Southern Resident Killer Whales

By: Madison Ross

All About The Southern Resident Killer Whales

Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW) are a small population of resident killer whales composed of three pods; J, K, and L. These three pods are actually a large extended family, or clan, and together, called a super pod, make up the southern resident whale population. There are three types of killer whales, resident, transient, and offshore. Off the resident orcas, there are three populations found between the state of Washington and Alaska, one of these populations being the southern resident killer whales. The SRKW diet, range, social behavior, kinship and linguistics are distinct from other killer whale populations in the Pacific Northwest. They’re called resident killer whales because for half of the year they spend time foraging in inland waters and mostly eat only salmon for prey, as opposed to other types of orcas who will prey on marine mammals, such as seals. The SRKW is the only population found in the United States. They spend most of their time (from spring to fall) in the inshore waters of the Salish Sea. In the winter they are seen along the Pacific Coast of the U.S., mainly because this is where they find their main food source, salmon. In years past they have been seen as far south as Monterey, California and as far north as Southeast Alaska.

Watch this video on the L-pod!!!!

What’s Changed?

Annual updates on SRKW population occurs on July 1. As of July 1, 2015 the SRKW population totaled 81. The L pod has 35 individuals, the J pod 27, and the K pod 19. The SRKW population was significantly decreased from 1965-1975 as killer whales were being captured for marine parks. At least 13 of the SRKW were killed and about 45 were captured and sold to marine parks around the world. Today of these captured whales, only one remains alive at the Miami Seaquarium. From 1996- 2001 the population experienced a 20% decrease, an alarming rate for an already small population.

Southern Resident Orca Community Demographics, Composition of Pods, Births and Deaths since 1998 Updated October 25, 2015 (provided by orcanetwork.org J pod ID M/F DOB J2 F 1911 J14 F 1974 J16 F 1972* J17 F 1977 J19 F 1979 J22 F 1985 J26 M 1991 J27 M 1991 J28 F 1993 J31 F 1995 J34 M 1998 J35 F 1998 J36 F 1999 J37 F 2001 J38 M 2003 J39 M 2003 J40 F 2004 J41 F 2005 J42 F 2007 J44 M 2009 J45 M 2009 J46 F 2009 J47 M 2010 J49 M 2012 J50 F 2014 J51 M 2015 J52 M 2015 J53 U 2015 K pod ID M/F DOB K12 F 1972 K13 F 1972 K14 F 1977 K16 F 1985 K20 F 1986 K21 M 1986 K22 F 1987 K25 M 1991 K26 M 1993 K27 F 1994 K33 M 2001 K34 M 2001 K35 M 2002 K36 F 2003 K37 M 2004 K38 M 2004 K42 M 2008 K43 F 2010 K44 M 2011 L pod (1) ID M/F DOB L22 F 1971 L25 F 1928 L27 F 1965 L41 M 1977 L47 F 1974 L54 F 1977 L55 F 1977 L72 F 1986 L77 F 1987 L82 F 1990 L83 F 1990 L84 M 1990 L85 M 1991 L86 F 1991 L87 M 1992 L88 M 1993 L89 M 1993 L90 F 1993 L pod (2) ID M/F DOB L91 F 1995 L92 M 1995 L94 F 1995 L95 M 1996 L103 F 2003 L105 M 2004 L106 M 2005 L108 M 2006 L109 M 2007 L110 M 2007 L113 F 2009 L115 M 2010 L116 M 2010 L117 M 2010 L118 F 2011 L119 F 2012 L121 M 2015 L122 U 2015

On January 24, 2008, the SRKW were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

After the 20% decrease of their population from 1965 to 1975, their numbers continued to decline, reaching astonishingly low numbers. The main causes are thought to be a decline in their prey of salmon, particularly Chinook. There have also been an increased disturbance due to private and commercial whale watching ships. And finally, they have continually been exposed to high levels of toxins, including PCB, PBDE, and DDT, which are stored in their fat.  

The Plan

Due to the uncertainty surrounding the exact cause of the SRKW decline the recovery plan outlines an adaptive management approach with a recovery strategy to address each suspected threat. The plan seeks to address the following problems:

• Prey Availability
• Pollution/Contamination
• Vessel Effects
• Oil Spills
• Acoustic Effects
• Education and Outreach
• Response to Sick, Stranded, Injured Killer Whales
• Transboundary and Interagency Coordination
• Research and Monitoring

The goal of the plan is to increase the SRKW population to where they no longer require protection under the ESA.

-If the population grows by 2.3% in the next 28 years or they are no longer in danger of extinction, they will be delisted from the ESA.

-If the population grows by 2.3% in the next 14 years and show sustained growth they will be downlisted to threatened (likely to become endangered).

-Assuming it takes 28 years for recovery, the estimated cost of recovery would be about $49,540,000.

-To view the entire recovery plan click here.

What Can You Do?

If you want to get involved to restore the population of the SRKW, there are many ways you can help!

1. If you want to view killer whales in their natural habitat, do so through a reputable whale watching company, rather than from a private boat. Killer whales are very sensitive to noise and disturbance from boats and whale watching can disrupt their habits. Better yet, watch the whales from land using thewhaletrail.org, a website that tells you the best locations to watch whales from shore.
2. Alert researchers when you spot killer whales. You can contact them through the website orcanetwork.org or the Salish Sea Hydrophone Network.
3. Look for opportunities to get involved/alert people of the declining salmon population, esp. Chinook salmon.
4. Choose to eat sustainably harvested salmon or other seafood. Check out the app Seafood Watch!
5. Dispose of chemicals and toxins properly. Never dump them down the toilet or sink, etc.

References:

http://www.orcanetwork.org

http://conservationbiology.uw.edu/research-programs/killer-whales/

http://www.epa.gov/salish-sea/southern-resident-killer-whales

http://www.whaleresearch.com