Latest news with #OrcaNetwork
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Orcas spotted swimming in Seattle's Elliott Bay
A welcome sight Thursday morning: Orcas in the Puget Sound. Experts say there's one distinct thing people should know about these pods. They're killer Biggs, not the endangered Southern Resident Orcas we normally discuss. But, they were visible at Elliott Bay early Thursday, bringing out spectators and whale enthusiasts hoping to catch a glimpse of this majestic marine wildlife. Howard Garrett says sightings like these, though not unusual, are special. Those Biggs, or transient killer whales, are on the hunt for food. It's a search that could end up benefitting our Southern Residents in the long run. 'They're really doing the Southern Residents a favor by culling a lot of the seals and sea lions that do devour the salmon,' confirms Garrett, Co-Founder and Board President of Orca Network. 'I don't think they have that pre-arranged,' he continued, 'But, it is a de facto help to the Southern Residents.' Whether it's the killer Biggs or our Southern Residents, Garrett reminds us that they're just trying to find food for themselves and their family. They can be easily disturbed if people get too noisy or venture too close. While these Biggs are mainly going after seals and sea lions, Whitney Neugebauer of Whale Scout, an organization that specializes in land-based whale-watching experiences, says recent legislation should be a deterrent to those sharing the water with marine wildlife. 'I hope people do pay attention to the laws that are out there and heed the warnings because tickets will be handed out,' says Neugebauer. 'It's just really important for people to be respectful.' Meanwhile, those laws Neugebauer is referring to include statewide legislation enacted January 1 that requires everyone, from large vessels to individual paddleboarders, to keep their distance. The intent to protect our Southern Residents is clear. Washington State law now requires all watercraft to stay 1,000 yards away from orcas. That includes motorized boats and ships. But, also kayaks and paddleboarders. 'Managers are very serious about vessels and whales being too close,' warns Neugebauer. 'And, the main reason is so that the noise levels are dropping so that the whales are able to navigate, communicate, and find prey.' If one of our Southern Residents gets within 400 yards, boaters must shut off their engines, luff their sails, or stop paddling. Otherwise, the penalty is costly. Violations are punishable with a $500 fine. It could be worse, though. Compare that penalty to British Columbia, Canada, where a woman was recently fined $2,500 for getting too close to an orca while riding her paddleboard. As for our waters, there's also the 'Quiet Sound' Program. It's a voluntary effort to reduce the impact of commercial vessels on our marine ecosystems. All of which could help sightings, like today's, become more and more commonplace.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Meet ‘Ocean Sun', the nearly 100-year-old Southern Resident Orca crowned oldest in the world
Experts say one of our Southern Resident Orcas will soon turn 100 years old! 'Ocean Sun', also known as L25, is considered the oldest orca in the world. However, she hasn't had an easy life. Howard Garrett with the Orca Network details a life full of tragedy and hardship. In fact, Garrett says Ocean Sun should've died years ago, but she persevered. Ocean Sun was tentatively born in 1928, making her 97 years old. Researchers say this is an estimated age as records before 1950 aren't great, but they are confident in their estimation. She has distinctive white markings, including a 'hook shape' white mark near her dorsal fin. 'When she comes up next you know it, she's a big whale,' Garrett said. She is part of the Southern Resident L Pod. She has survived polluted water, famine, and even capture. In August 1970, Ocean Sun's pod was herded into Penn Cove off Whidbey Island. 'That's where the captures took place,' Garrett said. 'Where the net pens were set up, where they pushed mothers away to net babies, and haul them away.' Around 100 orcas were ripped from the Puget Sound during those captures. 'It's believed that Tokitae, later renamed Lolita by her captors, was her daughter. She was hauled away,' Garrett said. Lolita was sold to the Miami Seaquarium, never seeing Ocean Sun again. She spent the rest of her life in that tank, dying in 2023. Garrett tells us Ocean Sun's entire known bloodline was killed or sold to the highest bidder over time. 'It was a horrendous day, kind of the scene of a massacre from their point of view,' Garrett said. The echoes of distress still linger off Penn Cove's docks today. Whidbey Island resident Susan Lin said she often comes to the pier near the cove, saying she can't help but think about what happened. 'It's shocking to think there are individuals who view this as theirs for the taking,' Lin said. 'To do that type of mass roundup is horrifying.' That isn't the only threat she's faced in her lifetime. 'Even more than the captures, has been the lack of Chinook Salmon,' Garrett said. Researchers say there's been a major food shortage for more than 30 years, but Ocean Sun always adapts. 'She's a survivor, I don't know how she does it,' mused Garrett. In November, the L pod returned to the 1970 capture sites for the first time. Garrett said this shows orcas forgive, but don't forget. 'She shared those stories, she described somehow what happened because they behaved very strangely right over the capture sites,' Garrett said. Garrett says the orcas paced and did tricks for hours, which could be seen as a cleansing of some sort. Ocean Sun may not be related to the L Pod by blood, but she is a leader. Garrett said those orcas treat her like the mother she should've had a chance to be. He tells us Ocean Sun appears to be in great health, against all odds. The Orca Network is looking forward to celebrating her 100 years spent in the Puget Sound in 2028.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Orca advocates beg for solutions as salmon shortage threatens whale population
Orca advocates are begging federal leaders to help keep the Puget Sound's Southern Residents alive. Advocates say the Federal government is keeping a fish supply behind dams during a major salmon shortage. The salmon need to be able to swim upstream to reproduce, but can't naturally due to the dams. Experts say if drastic measures aren't taken soon, the Southern Resident Orcas may go extinct from starvation. The Orca Network, founded by Howard Garrett, is at the forefront of this mission. Garrett tells us he has been trying to fight for the whales since 1976 and will continue to do so. The Orca Network is a tracking and research group based on Whidbey Island. 'It's the longest continuous study of any population of whales anywhere in the world,' Howard said. They have studied the impacts of the 1970 Penn Cove Captures, the loss of Chinook Salmon, and environmental effects for decades. He tells us the captures wiped out an entire generation of Puget Sound Orcas. It took decades for the population to increase their numbers. Now, the salmon shortage is at the forefront of the decreasing Orca population. 'Those Chinook have become incredibly scarce due to many factors,' Garrett said. 'Overfishing, habitat destruction, we've hardened the shorelines and hurt the estuaries, even dammed the rivers.' The dams are operated by the federal government, meaning the orca's fate is in the hands of Washington D.C. To increase the population, NOAA studies show the remaining Chinook Salmon need to swim upstream to lay eggs and reproduce, but the dams operated by the Army Corps of Engineers prevent that from happening naturally. 'The only way to restore those salmon is to remove those dams, it's universal in the scientific community, that needs to be done,' Garrett said. If that doesn't happen, Garrett tells us the Southern Residents will eventually starve to death, going from endangered to extinct. 'It's absolutely the lack of nutrition that's often killing the calves before they are even born,' Garrett said. The Orca Network is trying to convince lawmakers to take up their cause. They tell us the group has sent over many petitions and studies along with Orca Network representatives to state offices. They say they never got a response about removing the dams. Advocates say they spend each day fighting for the 73 remaining residents so that future generations can experience the orca's magic, too. 'It's completely universal, it's non-denominational, nonpartisan, every person has that response to whales when they see them,' Garrett said. We reached out to Washington lawmakers to see if they are considering options to save the Southern Resident Orca population, but we have not received a reply.
