Featured Image Credit: Holly Fearnbach, NOAA
By: Sarah Sharkey
Southern resident killer whales are the population of orcas that live around the U.S.-Canadian border. These whales are facing habitat degradation, climate change, and a dwindling food supply.
There are only 78 whales left, even with intense protections from both governments. And these are not the only problems; not only has their population dwindled, but also they are not having enough baby orcas.
Healthy and happy killer whales usually give birth every five years. The southern resident population has 30 sexually mature females, this should translate to an average of six new calves every year. Unfortunately, this is not the case at all. In the six years of study, there has been only two or three births per year and sometimes none.
Southern resident whales have an extremely high miscarriage rate of 70%. The miscarriages also occurred late in the term, which is extremely concerning. Based on studies done at the University of Washington, the answer may be in the increasingly smaller number of Chinook salmon available to eat.
With less food in their bellies, the whales are forced to resort to burning their fat reserves, which is full of chemicals thanks to the way the water in their habitat is treated. The developing calf is unable to cope with these toxins in the fat and die before birth.
Hopefully, things will turn around for these whales. But as of now, the future looks very grim.
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