NOTES FROM THE FIELD 2000, 2001 & 2002 SEASONS
If you've never been out with us, this is a great way to learn about the animals you may see on one of our trips. If you have been out with us in the past, you can keep up to date on the orca whale pods and the other animals you may have seen with us. Thanks for dropping by! - Tom Averna.
HEALTH RISK:High toxin levels found in whale meat
Along with PCBs, the health ministry says 10% of whale meat is mislabeled. Chances are, next time you eat whale meat it is loaded with toxins.
The health ministry studied several varieties of whale meat and found many samples contain unacceptable levels of toxic chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and methyl mercury. The poisonous substances were mostly detected in fat and muscle samples from five Baird's beaked whales captured off the northern Sanriku region and in the Sea of Okhotsk.
The ministry's research group detected PCB levels of between 5 and 11 parts per million (ppm) in the fat of five Baird's beaked whales and methyl mercury levels of between 0.37 and 1.3 ppm in the whales' muscles. Health ministry standards set in 1972-73 state a provisional limit of 0.5 ppm for PCBs and 0.3 ppm for methyl mercury in seafood. Levels of PCBs and methyl mercury in fat and muscle samples from minke whales caught in the Antarctic Ocean-which constitute the bulk of whale meat on the market-were within the standards, however. "People are unlikely to eat whale meat every day, so there is little reason for concern,'' a ministry official said. "Some caution is called for, however, because the levels are high in some types of whale.''
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare researchers tested levels of PCBs and methyl mercury in the muscles, fat and internal organs of seven types of whale whose capture is permitted under international law and those captured for research purposes. The survey also found about 10 percent of whale meat on the market is mislabeled. In some cases, meat from Baird's beaked whale was labeled as that from minke whale. Health ministry officials will join hands with the fisheries agency to order the industry to label whale products correctly.
(IHT/Asahi:January 18,2003)
AFP
Jan. 17 - Iceland's Prime Minister David Oddsson said Friday that his country would follow Japan in launching controversial "research whaling" to make the best use of marine resources. Oddsson, who arrived here last Monday on a week-long visit, made the remarks when he met with his Japanese counterpart Junichiro Koizumi, according to an official Japanese briefing. Koizumi told Oddsson that "emotional debates" prevailed at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) with regard to Japan's "research whaling," according to a Japanese official.
Japan stopped commercial whaling in line with a 1986 IWC moratorium but has been hunting whales since 1987 for what it calls research purposes to gather scientific data to back its claims that whale populations are robust. But ecologists worldwide, including the environmental watchdog Greenpeace, have condemned the research program as a disguise to continue whaling in defiance of the moratorium. "Japan has always said that scientific research is necessary but emotional debates prevail (at the IWC)," Koizumi was quoted by the official as saying. Oddsson replied that it is necessary to "effectively utilize marine resources through scientific methods," the official said. Oddsson added that Iceland "wants to undertake research whaling in a scientific manner," according to the official.
Iceland withdrew from the IWC in 1992 but it was readmitted to the commission last October. The country is reportedly aiming to start hunting whales for commercial purposes, possibly in 2006. In November, a five-vessel Japanese whaling fleet set out on a six-month expedition to the Antarctic Ocean to hunt up to 440 minke whales on the country's latest research whaling mission. At a convention in the Japanese city of Shimonoseki in May last year, the IWC upheld the moratorium with support from such major maritime nations as the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Keiko Could Return to the Wild in February
AFP
Jan. 16 - Keiko, the killer whale star of the "Free Willy" movies, could make his final break with humans and return to the wild in February, his chief handler said. "We're hoping that the herring will come as usual to spawn on the Norwegian coast at the end of February because they are usually followed by the killer whales who eat them," handler Colin Baird told AFP. "Keiko will be presented with a choice - either he follows the other killer whales or he stays," he said.
After spending 22 years in captivity, Keiko was transferred from the United States to Iceland in 1998 to begin a program to help him readapt to life in the wild. When he was released in Iceland, the orca swam 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) and settled in a fjord in Norway - paradoxically the only country in the world that defies an international ban on commercial whaling. Debate raged after his arrival in Norway, with fish farmers arguing he was scaring their salmon to death while the tourism industry saw his presence as a boon. Yet others said Keiko's re-adaptation to life in the wild would be jeopardized by the large number of tourists visiting the fjord.
Some Norwegian experts have suggested Keiko will never be able to re-adapt to the wild despite a four-year program that has cost around $20 million and have said he should either be returned to captivity or killed. Keiko has remained largely dependent on his team of "guardian angels", who follow his every move in the wild and often feed him the 110 pounds (50 kilograms) of fish that he requires each day.
"We don't know what he is going to do. He has certainly surprised us a lot along the way, including when he decided to cross the Atlantic Ocean feeding himself on his own," Baird said.
New whale species found
Genetic analysis shows animals found on California beaches are a distinct family
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
VERNON, Calif. -- Scientists have discovered a new species of whale, a startling find made through DNA analysis of a handful of the marine mammals that washed ashore over the past three decades. The 13-foot beaked whales were previously lumped together with another species of the same family found in Australia and New Zealand.
But genetic analysis of the five known specimens of the whale, all found in California, indicate they represent a species distinct from their southern Pacific cousins, despite being similar in appearance.
"Even off the coast of California, where we thought we knew everything, we're discovering new species," said John Heyning, deputy director of research and collections at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, where remains of several of the newly named beached whales are housed.
A report detailing the discovery will be published in July in the journal Marine Mammal Science. Scientists said the find is humbling. "It's clear that even for whales, these large animals everyone loves, there's a lot we don't know," said Merel Dalebout of the University of Auckland in New Zealand, and a co-author of the upcoming report.
Opportunistic study
The discovery underscores the opportunistic nature of the study of cetaceans, an order that includes dolphins, porpoises and whales.Often the only examples of such mammals available for study are those that are stranded, wash ashore dead or are captured commercially. Scientists based the last identification of a new species of beaked whale, in 1991, in part on specimens found for sale in a fish market in Peru.
"It's catch as catch can. You have to be prepared to go out and get whatever Mother Nature happens to dish up," said study co-author James Mead, curator of marine mammals at the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
Beaked whales, whose name reflects their pointy snouts, are among the least-studied of all mammals, thanks in part to their elusive nature. They live in deep water, where they dive to great depths in pursuit of squid and other prey.
The whales are marked by their near lack of teeth. In some species, only adult males have teeth, and then just two, which they use as tusks to spar with one another.
Further genetic work is expected to refine the taxonomy of the beaked whale and other whale families, Dalebout said. For now, the new whale becomes the 21st species of beaked whale to be described scientifically.
As we get closer to 2003, I wanted to update all of you on what's been happening here.
We've gotten reports and documentation of three newborn orca whales to our resident pods, two in L pod and one in K pod. As of the last report all newborns are doing well. J pod has been seen routinely in Puget Sound apparently feeding on the chum salmon run there. K and L pod were also sighted in Puget Sound as late as the beginning of December, feeding on the same Fall Puget Sound salmon run no doubt.
The new births are a positive sign for the resident pods, but this winter season is another El Nino which severely disrupted the normal eco-system here in 1998 to 2000. Severe El Ninos can cause salmon to lose their way back to their spawning streams and rivers and once they do get there the water levels might be too low for successful spawning because Pacific Northwest El Nino winters are dryer than normal years.
However, meteorologists are forecasting a mild El Nino with a return to normal expected in early Spring.
In other news I've included an article from the Seattle Times regarding the Makah Indian gray whale hunt. This news is certainly an early Christmas present.
I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Friday, December 20, 2002
Appeals court reverses decision to allow Makah whaling to proceed
By MELANTHIA MITCHELL ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER SEATTLE --
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that the Makah Tribe could not resume gray whale hunts, siding in favor of whaling opponents who argued that a federal assessment of the hunt was arbitrary. NOTE: This story has been updated since it was originally posted. The ruling by a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco orders the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Marine Fisheries Service to prepare a full environmental impact statement. The statement would be a more exhaustive review of the hunts' effect than the much shorter environmental assessment. The appeals panel said the Commerce Department agencies failed to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act when their assessment determined there was no significant impact. "Having reviewed the environmental assessment prepared by the government agencies and the administrative record, we conclude that there are substantial questions remaining as to whether the tribe's whaling plans will have a significant effect on the environment," said Judge Marsha S. Berzon, writing for the panel. The court also said the whale hunts violate the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which requires that any marine mammal whose numbers have fallen 60 percent be designated as depleted. The threshold for protection under the MMPA is less than that required for listing as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, which has stricter requirements for species protection. This is the second time an environmental assessment by the fisheries service has been rejected by the appeals court. In 1999, a circuit panel found the agency violated the environmental policy act when it approved a hunt-management plan before completing its study of the hunt's impact. "Clearly, we're disappointed," said NMFS spokesman Brian Gorman in Seattle, adding that the agency would likely follow through with the court's order. The agencies have 90 days to file an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court. The tribe's lawyer, John Arum, said he had not completed reading the court's opinion and could not immediately comment on the decision. Calls to Makah tribal Chairman Nathan Tyler were not immediately returned. Friday's decision was especially important for animal welfare groups who had appealed an August ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Franklin D. Burgess in Tacoma that they failed to prove the agencies' assessment of the hunts' impacts was arbitrary or capricious. "We are extremely excited about the courts decision," said Michael Markarian, president of the Fund for Animals. "This is the second time the court has told the U.S. government that they failed to prepare an adequate environmental study of the Makah whale hunt." The lawsuit filed by the New York-based Fund for Animals, the Washington, D.C.-based Humane Society of the United States and others contends that Makah whaling would endanger public safety. It also contends whaling would harm resident gray whales -- those which linger in Washington's Strait of Juan de Fuca while the bulk of the population migrates between Alaska and Mexico. Makah whaling rights are guaranteed by their 1855 treaty. After a seven-decade break, the triben at the tip of Washington's Olympic Peninsula moved to resume whaling after gray whales were removed from the Endangered Species List in 1994. Tribal whalers have killed one whale, in May 1999. In May, the International Whaling Commission authorized the tribe to continue whaling, allowing a take of up to four gray whales annually for five years.
