Quick, name three things that remind you of Puget Sound . Chances are one of them is the orca also known as the killer whale. Orcas (Orcinus orca) can grow to 32 feet in length and weigh as much as 18,000 pounds. Orcas have a lifespan of 25 to 90 years, with females living longer than males. They form family groups called pods. The typical pod often numbers between three and 25 individuals, but can reach a maximum of about 50.

Several different populations of killer whales visit Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

  • Southern Resident. Southern Resident orcas are the most common visitors to Washington . They spend their summers around Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands (in the waters of both the U.S. and British Columbia ) and may travel throughout the Sound at other times of the year. Their favorite prey is chinook salmon. The Southern Residents are composed of three family groups of whales that have been named J, K and L pods. Individual animals are identified by a number based on pod membership and birth order.
  • Transient. Transient orcas prey on seals and other marine mammals, travel mainly offshore in small groups and are occasional visitors to the inland waters of Puget Sound . Their range extends from Alaska to Central California.
  • Northern Resident. Northern Resident orcas are fish-eaters that travel in pods and spend much of their time in British Columbia but occasionally enter Washington waters.

What’s the problem?

The Southern Resident orcas were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in November 2005. The listing signifies that the orcas are at risk of extinction.

Population size. The population of Southern Resident orcas hovers around 87. For the most up-to-date count, visit www.orcanetwork.org/news/birthsdeaths.html. The historic population of Puget Sound orcas, before European settlement, was estimated at 150-250 whales.

Between 1974 and 1995, Southern Resident orca populations increased to 98 but dropped sharply in 2001 to 81 whales, a loss of 17 percent. Although the number of Southern Resident orcas has increased to around 87, these animals continue to face threats to their health from a number of stresses including PBTs and other contaminants and declines in prey. The whales are also at risk from major oil spills and from increased noise from whale-watching boats and other vessels.

Contaminated food source? Southern Resident orcas, which feed mainly on salmon returning to Puget Sound and the southern Georgia Basin, have three times the level of PCBs and four times the level of flame retardants (also called PBDEs) of the Northern Residents, which feed primarily on salmon from further north in the Georgia Basin waters.

Transient orcas, which occasionally visit Puget Sound and the Georgia Basin and feed primarily on marine mammals such as harbor seals, have higher levels of both PBDEs and PCBs than the salmon-preferring resident orcas. Although the Washington Department of Health has recommended that humans limit their meals of Puget Sound chinook, the Southern Resident orca continue to consume them as a major food source.

No consistent trend data exists for contaminant levels in orca because of the risk of stressing or harming the mammals during the sampling process. Samples are usually collected from dead, beached carcasses and feces.

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What’s being done?

Researchers have collected information on the Southern Resident population for more than 30 years. But there are still major gaps in knowledge, such as where the animals go when they are not in Puget Sound or how much of the orcas’ preferred food source—salmon—is needed to sustain a healthy population.

In the United States

  • Orca conservation plan. As a result of the Southern Residents’ endangered listing, NOAA Fisheries proposed an Orca Recovery Plan in late 2006. It is slated for adoption by the end of 2007. The proposed plan lists a number of factors scientists say are likely responsible for the whale’s decline. These include prey availability, pollution, oil spills and the effects of vessel traffic and underwater noise. The proposed plan suggests a variety of ways to address these issues, including new research, better coordination with other state and federal agencies, cleanup and improved monitoring of contaminated sites in the sound, and better response to rescuing live-stranded animals and determining the cause of death of those that do not survive. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and other state agencies are already at work addressing components of the plan.
  • Critical habitat. In late 2006, NOAA Fisheries announced a final critical habitat designation for the Southern Residents that encompass 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. For more information, visit NOAA Fisheries’ Web page on Critical Habitat for Southern Resident Killer Whales. 
  • Vessel effects. Public comment closed June 20, 2007 on a plan proposed by NOAA Fisheries regarding potential regulations to protect killer whales in Washington State from the effects of various vessel activities. As part of its Orca Conservation Plan, NOAA identified vessel effects, including physical interference and sound, as a potential contributing factor in the population’s decline. For more information, visit NOAA Fisheries’ Web site on Vessel Effects on Killer Whales.  

In Canada

  • Species at Risk Act. Canada listed both the northern and Southern Resident whales under its Species at Risk Act.
In the U.S. and Canada
  • Researching contaminants in orca. The Puget Sound Assessment and Monitoring Program, coordinated by the Puget Sound Partnership, works collaboratively with WDFW, the Cascadia Research Collective and Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to research contaminants in orcas--and harbor seals.
  • Working with Canada . The Partnership, DFO and NOAA Fisheries are coordinating cross-border work on conservation planning for orcas.
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