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Pacific killer whales are dying new research shows why
In the 1990s, an abrupt decline in the fish-eating southern resident population dropped to 75 whales from 98
A female killer whale leaps from the water in Puget Sound near Seattle. (AP Photo: Elaine Thompson)
December 22, 2020
Killer whales are icons of the northeastern Pacific Ocean. They are intimately associated with the region’s natural history and First Nations communities. They are apex predators, with females living as long as 100 years old, and recognized as sentinels of ecosystem health and some populations are currently threatened with extinction.
There are three major types of killer whales in the region: the “resident” populations that feed mainly on salmon, the “transients” that prey on other marine mammals like seals and sea lions, and the “offshores” that transit along the continental shelf, eating fish and sharks.
New research finds many healthy Pacific killer whales died after being sliced by propellers or struck.
Stephen Raverty is an adjunct professor in veterinary pathology at the University of British Columbia.
Joseph K. Gaydos is the wildlife veterinarian and science director for the The SeaDoc Society, University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. SHARES Orcas are apex predators and sentinels of ecosystem health. Some populations are threatened with extinction.
Photo via Shutterstock.
Killer whales are icons of the northeastern Pacific Ocean. They are intimately associated with the region’s natural history and First Nations communities. They are apex predators, with females living as long as 100-years-old, and recognized as sentinels of ecosystem health and some populations are currently threatened with extinction.