'They're our relatives.' Samish Indian Nation prepares to welcome new orca calf to Puget Sound Since the recent birth of a southern resident orca calf, Coast Salish tribes have begun preparing for the naming ceremony that will officially welcome their new relative to the community. Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez
In life and death, Tokitae the orca sparks a reckoning In life, Tokitae the orca became a symbol to the humans who surrounded her; taking on a different meaning to each person. In her story "The Call of Tokitae", reporter Caitlin Gibson chronicles the orca's life and death through the people who knew her best. Libby Denkmann Noel Gasca Play AudioListen 34 mins
Endangered baby orca J60 missing, presumed dead The baby orca known as J60 is missing and presumed dead, according to the Center for Whale Research. John Ryan
Orcas are actually not one species, but three Researchers say that the killer whales deep in the Pacific Ocean should get their own species name. Bigg's killer whales should have their own, too. And the orca we commonly refer to as northern and southern residents should be considered their own species as well. Paige Browning
Time is running out for stranded, orphaned baby orca near Vancouver Island When Gary Sutton first heard that a Biggs Killer Whale was stuck in a lagoon along the coast of Vancouver Island, he could immediately tell by her distinctive white eye patch who it was: T109A3. Angela King Natalie Akane Newcomb Play AudioListen 7 mins
Fisherman ordered to pay $646,259 for oil spill off San Juan Island Washington state officials are ordering a salmon fisherman to pay $646,259 in damages and penalties for spilling diesel fuel into Haro Strait as his commercial fishing boat sank off San Juan Island. John Ryan
Bellingham man fined $1,000 for steering yacht through orca pod A Bellingham man has been fined $1,000 for driving his 51-foot recreational vessel through a pod of killer whales off the west side of San Juan Island in 2022. Stephen Howie
Shhh! The orcas can’t hear their dinner When an orca hunts salmon, it clicks and buzzes. It sends a beam of sounds from its nasal passages into the murky depths in hopes that the sound waves will bounce back and reveal the location of its next nutritious meal. Those hopes are often dashed when noise from passing vessels drowns out orcas’ sonar signals. John Ryan
