Latest news with #SouthernResidents
New York Times
27-06-2025
- Science
- New York Times
Orcas Use Kelp as a Possible Grooming Tool
A hundred feet or more above the Salish Sea — high enough to avoid spooking any marine mammals below — a drone camera recorded orcas periodically pairing up to perform a sort of swimming, rolling hug. That was nothing new for the Southern Residents, a group of orcas in the Pacific Northwest that lives south of other groups. But when researchers inspected the drone videos, which were filmed last year, they noticed something they had not seen before: A little piece of kelp was often sandwiched between the creatures' bodies. The research, published this week in the journal Current Biology, is among the most compelling evidence yet that marine mammals make and use tools, a skill more commonly attributed to terrestrial animals like monkeys, humans and crows. Michael Weiss, an author of the study who is the research director for the Center for Whale Research in Washington State, said that the Southern Residents had long used their intelligence and social skills to adapt to a challenging environment. The group of 73 orcas, which are often called killer whales, has been shrinking for decades and was listed as endangered in 2005. 'I'm not surprised that we eventually found tool use in killer whales,' Dr. Weiss said. 'But it was obviously a surprise to see this particular behavior, because we just had no idea it was happening.' Kelp is not that hard to find in the waters near British Columbia and Washington State, where these orcas generally stay. But they were not just grabbing any old floating stalk. They were using their teeth to break off pieces, which were almost always about two feet long. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Miami Herald
09-04-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Baby killer whale spotted with first-time mom near Washington, photos show
A critically endangered killer whale group has welcomed a new calf after it was spotted for the first time near Washington. The Southern Resident killer whale baby was discovered April 6 in the Salish Sea, the Center for Whale Research said in a Facebook post. The pod was swimming past Victoria Harbour, which is on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, when a biologist saw a peachy orange colored baby, the conservation group said. This new calf was swimming with J-40, making her a first-time mom, the nonprofit said. The calf has since been identified as J-63, and so far, 'there are no immediate concerns,' the nonprofit said. 'Each new calf is vitally important to this critically endangered population — every birth counts — and we're hopeful that this young whale will continue to thrive,' the whale group said. The group said J-63 is the fourth whale to be born into the endangered whale population this past year. One of those new whales is J-62 who was first discovered on New Year's Eve off Washington, McClatchy News reported. What to know about the orcas Southern Resident killer whales were listed as an endangered species in 2005 and are listed as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These whales are made up of three groups: J, K and L pods. They spend summer and fall months in the Puget Sound and in the waters off southern Vancouver Island, NOAA said. J pod frequents the western shore of the San Juan Islands. 'While most other killer whale populations are doing well, the Southern Residents are among the world's most endangered marine mammals,' the federal agency said. Lack of prey (mainly Chinook salmon), chemical pollution and noise disturbances from vessels have all contributed to a decline in their population, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, for this whale population, 69% of births fail, according to a study published by researchers from the University of Washington.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Baby killer whale spotted with first-time mom near Washington, photos show
A critically endangered killer whale group has welcomed a new calf after it was spotted for the first time near Washington. The Southern Resident killer whale baby was discovered April 6 in the Salish Sea, the Center for Whale Research said in a Facebook post. The pod was swimming past Victoria Harbour, which is on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, when a biologist saw a peachy orange colored baby, the conservation group said. Baby killer whale with peachy coloring seen bonding with family off WA. 'Phenomenal' This new calf was swimming with J-40, making her a first-time mom, the nonprofit said. The calf has since been identified as J-63, and so far, 'there are no immediate concerns,' the nonprofit said. 'Each new calf is vitally important to this critically endangered population — every birth counts — and we're hopeful that this young whale will continue to thrive,' the whale group said. The group said J-63 is the fourth whale to be born into the endangered whale population this past year. One of those new whales is J-62 who was first discovered on New Year's Eve off Washington, McClatchy News reported. Southern Resident killer whales were listed as an endangered species in 2005 and are listed as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These whales are made up of three groups: J, K and L pods. They spend summer and fall months in the Puget Sound and in the waters off southern Vancouver Island, NOAA said. J pod frequents the western shore of the San Juan Islands. 'While most other killer whale populations are doing well, the Southern Residents are among the world's most endangered marine mammals,' the federal agency said. Lack of prey (mainly Chinook salmon), chemical pollution and noise disturbances from vessels have all contributed to a decline in their population, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, for this whale population, 69% of births fail, according to a study published by researchers from the University of Washington. Watch as a golden retriever meets a whale off Hawaii. 'Her wish came true' Dead behemoth covered in shark bites washes onto NC beach, researchers say 36-foot emaciated sea creature washes up on California beach. Its death is a mystery
