of sympatric groups of killer whales (Orcinus orca) appear to have no parallel outside humans and represent an independent evolution of cultural faculties."

But they didn't want to venture any guesses about how orcas communicate, or how they transmit their cultural rules and traditions. They realize that "...understanding process (cultural transmission) is crucial to our understanding of the product (culture)" but they just don't even want to talk about it: "...no attempt is made to deduce what particular form of social learning underlies the observed patterns." And…"we know virtually nothing about the actual learning mechanisms cetaceans employ."

Then they hint at what they suspect: "Human culture is intimately linked to both language and symbolism, but there is currently no empirical basis for discussing the role or non-role of language and symbolism in cetacean culture …"

And they say: "Cetacean cultures appear to possess other attributes that have otherwise been restricted to humans. In particular, we are aware of no phenomena outside humans comparable to the distinctive, stable and sympatric vocal and behavioural cultures which appear to exist at several levels of killer whale society."

Over the next month we will continue to explore the intelligence and culture of the orcas as we discuss the proposed guidelines for increased protection of our locally endangered population.

Interpreting Orca Intelligence

2009-08-19T20:55:00.000-07:00

It was recently in the news that dogs, on average, are as smart as a two year old human child in performing some tasks, and in some ways are considered to rival four year olds in their ability to understand both language and simple arithmetic.

And once again, I started thinking about orcas and their large brains, and about how we humans have a difficult time in assessing the intelligence of other species. We want to be able to measure them using ourselves as yardsticks, we weigh and measure their abilities based upon our own...yet those measurements inevitably fall short because other species are adapted so differently.

Nonetheless, until science is able to unravel the mystery of animal intelligence, most of us are comfortable with comparing animals to ourselves and to other animals. I think the real problem comes when we put a 'spin' on what we see, it causes us to develop beliefs and attitudes about a species before we truly understand its nature or abilities.

To illustrate this, I've included three YouTube videos all based on footage of the same orca encounter in Antarctica. I was able to embed two of them here, the third would only allow a link - but it is worth the trouble to view it, because it sensationalizes the event and makes speculations. Plus it changed the outcome...which was actually a happy one.

CNN's version - concise.

A Spectator's footage - longer with more detail.

Animal Planet's version: Dramatic and misleading, but interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3xmqbNsRSk

The point here is that we can see the intelligence of the orcas in action, no one can reasonably challenge that. But we don't know, really, how the orcas communicated during the event, nor do we know their motivation -- and the things we see in the media can be misleading.

So are they smart? Definitely. Someday we will have an idea of how they compare to us, but in the meantime we have to be careful that we don't form concepts that are based on misinterpretation.

After all, the fact that the orcas chose not to kill the seal tells us as much about them as does their brilliant hunting strategy.

Standards of Care for Endangered Whales

2009-08-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

Most of our readers here know that L-pod member "Lolita" is from a locally endangered population of orcas, one of only 86 of those whales left. Her life is far from ideal, and she is not being kept in a pool that is legal, even by the low standards set by the theme parks. And what we want to know is how this can be rectified.

In the wild, orcas rarely stop moving. (Photo courtesy OrcaNetwork, taken by Peter Pijpelink)

Marine mammals are protected everywhere in the wild, but when "Lolita's" pod, along with the other pods that comprise the Southern Resident Killer Whales received the status of Endangered in 2007, an exception was written into the documents excluding all members of J, K, and L pods living in captivity at the time. "Lolita" was, and remains, the only living member taken from the wild…so the exception must have been written in to exclude one lonely isolated orca.

Now how did that come to pass? Would it not have made more sense to offer her protection and then let the theme park petition to keep her? Would they then not have had to provide a legal pool for her?

And shouldn't biologists decide what are adequate facilities for marine mammals, not the theme parks themselves?

We are curious about the lives of dolphins and whales (Creative Commons photo)

As a society our values seem to have taken a shift since the early days of zoos, circuses, and theme parks - we really don't enjoy tired acts and worn out displays, and it is painful to think about intelligent, harmless and gentle beings confined in miserable looking situations away from others of their own species.

Yet we are conflicted…we have learned a great deal about orcas and other dolphins by studying captives, and we want to increase our knowledge. Reasonably enough, both polls (here and Facebook) show that if dolphins and whales are in captivity, most poll takers expressed that it should be for research purposes – although I think that there is far more to be gained by researching them in the wild at this point.

In the meantime, a member of a locally endangered species languishes in a sad theme park without the company of her own species, in a substandard pool.

I have written to both Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell and requested that they share with us explanations as to the government's lack of action, and will post their replies when I receive them.

Is The Government Doing Its Job To Protect Captive Whales And Dolphins?

2009-08-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

Hopefully the USDA will inspect and measure the concrete bowl where Lolita has lived the past 39 years and will find it unlawful under the Animal Welfare Act...

Those words from Howard Garrett's post really got me wondering about how it is possible that the governmental agencies responsible for animal welfare are able to turn their backs when it comes to the Miami Seaquarium and the substandard tank where "Lolita" (the orca taken from L-pod) is forced to live.

The USDA arm of the government that is responsible is the Animal Plant and Health Service (APHIS). The Regulations read: 9 C.F.R. Sec. 3.104 - Space Requirements -
The primary enclosure for a Killer whale (Orcinus orca) must have a minimum horizontal dimension of no less than 48 ft. in either direction with a straight line of travel across the center.

Dimensions of "Lolita's" tank. Photo courtesy Orca Network.

Lolita's tank is a mere 35 feet from the front wall to the slide out barrier. At its deepest point in the center the tank is only 20 feet deep. She is about 22 feet long.

In 1995 the Humane Society of the United States filed a formal complaint against the Seaquarium regarding the substandard size of Lolita's tank. The Animal Plant and Health Service (APHIS) has yet to act. Fourteen years later, she is still in the substandard tank.

Who is the Animal Plant and Health Service? Their mission statement says: "Protecting American agriculture" is the basic charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). APHIS provides leadership in ensuring the health and care of animals and plants. The agency improves agricultural productivity and competitiveness and contributes to the national economy and the public health.

