Pending one final check, this year’s census of the endangered southern resident killer whale population appears to show a net increase of two orcas – an annual gain matched only four times over the past 20 years. The Center for Whale Research, which conducts the annual census, needs one more encounter with a group of 19 whales in L pod to confirm that no recent births or deaths will alter the final count.
Encouragingly, no deaths have been reported among the adult or juvenile southern residents during the past year. May this welcome trend continue. For years, these endangered orcas have struggled, with many calves being born but far too few surviving to adulthood. The L4 matriline was last seen with a new calf in mid-June along the west side of San Juan Island – a heartening addition to the population and a hopeful sign for the future.
The southern resident orca population has now been monitored and counted for 50 years.
