I don't know if it is this pod, but I'm pretty sure that the partial government shutdown has disrupted the work of scientists monitoring and perhaps helping some of the vulnerable Orcas in the sound.
If you love the whales, you have to hate the shutdown.
3
I truly hope this pod's sad decline can be reversed! Is there a charity set up that one could donate to?
3
How can we be so dismissive of the miracle of life and nature? Ban the pipeline and regulate ship traffic and toxic effluvia!
4
It's a very, very bad idea to encourage more people to come and join whale 'watching' - or more appropriately called whale 'harassing' trips. I know it's a lifeline for some local boat operators (some of whom I know), but it does no good for the the local orcas - and should be curtailed, highly regulated, or banned outright if the survival of the local species is to be helped. PS: Don't eat or catch chinook (King) salmon. All fishing of them should be banned - that's the orca's food source. Leave them alone and let them eat what they want. They were here first..
9
Yes, it's great that this little creature was born. But the Canadian government has effectively sealed the fate of the Southern Resident Orcas. They cynically ignored, as our courts have pointed out, the impact on Orcas of the idiotic Transmountain pipeline, which will lead to dramatically increased tanker traffic in the Salish Sea, the noise and other disturbances from which are thought to be a major detriment to the orcas. The ongoing decline of the Fraser River, whose salmon fishery has yet to recover anywhere close to historical levels, is another major threat. Canada's woeful environmental record is the major contributor to the loss of this amazing group of animals.
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"Pod of Orcas in Decline Welcomes a Newborn"
NYT: Not You Too! : (
I'm very happy about the good news but we have no idea if this pod "welcomed" the baby orca any more than we know that any human couple, unless they explicitly says so, actually "welcomes" a newborn. How about just sticking to "So-and-So Announce Arrival of Baby" and "Orcas in Decline Joined by a Newborn." My hackneyed-hurl reflex would be greatly diminished if a newspaper of your caliber rejects the warm-&-fuzziness of lesser rags and sticks to the facts -- and also avoids anthropomorphizing.
3
What happy news, balanced by concern for this calf and its species. Now we have to hope he/she can maintain body fat, which at this point means that the mom can find enough sustenance. My heart is with them.
One complaint for the Times, though...whales don't have noses, editors! They have blow holes, but J35, after she died, was carried on her mother's rostrum. C'mon...I expect better from you guys.
5
What a heart breaking situation. These wonderful sentient intelligent animals are trying to live in a world we are destroying. It's our world too.
13
@Seattle - I think you're on the same page Inslee is - he's looking for funds to protect them. https://www-seattletimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/gov-jay-inslee-wants-1-1-billion-to-help-save-puget-sounds-critically-endangered-orcas/?amp_js_v=a2&_gsa=1&=1&usqp=mq331AQCCAE=#referrer=https://www.google.com&_tf=From %1$s&share=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/gov-jay-inslee-wants-1-1-billion-to-help-save-puget-sounds-critically-endangered-orcas/
3
As there are no reported cases of orcas killing humans in the wild, it would be great if the misnomer "killer whales" for these cousins of dolphins (who get much better press) could be pointed out.
All the same, thank you to Jacey Fortin for reporting on this slightly bittersweet story.
5
What will it take to ban plastics and replace them with plant based alternatives that aren't harmful to ocean creatures? I'm afraid that as long as lobbyists have our politicians in their pockets, nothing will change.
23
@Connie Plastic is bad, but that is not the main threat to the orcas. Salmon declines, shipping traffic, and a host of pollution seem to be the main threats.
12
@Chris If you were a scientist, you would know that we can't prove what is the main threat to orcas. We can only make theories and arguments. This is because scientific proof requires changing just one variable at a time, which isn't possible in the orca's environment.
Instead of waiting for irrefutable proof, let's ban plastics based on what we already know from scientific evidence. Most plastic takes many hundreds of years to break down, all the while it's responsible for damage to young and growing lifeforms throughout our ecosystems.
11
You're both right. Plastics haven't been voiced as a major cause of orca decline (as Chris noted) BUT plastics are destroying a wide range of oceanlife (as Connie said). The GOP would be thrilled if people who care about oceans splinter into arguing unproductive factions. Big tent.
17
Good news after last year's heartbreak of J35's lost calf. Hoping this one is female and lives long to flourish and produce more orcas. Fingers crossed this baby makes it.
36
People in the Admiralty Inlet region admire and respect orcas. Many volunteer citizen scientists in the area work on salmon restoration projects. If wishes were orcas the seas would be full of these sky-hopping whales.
29
The governor's Task Force has suggested nothing meaningful about reducing toxic pollution and neither has the governor. If Governor Inslee wants to run for president, he needs to demonstrate some leadership in the public office he holds now.
33
The accompanying video is perfect. No speaking, just simple, beautiful footage of these amazing creatures. Thank you.
42