The 1994 Marine Mammal Protection Act amendments eliminated NOAA Fisheries jurisdiction over captive care and maintenance of marine mammals held for public display, placing it under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Animal Welfare Act administered by the Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). However, the MMPA requires that NOAA Fisheries maintain the captive Marine Mammal Inventory Database.

The 1994 Marine Mammal Protection Act amendment concerning captive marine mammals:

NMFS and FWS will regulate the taking of marine mammals from the wild under the MMPA, while subsequent care and maintenance of captive marine mammals held for purposes of public display at registered or licensed facilities will be regulated by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the Department of Agriculture under the Animal Welfare Act (Pub.L. 89-544, as amended). For the taking and importing of marine mammals for public display, permits will be issued only when [1] the effect of the take or importation on wild populations is considered, [2] the method of the taking is humane, [3] an institution is registered or licensed under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), [4] the institution offers an education or conservation program based upon professionally recognized standards of the public display community, and [5] the institution maintains facilities that are open to the public on a regularly scheduled basis. Although NMFS or FWS must be notified at least 15 days prior to the sale, export, or transport of a captive marine mammal, and NMFS and FWS must maintain an inventory of captive individuals, a permit or other authorization is no longer required to obtain, hold captive, transport, transfer, purchase, sell, or export marine mammals that are being held captive for public display purposes when animals move between facilities that meet the permit criteria. In addition, export of marine mammals is prohibited except as explicitly provided for in the Act.

So why doesn't the USDA do anything to enforce the law with respect to "Lolita's" living conditions?

When Lolita Comes Swimming Home Again

2009-08-06T17:50:00.001-07:00

Orca Network's Howard Garrett has dedicated his time and effort into the "Free Lolita" campaign, and shares his views here with us.

Written by Howard Garrett

Recent photo of L-pod member "Lolita", taken by Shelby Proie on April 2, 2009

Hopefully the USDA will inspect and measure the concrete bowl where Lolita has lived the past 39 years and will find it unlawful under the Animal Welfare Act, and $1-2 million can be found to examine her, transport her to a bay pen along the west side of San Juan Island, and set up a care station with a freezer full of fish and professional care staff. It's all been done before and poses no real risk to her or to her family, but many may wonder what will happen then for Lolita.

After her return to her home waters, as she regains her strength and is led out on swims to experience her waters again, Lolita will be the focus of tremendous attention in the Pacific Northwest and far beyond. Of course security at the bay pen will prevent direct observations except by authorized personnel and media, but live webcam coverage and stories about her can be expected to abound locally, nationally and internationally.

Recent photo of some of "Lolita's" pod members, taken by Howard Garrett on June 21, 2009

When someone reads or sees a story about Lolita they will usually tend to care a little more about how she's doing. The reports will also tell about her family, L-25 and the L-12 subpod as well as all the Southern Resident orcas. People will learn about the orcas' long lifespans, lifetime bonding and no dispersal traditions. They'll hear about these orcas' selective diet - about 80% Chinook salmon and 15% chum - and the need to restore salmon habitat and reduce Chinook catches all along the Pacific coast to keep the orcas around. This alone justifies her return home.

Scientifically, we'll learn if Lolita's family bonds and memories are so strong that she will be able to travel, catch fish and socialize with her family, and we'll see the process of rebuilding the trust needed to do so. If she's not able to rejoin her family, the care station will always be there for her with food and companionship if needed.

Humans live according to their stories, and whales provide great inspiration for all ages to learn more and then act to protect and restore the natural world. When kids hear about Lolita and her retirement where she was raised decades ago, many will want to know more, and will do research and feel moved to write their views about orcas and create artwork about them, developing important language skills and learning how to do good science.

Where Orcas Swim Free (Photo by Katie Jones)

The benefits of retiring Lolita in the Salish Sea won't be easy to measure in dollars, but as a learning and sharing experience among the human community, and as a motivator toward better stewardship and protection of our precious marine environment, Lolita would be a priceless teacher for us all.

By Howard Garrett

Annual Commemoration of the Penn Cove Orca Captures

2009-08-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

L-pc25 ("Lolita") photo by Peter Pijpelink - October 30, 2007

The whale they call "Lolita" is a member of L-pod. Her number is L-pc25, which denotes where she was captured (Penn Cove) and the whale she was associated with at that time (L-25, most likely her mother). "Lolita" has a local name too - Tokitae, and this is the family she would most be a member of:

L-pc25's ("Lolita's") presumed family: members of the L-12 subpod and L-25 who is believed to be her mother. Photo by Dave Ellifrit

Working diligently towards the day that "Lolita" is returned to her pod is Orca Network's Howard Garrett. I contacted him about the upcoming Annual Orca Capture Commemoration Gathering event, and he has graciously agreed to contribute his thoughts to this blog and will post here soon. In the mean time, he asked me to consider an interesting question, which I will share:

Putting aside the reasons of compassion,what are the really good things that would come out of bringing her home, how would that benefit us as a community?

What I came up with is that there are profound opportunities for research and education in this, as well as a deep sense of gratification to be gained, but I am sure that there are other things as well...

"Whale Saves Drowning Diver"

2009-08-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

While watching the local news the other day, I saw some pretty amazing footage of Beluga whales as they were interacting with a diver in their pool.

Beluga and Diver (Photo from the online Sun)

I was able to record the footage on my DVR, but I have yet to locate a clip to share here. I have watched it several times, because the event as reported doesn't really sit right with me and I'm not sure exactly why. I'm not at all surprised that the whales would come to someone's aid, but I am surprised that the diver, just trying out for the job, didn't freak out and have a heart attack when the whale grabbed her leg. And what a goofy test to see if the diver would qualify to be a whale trainer, it is more like she was trying out to see if she could qualify as an entertainer.

But once again, the issue of keeping these animals in captivity for our amusement has come to the forefront, and confronting the fact that this can be very dangerous for people is something we really need to add to the equation. An excellent discussion on the subject can be found here. Please keep in mind that even our dogs and other pets can become dangerous when mistreated and confined excessively.