On the Net:
National Marine Fisheries Service: www.nwr.noaa.gov
GOOD NEWS!!
Another newborn orca in L- pod. I've attached a news item from the Whale Museum for you to look at. Let's hope we hear of more new additions over this coming winter season. We'll post more information as it comes in.
The Whale Museum News & Events
Updated: October 23, 2002
Luna's mom has a new calf!
The Center for Whale Research reported yesterday that a new calf has been born to L-67 (also known as Splash in the Museum's Orca Adoption Program). Eighteen-year-old L-67 is also the mother of three-year-old L-98, or Luna, who has been living alone in British Columbia for about a year. (See previous updates of our News & Events.)
The new calf has been given the appellation of L-101 and is identifiable by an open saddle patch on the left side. Gender has not been determined.
L-101 won't be named or available in the Orca Adoption Program for a year, as the mortality rate for orca babies is high.
This brings the current number of Southern Resident orcas to 82, when Luna is added to the count.
To see a photo of L-101 by the Center for Whale Research, go to Orca Network and scroll down to the middle of the page.
Yesterday (Tuesday, 15 October) off of Saltspring Island, three transient orca whales attacked and killed a minke whale. The orca did not totally consume the the minke after they killed it, most of the carcass washed ashore.
This is the first known attack within the islands. For the most part minke whales and the orca have been frequenting these waters every summer without incident until yesterday. The three transient orca were part of T-pod. These whales are commonly seen in the area mainly feeding on harbor seals and porpoises throughout the year. In Alaskan waters and in other parts of the world, transients will take down humpbacks and other large whales so I guess we shouldn't be too surprised.
As I gain more information I will pass it on. This is another interesting event to a very interesting season.
As some of you might have heard, Kieko the orca, the star of the Free Willy movies was released from his sea pen in Iceland only to wind up in Norway where he has taken up residence near a small fishing community. He has settled in, letting school children ride on him and interact with humans in other ways.
The following are some stories on the latest news of Keiko and his near future.
http://www.orcanetwork.org/news/keikoforum.html#berman
Aquarium in Florida wants Keiko in captivity
September 21, 2002 (Seattle Times)
A curious new notion is crossing the ocean: De-free Willy! A Florida aquarium has applied to federal marine officials for permission to bring Keiko, star of the movie "Free Willy," back to the United States, presumably for public display. The move comes after the orca, subject of a massive and costly effort to reintroduce him to the wild, swam 900 miles from an Iceland pen to Norway, where he mugged for handouts and human attention. Susan Berta of the Free Lolita Campaign said Keiko's interaction with people in Norway's Skaalvik Fjord is "just a setback." The trip itself, she said, "is a huge success and a huge step forward, and that has the marine-park industry shaking in its boots." Certainly the Seaquarium faces several bureaucratic and political challenges before Keiko swims with Lolita. For now, Norway has jurisdiction over the animal and aims to keep it that way. Moreover, the Norwegian people have grown attached to Keiko, he said. And while Norway allows the hunting of certain whales, "Norwegian policy is that whales should not be kept in aquariums."
The orca's keepers decry a plan to turn him into a park attraction
September 21, 2002 (Portland Oregonian)
Ken Balcomb, a whale researcher from Washington's San Juan Islands who was instrumental in early negotiations to free Keiko from Mexico, turned his attention to Lolita in 1995. With help from his brother Howard Garrett, former Gov. Mike Lowry and then-Secretary of State Ralph Munro, Balcomb started what is now an international movement that calls for the Seaquarium to free Lolita. Lolita long has been considered a better candidate for release than Keiko, because her family -- the L pod -- is well-known to Washington marine mammal specialists. L pod orcas frequently ply the waters around the Sound and San Juan Islands. Keiko's family group, by contrast, is unknown. Orcas often remain with the same pod their entire lives, and they count on one another to survive. "Putting Keiko in the Miami Seaquarium would be like returning him back to the conditions he was rescued from in Mexico," said Susan Berta of the Orca Network in Greenbank, Wash. "It's bad enough to have one whale in there." Three or four times a year, the Orca Network stages demonstrations outside the Seaquarium, pleading for Lolita's release.
September 14, 2002
September is the best month for being on the water and being surprised by what we see. On Wednesday about 100 orca whales showed up near Cattle Pass and out in the Straits. These whales are known as offshore orca. They very rarely come into the islands and have been seen only a number of times. The offshores roam the ocean around the Queen Charlotte Islands and along the coast. There were lots of males and about six or seven little ones. In fact, the last time I saw these whales was about eight years ago and they only came as far in as Victoria then turning around and heading back out to sea. The offshores came in most likely following a return of silver salmon. They were definitely feeding when I was there. Seeing so many of them was a real thrill.
The offshores have been up in the Sannich Inlet and are now up in the Gulf Islands. How long they'll be around is anyone's guess. I would think not too much longer. I would love to be there if and when the offshores met up with the residents. There is some speculation that the residents might breed with the offshores but at this point it's only speculation. In any case it's great to have over 200 orca in the area at once, if only for a short while.
Last week there were some transient orca here as well. We see more transients in September/October here looking for young harbor seal pups that have been recently weaned. I heard the residents and transients met up with each other and it wasn't a very happy meeting. The residents were very nervous about the encounter and appeared distressed. There have been cases of transient orca killing other orca whales. Perhaps the residents were protecting themselves with this behavior.
September 5, 2002
Today's whale watch trip was full of surprises. Not only did we have the pleasure of being with J, K and L pod in beautiful sunny calm weather, we also had a full size humpback whale. The humpback was right in the middle of the orca whales which made it even more incredible. The humpback was quite majestic, spouting a spray twenty feet into the air. The orca didn't seem to pay any attention to the humpback. However, if the orca were transients the humpback might have been a meal. Very interesting behavior. What a place we live in!
In my 14 years in business guiding trips I have never seen humpback whale up as far as Stuart Island. A very special day!!
August 9, 2002
TACOMA, Wash. Aug. 9 - A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a challenge by animal welfare groups to the Makah Indian whale hunts, clearing the way for the gray whale hunts to resume
U.S. District Judge Franklin Burgess said the whale hunt opponents failed to prove that federal agencies' assessment of the hunts' impact was arbitrary or capricious.
"The ruling is a pretty important victory," said John Arum, lawyer for the tribe. "It likely means the litigation over Makah whaling is at an end."
The lawsuit was brought by the New York-based Fund for Animals, Humane Society of the United States, and others against the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Marine Fisheries Service.
See the full story at: http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20020809_45.html
July 9, 2002
Our friends at Project SeaWolf sent us the following information of the
orphan whale, Springer, A-73.
ORCA WHALE CALF BEING RETURNED TO BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
73 Getting Her Visa: 'Springer' Scheduled to Return Home This Friday
Stanley Park, Vancouver B.C. -
The Vancouver Aquarium and the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announced today that Springer, the orphaned A-pod orca whale calf, will be returned to British Columbia this Friday, July 12, 2002. Springer (also known as A-73) is currently in a net pen near Manchester Pier in western Washington's Puget Sound.
"Springer will be brought home aboard a 144-foot powered catamaran, procured as a donation for this effort by Project SeaWolf," says Bob McLaughlin, board member with the environmental advocacy group. "This specialized vessel, which is perfect for getting Springer back into
Canadian waters quickly and safely, is being loaned to this project by the Nichols brothers of Freeland, Washington."
"Getting Springer back to her home waters quickly is crucial to the overall success of this venture," adds Michael Kundu, Director of Project SeaWolf. "This entire effort is a vital, unprecedented learning process about whether we can effectively rehabilitate and reunite lost or
estranged orcas with their birth-pods. We think we can, and we're now genuinely pleased to see the Canadians moving quickly and decisively on the recommendations made by the team of expert whale handlers, veterinarians and researchers assembled to conduct this rescue operation."
Since January 2002, when Springer was first sighted near Seattle, Washington, SeaWolf boardmembers Bob McLaughlin and Robert Wood have collected regular recorded data, and provided researchers and rescue team members with the use of our vessel observation platforms, to monitor
the status of this whale. "It was vital that we accumulate rigourous scientific data about this strange event, and also to show that projects such as this rescue operation can be conducted at minimal expense to taxpayers," adds McLaughlin. "Our group has successfully managed to provide, or procure, many donations for this project, and we're eager to show that projects such as these are best managed when public,
non-profit and government entities cooperate together."
After arriving in the Johnston Strait this weekend, it is expected that Springer will be placed in an enclosed bay near Telegraph Cove, British Columbia, until members of her family pod arrive in the area, at which time the sea pen will be opened for her to reunite with those pods. Project SeaWolf is an all-volunteer, non-profit marine wildlife advocacy group based in Marysville, WA. The group's website is at www.projectseawolf.com.
