DFO Resident Killer Whale Recovery Strategies

Two distinct populations of killer whales (Orcinus orca), known as the northern and southern residents, occupy the waters off the west coast of British Columbia. In 2001, COSEWIC designated southern resident killer whales as ‘endangered’, and northern resident killer whales as ‘threatened’. Both populations are listed in Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA). These two populations are acoustically, genetically and culturally distinct. Resident killer whale populations in British Columbia are presently considered to be at risk because of their small population size, low reproductive rate, and the existence of a variety of anthropogenic threats that have the potential to prevent recovery or to cause further declines. Principal among these anthropogenic threats are environmental contamination, reductions in the availability or quality of prey, and both physical and acoustic disturbance. Even under the most optimistic scenario (human activities do not increase mortality or decrease reproduction), the species’ low intrinsic growth rate means that the time frame for recovery will be more than one generation (25 years).

Consultation period: 2007-6-21 to 2007-8-20
Files

PDF - Recovery Strategy for the Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) in Canada (Proposed)

Text -Recovery Strategy for the Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) in Canada (Proposed)

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Photos for Whales

Print photography available - donate to marine research and conservation by purchasing marine wildlife photography.

aquagreenmarine.org

aquagreenmarine.org is back online!

(aka - aquagreen.org)

Click - Aquagreen Marine Research Website

Sea Otters Holding Hands

New Baby Girl for J pod

Photographs taken May 6, 2007, off Freshwater Bay (west of Port Angeles, WA) lead staff at the Center for Whale Research to believe that J42 is a female based on the distinctive markings on the underside of the belly of this young calf (seen May 2, 2007, J42 joins pod, traveling alongside mother J16).

Willy Sighting!

OrcaNetwork - April 27
Jeff Dodd of Langley called to report what he was pretty sure was a False Killer whale, observed 3 miles north of Protection Island (near Port Townsend). The whale surfaced several times near the boat, & seemed very curious about the boat, then left.
There is a lone False Killer whale in the Salish Sea area that shows up periodically, & seems to like to approach boats - this could be a possible sighting - I have seen it in this area in the past - susan berta

Orca Network Link

Willy Link

Ecuador say NO to whaling and VOTE!

More here...

Orca Sound Project

These real-time hydrophone streams are brought to you by:

Beam Reach Marine Science and Sustainability School

Colorado College Physics and Environmental Science Departments

The Whale Museum of Friday Harbor

With generous support from NOAA.

A growing coalition of scientists, educators, and citizens are working together to expand a regional hydrophone network in the Salish Sea. This site presents the status of the network and is an experiment in sharing real-time underwater sound from different "nodes" of the network via the Internet.

click - Orca Sound

DFO Recovery Strategy for Transients

The long-term goal of this recovery strategy is:

To attain long-term viability of the West Coast transient killer whale population by providing the conditions necessary to preserve the population’s reproductive potential, genetic variation, and cultural continuity.

To achieve this goal objectives have been established for the next five years.

Population Objectives
• population size will remain at or above the current level
• number of breeding females in the population will remain at neutral or positive growth rate levels
• determine numerical and demographic population objectives that represent long-term viability for this population

Distribution Objectives
• continue to utilize their known range
• prey will be available, in quantities adequate to support recovery, throughout the currently known range
• studies to determine how range is utilized at a population and sub-population level

Recovery Objectives
• average contaminant load will decline below current levels
• prey populations will be protected from anthropogenic factors
• current measures to protect from vessel disturbance will be maintained or expanded if determined necessary
• will not be exposed to acute or chronic sound levels in excess of those considered to cause behavioural or physical harm in cetaceans
• quantity, quality and distribution of prey necessary to sustain or increase the current population level will be determined
• greater understanding of the impacts of contaminants and other biological and non-biological pollutants will be developed
• the effects of vessel disturbance on will be evaluated
• a more comprehensive understanding of the impacts of chronic and anthropogenic ambient noise will be developed

Ref.

North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog

North Atlantic Right Whale catalog on line .

DFO DRAFT ACTION PLAN: BLUE, FIN, SEI AND RIGHT WHALES

DFO LAUNCHES DRAFT ACTION PLAN TO RECOVER BLUE, FIN, SEI AND RIGHT WHALES IN PACIFIC CANADIAN WATERS

Antarctic Killer Whale Calls

Headphones on, drifting in a small inflatable, protected by a thin layer of rubber from an unimaginable amount of icy-water.


(photo & audio by greenpeace)

mp3

Lots of echolocation click trains indication of whales preying on schooling fish and repetitious calls to maintain cohesion of foraging groups.

SRKW Calls

Southern Resident Killer Whale Vocal Dialect Catalogue

The following calls were recorded in the presence of all southern resident killer whale pods, J, K and L, on September 26th and 30th, 2006, near Stuart Island in Haro Strait:

S1

S1_1

S1_2

S1_3

S1_6


S2i

S2iii


S6


S16

S16_1

S16_2

S16_3


S37i


S40

aquagreen.org

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Witty's Lagoon

Lobaria pulmonaria / Lungwort
Lichens have a layer of green algae under an outer skin of fungus. The internal clumps on this lichen are cyanobacteria (cephalodiums). Cyanobacteria can take nitrogen gas from the air and turn it into biologically usable compounds, so lichens with cyanobacteria can make major contributions to soil fertility. The non-sexual reproductive structures on the surface are soraliums, little balls of algae wrapped in threads of fungus (soredia) emerge from the soralium to be dispersed. Some lichens make entire non-sexual reproductive packages in the form of soredia or isidia, which are tiny projections from the surface of the lichen that can break off easily and grow into a new lichen. Most lichens are very brittle when they're dry, and some depend on just plain breakage to produce fragments that, like soredia and isidia, can be blown around by wind, washed along by water, or carried off as passengers on insects or birds. Other lichen fungi make spores to form a new lichen. These fungal spores need to capture new photosynthetic partners after they germinate. Some apparently steal them from other lichens. This lichen is used in Britain as an indicator of undisturbed ecosystems. It reminded medieval European healers of lung tissue, and they took this as a sign that it was a remedy for lung ailments. First Nations of British Columbia used it as a treatment for coughing up blood and for lung troubles. Lobaria pulmonaria was used at a Siberian monastery long ago in brewing a bitter beer.

Merry Christmas!

Goldstream Salmon Run

Blue Fjord Sinks

The Blue Fjord lays to rest in Toba Inlet, northeast of Campbell River, after a Hemlock log pierced her hull yesterday. Captain Mike and dog Shadow spent the night in the dingy cut off from civilization for 17hours. Thankfully they are safe, his wife Judy was flying up to meet him and they were spotted from the air.

NOAA SRKW Recovery Plan and Critical Habitat

The critical habitat designation encompasses parts of Haro Strait and the waters around the San Juan Islands, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and all of Puget Sound, a total of just over 2,500 square miles. The agency is excluding from the designation 18 military sites covering nearly 112 square miles of habitat.

Proposed Recovery Plan for Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) (PDF)

SRKW SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGS 2006

The symposium offered eight individual sessions focused on answering these high priority research questions for each of the following topics:

• Genetics
• Population dynamics
• Contaminants
• Prey
• Energetics
• Distribution and habitat
• Vessel traffic
• Noise

FULL REPORT