Over the next week or so we'll look more deeply into the issue on captive whales and dolphins, so far our informal polls show that the majority of people are against keeping them captive, and those that support captivity believe that it is okay for small species or for research only.

Please vote on this issue, we will run the poll for about two more weeks.

Orcas and Ecotourism

2009-07-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

How much of our fascination with orcas is too much? How many boats, how much underwater noise can they take? At what point, given the dwindling salmon supply, are the whales either going to leave this area permanently or gradually succumb to the environmental stressors and just die off?

CWR 2009 Photo by Erin Heydenreich

No one knows. And that is the problem.

We do know that they are endangered locally, and their survival depends upon our ability to figure it out and set sustainable guidelines…compromises between our desire to watch them as they live their lives as wild, free, and peaceful animals and their ability to cope with us. And in these rotten economic times, we do have to take into serious consideration the businesses and individuals that rely upon the income generated by whale watching tourism. But the whales may not be able to endure it much longer.

In previous posts we have discussed how our resident orcas are constrained in their movements by where they can find salmon, and how the geographic and oceanographic features of the area put the orcas so close to us as they forage. They really can't get away from our boats and noise without leaving. And for them to look elsewhere for food means acquiring a new culture, new ways to hunt fish and to find each other for mating. And still, we would dog them wherever we spotted them because they are so enchanting to us.

The government proposes to give them a break in one small part of their range while we figure it all out - while we learn how much the orcas really can tolerate - and we concentrate on restoring salmon stocks.

We'll just have to adjust, adapt to new rules, and take the long view. After all, they have been adapting to us for centuries.

Resident Orcas Live in a Dynamic Environment

2009-07-29T18:11:00.000-07:00

Bubbles (Photo by Erin Heydenreich)

Do orcas use bubbles similarly to other dolphins? We really don't know for sure - nor can we say with certainty if they use their sonar ability to detect currents and water masses. However, we do have some idea of the nature of the marine environment where our local resident orcas spend much of their time, and we can speculate on the rest as we continue to explore the intelligence of these animals. Future posts will delve more deeply into the marine environment, but for now we are staying focused on the qualities that characterize intelligence in mammals.

Resident orcas spent a lot of their time in Haro Strait which is the body of water that runs along the west side of San Juan Island, generally from the Strait of Juan de Fuca and up to Boundary Pass by the Gulf Islands. Underneath is a deep trough, which bumps up against San Juan Island and rises steeply along the area where the whale watch park is located (about where the orca icon is placed). On either end of the strait are shallow areas, called "sills".

Haro Strait Bathymetry

Divins, D.L., and D. Metzger, NGDC Coastal Relief Model, http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/coastal/coastal.html

Salmon returning from the ocean on their way to spawn up in the Fraser River (near Vancouver B.C.) come through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, then most of them head up Haro Strait. Orcas are present frequently during the time the salmon are running, and often appear to hunt them right along the edge of the island, over the sills or any geographic feature that tends to force the fish into an area where they are easier to catch - and fortunately brings the whales close to shore where we can see them.

When watching the whales you might notice that the surface of the water shows some subtle variations in texture - but those surface changes can belie the intensity of what may be going on beneath. Masses of water collide in this region, the tides push through, underwater waves stream, and curtains of bubbles get dragged down below at impressive speeds.

Haro Strait off Whale Watch Park (Photo by Elliot Whiting)

These graphs illustrate the dynamic nature of Haro Strait, and show a mass of bubbles moving at a clip of 50 centimeters per second downward and extending to a depth of almost 100 meters. That is a little over a foot and a half per second, to a depth of just under 300 feet. This type of event is transitory, but occurs frequently. It is certainly possible that these bubbles and vertical currents could be detected by the orcas - the entrained bubbles were measured using equipment that works similarly to dolphin sonar.

Entrainment of bubbles.

(Graph prepared by the Ocean Dynamics Laboratory at the University of British Columbia (except for the added clip art) http://www.eos.ubc.ca/~rich/research.html#Strait%20of%20Georgia%20Project To be accurate the whale icons should be about half the size shown, but they are too hard to see when made to scale).

The middle graph shows the temperature difference of the water masses, and the blocks of salmon illustrate that as the fish move from salt to fresh water on their journey home, they move around the water column to track the river source (the river water is warmer and lighter than regional ocean temperatures - we will cover river plumes and salmon in later posts).

The bottom graph shows the speed of the currents as they moved vertically up and down the water column, and the whale icons show the direction of movement.

If you have spent much time whale watching, you will be familiar with the whales' ability to pull a vanishing act at times...they just seem to submerge and disappear, or surface a mile a way. Maybe the orcas are hitching rides on deep waves or currents.

It is certainly possible...

How Dolphins Make The Bubble Rings

2009-07-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

So how do the dolphins make those bubble rings (previous post) that seem to defy what we know about physics? According to a Scientific American article on the subject, the dolphins are able to create and control the movement of the rings by controlling the movement of the water around their own bodies.

Probably the easiest way to visualize this is to think of a whirlpool, similar to what is created around the drain of a bathtub when we let the water out, except in this case the vortex consists entirely of water.

Whirlpool (Creative Commons Photo)

After first creating the whirling vortex of water with their body motion, the dolphins then blow a huge bubble of air such that the water vortex pushes through the center and traps a ring of bubbles around it's edges. The dolphins then continue to manipulate and control the water… and thus control the bubble rings.

But how do the dolphins know where the vortexes are once they make them? Scientists think the dolphins "see" them by using their sonar, and the implications of that are stunning.

Much like we can see these shafts of light, dolphins can "see" water layers with sonar (Creative Commons photo).

Because we know that some of the brain structures of odontocetes (toothed whales and dolphins) are arranged in such a way that what they "hear" might be easily processed in the same parts that process what they see, it is not surprising to understand that at least some of the cetaceans actually create mental pictures of what they detect with their sonar. And although most of us don't think of it that way, oceanographers know that the ocean is not a uniform body of water at all, but a complicated mass of layers and swirls. So if you think about it, what we see as uniform in texture and varying only in light and temperature – how we see the ocean - could be perceived, or 'seen', by the cetaceans in much greater complexity.