Project SeaWolf
P.O. Box 929
Marysville, WA 98270
July 1, 2002
In a press release dated June 25, the People For Puget Sound report the following:
News Release
People For Puget Sound
For Immediate Release - June 25, 2002
Contact: Kathy Fletcher, 206-382-7007 (office) / 206-817-6664 (cel)
Stacey Jurgensen, 206-382-7007 (office) / 425-269-9512 (cel)
Orca whales left without Endangered Species Act protection in shocking decision by National Marine Fisheries Service.
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced today it will not list southern resident orca whales as either threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), despite the whales’ population decline from 98 to 79 in the past six years, the salmon they feed on becoming scarce, and their fat found to be containing high levels of toxins.
“This decision is shocking,” said Kathy Fletcher, executive director of People For Puget Sound. “The southern resident orcas are a distinct population of whales whose numbers have been declining for the past six years. If these whales don’t qualify as endangered I don’t know what does. It is disappointing the National Marine Fisheries Service doesn’t want to use every tool they have to recover these precious whales.”
People For Puget Sound is one of a coalition of environmental groups led by the Center for Biological Diversity, who petitioned for the southern resident orcas to be listed under the ESA.
Ironically, less than two weeks ago, NMFS coordinated a dramatic effort to rescue Springer, an orphan orca whale living off the shore of Vashon Island. Yet the agency has decided against putting in place federal protection, under the ESA, for the southern resident orca whales who spend their summers in northern Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands. The Canadian government has already listed northern resident orca whales, which summer off the coast of Vancouver Island, as a threatened species.
The National Marine Fisheries Service decided not to list the southern resident orca whales under the ESA based on a technicality, and they admitted today their experts were divided as to whether or not the southern residents are a distinct population segment.
Instead of listing the southern residents under the Endangered Species Act, NMFS cited the Marine Mammal Protection Act as the tool it will use to protect the whales. However, this act is will not afford the same level of protection as would have the Endangered Species Act.
Listing the southern residents under the ESA would have protected them from a wide variety of activities that could harm them, including the discharge of toxic chemicals into Puget Sound. However, without this protection the orcas’ future is uncertain.
June 20, 2002
Whale sightings have been excellent. Yesterday we were with all of L pod in Cordova Bay near Victoria. L pod has about 45 whales. L-54, Eno, a 26 year old female had a newborn over the winter. We spotted the little one right off travelling next to mom. That makes three new ones this year, one in each pod, J, K and L. All of the newborns seem to be doing well. We have had daily sightings since early May. If only the weather could be as consistent as the whale sightings.
I have noticed a dramatic decline in the number of boats with the whales this year. There doesn't seem to be any pleasure boats out there yet and the whale watch boats are not as plentiful either. One reason for this might be that the sightings have been all over the islands with the presence of all three pods around most of this past month, spreading out the whale watch boats. J pod is still doing their around San Juan County jaunt. They are becoming almost predictable. K pod is spending most of their time on the south portion of San Juan Island feeding on the apparent plentiful small salmon there. Every three of four days the K's take off around the county with the J's. L pod has come and gone the most from out west. Yesterday was the first time in a year I saw all of L pod together. We've been seeing sub pods from L most of the time, not all of the L's together like we saw yesterday. Anyhow, it's been great so far.
June 1, 2002
So far this spring we have seen whales on every trip since early May. J pod has been doing their usual around the San Juan Islands route every 24 hours or so. Last week K and L pod came back as well, and right on time. This is the third year in a row that K and L pod have returned on or about May 25th. When we received word that they were on their way east in the Juan De Fuca Straits, heading for the San Juan Islands, we were with J pod. Suddenly all of the J's high tailed it west toward K and L pods. I had a hard time keeping up with them at full power so I decided to not even try. As I slowed down so did the J's. They came to a stop, moved together abreast of each other and slowly headed west. Then I could see K and L pod also in the same positions moving east toward the J's. When they came together there wasn't any breaching or tail slapping, just a peaceful reunion of old friends and extended families. When together they all drifted in the formidable tidal currents next to one another intermingled to the point that I couldn't ID any one of them. A subdued greeting ceremony took place as we watched. This behavior (greeting ceremony) is not very common and we all felt fortunate to be at the right place at the right time.
Since then J pod has still been doing the around San Juan Islands route every 24 hours or so, sometimes taking K pod with them. K pod has been mainly on the south end of San Juan Island around Salmon Bank, apparently feeding on what appears to be numerous salmon in the area. L pod has come and gone a few times already. They haven't been staying around the islands for very long. Their behavior patterns are what appears to be normal compared to the last few years. As far as I know all of the orca whales from the three pods are present and accounted for, except L-60, Rascal. She was found washed up on a beach off the Washington coast a few months ago. Researchers thought it was an offshore orca but a later examination positively identified her. The cause of death has not been determined.
'Dead orca is a 'red alert''
'Very high level of PCBs in whale raises alarms'
Tuesday, May 7, 2002
By ROBERT McCLURE mailto:robertmcclure@seattlepi.com
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
The orca found dead on the Olympic Peninsula earlier this year carried a level of contaminants that was among the highest -- if not the highest -- ever measured in killer whales, laboratory tests show.
The 22-foot-long female orca was so full of polychlorinated biphenyls that when scientists first attempted to test her fat, the result was too high for the machines to read it.
"She basically knocked our instruments off," Gina Ylitalo, a researcher for the National Marine Fisheries Service, told fellow scientists at a recent seminar. "We had no idea we'd see these levels."
The PCB level found in the orca is dozens of times higher than concentrations known to affect the growth, reproduction and immune system of another marine mammal, the harbor seal.
Although the toxic chemical's effect on orcas isn't as well-known, researchers believe orcas are affected in much the same way.
The super-high reading on the Dungeness Spit whale surprised even scientists who have tracked orcas for years and were well aware of their PCB burdens. It also adds new urgency to old questions about pollution of the oceans and bays of the West Coast, including Puget Sound.
What killed the orca remains a mystery. There were no obvious signs of disease.
The orca had been seen by scientists only once before, in September 1996, about 10 miles off the coast of Coos Bay, Ore.
The initial test had to be aborted because of the staggering PCB levels. Scientists recalibrated the machine so it could read a higher concentration.
A second test using another method produced a similar result.
The results Ylitalo reported at last week's seminar have yet to be written up and forwarded to the fisheries service's higher-ups.
Once that happens, they will be incorporated into a full report on the orca's death, said Brent Norberg, the fisheries service's marine mammal
coordinator.
PCBs were used widely across North America as coolants and lubricants for electrical equipment and in other industrial uses until they were banned in 1977. Because they persist a long time in the environment without breaking down, PCBs have been spread extremely far -- even to remote Arctic locations rarely visited by people.
The levels being discovered in animals here are worrisome, researchers say.
"We're trying to figure out where these darn PCBs are coming from," said Peter Ross, a marine mammal toxicologist with the Canadian government's Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sidney, B.C. "Puget Sound is a PCB hot spot in the regional environment."
PCBs dumped in Puget Sound years ago appear to continue to enter the food chain, Ross said. This may help explain why populations of harbor seals in the region have not rebounded as quickly as those along the Pacific Coast and in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
In orcas, studies have shown that adult females may transfer up to 90 percent of their PCBs and other contaminants, such as DDT, to their
first-born calf.
Babies are hit with toxins in the womb and in their mothers' milk just as their organs are developing. Some of these chemicals mimic estrogen, a human hormone, and at high levels are likely to be wreaking havoc with the female orcas' reproductive cycles as well as young orcas' development, researchers believe.
"It's very poignant," said researcher Ross.
It is unclear whether the dead orca found in January at Dungeness Spit ever had a calf.
"She's really kind of odd. We wouldn't expect a reproductive female to have a level that high, but with levels that high, we wonder if she was able to reproduce," said Ylitalo, the fisheries service researcher.
PCBs weren't the only contaminants measured in the orca, said John Stein, director of the Environmental Conservation Division of the fisheries service's Northwest Fisheries Science Center.
"This animal had contaminants we did not expect," Stein said, including some related to pesticides.
Orcas pick up contaminants primarily through the food they eat. The contaminants start out at the bottom of the food chain in microscopic plants and animals that are eaten by larger animals.
The Dungeness Spit whale was a "transient" -- ranging up and down the coast, eating seals, porpoises and other marine mammals. By contrast, the "resident" killer whales that return each year to Puget Sound and the waters around Vancouver Island primarily eat fish.
If you're an orca, "it doesn't really matter how close you are to agriculture or industry or polluted areas," Ross said, "it's a question of
what you eat."
PCBs and some other toxins accumulate at higher levels in transient orcas because they eat prey that is higher up the food chain than the resident whales.
An orca can eat up to one-twentieth of its body weight in prey each day, meaning it eats the equivalent of its own body weight every 20 to 30 days, Ross said.
Ylitalo told scientists at the seminar that the PCB level in the Dungeness Spit orca was about 1,000 parts PCB per million parts of fat.
By contrast, the amounts reported by Ross two years ago in the most comprehensive study to date showed that female transient orcas averaged 58 parts per million. Males averaged 251 parts per million, or roughly one-quarter of the level found in the Dungeness Spit orca.
Ross' study used a pneumatic dart with a stainless-steel tip to take samples of fat from orcas that swim in the coastal waters around Washington and British Columbia. That study placed PCBs levels in local orcas among the highest measured in marine mammals anywhere in the world.
