#SRKW

[derangedhyena-delphinidae]

URGENT! DO YOU WANT TO HELP THE SOUTHERN RESIDENTS? PLEASE HELP US WRITE, CALL AND TEXT!

A lawsuit, National Wildlife Federation vs National Marine Fisheries Service, may finally determine the fate of the 4 Lower Snake River Dams, the salmon who spawn there and the remaining 75 Southern Resident Orca who desperately need salmon to survive. Biden needs to know that we want those dams breached. He's broken enough of his climate promises - let him know that, and the extinction of these amazing animals, isn't an option!

Public comment is also being sought on the matter. Please visit our page, BidenBreachNow, for talking points, social media shareables, and extensive information about why the dams need to go. This is a critical time. Please call, text, write or email, every day if you can, until August 31st. Even if you already have acted and/or shared, please do it again. Please keep sharing because every voice counts! The Snake River was once one of the top salmon rivers in the world. That is sadly no longer the case. Four deadbeat dams on the Lower Snake River have cost an estimated 8 to 9 billion dollars in failed salmon recovery attempts - taxpayer money! - and they lose millions more every year generating unstorable surplus energy. What they do sell is often sold at a loss. The dams continue to get older and costlier to maintain, while solar and wind energy have replaced their power output; energy efficiency alone has done the same seven times over.

These dams aren't even clean energy! Their reservoirs emit huge amounts of methane, which contributes to the climate crisis. Please help spread this if you can, and join in. We have a real chance here to get this done - so let's do it.

As the late and great Ken Balcomb said: "We're at a point in history where we need to wake up to what we have to consider: do we want whales, or not?"

He never stopped fighting for the Southern Residents, and neither should we.

[cipher-the-sidhe]

New baby in L-pod let’s GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! 💜

31 year old L-90 Ballena and her first baby. Fingers crossed the little one survives and is a female! It’d be great to see this matriline pull back from the brink.

In typical Ballena fashion, she’s being a bit peculiar, and she and her calf have been traveling alone around Lime Kiln without the rest of the pod. Wonder what that’s about, and when these two will meet back up with the rest of L pod?

[trua23]

The residents

[scapegrace74-blog]

A little something extra special happened this Christmas. A new orca baby, J60, was observed in the Puget Sound of Washington State. The baby was born sometime between December 23rd and 27th, so Feliz Navidad, little one.

The number of critically endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales alive in the wild now stands at 76.

(Source)

[swirlingyouintomypoems]

Has peta ever said anything abt the vaquita or southern residents or are they too busy getting mad at seaworld for having animals they literally can’t release

[semiotomatics]

NEW CALF IN J POD THIS IS NOT A DRILL THERE'S BEEN A NEW J POD CALF SPOTTED!!! 😭😭😭

[cetacean-central]

Unfortunately new research is showing the southern residents are quite inbred, this is impacting their recovery :(

[believeyourstory]

I wonder if the whales will know… the man who used to follow them on the water for 46 years is gone. The one who championed for them and their survival. Who celebrated their births and mourned their deaths with them. I wonder if they will feel it. My heart just aches. The man who loved them so, he devoted half his life for them to ensure they had a future in this world.

Rest easy Ken.

[ahhscheisse]

New prints and stickers are up in my shops! I got some Loving Orca prints and holographic art stickers on etsy and a whole bunch’a other stuff on redbubble and threadless. Check em out, if ya wanna.

[jackalopegirlantlers]

j26 mike kelping 🖤

[killerwhaleartist]

One of the greatest accomplishments and milestones, as an artist, is finishing your first ever mural. I was commissioned to come down to Penn Cove, WA and paint a piece of Tokitae that would send a message. Many years ago, in 1970, 80 whales were rounded up in Penn Cove. 7 of these whales would be taken for a life of captivity, Tokitae included. 5 orcas would drown in the capture process and their bodies would be cut open and filled with rocks so as to sink them. Their bodies were secretly disposed of to prevent them being added to the tally of whales caught during this process. Throughout the years, each orca taken from the captured died a premature death. None reaching their average life expectancy. All except for one: Tokitae. Despite some of the most deplorable conditions known to man and orca captivity history, Tokitae managed to outlive her kin. She has been surviving in what is known as “The Whale Bowl” in Miami Seaquarium. This tank is falling apart, doesn’t keep up to code, and is slowly turning into Tokitae’s tomb. It is hoped that the Dolphin Company, Florida officials, and veterinarian staff will do the right thing and bring Tokitae home to the Puget Sound. Let her live the rest of her days in a seapen, retired from entertainment and a lifetime of mistreatment.