In the presence of algae or plankton, we too can see water motion (Creative Commons photo).

If you add to that the fact that some of the dolphins and whales most likely 'see' underwater shapes of currents and vortexes with their sonar,though, you begin to understand their amazing adaptation to the richness of their ocean world.

Photo by Erin Heydenreich

In our next post, we'll talk about how our local orcas may use these properties of water and sound in their search for food.

Is It Art, Culture, or Play?

2009-07-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

The dolphins show complex play behavior and cultural transmission in this video, and maybe it can be said to be art as well.

The following video was produced by SeaWorld, and although it is informative, it is not clear as to whether the dolphins were born in captivity or wild caught, in which case the dolphins might have brought the skill with them when captured.

It is not inconceivable that the orcas manipulate water and air for their amusement too!

Orca Surfacing (Center for Whale Research photo)

Orca Brains Are Large and Complex

2009-07-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

Cetacean brain development is an example of parallel evolution, adapted to the ocean environment. The brains of orcas are roughly four times larger than ours, have a greater surface area relative to brain weight, have enhanced development in different areas, and some of their nerve transmission speeds greatly exceed ours. Naturally enough we humans don't much like the idea that another species might rival us in that which we feel sets us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom: our intelligence, and so we have come up with many ways to explain it all away. At first it seemed obvious to make the claim that bigger animals just needed bigger brains...except that animals like the stegosaurus, close in size to orcas, had a brain about the size of a walnut. Not that they were mental giants - but they got by.

The next idea to come along was "brain to body weight ratio", a comparison between the size of an animal and how large it's brain is, and by that measure an orca would clearly be smarter than a stegosaurus, but not as smart as we humans. Unfortunately for us, both hummingbirds and squirrel monkeys beat us in that measurement (we are about 2%, while hummingbirds are about 4%).

Presently we have come up with a way of comparing brain size called "Encephalization Quotient", or EQ, in which we compare how big an animal's brain is versus how big you would expect it to be relative to the overall size. Ah ha! At last we win, our brains are 7 times bigger than you would expect them to be for our size, while our closest rivals are dolphins and toothed whales, which come in at the 2 to 5 times range. Whew! Except...

Their brains have a greater surface to volume ratio than ours. What this means, basically, is that the part of the brain that integrates information is much greater. Although scientists at first dismissed this by assuming that the tissue was 'primitive' because it differs in structure from ours, current research disputes that. Research also overturns the notions that the types of cells are related to adapting to ocean temperatures, or that the large brains are dedicated to processing echolocation information.
The layout of their brains is different from ours - some regions (such as those associated with smell) are diminished or absent, while others, such as the vision center, are moved around, and the structures associated with hearing are enhanced - but it is every bit as capable of intelligent thought.
Fortunately now though, scientists are beginning to concentrate more on learning how the cetaceans use their massive brains, and less on coming up with ways to dismiss and diminish the evidence that we share this planet with other intelligent beings.

. The recent discovery that cetaceans have a special type of cell (called a spindle cell) previously found only in humans and the great apes implies that they aren’t just intelligent: those cells are associated with our deeper emotions and social bonds.

Cetacean Intelligence, Part One

2009-07-09T22:55:00.000-07:00

Dolphins in the military (Creative Commons Photo)

030318-N-5319A-002.Central Command Area of Responsibility (Mar. 18, 2003) -- K-Dog, a Bottle Nose Dolphin belonging to Commander Task Unit (CTU) 55.4.3, leaps out of the water in front Sgt. Andrew Garrett while training near the USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) in the Arabian Gulf. CTU-55.4.3 is a multi-national team consisting of Naval Special Clearance Team-One, Fleet Diving Unit Three from the United Kingdom, Clearance Dive Team from Australia, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Units Six and Eight (EODMU-6 and -8). These units are conducting deep/shallow water mine countermeasure operations to clear shipping lanes for humanitarian relief. CTU-55.4.3 and USS Gunston Hall are currently forward deployed conducting missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the multinational coalition effort to liberate the Iraqi people, eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, and end the regime of Saddam Hussein. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer?s Mate 1st Class Brien Aho. (RELEASED).

Although we are accustomed to seeing highly trained cetaceans in the entertainment industry, they are also trained to assist in military projects.

But their intelligence goes much farther and deeper than simple training, as defined by scientists. M.P. Simmonds in Applied Animal Behaviour Science 100 (2006) 103–116 113, has summarized the features that scientists look for in determining intelligence across species lines, and have found in many dolphins and whales:

"A summary of evidence for higher cognitive functioning in cetaceans"

"i. High level of encephalisation, including very well developed cerebellum in many species

ii. Long lives and long periods of parental care (evidence of post-reproductive care-givers)--exploiters of typically patchy and unpredictable prey

iii. Ability to learn complex behaviours and solve problems

iv. Ability to improvise/innovate

v. Tool use (but not tool manufacture)

vi. Vocal and behavioural imitation

vii. Ability to learn artificial languages (limited vocabulary but understand grammar and syntax)

viii. Many species exhibit closely co-ordinated behaviours

ix. Many species have complex social interactions

x. Evidence of self awareness, awareness of others, including emotional responses

xi. Cultural transmission of information"

The next post will cover the biology of their adaptations to the marine environment that are associated with their brain development.

In Respect for Michael Jackson Who Performed "Will You Be There" for the Movie "Free Willy"

2009-07-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

In Memory of Michael Jackson, who supported animal causes.

On Their Way To Meet Up InThe Superpod (next post)

2009-07-03T17:03:00.000-07:00

Shore watchers were thrilled to see the orcas as they headed up the west side of San Juan Island!

Encounter #26 - Superpod

2009-07-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

Encounter # 26 • June 2 1• Superpod!

