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At least some members of J pod and L pod who were discovered foraging their way south in Admiralty Inlet Wednesday were headed out to sea past Dungeness Spit around noon today. Meanwhile, the T137 family of Transients/Bigg's whales were still in south Puget Sound this afternoon, south of Vashon Island, where they've been seen almost every day since November 23.

At least a few humpbacks are still around, in Georgia Strait and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and a gray whale was discovered by divers in the south Sound yesterday.

A broad consensus among science-based orca advocates believes that Southern Resident orcas are not getting enough of their chosen prey, which is primarily Chinook salmon. It's hard for many to believe that this community of orcas won't deviate from their chosen dietary preference even if that means they starve, but that seems to be the case. It follows that revitalizing as much spawning and nurturing waters for native Chinook runs as possible to the maximum extent possible is essential for the survival of Southern Resident orcas over the next few decades. This orca/chinook linkage is known by many, but not by most, and yet the orcas need our immediate attention and stepped up efforts to restore their nutritional foundations.

There are already massive restoration projects, completed or underway, and uncountably more localized efforts to improve smaller watersheds, and all are vital and all are a part of why runs have improved in recent years.

At the same time there is one mega-project that would predictably provide accessible spawning and rearing habitat for millions more Chinook fairly quickly, which is removing or by-passing the four lower Snake River dams. There are multiple aspects to such a proposal and much to discuss, but after many years studying the nutritional needs of orcas alongside the field scientists providing the evidence, it has become clear that removal of the lower Snake River dams is the best, shortest term, and possibly the only, way to maximize access to high-altitude spawning beds for literally millions of Chinook, over the course of a decade or two.

The Salish Sea Association of Marine Naturalists (SSAMN) and others have drawn up a petition to ask our political leaders to look seriously at supporting dam removal on the Snake River. We'd like to see a broad discussion of the questions that need answering about this proposal, involving a wide range of interested parties across the state, to bring more and better information and views into the conversation. The orcas should be represented in that conversation.

Please take a look at this petition and consider signing:
Stand with us and support removing the four lower Snake River dams to save the Southern Resident Killer Whales from being dammed to extinction.

Thank you, and now, here's a date to save (click on the link for more info):

Ways of Whales 2015

January 24, 2015, 10 am to 4 pm
Ways of Whales 2015 will again be at the Coupeville Middle School Performing Arts Center, 501 South Main Street Coupeville WA 98239 (same place as last year).
Registration opening soon.

December 18

December 14

ABOUT ORCA NETWORK  
Orca Network is a 501 c3 nonprofit organization, dedicated to raising awareness about the whales of the Pacific Northwest, and the importance of providing them healthy and safe habitats.
Orca Network's Whale Sighting Network involves citizens in helping researchers track the movement of whales, and encourages people to observe whales from their homes, businesses, ferries, and beaches.
Whale reports are sent in to our Sighting Network and emailed out to researchers, agencies, and citizens on our network, and posted on our website (MAP of sightings also on website). Whale reports and observations are sent in by a variety of sources, and Orca Network does not guarantee the accuracy of any report or whale identification.

 

TO REPORT WHALES, CALL: 1-866-ORCANET (1-866-672-2638), email info@orcanetwork.org, or post sightings on our Orca Network Facebook page.

 

*BE WHALE WISE! BOATERS - NEW FEDERAL REGULATIONS IN EFFECT AS OF MAY 16, 2011:

 "The new rules prohibit vessels from approaching any killer whale closer than 200 yards and forbid vessels from intercepting a whale or positioning the vessel in its path. This doubles the current approach distance of 100 yards. The rules go into effect May 16 and apply to all types of boats, including motor boats, sail boats and kayaks, in Washington"

 

For more information on the new Federal Regulations, visit the NOAA Fisheries website. 

 

 
To report harassment of whales in US waters, call NOAA Enforcement: 1-800-853-1964;

In Canadian waters, call DFO's Observe Record and Report (ORR) Violations Hotline: 1-800- 465-4336

Report the boat name &/or a description of the boat, & get photos if at all possible.