Thursday, November 18, 2010

November 18, 2010: Return of the Southern Resident Orcas: Holding Steady in a Tough Environment

'Tis the season for sighting southern resident orcas in the Puget Sound. From November through February orcas leave their summer home in the San Juans to follow winter salmon runs. Listed as endangered, their numbers are barely holding steady; down from 97 a decade ago to 87 today. Persistent risk factors include declining salmon runs, noisy marine waters and persistent toxins.

Listen here:




1 comment:

Scott Veirs said...

Nice piece, overall, Martha.

A few comments though --

"Long ago these calls would have signaled the hunt."

Are you suggesting that the Duwamish hunted southern residents? I'm not aware of such a history.

Also, I think the strong summer 2010 salmon runs were sockeye. I'm not sure if Chinook runs were also stronger than usual.