Platform: Orca, Starlet
Observers: Ken Balcomb, Howard Garrett, Erin Heydenreich, Emma Foster and Basil Von Ah

After watching several whales pass by the Center and receiving various reports of more whales up north, both Orca and Starlet departed. At approximately 4:10 p.m. both vessels encountered J, K, and L pods travelling in tight groups up Boundary Pass. It appears that all members of the three pods were present, totaling 86 whales. The encounter ended at 6:30 p.m. The whales were traveling tight in two groups and continued north up Boundary Pass.
http://www.whaleresearch.com/encounter_pages/26.html

How Smart Are Orcas?

2009-07-02T14:32:00.000-07:00

In order to do the subject of killer whale intelligence justice, we will need to broaden the discussion to include other species of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), as well as to look at the ocean environment in which they live. The subject can get fairly technical and dry, but we will try to keep it interesting and entertaining as much as possible!

As you view these videos, please keep in mind that orcas are actually large dolphins as you enjoy this fun introduction to the subject.

By all the ways that scientists measure intelligence, orcas are not far behind us, and we will examine what that means over the next month.

What does it sound like Luna, an orphan killer whale, was trying to imitate here?

Orca Fathers - They Often Raise Each Other's Offspring

2009-06-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

Among our southern resident whales, the dads don't participate directly in raising their offspring…but they help raise the calves sired by other males instead!

K26 travels tight with new sibling K42 on the west side of San Juan Island, July 6, 2008 (Photo by Holly Fernbach)

Killer whales are polygamous, so they mate with more than one partner, and in this case the males do not have any known defined role to play in raising the calves they produce.

Instead, the adult males stay with their own mothers and help care for their siblings, nieces and nephews, who were sired by a different male. Similarly, their own calves are raised in a different maternal group, and any males in that family will help with raising the calves sired by the other males.

By all accounts, mating is a free-for-all between different pods, yet it is extremely rare for two members of the same family to mate together. Periodically the different pods hang out together, and occasionally all three of the southern resident pods - J,K,and L - meet in what the researchers call a "super pod". Vigorous interaction and mating can occur at these gatherings, but apparently the females only select males from outside of their own family group.

Young males from three pods traveling together: L78, J27 and K26 (Photo by Ken Balcomb)

It all sounds like a pretty sweet deal for the males - they live with their moms and frolic freely, not responsible for outcomes. 15 to 17 months later when the calves are born, the females are living with their own families. And it is - but it is a sweet deal for the whole clan, and may be key to why the orcas coexist so peacefully.

In this situation, male rivalry is minimized, plus they would seem to have a vested interest in insuring the well being of all calves since most likely they don't know which ones they might have fathered.

Young male J26 (Photo by Katie Jones)

The members of J,K, and L pods are closely tied genetically, and as I looked through the Center's archived photos for this post, there was something that really struck me (not an original observation I am sure!) - which reminded me of my sixth grade biology class and introduction to genetics. Something about wrinkled versus smooth peas...

Creative Commons Photo

L73, also wavy. (Photo by Dave Ellifrit)

J1, known for his wavy dorsal fin. (Photo by Emma Foster)

The bottom line is that although the males don't mate within their birth families, they must wind up breeding with their own offspring at some point, and the population shows the expected low genetic diversity. Yet that appears to be true throughout their range, even among populations that are healthy.

To account for this, scientists speculate that the orca's low genetic diversity might be the result of having gone through a genetic "bottleneck" about 130,000 years ago, during which time their population was drastically reduced, and is not just do to their tendency to mate with related individuals.

It may turn out that the orcas' reproductive strategy - though it creates or maintains a limited gene pool - enhances the success of the population as a whole. Their population is controlled by factors we don't quite understand, but it is closely tied to food abundance, and it may turn out that birth defects as a result of close inbreeding are naturally weeded out.

However indirectly, the dads play a key role in ensuring the success of the whole southern resident clan of orcas. And although orcas are deemed apex predators and appear to have no natural enemies, what that really means is that there are no successful natural predators. I imagine that the males are active and vigilant in protecting their families along with their involvement in the rearing of other males' offspring.

In the big picture, it works beautifully.

L41 traveling north through Haro Strait, August 10, 2008 (Photo by Dave Ellifrit)

From: January 2008 II-124 NMFS

" Resident killer whales display some of the most advanced social behavior of any nonhuman mammal, as evidenced by their highly stable social groupings, complex vocalization patterns, the presence of long-lived post-reproductive females, and behaviors such as cooperative foraging, food sharing, alloparental care, matriarchal leadership, and innovative learning. Maintenance of minimal group sizes is therefore probably necessary in preserving beneficial social interactions and in raising young."

Should Killer Whales Be Kept in Captivity?

2009-06-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

"Lolita the Whale", taken from the Southern Resident Killer Whale clan (Creative Commons Photo).

The subject of keeping orcas in captivity is a big one, fraught with emotion and embedded in huge financial investment. We plan to tackle this thorny issue in detail once the summer season of research has been completed, but given the fact that The Seattle Aquarium is hosting what promises to be a rare opportunity to learn about the situation, now seems a good time to introduce it.

So far we have only begun to share with you how orcas live their lives - we talked about their family bonds, the challenges they face, and what it might mean to us to lose them. We have yet to talk about how they communicate, how intelligent they may be, or what their ocean environment is like.

In review, then:

They have strong, lifelong family bonds.

CWR 2009 Photo by Ken Balcomb

They almost never stop moving, and apparently the calves must stay in motion, in a term called 'obligate swimming'.

Photo by Astrid van Ginneken

They seem to be curious about us, and never intentionally cause harm.

Photo by Ken Balcomb

In light of that, plus the fact that although the Orcas have a global range they are not abundant anywhere, we need to think long and hard about why we need to see them like this:

Creative Commons Photo

When this is what it takes to capture them:

Photo Courtesy OrcaNetwork

And we can see them like this:

Sprouting male L89 off Mitchell Bay (Photo by Basil von Ah)

Orcas are bred in captivity, so capture is not always necessary, but their lives are far from ideal. Continued captivity is rationalized by those who love the whales as well as those who just profit from them - but when you distill the arguments what remains is a question of compassion, and how we treat the creatures that share our planet.

