Featured Image Credit: Ocean EcoVentures
By Sarah Sharkey
A young orca was recently spotted in the Salish Sea, the waters between Washington and Canada. The calf was spotted and photographed by Ocean EcoVentures in mid-April. The calf is probably less than one month old according to the Pacific Whale Watch Association. The calf is referred to as T065A6 and the newest member of the population. And he is absolutely adorable!
Although this is extremely exciting news, it does not mean that good things are happening for the critically endangered southern resident killer whales that we generally associate with this area. The new calf is a Brigg’s killer whale and a part of the T population, which means his pod is a transient group that does not live in the area permanently.
The southern resident killer whales are still struggling. Their population dropped from 83 in 2016 to 76 in 2017. Slowly, these animals are slipping away. The pressures on their general environment are proving to be very detrimental. The two biggest threats include increasing noise from shipping traffic and a decreasing supply of their staple food. Hopefully, things will turn around soon but for now, it is not looking good for our favorite southern residents.
Learn more from our source here.