The Mysterious World of Orca
Or as we falsely also call them Killer Whales.
There are three main ecotypes of orca - transient, oceanic, and resident which divide to Southern and Northern Resident Orcas in the PNW.
They are matriarchal creatures of love, resilience, attachment, and compassion. Although apex predators and sometimes found hunting the largest marine mammals, they have never harmed a human in the wild.
Only 73 Individuals Remain
The Southern Resident Orcas (SROs) were added to the Endangered Species List in 2005 when there were 86 individuals across the three pods.
Today only 73 SROs remain.
Their largest threats are man made.
Shortage of availble prey.
Between the habitat destruction from the Lower Snake River dams to overfishing, most salmon species the SROs depend on - Chinook, Sockeye, Coho and others - are also endangered.
The SROs are effectively starving to death in front of our eyes.
Vessel interaction and marine noise.
The high marine traffic supporting industrial and commercial activities have increased fatal orca interactions by 290%.
High marine traffic also equates to high noise, diminishing the orcas’ ability to use echolocation to find any available prey.
Contaminants and pollution.
Human activities release contaminants into the environment via municipal and industrial wastewater, urban and agricultural runoff, and other processes.
Contaminants can harm orcas' immune and reproductive systems. They also contaminate their prey sources, which can affect the orcas for decades.
It’s a Social Justice Issue
There is no speaking of orca without speaking of salmon and no speaking of salmon without speaking of Indigenous Tribes or the Coast Salish People, like the Lummi and Nez Perce nations. To them, orca are Q'ellhólmechen our people who live under the sea.
Protecting the orca means protecting tribal rights we’ve been violating since 1855.
We can still help the Southern Resident Orca
The single most impactful action to take for the health of the Orca and the salmon is to Breach the Lower Snake River Dams Now.
Go to BidenBreachNow.com to submit a letter to your representative and spread the word on social media.
Support recognizing the Endangered species for the individuals that they are.
Go to Legal Rights for the Salish Sea to urge congress to recognize the inherent rights of the Southern Resident Orcas who should already be protected under the Endangered Species Act.
