Southern resident killer whales make first major appearance in Salish Sea after 109 days
Southern resident killer whales made a splash off the coast of B.C. in the Haro Strait on Tuesday evening. It was the first major sighting of the endangered orcas in quite some time.
"A pretty amazing moment actually, because the fog had really moved in, in the late afternoon, and we started hearing vocalizations of the killer whales over the Lime Kiln Hydrophone," said Monika Shields, director of the Orca Behavior Institute.
"And shortly after that the fog cleared right as the whales were coming across the strait, so it was a beautiful evening to see them from San Juan Island," she said.
According to Shields, orcas from all three of the southern resident killer whale pods were in attendance.
"We saw a big portion of K-Pod, about half of L-Pod and at least one family group from J-Pod," said Shields.
Since the 1970’s researchers have considered the inland waters off Vancouver Island as the southern resident’s core summer habitat, from April to September. However, this year the orcas have been mostly absent from the Salish Sea.
Before Tuesday, it had been more than 100 days since anyone saw J-Pod in the Salish Sea, and L-Pod had not been spotted since February.
According to the Orca Behaviour Institute, their absence is connected to a dwindling food supply.
"It’s definitely sounding the alarm bells as to what’s happening with those Fraser River salmon runs that they depend on," said Shields.
"This area is of big cultural importance to the whales as well. This is where they would all come together as an entire community, and it’s probably when a lot of the breeding would happen," she said.
While there is concern over food supply, researchers are feeling optimistic about one of the whales in particular.
"We did see the youngest member of the southern resident population, the newest calf, L-125, who was just born earlier this year," said Shields.
"It was really exciting to see that little one, and it looked to be doing quite well."
But, as quickly as they appeared, the southern resident killer whales seemingly vanished once again.
As of mid-day Wednesday, there have been no further sightings reported.
"The thought is that maybe they turned around and just went right back west again," said Shields. "We’ll see if there are any reports that come in today, but it may have been a very short visit."
Now, the Orca Behavior Institute will begin to increase its monitoring of the orcas to try and determine where they are going and what they are eating. Shields says they will also monitor the killer whales’ physical form to find out if they are getting enough to eat.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Trial begins for Winnipeg serial killer who claims he was mentally ill
The trial of a man who admits he killed four women in Winnipeg is set to begin Wednesday, and a law professor says lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have multiple hurdles to clear for a defence of mental illness.
These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
New Canadian study could be a lifesaver for thousands suffering from CTE
A first-of-its-kind Canadian research study is working towards a major medical breakthrough for a brain disorder, believed to be caused by repeated head injuries, that can only be detected after death.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.