Marine-mammal researcher John Calambokidis of the Cascadia Research Collective said he is eager to read the fisheries service's upcoming official report on the tests.
Assuming the PCB concentrations Ylitalo reported are correct, he said, "It represents a level that I wouldn't say is off the scale for killer whales, because some very high levels have been measured in the past, but it does seem to represent the upper end."
Calambokidis said 1,000 parts per million would rank among the highest PCB levels measured in orcas and could turn out to be the highest.
It's possible that killer whales tested several decades ago might have registered a higher level, Ross said. But making such a comparison is
problematic because contaminant-analysis methods have changed, he said.
One curious aspect of the Dungeness Spit orca is that, unlike most marine mammals that die and are tested for contamination, its body showed signs of a healthy diet. Most marine mammals that are found dead appear emaciated.
That indicates those animals had been burning blubber to stay alive. When they do this, most of the contaminants remain behind, meaning that by the time they die there is a higher proportion of contaminants to the fat remaining.
The Dungeness Spit orca, though, was fat. It had recently eaten three harbor seals. And yet it still had a very high PCB level.
Norberg, the fisheries service marine mammal coordinator, said the high PCB level found in the orca might not be indicative of body burdens of transient orcas in general. "You're dealing with an orca that is dead on the beach, and a lot of folks argue that that's not representative of those that are out swimming around," Norberg said.
Orca advocate Fred Felleman, who attended the seminar last week where the PCB readings were discussed, said efforts should be redoubled to find out where the PCBs came from.
"The fact that killer whales could achieve those levels eating exclusively in the ocean is a red alert that we need to take better care of the ocean," Felleman said.
P-I reporter Robert McClure can be reached at 206-448-8092 or robertmcclure@seattlepi.com
May 1, 2002
This has been a wonderful April in the islands with lots of marine wildlife to see. The Steller Sea lions have not disappointed us so far, howeverthere are not as many around Spieden Island as last year. They are truly magnificent animals with their shiny golden color and huge size. As May rolls around we will start saying goodbye to them until next spring.
April was also a great month to see bald eagles. On a typical trip we count upwards of 20 eagles! As some of these raptors migrate through the area they tend to congregate near Spieden Island and mix it up with the resident eagles. It seems the resident eagles tolerate the migrating eagles with only an occasional aerial battle seen. Right now the resident eagles are nesting. We found a nest plainly visible from the water that is active.
The Dall's porpoise activity has been fantastic. They have been bow riding with us constantly. Maybe it's because there are times when we are the only boat out and they like to make contact. Even when we shut down the engine and drift the Dall's come over and circle the boat.
Orcas have been seen a few April trips. In April we had a large congregation of transient orcas, upwards of 30 whales all together by Saltspring Island. That's the first I've ever heard of such a large group of transients together. We even spotted offshore orcas in the Juan DeFuca Strait which is very rare as well. J pod has been making their appearance occasionally. We have had J-17 Princess Angelique and her two offspring feeding and travelling by themselves for about two weeks. As May rolls around we should start seeing J pod frequently again.
'Dead whale apparently a member of offshore pod'
'Injuries indicate that female died at sea; new orca calf likely was ready to wean'
Wednesday, April 17, 2002
By ROBERT McCLURE mailto:robertmcclure@seattlepi.com
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
The battered 4-ton corpse of an orca hauled off a southwest Washington beach yesterday appears to come from a mysterious group of killer whales that usually stay well offshore -- a find that has piqued the interest of orca activists and researchers.
The orca appears to have died before washing ashore near Long Beach, said Ken Balcomb, senior scientist at the Center for Whale Research at Friday Harbor. The orca, about 20 feet long, had internal bruising around its head and underside. "It died a traumatic death of some kind, but we don't know yet what caused it," said Balcomb, who attended a necropsy -- an animal autopsy -- of the creature performed at Fort Stevens State Park near Astoria, Ore.
"There was not anything like bullet wounds or net marks or anything like that. It was dead when it got to the beach," he said.
Scientists could tell the orca had recently been raising a calf, because she was lactating. But she appeared near the end of lactation, Balcomb said. "Whatever calf she had was probably almost weaned," he said.
Witnesses said a would-be collector tried to hammer out a half-dozen of the orca's teeth, succeeding only in shattering them in place. He was reportedly arrested, but efforts to reach a National Marine Fisheries Service enforcement officer late yesterday to confirm the arrest were unsuccessful. The pounding on the teeth occurred well after the trauma that was apparently involved in the orca's death, Balcomb said.
The dead whale likely belonged to a group of orcas that usually are found 30 to 40 miles offshore.There are three other groups of orcas that sometimes are found in Pacific Northwest waters: transients, which range up and down the coast, but generally closer in than the "offshores;" the so-called "southern residents" that are often seen around the San Juan Islands from about now until the fall; and the "northern residents" that show up around northern Vancouver Island about June.
Each whale has a distinctive individual pattern of black-and-white markings, something like a human fingerprint.Balcomb and colleagues have carefully cataloged the northern and southern resident orcas as well as the transients. This was clearly not a transient whale or a southern resident. There is a small chance it could be a northern resident, Balcomb said. Genetic tests will tell for sure.
The offshore whales had been spotted near the Washington coast in recent weeks, adding to the likelihood that this is an offshore whale, Balcomb said. "That would be the deduction," he said. Word that it probably is from the offshore group excited orca specialists. "The thing about the offshores is we know the least about them," said Fred Felleman of Seattle, who studied orcas' feeding habits for his master's degree. "Offshores were really only discovered in the past few years."
Tests to be run on the dead orca will document levels of polychlorinated biphenyls and other toxins that are known to be extremely high in the southern resident orcas."It will be very good to see what the contaminant levels are in the tissues to see if they're anything like what they are in our residents," Balcomb said. The offshore whales are the most closely related genetically to the southern residents featured in whale-watching cruises around the San Juan Islands. It appears that the southern-resident whales may have split off from the offshore whales sometime after glaciers that covered the Puget Sound area in the last ice age retreated, Felleman said.But the two groups don't appear very closely linked, Balcomb said, "probably like Apaches came from Siberians."
Early yesterday, a report circulated that a dead orca calf had been discovered about seven miles up the beach from the dead lactating female. However, the second dead marine mammal turned out to be a harbor porpoise, which can look a bit like an orca calf but is very common.
P-I reporter Robert McClure can be reached at 206-448-8092 or robertmcclure@seattlepi.com
January 31, 2002
Well it seems as if this week is a busy one and a very interesting one. We are all very excited:
'Young orca found living alone off Vancouver Island'
Thursday, January 31, 2002 - 12:28 a.m. Pacific
By The Associated Press
VANCOUVER, B.C. Marine scientists are trying to help a orca-whale calf that has lost his pod and has spent the past six months in a remote inlet on Vancouver Island's west coast. The calf is about 2-1/2 years old, but he's been able to hunt for fish and is in pretty good shape, they said. Lance Barrett-Lennard, a marine-mammal scientist at the Vancouver Aquarium, said it's unusual for an orca to lose his pod. The calf follows the research boat, Barrett-Lennard said, but at a certain point, the same point every time, he will not go farther. Researchers think he is waiting in one spot, perhaps for his pod to find him. The scientists aren't saying exactly where the whale is because they don't want him disturbed.
If the team needs to help the whale leave the inlet to be reunited with his pod, he'll need to be conditioned to follow a particular boat. Barrett-Lennard said the group knows the calf's mother was still alive last summer. But an uncle he often swam with is missing.
Copyright © 2002 The Seattle Times Company
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'Two lone orcas found far from own pods'
By Christopher Dunagan
Sun Staff
Experts are astonished at finding two killer whales, including one that had been presumed dead. It's like an international student-exchange program for killer whales, but researchers are too concerned to laugh at the amazing coincidence. Luna, a 2-year-old killer whale from L-Pod, was presumed dead last summer
when the young orca turned up missing in Puget Sound, along with six other whales. But now the animal has been confirmed alive and swimming about in an isolated bay along the west coast of Vancouver Island. That would be unusual enough, since orcas almost never swim alone. But now researchers have tentatively identified another lone whale swimming about in Puget Sound. It appears to be from the "northern resident community," which almost never ventures into U.S. waters. "I think everyone agrees that this is an astounding event, which is why they are bringing an expert panel together to discuss the situation," said Kelley Balcomb-Bartok of the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor.
For now, researchers agree they should just observe the two whales, but nobody is ruling out an attempt to reunite them with their families. It is unlikely either whale could relocate their own pod without traveling a good distance.
Luna, known to scientists as L-98, is the offspring of L-67, or Splash, who is still alive. The whales belong to L-Pod, one of three groups of "southern residents" that frequent Puget Sound. Although alone, Luna appears to be eating salmon and doing OK, said Canadian whale researcher John Ford of the Pacific Biological Station in British Columbia. "This is really unusual," Ford said. "This hasn't happened since our studies began (30 years ago). We've never had an animal disappear and then come back." When killer whales turn up missing from their pods, it is almost certain that they're dead, he said. It is presumed that juveniles sometimes get separated from their mothers and simply fail to survive on their own.
