Endangered orca 'grandmother' missing, likely dead
Researchers at the Washington state-based Center for Whale Research say that a prolific southern resident killer whale (SRKW) matriarch is missing, and is assumed to have died.
The orca, L47, was roughly 47 years old and has three surviving children and two grandchildren.
L47 was last seen on Feb. 27, "where she did not appear to be in particularly poor condition," according to the Center for Whale Research.
However, she has not been spotted since.
"She was subsequently missing from surveys conducted by our colleagues at Fisheries and Oceans Canada conducted in the western Strait of Juan de Fuca in the early summer months," said the centre in a release Monday.
In September, researchers with the centre spotted members of L47's family six times – including encounters with her children and grandchildren – but L47 herself was never seen.
"Her repeated absence meets our criteria for declaring a whale missing and likely deceased," said the centre.
L47's offspring
L47 was born in 1974 and went on to have seven calves who lived long enough to be named, "the most of any Southern Resident," said the centre.
However, four of the seven calves did not survive their first year.
Of the three surviving calves, one is a young male, L115, and two are adult females, L83 and L91.
Both L83 and L91 have given birth to sons, L110 and L122.
Researchers say the loss of L47 could have rippling affects for the endangered southern resident killer whale population and her family line.
"Center for Whale Research data shows that older, post-reproductive females hold key leadership roles in this society, particularly when food is scarce," said the centre.
Researchers say that L47's son is now three times more likely to die within the next two years compared to a male of the same age that has a mother, and L47's two grandchildren "have an approximately six-fold increase in their risk of death in the next two years," assuming salmon populations are close to the seasonal average.
"With lower salmon abundance, this risk increases," said the center.
The centre adds that southern resident K21, who was seen to be in poor health earlier this summer, is now confirmed to be dead.
As of Monday, the southern resident killer whale population is believed to be down to 73 individuals, down from 74 at the beginning of July.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.