WASHINGTON — The southern resident orcas may be dealing with another death in the J-pod-- a blow to an already-struggling population.
Experts say these recent deaths are not normal.
This latest loss highlights some complications in the pod.
“J-64”, the recently deceased calf, was “J-42’s” first-born. All of the toxins and contaminants that are found in the water are usually passed on from a mother to her first-born calf, often causing other issues. It’s believed the mother was inbred, though it’s unclear if any of these factors contributed to the calf’s death.
In their July census, the Center for Whale Research announced there are only 74 southern resident killer whales left. The addition of “J-64” was a welcome sign, providing renewed hope, until experts confirmed its death over the weekend.
“We can go a long period of time before seeing any calves born to a certain pod. And, then when we finally do…of course, it’s a huge celebration. We’re all very, very excited,” says Whitney Neugebauer, Director for Whale Scout.
“But, from the science, we know that two-thirds of pregnancies are lost. Half of all the calves don’t even make it through their first year. So no, this isn’t normal. We shouldn’t be seeing all these losses in the population.”
Those stats are concerning. In a healthy population, the numbers are much higher. New calves are born all the time, thriving into adulthood, and birthing calves of their own.
Meanwhile, as the southern resident population dwindles, experts say a couple of small steps could make a massive difference.
The three main threats to our killer whales are toxins in the water, disturbances from vessels, and a lack of Chinook salmon.
Neugebauer says humans can counteract these issues.
“It’s putting a lot of time and interest and resources into our salmon recovery. In the last year, of course we’ve seen huge drop-offs in federal support for salmon…but, also at the state level as well,” she asserts.
Neugebauer urges planting trees, a proactive way to boost the salmon population, which keeps rivers cool, clean, and healthy. She also notes it’s the perfect time of year to do so.
Michael Weiss, the research director with the Center for Whale Research, said the widespread support is the only way we’ll see our southern resident numbers bounce back.
“There are things that need to happen for these whales, like the restoration of the Columbia River Basin…especially, the Snake River, that are gonna require both local, state, and federal support,” Weiss said. “And, that’s not gonna happen unless we have people in those positions of power who actually care.”
Experts assert that whales are getting pregnant on a regular basis. And, Neugebauer would not be surprised if “J-42” gets pregnant again soon.
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