One exception was "Miracle," a juvenile orca found injured and debilitated in 1977 near the Campbell River in British Columbia. A fisherman kept the whale alive until it was transported to Sealand in Victoria, where it lived for several years. Luna (L-98) is being watched regularly by Canadian researchers and enforcement officers, Ford said. The whale was officially identified in November, although sketchy reports were heard as early as July. Researchers kept the lid on the information for fear that whale-watchers might disturb the whale during its feeding. That could be critical in the fall and winter, Ford said. "We thought the best way to leave it alone was not to talk about it," he said. "We were not all that confident it was going to make a living." Ford still doesn't want to identify the bay in which the whale was found. "We thought finding L-98 was strange enough," Ford said, "but now we hear of this other whale down in your area."
The lone orca, roughly the same age as Luna, has been observed lately in Central Puget Sound between Seattle and the Kitsap Peninsula. Experts are trying to identify the whale from photographs of the "saddle patch" behind the dorsal fin, but sloughing skin has made that difficult, Ford said.
Ford's colleague, Graeme Ellis, may confirm the ID later today after looking at a fresh batch of photos taken Tuesday by Balcomb-Bartok. The lone whale in Puget Sound could be vulnerable, because nobody can be certain it is eating, Ford said. So far, experts report the animal appears relatively robust. "Right now, this is a very sensitive situation," Balcomb-Bartok said. "Both whales are away from their families, and experts in both countries are making regular observations and consulting with each other." Balcomb-Bartok urged boaters not to go out looking for either whale if they care about the animals. "None of us wants to create a stressful situation," he said.
Meanwhile, some people still talk about a young orca spotted with two adult "transient" killer whales near Dungeness Spit on the Olympic Peninsula in early January. One adult died and the other was rescued from Dungeness Bay. Nobody knows what happened to the third, lone whale. The rescued whale probably traveled south along the Oregon Coast, where a datapack attached to the animal was recently recovered. Scientists with the National Marine Fisheries Services are still examining data from the pack, but it appears the whale traveled south at 2 to 4 mph, breathing and diving in a typical pattern.
January 29, 2002
Stranded Orca's near Port Angeles
For those of you that do not get the regional Northwest news, last month a female and male orca stranded on Dungeness Spit near Port Angeles .Sadly, the female could not be saved but the male was towed off only to try and return back to the beach. Finally, the male swam away. They were a pair of transient ocra whales normally seen off of California waters. Most likely they were hunting for seals when the female became stranded along with the male. It is thought they were a mother/son pair. That week they became stranded coincided with very low tides which might have attributed to the accident.
The male was fitted with a transmitter by researchers. The following news article from the Seattle Times tells the rest of the story. There are rumors that there was also a young orca travelling with the pair that became stranded. If I hear more on that I'll let you know.
Once-trapped orca seems to be doing well The male orca trapped behind Dungeness Spit earlier this month and towed to safer waters appears to have weathered the ordeal just fine.
Joe Barton of Shelton, Mason County, was beachcombing near Ocean Shores last week and chanced upon a time-depth recording tag that had been attached to the male orca in Sequim. Data on the device showed the orca had been traveling at 2 to 3 mph, regularly diving between 50 and 80 feet, then surfacing for about a dozen breaths before diving again.
All of which suggests he was doing well.
The orca could have been headed south to join fellow transient orcas off California, scientists said. Transient orcas, or killer whales, range widely, feeding on marine mammals, while residents frequent a specific region and feed mostly on fish.
"Pretty typical of a healthy, robust, normal killer whale," said Brian Gorman, a spokesman for the National Marine Fisheries Service in Seattle.
"Hats off to everybody involved in saving that whale," said Ken Balcomb, senior scientist and executive director of the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.
"It worked."
Brad Hanson, a wildlife biologist for the fisheries service, said he plans to look more closely at the data for temperature changes that will suggest when the whale left the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The data may also show how far off the coast the orca swam, contributing to a dearth of information on transient killer whales.
"We've put tags on transients before, but we have very little data on them," Hanson said.
Scientists are still awaiting further tests on a female orca that turned up dead near where the male had been trapped Jan. 2. Early tests show some heavy-metal contamination but in amounts often found in healthy orcas, Gorman said.
The female orca's heart had old scarring but not enough to be a problem. It had eaten seals about three to five days earlier.
"This whale, both on gross inspection and close inspection, looked very normal," Gorman said. Further tests will include examining its 900-pound head, now in a freezer in Seattle.
Meanwhile, Canadian scientists have tentatively identified a young male orca seen in recent weeks off Vashon Island. John Ford, a marine-mammal scientist for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, said the orca appears to be from the northern residents that frequent the northern part of Vancouver Island.
If that supposition is correct, the whale's appearance here is unusual in two respects, said Ford: Northern residents usually don't travel this far south in Puget Sound, and resident orcas are rarely seen alone.
Some scientists had speculated that the whale, which appears to be healthy, was the third whale from an unconfirmed report of three whales seen near Sequim when the other two transients beached.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134396846_orcas29m.html
Newborn Update
November 8, 2001
In the last couple of weeks we have had two documented newborns.The mom's are, K-13, Skagit a 30 year old and mom to three other offspring, K-20, Spock, K-25, Scoter, and K-27, Deadhead. Good luck to K-13 with her new baby.
17 year old L-67, Splash is the other new mom. She had a calf in 1998, L-98, but the calf didn't survive. Best of luck to her. L-67 and K-13 have been observed with their newborns in south Puget Sound near the Seattle area.
While these newborns are a very good sign, caution is the word because of the natural high mortality rates. There appears to be a very large run of chum salmon in the south sound which hopefully is helping keep the residents fat and happy.
Mid October Update
October 25, 2001
Well the summer whale watch season is finally over. Not only are the orca whales gone, the weather has looked like winter is coming on fast. Yesterday and today it blew 60 knots in places around the islands. This weather has me checking the boats, getting the winter docklines out of storage and watching the shear power of the wind and water.
Other things happening are the remarkable amount of salmon still around. Lately there's been sport fishermen trying their luck surf casting at Cresent Beach here on Orcas Island. This is the first time I've ever seen anybody fishing there. Apparently, there's lots of salmon there. The salmon are king salmon waiting to spawn at a local hatchery in Eastsound. That's where Cresent Beach is. I keep waiting to see some of the resident orcas show up. I've seen transient orcas in Eastbound but never the residents. Perhaps with this increase in salmon here we won't have to go very far from our location at Rosario Resort.
Since the last update in August we were with the whales just about every day. Not only one pod, but most sightings were of a superpod, J, K and L pod. The mostly frequent activity has been foraging, and socializing. On one memorable trip close to the end of September Mega, L-41, was spying a salmon right next to the boat. He chased the fish and came so close, completely oblivious to us,turned upside down and did a complete U turn faster than the salmon. The salmon swam away from the boat and so did Mega.
The last whale report ( October 26th) I heard was that some orcas were down in the south Puget Sound area, a usual winter spot where there is a salmon
run during the winter months. Most likely it's J pod. They spend their winter down in the south sound, making occasional trips up through the islands to as far as the Frasier River near Vancouver BC.
Speaking of J pod. The calf born last winter/ early spring, J-37, has a name now, she is named Hy'shqa (pronounced Hysqua). Hy'shqa is from the Sammish nation meaning thank you. Hy'squa's mother is named Sammish, (J-14) which is fitting. She has one sibling, J-30 Riptide a 6 year old boy. Good luck to Sammish and her offsprings, as well the all of the other orcas in J, K and L pod. Let's hope for the best this winter season.
Beginning November 3rd, we'll be running trips from our location at Rosario Resort, every Saturday throughout the winter and early Spring, providing the weather cooperates. These trips will be guided by naturalist James Hehre and Captain Clark Tabor. Trips will focus on the winter marine residents, that frequent this area, such as Steller sea lions, harbor seals, dall porpoises, harbor seals and a wide variety of winter sea birds. And as I said, you never know about J pod being in the area. Please call us for departure times and prices. Visiting the islands during the offseason is a special experience unlike the summer months. We always look forward to being on the water seeing and learning more about the winter ecosystem around the islands.
Please check back periodically for further updates throughout the winter months.
Mid August Update
August 15, 2001
This has been a fantastic season up to now! I don't remember seeing so much salmon around or seeing all three pods together so much. J, K and L pod have been traveling, foraging and socializing together most of the summer. Only a small subgroup of L pod (L-12's) are sometimes by themselves. Most likely the large numbers of salmon in the area are keeping the whales here feeding. and not searching for fish like the last few years.
I asked a marine biologist with the Dept of Fisheries why there are so many salmon. She said because when the salmon left the spawning streams four to five years ago and headed out to the ocean all of the conditions were good for long term survival with an eventual return to the rivers where they came from originally. However, because of the low river levels and dry conditions these returning salmon might not have as good a spawn as four years ago.
Last week I was out following two of the L pod orcas at a distance of at least 1/4 mile. As we were going along a school of 30 or 40 salmon swam towards us and came and stayed right under the boat. The two L pod orcas, a mother and her three year old, turned around and headed right for us and started feeding right beside and under the boat. I watched how slowly the whales seemed to approach their prey and then simply out maneuver the salmon. It was incredible.
There doesn't seem to be as many boats following the whales lately. Perhaps the slow economy has kept some private boaters from coming here and some of the commercial operators are slowing down as well. In any case, it has been pleasant out there. I still do feel we should have more regulations and restrictions which will happen if the Federal government (National Marine Fisheries Service) decides that these orcas should be placed on the Endangered Species List. I feel they should and welcome any further guidelines and operating procedures necessary to safeguard the survival of these whales.