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Baby orca is a descendent of a whale almost sold to SeaWorld in 1976
A new orca whale calf spotted in Puget Sound in Washington State is the latest addition to a well-known family of killer whales with a connection to SeaWorld. In 1976, the calf's great-grandmother T046 'Wake' was one of six orcas captured with the intention of being sold to marine parks and temporarily held by SeaWorld in Budd Inlet near Olympia, Washington. The Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) first saw this new baby whale with a group of orcas on March 20 in the eastern Juan de Fuca Strait. According to PWWA's executive director Erin Gless, the calf's fetal folds and distinctive orange coloration were visible. The fetal folds are creases along the calf's skin that come from being scrunched inside its mother's uterus for about 18 months. 'These factors are normal and indicate the calf is quite young, likely a week or two at most,' Gless said in a statement. The calf has been given the designation T046B3A and was spotted swimming alongside its 14-year-old mother, T046B3 'Sedna,' who was named after a goddess and the Mother of the Sea in Inuit culture. T046B3A is also Sedna's first known calf. Sedna is one of Wake's grand-calf and the family's lineage was almost cut short during that 1976 capture. The late Ralph Munro, a former Washington Secretary of State and an assistant to then-Governor Dan Evans, witnessed the orca captures while he was sailing. Munro then helped file a lawsuit against SeaWorld, which ultimately led to the release of the whales from Budd Inlet several weeks later. The event was the last in a series of orca captures in the 1970s, where an estimated 100 killer whales were taken from the Pacific. Wake and these five other cetaceans were the last orcas to be captured in US waters. The PWWA says that at least 30 killer whales would not have been born without Munro's actions. Wake is believed to have had eight calves of her own, 16 grand-calves, and six great grand-calves. Munro died on March 20–the same day that this new whale calf was first spotted. The family is part of a group of orcas called Biggs killer whales or transient killer whales. Unlike the nearby Southern Resident orcas that primarily eat salmon, Biggs orcas feed on marine mammals including porpoises, sea lions, and seals. Their population has grown steadily, with more than 140 calves welcomed in the last 10 years. Research organization Bay Cetology estimates that there are nearly 400 individual whales in the coastal Bigg's orca population today. Meanwhile, there are only about 73 Southern Resident orcas left, down from 97 whales in 1996. According to PWWA, local whale watch tours focus on Bigg's killer whales and not the endangered Southern Residents.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Baby killer whale seen bouncing and rolling off Washington. See the peachy orange calf
A peachy orange baby killer whale was spotted bouncing and rolling in waters off Washington, a nonprofit said. A pod of the endangered Southern Resident killer whales were photographed Feb. 8 off San Juan Islands in the Salish Sea, the Center for Whale Research said in a Feb. 15 Facebook post. Researchers were able to catch a glimpse of all 26 members of J pod on camera, including its newest member, J-62. 'The new calf J62 appears to be doing well and was seen bouncing around between J41 and other members of the J19s,' the nonprofit said in the post. They identified J-41 as the baby orca's likely mother a couple of weeks earlier. During this encounter, the nonprofit confirmed the baby orca is a girl, and she appears to be 'filling out nicely.' Instead of the classic white, calves are born with a peachy orange color because they have a thinner blubber layer, so the blood vessels are closer to the skin's surface, the nonprofit said. The calf was first spotted on New Year's Eve, according to a Jan. 1 Facebook post. It was a bittersweet day for researchers though, as they learned of the death of another calf, J-61. The grieving mother, Tahlequah, then carried her dead calf's body, McClatchy News reported. Tahlequah famously carried a different baby's body for 17 days in 2018 — a time known as her 'tour of grief.' However, during the Feb. 8 encounter, the nonprofit said Tahlequah was seen swimming without the calf. Southern Resident killer whales were listed as endangered species in 2005 and are listed as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These whales are made up of three groups: J, K and L pods. They spend summer and fall months in the Puget Sound and in the waters off southern Vancouver Island, NOAA said. J pod frequents the western shore of the San Juan Islands. 'While most other killer whale populations are doing well, the Southern Residents are among the world's most endangered marine mammals,' the federal agency said. Lack of prey (mainly Chinook salmon), chemical pollution and noise disturbances from vessels have all contributed to a decline in their population, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, for this whale population, 69% of births fail, according to a study published by researchers from the University of Washington. Stampede of sea creatures spotted leaping from California water. See 'amazing' moment Rare whale dies after mysteriously trying to strand itself on New Zealand beach Rare 10-foot whale mysteriously washes ashore in Australia, video shows