J-pod update

2009-06-14T12:53:00.000-07:00

J45. Photo by Erin Heydenreich, May 15 2009

Baby J45 and his family have disappeared for a while, most likely in search of food:

"The last encounter we had with J45 was on the 15th of May. He seemed just fine, and was acting like any normal young calf. He was last seen going by the Center on May 25th he was traveling with his mom J14 and his sister J37. He may have been seen from a whale watch boat since then. J pod left the area shortly after they were seen on the 25th by us, and there have been no reports of them since then."

Erin Heydenreich
Staff Assistant, Center for Whale Research

J45 traveling next to J30 with j2 in the back. Photo by Erin Heydenreich, May 15 2009

Although J-pod seems to have left the area for a while, members of the other southern resident killer whale pods have been seen more recently. It is not unusual for the pods to mix up from time to time, and two whales for K-pod have joined up with a family from L pod.

There has been concern expressed though, about what appears to be unusual behavior from the whales this year. Many people who know the whales and their typical movement patterns are worried by the changes, so over the coming weeks we will try to sort out for you what is happening. Please keep in mind though that the data won't be complete for a long time, maybe even years - but we will share what we know, and look at other populations of wildlife as a comparison.

Baby J45, You Might Be One Lucky Orca Calf!

2009-06-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

In previous posts we have touched a bit on the challenges that face our resident orca whales, specially the calves. About a third to a half of them don’t survive their first year, and those who do carry a toxic burden and face dire salmon shortages. So, in light of that, what could possibly be good news for this newest member of J-pod? He has some really good things going for him, but before discussing that I would like to digress a little.

As noted in an earlier post, the whales are named according to their ‘pod’, or group identity, followed by when they were first seen. So the baby Orca J-45 belongs to J-pod, and is the 45th member identified since records have been kept. The researchers find this a straightforward and logical way to keep track of the families and for the scientists these numbers are the most practical way to refer to the animals. Once the babies are a year old, The Whale Museum also gives them a name.

All of that can get a little bewildering because you will hear the same whales referred to by a variety of names in different media sources- so help you to keep the relationships sorted out and keep track of this special baby, I’ll refer to the family members as they relate to the calf, but will follow the scientific method. J-45 will be noted as “Baby J45”, etc.

So what makes little Baby J45 a lucky calf?

The first factor is his birth order. The lion’s share of a mother whale’s toxic load is transferred to her first calf, and fortunately Baby J45 is the sixth calf born to his mother J14. Also, there is evidence that older mothers are slightly more successful in raising a calf through it’s first year, although the researchers have not determined why this is so. It may be linked to experience, the reduced toxic load to the calf, the presence of siblings, or a combination of factors. His mother J14 is 35 years old, has four surviving offspring and only lost one calf.

This brings us to the next thing that makes Baby J45 lucky: he was born into a great extended family, known as the successful and long-lived “J-2 Matriline”. (A matriline is like a family tree where only the mother’s lineage is considered). Research shows that among our resident Orcas, young whales are known to stay with their moms throughout their lives.

Baby J45 and his mother J14 are surrounded, supported, and protected by a network of family members, and when he was born into the wintery cold Pacific water this year, Baby J45 most likely would have been helped to the surface by one or more of his three siblings; five year old sister J40, eight year old sister J37, and fourteen year old brother J30. Also present might have been his 98 year old Great-grandmother J2 and his Great-uncle J1, two of our more well known and beloved whales. There is no evidence as yet to support the idea that calf survivorship is related to the presence of older family members, but there is a link to the survivorship of the older siblings.

The final bit of luck? Baby J45 along with the other new calves had the good fortune to have been born in a time and place where people treasure and seek to protect, rather than capture or harm, the resident Orcas.

Next we’ll report on how BabyJ45 is doing, and where you might be able to see him, last I heard he is healthy, robust, and trying to catch fish!

Their milk, and ours, is it safe to drink?

2009-05-28T21:02:00.001-07:00

The milk that Orca mothers provide their babies is incredibly rich, up to 43% fat, which is a higher fat content than pure whipping cream. Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food™ ice cream is only about 42% fat, including the caramel and chocolate fishes!
In contrast, human milk contains, on average, just 4.2 % fat, or about 1/10th of the fat that mother whales must provide to nourish their calves.

The mother whales utilize their own fat deposits, especially in lean times, to provide the nutrition needed to make the ice cream-rich milk need to keep their babies alive.

Yet the mother’s milk may have long term detrimental effects.

Along with all the good nutrition, high levels of toxins are transferred to the mother’s milk. This has the effect of reducing the mom’s toxic load but at a price that no mother would choose.
A first born calf receives most of the mother’s lifetime stores of organochlorines for example, which the calf will continue to add to over the course of it’s own lifetime as it dines on contaminated prey. Our residential pods prefer Chinook salmon and the Chinook from Puget Sound may contain the highest levels of certain contaminants that have been measured on the west coast.

And unfortunately, we are in the same boat. Human breastmilk also shows significant levels of those pollutants, and the Washington State Department of Health has made this handy chart to help us avoid a toxic overload:

Healthy Fish Guide Eat Fish, Be Smart, Choose Wisely
This guide is for everyone - especially women who might become pregnant, are pregnant, are nursing, or young children. The fish in the green column are great choices so enjoy! If you choose fish from the yellow column enjoy and eat only once a week and do not eat any other fish meals that week. The red column are fish that should be avoided by women who might become pregnant, are pregnant, are nursing, or young children. Our toxicologists have created the Healthy Fish Guide and a checklist to keep your exposure to contaminants like mercury and PCBs low and to help you gain the health benefits that you get from eating fish.

If only whales could read...

What does all this mean for the new calves? It's not all bad news, which we will examine soon!

Don't Forget the Cetaceans that have Served Us!

2009-05-25T17:04:00.000-07:00

In memory of Ahab and Ishmael, two Orcas utilized by the navy in the early 70's. They served us too.