While we will keep on seeing orcas through September, the boat traffic will continue to diminish as well. I look forward to my favorite time with the whales, September. Good weather, clear skys and fewer boats.
Orca Update
July 6, 2001
To put it in one word, SUPERPOD!!!
Yesterday was spectacular. We had the opportunity to see all of the resident orcas in J, K and L pod. We heard on the radio that the whales were all together on the west side of San Juan Island in the morning.
The westerly wind was kicking up a solid six to seven foot chop and as the day progressed the wind got stronger. With those kind of conditions I was thinking that I might have to cancel the trip. However, the whales started moving north slowly with the strong flood tide. As they drifted along, not at all bothered by the nasty sea conditions, we waited in the lee of Kellet Bluff on Henry Island for the whales to come north. What a sight to see all of the whales drifting very close together, 78 spouting exhales rising above the chop.
When they got north of Kellet Bluff they split up in various groups, still moving slowly, appearing to be intent on mating. We were with an L pod male and about 10 other whales, females and juvenile males. Sparky, L-58 seemed to have become quite popular. (Last week James on Squito watched Sparky, a whale in his early 20's become very interested in Spieden, J-8, a female in her 60's). The vocalizations were incredibe. What struck me as we watched and drifted along was the complete harmony and togetherness these whales displayed. This is a society or culture that has found the secret of living. I saw very young whales of different pods playing with each other and adults of different pods spending time together as if really enjoying to company.
Let's hope that we all have the special opportunity in the future to see many more superpods.
Summer Update
June 25, 2001
The news the beginning of summer is dissapointing to say the least. Six whales from L pod and one from K pod are reported missing, meaning they have not been seen this season. The ages of the missing whales are across the board, from one year old to 42 years old. This is by far to highest number of missing whales I can remember.
The fact that the missing whales, mostly from L pod, are the whales we see around the islands the least and the fact that they are not returning from their winter travelling, leads some to now say that maybe the boats are not as big an impact and maybe researchers should start concentrating on other bigger problems. Here's a pod of whales that most likely spend their winter out in the Pacific Ocean, rarely seen in Puget Sound, feeling the decline in numbers the most. Compare J pod, the pod we always see here throughout the year, their population numbers are not changing since the loss of J-18, Everett two years ago and have had a newborn last winter.
Can there be some other factor besides high toxins and lack of salmon at play here? Things like ghost drift nets and fishing fleets, such as the Japanese that have publically stated they will start killing endangered whales such as sperm and beake whales. Could some of the L pod whales be victims of hunting and man made obstacles? It is an unknown at this point. However, we all feel the bottom line is environmental, no fish and a degraded eco system. I totally support the efforts bt many organizations to have the orcas listed under the endangered species act.
The boat traffic around the whales has been less than last year up to now and the commercial operators are doing a really good job respecting the orcas and obeying our new guidelines. With the busy season coming up it will be interesting to see if this excellent behavior by the commercial boats keeps up. We have had a Soundwatch volunteer on Squito to get another side of watching the 'fleet'. James and Natalie will be taking the Soundwatch program next week to give them a feeling for what Soundwatch sees and how we can make it better.
Lastly, our summer schedule is now 9 AM and 2 PM from Deer Harbor Marina and 2PM from Rosario Resort. If need be we will add an AM trip from Rosario Resort as well.
Whale update
May 20, 2001
For the past month we have been seeing J pod doing their normal routine, staying on the west side of San Juan Island, side trips down San Juan Channel and short trips up to the Fraser River. We've seen lots of resting periods during daylight hours which is a good thing. It most likely means they are getting enough to eat. It's been great. Couple that with the great behavior of the commercial whale watch boat, (people are watching us more than ever) and we have what's shaping up to be a very good season starting!
To make things better, today K and L pod showed up earlier than last year but right on time for a normal year. Before El Nino K and L pod would come back to the islands in May following the salmon. This earlier than last year arrival is good news , plus the fact that a quick head count might show that all the K and L pod whales are present. Just my luck that today is Eric Youngren's first solo as captain on the Cetacea so I will miss another greeting ceremony when K and L pod meet up with J pod. That will be quite a show. This will be quite a 'first day at the office' for Eric. Tommorrow and Tuesday I'll be taking out the Orcas school 7th graders (my kid's class), when I'll be able to get a look myself, do a head count and enjoy this beautiful late Spring weather.
I saw an ad from another Orcas island whale watch company offering guaranteed whale trips if you pay more. There's another company in Anacortes doing the same thing. You all should know that all of the whale watch companies know where the whales are or aren't. There are days when the whales are not around and all of the operators know it. When the orcas aren't around these companies will probably try and show you a minke whale. Minke whales are wonderful creatures but they are loners, and after ten minutes you'll have enough. Don't let this form of advertisement sway you into believing because that company offers guaranteed trips, the other companies are missing something. There is no reason for you as the consumer to pay more money for guaranteed sightings. I urge you to pick a company that advertises properly.
Orca License Plate Proposal
March 19, 2001
ORCA LICENSE PLATES PROPOSED FOR WASHINGTON STATE
Three students from Snohomish High School (north of Seattle) sponsored a bill to get the orca whale on the Washington State Plate. The money raised would go to research and preservation of the dwindling Southern Resident Community. Similar plates have raised millions in Florida for Manatees, dolphins and sea turtles.
Representative John Lovick sponsored their bill and Rep. Aaron Reardon co-sponsored it after listening to the presentation.
Please let your local representative/senator know if you would like them to support this bill (it is in the process of being assigned a number). Find their email address at this site http://wsl.leg.wa.gov/wsladm/default.htm
Let the two reps and the three senators below know you support the bill.
lovick_jo@leg.wa.gov
reardon_aa@leg.wa.gov
mcdonald_da@leg.wa.gov
fraser_ka@leg.wa.gov
oke_bo@leg.wa.gov
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Anyone interested in getting more information about the Orca Conservancy can contact the following:
Howard Garrett
Orca Conservancy
tokitae@pugetsound.net
www.rockisland.com/~tokitae
Coming soon....
www.orcaconservancy.org
Late Winter Update
March 8, 2001
There hasn't been much news lately on the orcas. We have had two newborns, one in J pod and the other in K pod. J pod has been seen around the islands about once a week and the calf appears to be doing well. The mother Sammish, J-14, is an experienced mom so hopes are high.
We (The Whale Watch Operators Association NW) have been working with county officials to have new whale watch restrictions/guidelines in place before the 2001 season starts. The feeling is that though there isn't any positive proof of short or long term problems from boat traffic and the well being of the orcas, with the increase in popularity of whale watching from private and commercial boaters, it's better to be on the side of caution and provide new whale watching guidelines that further protect the whales and their habitat. Our hope is that by working together we can form a model for whale watching and habitat management regionally and worldwide.
Our weather has been more spring than winter. There hasn't been any measurable rainfall in quite some time. Most days have dawned sunny and clear. I've been out doing trips already looking at the Steller sea lions off of Spieden Island. The blackmouth salmon (young chinook) fishing has been excellent this winter. That is hopefully a good sign that this year the orcas are getting enough to eat.
However, the rivers and mountain snowpacks are at very low levels. Low enough to hurt some current salmon runs which translate into possible low salmon spawning returns in years to come. There is talk among state officials and conversation groups that some salmon runs could be dissimated this summer due to the dams that, instead of providing salmon escape spillways will use that water for generating electricity because of the low water levels behind the dams. We can only hope for some more mountain snows and lowland rains before the rainy season is over. I never thought I'd worry about lack of rainfall in the Pacific Northwest. California has gotten what we normally get this year due to the jetstream, which steered weather systems more south this winter. Rainfall in California, especially southern California has been three times above normal. Oh that darn jetstream! What effect it has on all of us.
End of Fall Update
December 18, 2000
This fall was a quiet one regarding any new whale information except for the good news that K-16, Opus had a calf and that K-28 might be pregnant. I've included the email I received from the Whale Museum regarding this news:
New calf update!
After closer inspection of photos Mark Sears took of the orcas Nov. 13/14 near Vashon Island, Dave, Kelley and Jodi confirm that the calf appears to belong to K-16 and not J-11 as originally thought. Apparently all of J's plus K-14 and K-16 have been travelling together in the Vashon area. Via the Whale Museum Hotline, a sighting was received this morning of a large group of whales heading N @ 9:30 am near Edmonds. Perhaps the same group? Anyway let's celebrate the birth of K-32!! Oh yes, Jodi mentions K-28 looks huge...is she expecting??
Cheers,
Kari Koski
The Whale Museum
P.O. Box 945
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
www.whalemuseum.com
The fall weather we experienced here was typical and normal for fall in the Pacific Northwest, except that we had less rainfall than normal. We had lots of sun and cool temperatures. I was able to sail and observe wildlife until Thanksgiving. It appears as if the winter will not be as kind. We've had some heavy winds, rain and even some snow in the last week. The predictions are for colder than normal.
The other wildlife in the area seems to be thriving. The sea birds are numerous in Deer Harbor, no doubt feeding on the record number of bait fish. Since this is more of a normal year and not an El Nino or La Nina weather year, I have very high hopes for the increase in salmon and a heathly year for the orca. Only time will tell.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everybody. The twins and I are off to travel the Oregon coast for a week with a visit to the Newport Aquarium.
I'll be including updates as need be. In April, as our season begins I will include weekly updates.
