Not one, but two orca calves return with endangered Southern Residents
A second baby orca has been spotted with L pod, a significant discovery as the endangered Southern Resident killer whales have struggled with new births for several years.
Video: playful orcas spotted off California coast
A group of orcas were seen playing near the surface for hours off the coast of California, according to a whale-watching group.
Baby orca spotted with L Pod for the first time in two years
The endangered Southern Resident orcas are returning to the Salish Sea with a new baby in tow this summer.
Work to remove final fish farming net pens underway in Washington waters
Work is beginning to remove the final net pens left in local waters. Still, the fight surrounding the decades-long debate over commercial net pen use in Puget Sound continues.
New law requires WA boaters to keep 1,000 yards from southern resident killer whales
A new bill signed into law Monday requires Washington boaters to keep at least 1,000 yards away from southern resident killer whales.
'Win' for Southern Resident killer whales a 'major blow' to fishing industry
This week, U.S. District Judge Richard Jones made a ruling that would likely shut down the upcoming trolling season for Chinook salmon in Southeast Alaska.
Hood Canal Bridge 'fix' for fish kills now being tested
The Hood Canal Bridge may as well be a dead-end for juvenile salmon, but scientists are testing a fix that could buy them time and save thousands of fish.
Confusion rises over plans to bring Tokitae back to Puget Sound
Over the weekend, plans to return an orca to the Pacific Northwest got a bit more confusing—with the benefactor footing the bill announcing details of a plan, while the CEO of the aquarium in charge responded online calling the statements a “misunderstanding.”
Bringing Tokitae home: How to release a long-captive orca?
For some, it's called to mind the release of Keiko, the star of the movie “Free Willy," more than two decades ago. Keiko’s return to his native Iceland vastly improved upon his life in a Mexico City tank, but he failed to adapt to the wild and died five years later.
It’s official: Agreement in place to bring Tokitae home from Miami Seaquarium to Puget Sound
It’s official: An agreement is in place to bring Tokitae, a Southern Resident killer whale also known as Lolita, home to the Pacific Northwest after she was forcefully removed from a cove near Whidbey Island more than 50 years ago.
Announcement possible for orca Tokitae/Lolita's return to Puget Sound from captivity
The unthinkable may be possible: there are now talks about Tokitae, an orca ripped from her family and flown to the other side of the country, coming home to Puget Sound.
Inbreeding within Southern Resident killer whale adds to extinction threat
A new report, just published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, finds that inbreeding within the critically endangered Southern Resident killer whale population is straining the population.
VIDEO: Record-breaking year for whale sightings in the Pacific Northwest, report
The Pacific Whale Watching Association (PWWA) is calling 2022 a record-breaking year for whale sightings in the Salish Sea.
Ken Balcomb, researcher who championed orcas in the PNW, dies at 82
Ken Balcomb, a researcher who spent five decades studying the Pacific Northwest’s charismatic and endangered killer whales — and whose findings helped end their capture for display at marine parks in the 1970s — died Thursday following an illness. He was 82.
'Quiet Sound' program offers hope for Southern Resident killer whales
Initial data shows 61-percent of commercial vessels voluntarily slowed down in Puget Sound to reduce noise for the endangered orcas.
Ships in North Sound to slow down to reduce noise pollution on orcas
Some ships may be voluntarily slowing down as they cross north Puget Sound through the rest of the year, as part of the ‘Quiet Sound’ program to reduce underwater noise for killer whales.
Philanthropist says bringing Tokitae home is 'a real possibility'
Talks of Tokitae, a captive orca held in Miami, returning to the Salish Sea are beginning again after a surprise rebound in health in recent days.
VIDEO: Orcas and humpback whales battle in the Salish Sea
The Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) witnessed a bizarre event in the Salish Sea on Thursday, which appeared to be a dramatic battle between a group of orcas and a pair of humpback whales.