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Southern Resident Connections is an ongoing series where we will share the latest perspectives on endangered Southern Resident killer whales. We'll cover recovery efforts, science, and our vision for protecting and restoring the ecosystem on which the whales and so many others depend.
This series highlights the threads connecting Southern Residents' health, well-being, and chances for successful recovery. Southern Residents are connected to other species in the ecosystem, such as salmon; components of the ecosystem, including terrestrial and aquatic habitats; and all of us—our everyday choices for recreation, yard care, transportation, and many other actions have profound impacts on the species and the ecosystems.
You'll hear from scientists, recovery managers, fish biologists, and others who are working to understand and address the risks to the whales. Some of the efforts they will highlight will be familiar, and others are emerging. We will explain both the challenges we face and the progress we are making.
The Mystery of the Missing DTAG: Biologists Narrow Search for Tag as Time Runs Short
The missing tag eluded scientists like a diving killer whale. Research scientist Sheila Thornton of Fisheries and Oceans Canada learned that she must have been within a stone’s throw of the tag.
Learn more about the race against time to save an overnight record of killer whale behavior
The Mystery of the Missing DTAG: Biologists Search for Lost Tag with Vital Killer Whale Data
Biologists used to studying endangered Southern Resident killer whales spent almost a week in September on a whole different kind of effort. They were searching for a sophisticated tag with a rare overnight record of a whale’s behavior and acoustic world.
Learn more about the race against time to save an overnight record of killer whale behavior
No-Impact Whale Watching: The Whale Trail Builds Knowledge of Whales and Support for Recovery
For years Donna Sandstrom watched Southern Resident killer whales and other whales from shore near her home in West Seattle. It’s perhaps the best urban area in the nation to view these and other cetaceans.
Learn more about no-impact whale watching
Fishery Council Seeks Input on Protecting Prey for Endangered Killer Whales
A workgroup has outlined options for providing for prey needs of endangered Southern Resident killer whales in the course of designing West Coast salmon fishing seasons.
Learn more about options for protecting Southern Resident prey
What is Nearshore Habitat and Why Does it Matter to Orcas?
There is an especially valuable environment in Puget Sound made up of the beaches, bluffs, inlets, and river deltas: the nearshore. Nearshore habitat matters to Southern Resident killer whales because their primary prey, Chinook salmon, need them to grow and find safety when they are young.
Learn more about why nearshore habitat matters
Sound Strategy: Hunting with the Southern Residents, Part 2
Southern Resident killer whales can tell a lot about salmon using only sound. This is especially interesting to Marla Holt, who studies how integral sound is to the lives of Southern Resident killer whales.
Learn more about how killer whales tell one salmon from another with sound
Sound Strategy: Hunting with the Southern Residents, Part 1
This is the time of year when boats multiply on the inland waters of Washington as more people get outdoors for the summer. It is also the time when many long for a precious chance to see the endangered Southern Resident killer whales.
Learn more about how researchers study the foraging behavior of killer whales
L41 is Missing. What Does This Mean for the Southern Residents?
The Center for Whale Research reported in January 2020 that L41, also known as “Mega”, is missing from L-pod. That’s one of three family groups of the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales. With population numbers for the Southern Residents so low, the loss of any individual from the population is troubling.
Learn more about L41’s broad genetic influence on the population
Researchers Probe Orca Poop for Microplastics: Part 2
“There are two ways that the whales could ingest microplastics,” says Kim Parsons, Research Geneticist with NOAA Fisheries’ Northwest Fisheries Science Center. “They could incidentally swallow particles in sea water while eating fish, or they could ingest salmon that are themselves contaminated with microplastic particles.”
Learn more about how microplastics end up in killer whales
Researchers Probe Orca Poop for Microplastics: Part 1
You might worry about your toddler chewing on a plastic toy with toxic chemicals. Some orca researchers are beginning to worry about whales ingesting a gut full of microplastics, and what that might mean for their health.
Learn more about microplastics in whale feces
Killer Whale Recovery Begins With Salmon Habitat, and That Begins With You
Consider this Northwest twist on a familiar saying: “Give a killer whale a salmon, and it will eat for a day. Restore the habitat the salmon and whales depend on, and they will live for generations to come.” At NOAA Fisheries we are determined to get more Chinook salmon to the endangered Southern Resident killer whales, and that begins with more and better habitat.
Learn how you can help improve salmon habitat
West Coast Salmon Fishing and Southern Residents: Part 2
NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region works with the Pacific Fishery Management Council to set salmon fishing seasons. We also set harvest levels at sustainable levels consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Annual catch limits are set to achieve science-based conservation objectives and support recovery of the runs protected by the Endangered Species Act.
Learn how you can take part in the public process of setting salmon seasons
West Coast Salmon Fishing and Southern Residents: Part 1
Southern Resident killer whales feed on Chinook salmon from coastal Pacific waters. Chinook salmon fishing is also a mainstay of the West Coast economy, generating nearly $72 million in income last year. We are working with states, tribes, and the Pacific Fishery Management Council to examine how West Coast fisheries affect prey for the Southern Residents.
Learn more about the impact of salmon fishing on Southern Residents