Fall Update
October 10, 2000
As our season draws to a close I am somewhat relieved at the way the month of September went. In mid September J, K and L pod returned at about the same time a large run of silver salmon came through the islands. The whales have been here feeding on the salmon on and off since. As of today J pod is down near Seattle, K pod is unaccounted for, as are some of L pod. The L-12's are on the west side feeding big time. When J, K and L pod returned after being gone all of the whales in the pods were accounted for with no new deaths or newborns. The whales were gone a long time, in fact, the longest during the summer months I can remember in ten years. There was a lot of talk and speculation while they were gone. For them to come back and have the population still stable is very encouraging.
We also had a two day visit from three pods from northern Vancouver Island early in September. There were up to 50 orca from the northern residents that were feeding out in the Straits. The last time these whales were sighted here was over thirty years ago! When we saw them they were spread out over a span of five miles feeding. The speculation is the salmon run up north ended earlier than normal. Perhaps these orca were in a search for food and wound up here.
We also have seen up to three minke whales near Waldron Island (Minke Lake). This is also encouraging because we haven't seen any minke's there for about three years. This could be a indication that we are finally getting back to normal fish distribution patterns after four years of a hard El Nino and La Nina. The bait fish appear to be plentiful in all areas of the islands. A very good sign indeed.
Transient orca sightings have been numerous as well. Last week a small pod were close to Deer Harbor feeding on their preferred diet, harbor seals.
This will be my last posting of the summer season. The winter season is usually the toughest time of year for the orca. Food becomes harder to find. Let's hope the orca have been able to store the body fats needed to get them through. I will post additional notes if needed to keep everyone informed about the state of the orca and our eco system. Please check back through the winter for any additional updates. For all of you that joined us on one of our trips, I thank you and hope that what you experienced stays with you and has given you an appreciation of the orca as well as all things living.
Summer Update
September 4, 2000
Our resident whales, J, K and L pod, have been gone for about two to three weeks. The reports I've heard have them about 25 miles off the coast near Tofino feeding on a very large salmon run. That to me is good news. I hope they are finding the necessary fish needed to keep them healthy. There doesn't seem to be any salmon to speak of around the islands but there are record numbers out along the coast. However, the residents can at any time come back to the islands. My log books from the past 11 years show September to be a mixed month of orca sightings. Last year we saw orca almost every trip until the end of September. But if some of you remember last September was very dramatic with the monitoring of little L-96 being orphaned during the summer. We could only watch his/her struggle to survive and how it's siblings tried to feed it salmon. Sadly, that little whale didn't come back this year.
This year even with the lack of salmon in the area, I feel the residents will return for awhile to feed. We haven't seen the last of the residents. However, this is the longest time span I can remember in the summer of not seeing the residents though. We have been seeing and hearing of numerous transient orca sightings in August which will continue into September. I've had reports of transient orca in the area almost every day. Yesterday we were lucky enough to see T-14, a lone transient male (a very large male) off Hein Bank. The transient orca come in to the islands to feed on the harbor seals and porpoises. Last September I watched two transient orca take down a full grown elephant seal which could have been up to 2000 lbs!
We have minke whales, Steller sea lions, elephant seals, harbor seals, Dall porpoises and other wildlife to look forward to in September. The grey whale off Cordova Bay is still in the same place feeding. A few days ago it was interesting to watch as a couple of transient orca cruised by the grey. The orca were apparently not interested but the grey whale took off in the opposite direction, returning a day or so later to continue feeding.
It is also interesting to watch the seaons change on the water. The leaves are already changing on the trees along the shorelines, the summer birds are getting their winter plumage and the angle of the sun, becoming lower in the southern sky is creating beautiful lighting conditions in the afternoon. And of course the private boaters are gone in September!!
With all this and more remember it is not just the orca that make cruising around the islands so special.
August 15, 2000
This past two weeks the sightings of J, K and L pod have been spotty. The residents seem to be spending time on the west side of Vancouver Island as well as within the San Juans. We have seen L pod more than J or K pod lately. There is a report that some of our residents are off Tofino on the west side of Vancouver Island. Reports I've read indicate a big salmon run on the northwest coast now. That's a good thing.
The behavior of the whales so far this August is more like it was five or six years ago before we had a record huge El Nino. The residents come in, stay a while then travel out west. Years past we have had Augusts with nine or ten days in a row without sightings. This August we have been going two or three days without orcas.
The good news is that we are finally over with the El Nino ocean current pattern. The water temperature is cooling to normal levels. The baitfish are in huge quantities around the islands. Hopefully this means a rebound of the declining salmon stocks as well.
Minke whales have been plentiful near Salmon Bank on the south side of San Juan Island. Last week Squito was smack in the middle of six or seven minke's lunge feeding. The minkes are fairly easy to find, just look for the bird balls feasting on the baitfish. Also, Bob the grey whale is still around Cordova Bay. He/she is becoming an old friend now. Last week a grey whale swam right into the inner Victoria harbor (not Bob). Luckily it didn't stay long; lots of boat traffic there.
Yesterday was a fascinating day. I watched a subgroup of L pod, the L-25's, come in Cattle Pass, most likely getting caught in the strong flood tide. They came into San Juan Channel for about a mile and then decided to turn around and head back out. At this point the whales were facing a six or seven knot adverse current. I watched the L's find their way out Cattle Pass by playing every eddy and counter current they could. It struck me how intelligent and masterful these animals are. In the middle of the pass was a seven knot current. Along the edges of the pass was a counter current. The L's would zig zag from one side of the pass to the other until they were clear. When they were clear of the pass a breaching display took place and the whales slowly headed north.
As we get into September I expect we will still have rather consistent and spotty sightings of residents and transients. The transient orcas come around now because the seal pups are being weaned by their moms. A vulnerable time for the pups. I'll post another update in a couple of weeks to keep everyone up to date.
July 25, 2000
It's been a while since our last update because there is really nothing to report. The whales seem to be doing well. The reports I've heard is there are a lot of salmon around for the whales to feed on. As is typical for this time of year, the whales are not seen on every trip. Up until July 24th we saw the whales on every trip since May. The last two days have been quiet without any orca sightings. The other wildlife we've been seeing on a regular basis has certainly been impressive. Two days ago we had a grey whale off Cattle Pass! Since this was the forth or fifth time we've seen a grey whale it was a rare treat.
There has been alot of talk lately about the health of the whales and what might be affecting their well being. In the last five years approximately 20% of the population has died. Scientist are pointing the finger at chemical buildup in the whale's system, salmon shortage and boat interaction. I would like to also point out that four years ago was the beginning of the biggest El Nino event on record. This weather pattern
caused warmer ocean waters to move farther north than normal. It completely changed the distribution of spawning salmon creating a change from their historical routes.
It was at this time that we noticed a dramatic decline in the southern resident's population. I am not a scientist. However, I do have a background in marine and environmental sciences. To know if my theory is
correct the proof will take a few more years of watching the health of the orca population. If we continue to have a decline in the population as quickly as the last few years I will be proven wrong. It might already be
too late because of the loss of key breeding orcas in the populaton.
This season I have seen an increase in the numbers of small baitfish such as herring and candlefish all over the islands. Everywhere I look I see small fish jumping. Around the Deer Harbor Marina there are a multitude of fish. I can only hope that this sharp increase in baitfish will enhance the salmon population as well. This season seems more normal with temperatures averaging in the low 70's, some rainy days and a few really warm days mixed in.
We have had quite a few superpods already this season. J, K and L pods have been together quite often on the west side of San Juan. The J's are still doing their rather new route going around San Juan County in 24 hours. K pod tends to join in with the J's but the L's hardly ever go through Active Pass along with the J's. It is a very interesting season so far.
June 23, 2000
What a week this has been. On 15 June, K and the rest of L pod came back in to the islands. It was really great to see old friends again. None of us were really sure they were coming back after the report we had of them being way down in Monterey Bay, California last winter. However, we had no need to worry. The whales came back a day earlier than they did a year before.
What I find interesting is that I spoke with a commercial fisherman a day before the whales came back. He told me he had been seeing sockeye salmon on the west side of San Juan Island. Sure enough a day later K and L pod came roaring in no doubt to feed on the newly arrived salmon.
There is one newborn in the group. L-47 ( Marina) had a calf, L-99, (no name as yet). In K pod we are missing K-4, (Morgan). We still have hopes she is still around and maybe travelling with another subgroup. There is concern for the health of L-92, a small calf.
Lately we have had more than one pod together at a time. Yesterday morning I had a sole passenger, a photographer, on board. We ran into J and L pod. They were socializing big time. We watched the adult males in and L pod garner lots of attention from females. At one point half of L pod and some of the J's came right under the boat as slow as can be. We got a very close look at the new born L-99 as she/he went by.
Every trip has had excellent whale sightings in the month of June. As we get further into the summer we hope this will continue. I am as excited as I have ever been for this summer to be upon us.
June 2, 2000
This morning on our trip we found L pod on the west side of San Juan Island out by Hein bank. They were in the tail end of a greeting ceremony with J pod. It was fantastic to see them again and to see J pod intermingling with them. I thought I might have seen a new born in the group but it could have been the new born from J pod that we already knew about.
Last winter some of L pod and K pod were seen in Monterey Bay, California. The remaning members of L pod that stayed north have been unaccounted for since September, presumably staying out on the west side of Vancouver Island. Today was the first we have seen them in awhile. It sure was nice to see L1, Oscar again. I didn't think I'd see him after last season.. He's getting up there in age and last year looked lethargic. When I saw him this morning he was still trailing the rest of the pod but had this steadiness about him that was reassuring to me.