Click here for more information on the role of marine mammals in the navy.

Photo by Dave Ellifrit.
J27 while horsing around with J30 and J34 (just beneath the surface) south of Enterprise Reef near Active Pass.

One of these Killer Whales is Almost 100 years Old...

2009-05-24T08:52:00.000-07:00

CWR 2009 Photo by Erin Heydenreich

...and the other is in his fifties!

These two whales were the first of their pod to be identified by Ken Balcomb back in the late 70s when scientists realized that every Orca has a distinct pattern of markings. J1 is the impressive male with the characteristically tall dorsal fin, and J2 is tucked in behind him. Because of their relative ages and the fact that the pair is together so often, most likely they are mother and son.
J1 is 58 years old, and his mom is almost 100.

The concept that Orcas can live so long in the wild is just amazing -- we can only imagine the changes that J2 has witnessed over the course of her lifetime, and what remarkable adaptations she has had to make.

This photo of Pike Place Market was taken in 1911, about the time that J2 was born -- and shows more horses and buggies than cars!
Pike Place Market circa 1911 (Photo courtesy of the University of Washington). Salmon were abundant then and the water less polluted. She was born before TV and not long after the first flight by the Wright brothers. Before scuba tanks or sonar, antibiotics or bandaids, and even before sliced bread!

It is remarkable that she has led her family and navigated so much change, and we can only hope that the Orcas have enough resilience to withstand the current dismal salmon situation. Our resident Orca pods were seen off California periodically this winter, which prompted me to ask Ken if he thought the whales would permanently move out of our area. He replied that they will probably stay here, but that they will have to go where they can find fish or starve.

So - you might want to take advantage of this great weather we're having and take a trip up to look for our venerable matriarch, she was spotted last Wednesday right off shore at San Juan Island. There is a shuttle you can catch when you disembark from the ferry in Friday Harbor that will take you to the whale watching park, so you can leave your car at the ferry terminal in Anacortes and walk on. It is a fun and easy day trip even if the whales don't show up (but be sure to check schedules and bring munchies and sunscreen, you may wind up staying longer than you planned!).

Although the Center for Whale Research is not involved with public tours you can check our links page for other recommendations. Lisa Moorby has redesigned our website, it is very user friendly and helpful, plus she has selected beautiful photos of the whales to enjoy.

A century old whale is something to see, and who knows, you may even see her with the new calf, her great-grandson J45!

Photograph by Ken Balcomb, Senior Scientist, Center for Whale Research

- Candace Calloway Whiting
Volunteer, Center for Whale Research at Friday Harbor

The Largest Dolphin

2009-05-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelley Balcomb-Bartok. The new young calf surfaces between K14 (background, born 1977) and her second offspring K36 (foreground, born 2003). K14's oldest offspring, K26 (male, born 1993) was also playful and tactile with the new calf.

Are Killer Whales true whales?
Yes - and no.
Killer Whales are actually dolphins. Very, very large dolphins...but technically speaking, they are dolphins. The nomenclature can get confusing and may seem counter-intuitive, and like Alice in Wonderland's experience when she tumbled down the rabbit hole, you might get a little dizzy trying to sort it out.
Biologists and taxonomists are meticulous and logical in the definitions, but most of us want simpler distinctions and to that end you might hear things like 'all dolphins are whales, but not all whales are dolphins' or 'anything over nine feet long is a whale'.
Throw porpoises into the mix, and you'll hear that 'if it has a beak, it is a dolphin, if it doesn't it is a porpoise'-- except not all dolphins have "beaks". So where do the Killer Whales fit?
Here is the simple answer: essentially, the Killer Whale has more in common with even the tiny Hector's Dolphin than it does with other whales such as the similarly sized Pygmy Right Whale. So they are considered dolphins - but because they are large cetaceans, we refer to them as whales.
It has taken over thirty years of careful research to dispel the myths that surround these alarmingly named animals. Given the unfortunate and potentially frightening moniker of 'Killer Whale', they have had a lot to overcome in the public eye, and it helps that the research shows that they are intelligent animals that remain with their families for life.
But that doesn't mean that Killer Whales are giant black and white versions of Flipper either. They are less friendly to us than Bottlenose Dolphins, and are unlikely to come to your aid if you are drowning (and if they did you would probably die of a heart attack instead of drowning!), or to save you from sharks as other dolphin species are reputed to do. Even though the whales don't harm us intentionally, it is easy to get into trouble in the marine environment, and any animal will take measures to defend itself when it feels threatened. Just the backwash of their hasty retreat in trying to avoid us could send a diver tumbling.
Our local Killer Whales deserve our respect, but not our fear or hatred. Call them what you will, they are remarkable and somewhat mysterious animals that increasingly require protection from us.
http://blog.seattlepi.com/candacewhiting/archives/168878.asp

- Candace Calloway Whiting
Volunteer, Center for Whale Research at Friday Harbor
http://blog.seattlepi.com/candacewhiting/bio.asp#bio151177

Our Iconic Killer Whales

2009-05-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

Photo by Astrid Van Ginneken.
J40 catches a salmon off False Bay.

