Orcas in Trouble Illustration

Last Tuesday an orca calf was spotted dead less than an hour after being born with its mother, one of the Pacific Northwest’s resident killer whales, J35. The death has been linked to a lack in chinook salmon, their primary food source. The baby did not have enough blubber to stay near the surface. Since then the mother has been spotted balancing the dead calf on her head, still pushing it around the region. Regional wildlife scientists say this is a sign of mourning 😔

There are now only 75 orcas left in this residential pod. As someone who lives in Seattle and eats fish I’m personally going to alter my lifestyle choices to reduce the threat to these whales. Here are a few things you might consider doing: 🔸 Stop or reduce consumption of chinook salmon. 🔸 Don’t put grease, fats, oils or food scraps down the drain. This can pollute the local waterways. 🔸 Don’t wash your car in your driveway. The runoff enters the ocean and kills fish. 🔸 Use non-chemical cleaners on your sink and toilet 🔸 You can learn more by going to the Center for Whale Research’s website