The media is announcing the return of K and L pod back from Monterey Bay. I believe the whales that have returned to the San Juans are the L pod whales that didn't go south this winter. There were at least 15-20 L pod whales there yesterday I did a photo ID of the whales I saw today with the L pod whales there were photo ID'd in Monterey Bay and couldn't match any of them with the L pod whales that are here now. There was radio talk of K pod being there as well. I didn't see any K pod whales but that doesn't mean they weren't there. However, so far from what I can come up with, the L pod whales I saw today were not the L's that went south. We'll be out again today so if I get any other information I'll let everyone know.
The center for Whale Research confirmed that the subpod of L's that are here do not have any newborns, however, there are no deaths. Everyone in this sub pod is back from last year, including little L-98, a year old calf.
Meanwhile, J pod has been around every day. They have been travelling around the islands more than last year. The J's have been going around San Juan County almst like clockwork every 24 hours. We'll see if this pattern changes with the introduction of L pod.
Tom Averna
Deer Harbor Charters
May 2000
This spring has to be the best I can remember for sighting the orcas on a regular basis. It seems that J pod has taken up their spring/summer/fall routine early foraging and feeding around the islands. In fact, in one week the whales came through narrow Pole Pass and right past Deer Harbor. It was great to look out my office window and watch the whales pass by.
My last column was about the loss of J-18 Everett. The necropsy results indicated that he died from a stomach ulcer that abcessed, filling most of his body cavity. The ulcer was from a bacterial infection that Everett might have been able to fight off if he didn't have such high levels of contaminants such as PCB's in his system. He was very emaciated when he died also indicating he hadn't eaten in awhile.
In other orca news, we haven't seen Everett's mother, Tahoma,J-10 since his death. Tahoma, J-10 was born around 1962. She was the oldest female of her sub pod (family). Without Tahoma, only Oreo J-22, born in 1985, Doublestuff, J-34 born in 1998 an offspring of Oreo's, and Rhapsody, J-32 born in 1996 are left. It is assumed Tahoma is dead since she has been missing for over a month. However, all of us here are hoping to sight her again.
April was also a great time to see the stellar sea lions that have made Green Point on Spieden Island home. For the past five years we have seen the stellars off of Spieden Island, apparently feeding. The numbers of sea lions this year surpassed anything we have seen before. We counted up to 50 aniamls hauled out on Green Point the other day. A truly remarkable sight.
It's thought that most of these animals are males that were displaced by the dominant males of their home rookery possibly all the way from Southeast Alaska and Sea Lion Caves in Oregon, while the mating season goes on. If these are the smaller sea lions I'd like to see the dominant males. These guys a huge, up to 2000 lbs.
What's also amazing is the fact that yesterday we only saw two sea lions off Green Point. The day before there were at least 50. They left as fast as they showed up.
The bald eagle activity has been excellent. We usually monitor two nests that we can see from the water. One of these nests is in use. On a typical spring trip we count up to 12 eagles in a three to four hour period.
The staff at Deer Harbor Charters has changed little. James is on his way back from BC Canada where he and his wife Tammy spent the winter on their boat. He'll be on the Squito at Rosario Resort this season. Natalie is also back. She is developing a wonderful nature hike activity with hiking trips to some of the out islands as well. Natalie will be out of Deer Harbor. I will have a link to her hiking business soon on my web page. Mary will be at Rosario two days a week. I feel very fortunate to have Mary with us. She has been guiding trips longer than anyone else. Her knowledge of the whales is unsurpassed. The skippers will be the same, Clark will be on Squito and Eric will be on Cetacea and Squito. I'll be on Cetacea as well.
We also have Kathy Green working with us this season. She and her husband are the caretakers and the only inhabitants on Yellow Island. This island is owned by the Nature Conservancy. This time of year the wild flowers on Yellow Island are a show stopper. Kathy will be working on Cetacea and Squito. Christine Booth will be on Squito this year. She and her husband Ben are livaboards and have their boat at Rosario. I'm happy and honored that these fine folks have decided to spend their summers putting up with me, some of them for the fifth season.
March 23, 2000Mid-Winter Orca Update
On March 18, 2000, I received word that one of the southern resident orcas had died and washed ashore near Vancouver, BC. The dead orca known to many as Everett, J-18 was taken very hard by those of us who watched him grow and become a mature male in J pod. He was 23 years old, still in the prime of life.
Observers at the beach where Everett washed ashore discribe a very large absess on the whales side. It will be a couple of weeks for the necropsy to reveal the cause of death but speculation abounds with fingers pointing to chemical contamination. The southern resident orcas have very high concentrations of PCB's and other toxins in their systems, in fact a report I read put their toxin level at 30 times normal. Rather than speculate on his cause of death in this posting I will print the results of his necropsy when I receive it in our Notes From The Field section.
Everett was a favorite to many of the guests I have taken out on whale watching trips. His very pronounced dorsal fin and his rather outgoing personality set him apart from the rest of the pod. I will remember Everett for his role that he assumed last year when he apparently became the adopted guardian to Rhapsody (J-36) when her mother,(Ewok, J-20) died. We would often see this large male traveling with little Rhapsody (a 2 year old) apparently teaching her how to catch fish.
As soon as the necropsy report is made available I will post it here. For further information relating to the health of these orcas the following web page is most informative: <http://is.dal.ca/~whitelab/rwb/kwstatus.htm.
In other orca news: In November a newborn was reported in J pod. The mother Slick, J-16 and the little calf were sighted here in the islands this past Sunday, March 19, going south along San Juan Island. They seem to be doing well. Slick already is the mom to two other male juveniles under 8
years old. She is a busy orca without a doubt. Good luck to Slick and the newborn.
The sighting of J pod going south was a day after the discovery of Everett on the beach. Observers were able to sight all of J pod Sunday except Everett's mom Tahoma, J-10.
February 16, 2000Mid-Winter Orca Update
On around 17 November Mark Sears, a researcher/observer in lower Puget Sound determined that J-16, Slick had another calf. This makes the third surviving calf in five or six years. Slicks other calves are Mike, J-26 and Keet, J-33. The calf was observed around Vashon island.
It is not clear in subsequent observations of J pod this winter whether the newborn is still alive. We are all hoping that in April/May when J pod spends most of their time around the San Juan Islands will be able to see the newborn.
In other resident orca news, the following was sent to us from Michael Kundu, director of Project Seawolf. This news has everybody in a state of amazement.
On January 29, researchers from the Monterey Bay Whale Watch identified a group of unfamiliar orca whales foraging and feeding on fishstock in Monterey Bay, CA. Later photo ID work confirmed that at least 35 of these orcas where members of the southern resident K and L-pods normally found in WA and BC waters. Good photos of L-57 (Faith), L-7 (Canuck), L-60 (Rascal), and possibly K-18 (Kiska) and K-40 (Raggedy -- fairly obvious because of her distinctive dorsal notches).
Oddly, there appears to be at least 1 unidentifiable orca with the group, and some researchers are saying this whale is possibly an "offshore" orca -- a newer group of orcas that haven't been studied or commonly understood because of their fleeting appearances and pelagic tendencies. One certainty about this event is that the orcas are proving that their behaviour is dynamic and unpredictable -- and while it is not unusual for K and L-pods to go "out to sea" in winter months (while J-pod tends to be seen more regularly in the greater Puget Sound), little was known about where these whales foraged while at sea.
Immediate reaction from some is that the whales are either exploring for new food sources (due to the depleted salmon runs in the North Pacific) and, perhaps, reacting to fears that some of their numbers may be slowly succumbing to the accumulated PCBs and other toxins that has recently been reported to have been found in these whales. Recent reports suggest that weakened immune systems, decreased reproductive rates and tumors could possibly reduce this stock of genetically distinct whales below the threshold required for the long-term survival of this population. Pollution sources are mostly non-point and not readily identifiable.
The implications of this sighting will not be fully understood until late May, when K and L-pods generally return to the Northwest. Perhaps these pelagic journeys and apparent interactions with 'off-shore' orcas is a routine phenomena -- one that might not have been documented well in earlier years but still a method of introducing new biodiversity into a heretofore believed "genetically distinct" population. While some local researchers are speculating that these whales "might not return" to WA this season, it is more likely that they will, but we cannot rule out the probability that a vanguard of J, K and L-pods may be exploring a greater range to make up for local contamination and depleting food sources. If that is indeed the case, this could have increasingly negative impacts on both the local foodwebs and, perhaps more profoundly, on the local whale watching industry.
On a related note; the State of Washington has announced that there is adequate cause for the Fish & Wildlife Department to initiate a review to determine whether the southern resident orcas should be up-listed to a State Endangered Species status. Some advocates are suggesting that, at the very least, State approach regulations should be adopted for all boaters, using a model established by the Whale Watching Operators Association Northwest (WWOANW) for their own membership. It should be noted that at this point, a petition for federal uplisting has not yet been presented to the National Marine Fisheries Service.
More information will be presented on this issue as it develops.
Michael Kundu, Director
Project SeaWolf/Arcturus Adventure Communications
P.O. Box 987
Marysville, WA 98270
"A federally-registered 501c3 Non-Profit Environmental Advocacy Group"
ProjSeaWolf@earthlink.net
Anyone wishing to see the ID photos taken of the orcas at Monterey Bay can go to www.montereybaywhalewatch.com/KW/KillerWhales.htm. We'll have more updates as necessary until our regular weekly updates begin in May.
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