Wednesday February 5, 2025
The Seattle Times —
The endangered southern resident killer whales that visit Puget Sound were listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act 20 years ago this year.
Yet today, there are even fewer members of the J, K, and L pods — just 73 left.
New research is revealing just how fragile these urban whales are, particularly in contrast with the northern residents, which live in the waters of northern Vancouver Island and Southeast Alaska.
The northern residents’ population has been increasing 2.2% a year on average since 1973, said Sheila Thornton, research scientist for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in Canada.
The northern residents’ foraging areas are calmer and quieter, not overlapping shipping lanes, and the population is experiencing less physical and acoustic disturbance, Thornton said.