If you’d like to visit this mural, go to Scenic Heights on Whidbey Island. Follow the road and look for the house with orcas!

[derangedhyena-delphinidae]

John Carlos Frey wants to make a documentary like we've never seen in this space before. "John Carlos Frey is an investigative reporter, documentary filmmaker and author. He has dedicated his career to exposing the abuses of government and those in positions of power. He has a proven track record and is a strong advocate for the voiceless. Mr. Frey's work has been featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, PBS, Hulu and HBO to name a few. His work has garnered critical acclaim and six Emmy Awards." Please help us spread the word about his fundraiser so we can get more eyes - and hopefully more money - on this project. It will be an invaluable piece of media and is sorely needed.

[cipher-the-sidhe]

Meet L-112: Sooke. This young female Southern Resident Orca died of blunt force trauma, cause unknown. Learning from her tragically young death can do a lot of good for further preserving and protecting her critically endangered living family in L, K, and J pods.

This big boy is L-8, Moclips! You can’t really get a good idea of how big this 18 year old bull was, even with me standing dwarfed next to his skeleton, but he was HUGE!

(Skeletons on display at the Whale Museum on San Juan island, WA)

[trua23]

A southern resident spy hops in the Salish Sea

[scapegrace74-blog]

A wonderful Canada Day gift.

The critically endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale population has increased by 2.   Two new babies in L pod were officially recorded for the first time yesterday in the Strait of Georgia (between Vancouver and Vancouver Island).  They are estimated to be about 2 months old and look healthy.

The number of SRKW alive in the wild now stands at 76.

(Source)

[snini-9]

Kenneth C. Balcomb (1940-2022)

With profound sadness, the Center for Whale Research announces the passing of our beloved founder and longtime leader Kenneth C. Balcomb.

Ken’s family and loved ones surrounded him in his final hours on December 15, 2022. He was 82 years old.

Ken was a pioneer and legend in the whale world. But more importantly, he was the North Star, a guiding light. Over half a century of whale research and advocacy, he lit a path for tens of thousands to follow. He was a scientist with a deep-rooted love and connection to the whales and their ocean habitat. He inspired others to appreciate both as much as he did.

Ken spent much of his career detailing and documenting the lives of the Southern Resident Orca population in the Pacific Northwest’s Salish Sea. His groundbreaking Orca Survey study determined that the Resident orcas needed more food abundance in a healthy habitat to survive. He continually heralded his message to the world: “No fish, No Blackfish.” [No Chinook salmon, No Southern Resident orcas].

The Center for Whale Research’s Southern Residents orca research began in 1976; it is the longest study of this population. Ken’s goal was always for CWR’s research to continue for 150 years, provided there were whales to study. All of us at CWR share Ken’s vision and mission to preserve and protect the magnificent Southern Resident killer whales. He often said about the critically endangered Southern Residents: “I’m not going to count them to zero, at least not quietly.” The CWR board of directors and staff are dedicated to continuing Ken Balcomb’s life’s work.

Thank you, Ken. We will carry you in our hearts forever.

Images and words courtesy of the Center for Whale Research

---v Snini’s words v---

I never got to meet Ken in person, but I did have the privilege of hearing him give a presentation during an online webinar. I remember that when he switched tabs, there was a document on in the background (I believe it was a report from NOAA) that he had written a note over saying, “Can we get a word count on this?” and during that presentation, he had expressed his frustration on the lack of salmon recovery being done by the government, saying something along the lines of, “Whales can’t eat words and if they put one salmon in the river for each word they typed, there wouldn’t be a salmon issue.” I know he, like Michael Bigg does, will continue to inspire others to continue his work. I wish I could have met him, but he will continue to be the reason I aspire to do research. I hope he rests easy and my heart goes out for his family and the Center for Whale Research.