When tourists visit our region, it doesn't take them long to notice that our local Killer Whales are important to us. Whale images adorn everything from thimbles to sides of buildings, and figure prominently in local indigenous culture. We keep hopeful eyes out for them on our ferry crossings and go on whale watching excursions. The Killer Whales may be wild, but they swim and live along side of us, we boat and kayak in their habitat and hope that they will grace us with their presence. Those of us who live in the region love our local whales, and we love that they are unique to this area.
Many of our visitors, though, are familiar with orcas only from marine parks or from televised nature shows – and while there may be merits to those experiences, neither fully encompasses the range of adaptation and behavior shown by the species. The marine parks teach us how smart the killer whales are, and explain that the tricks they perform are variations of natural behavior. The nature shows tend to focus on dramatic footage of Orcas chasing, toying with, and killing seals, penguins, dolphins, big whales or their calves. Frightening stuff for most of us. But that is only part of the picture.
In contrast, our familiar resident Killer Whales just eat fish, invertebrates, and who knows, maybe the hapless sea bird or bit of kelp…but no seals, no sea lions, no dolphins or whales. And there is no record of them ever harming a human being, in spite of the treatment they have received at our hands.

http://www.whaleresearch.com/encounter_pages/2008/49.html
There are other groups of Killer Whales that visit our region that do eat seals and other marine mammals, but they tend to come and go, and our local whales do not associate with them.
It is a really important distinction – the mammal eating whales are referred to as "transients", and will have names that begin with "T". Our familiar Killer Whales, on the other hand, are "residents". They live in the Puget Sound and the surrounding inland water (called the Salish Sea) during the spring and summer months, and can be seen infrequently the rest of the year. As a group they are referred to as "Southern Resident Killer Whales" (SRKW) and their individual family groups, or pods, start with the letters "J","K", or "L". (The naming system began with a Canadian researcher, Dr. Michael Bigg). Each one is given a number, according to when it was first identified.
So when you hear that J, K or L pod is around, those are the Orcas that live here. The ones that love fish and can pick out a Chinook salmon in a school of Sockeye with their eyes closed (they use sonar and can tell by the size of the fish's swim bladder!). They are the ones that swim up and down the west side of San Juan Island, in what the researchers call "The Westside Shuffle". The ones that come so close to the shore that it feels like you could reach out and touch them, the ones that love to drape kelp over their backs and tails and drag it along. The ones that poke their heads up and watch us watch them, and surface gently or spectacularly next to our boats.
Those are our Orcas, as unique to us as the "sandals and socks" guy on local ads. Entrenched in our culture, Killer Whales are icons of the Pacific Northwest, and with enough clean healthy fish to sustain them our new baby Killer Whales may chose to stay and live their lives here, joining in the Westside Shuffle, watching us watch them. Of course, not only are Killer Whales not killers, they are not whales either.

http://blog.seattlepi.com/candacewhiting/archives/168588.asp

- Candace Calloway Whiting

Volunteer, Center for Whale Research at Friday Harbor

http://blog.seattlepi.com/candacewhiting/bio.asp#bio151177

Orca Whale Mothers and Calves

2009-05-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

New calf L112 traveling with adult female L86 (CWR 2009 photo by Ken Balcomb)

New moms have all been there: Crying infants and sleep deprivation. Managing the needs of older siblings. Keeping social contacts going. Relying on family to help out. Those familiar problems are shared by Orca* whale mothers, and as it turns out, the lives of Orcas turn out to parallel ours several surprising ways.
Decades of research by Dr. Kenneth Balcomb at the Center for Whale Research (CWR) and others has unlocked some of the mystery of how the Orcas live, and the Center has been following the same individual whales for over thirty years. We thought it would be fun to kick off this blog by bringing you information on the mothers and their calves, in honor of Mother's Day, since three new babies were born this winter, and at least two of them were re- sighted earlier this week after a prolonged absence. This is exciting news, since mortality is high -- as many as 40% of the calves don't survive the first year of life.
Although scientists don't entirely know why the death rate is so high for baby whales, we do know that the environment into which they are born can be harsh. Humans swaddle our babies in blankets and crank up the thermostats to keep them warm - Orca babies on the other hand go from a cozy 97.5 degree environment to 45 - 55 degree water in seconds, temperatures that adult humans can survive for about two to four hours. A calf born in captivity will swim continuously, and scientists speculate that this is because the babies have thinner blubber and therefore need to generate body heat by moving in order to keep warm. They are also less buoyant and need to surface to breathe more often than their mothers. The CWR confirms that our local Orcas are rarely motionless, even during rest periods.
And just as our babies first babble, then begin to shape words and sentences, Orca calves need to learn to communicate with their families. Scientists at Sea World report that Orca calves can vocalize soon following birth, and characterize the sounds the babies make as "loud and high pitched, resembling screams". After about two months the babies begin to make sounds like their moms, and will continue to add to their vocal repertoire as they get older.
Research shows that mother dolphins and Orcas in captivity show a significant change in sleep pattern for weeks or months following the birth of their calves, no surprise there when you think about having to keep up with the babies! The wild Orcas may have an edge over their captive counterparts however, in that they have an extended network of family to help out, and the older siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins are all known to babysit and entertain the calves and thereby giving the mother whale a chance to feed and maybe catch a nap.
Over the coming weeks we'll follow the new baby Orcas of our local J, K and L pods, and explore the lives of our resident Killer Whales in detail, from the new calves to the old grandmother (thought to be in her late nineties). We'll bring you insight into the individuals, and explain what is known (or what the biologists are currently researching) about the population as a whole, and what problems they may be facing in the future.

- Candace Calloway Whiting
Volunteer, Center for Whale Research at Friday Harbor http://blog.seattlepi.com/candacewhiting/bio.asp#bio151177

2009-05-05T13:33:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Center for Whale Research's new blog. We are just getting started so please check back again.

About the Center for Whale Research:
In 1976, "Orca Survey" was launched as a census to determine the status of the Southern Resident Killer Whales. Orca Survey is a long-term photo-identification study of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the San Juan Island area of the Pacific Northwest. It was initiated by Principal Investigator Ken Balcomb in 1976 (under contract to the National Marine Fisheries Service) to ascertain the size of the population of Killer whales in the Greater Puget Sound environs of Washington State. For over three decades, the Center for Whale Research (CWR) has been conducting annual photo-identification studies of the Southern Resident Killer whale (SRKW) population that frequent the inland waters of Washington State and lower British Columbia.These studies have provided unprecedented baseline information on population dynamics and demography, social structure, and individual life histories.

This detailed understanding of population status and trends has supported management decisions in both Canada and the United States. Most recently, data derived from CWR’s long-term studies have been used to support listing decisions in the U.S. under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, and in Canada under the Species At Risk Act, with SRKWs now listed as Endangered in both countries.CWR researchers have pioneered the development of innovative research techniques for the study of free-ranging cetaceans.