A Whale Of A Week!

Celebrating our Southern Resident Orcas
Did you know that June is Orca Month? And our offices in the Pacific Northwest are celebrating the Southern Resident orca – the most endangered community of resident killer whales in the world. There’s a lot that makes this group of orcas unique, including, sadly, the combination of threats they face. Learn about Southern Resident orcas >

The Pacific Northwest celebrates its Southern Resident orcas – the most endangered community of resident killer whales in the world.

Every June, orcas get special attention in Washington. Orca Month was founded a decade ago by Orca Network to bring together researchers, advocates, and orca lovers to raise awareness of the threats facing these magnificent animals, and provide a community to celebrate orcas of the Salish Sea and west coast. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Orca Month in Washington, and now, thanks to an official proclamation by Governor Kate Brown, Oregon has joined the celebration.
Orca, © Ronn Maratea
The Pacific Northwest is home to 83 Southern Resident orcas. This fragile population faces many threats, including water pollution, noise and traffic from marine vessels, and a dwindling food supply. Orcas feed primarily on salmon, and require healthy and abundant fish populations to survive. When salmon populations plummet, orcas go hungry and become more vulnerable to the effects of toxins and noise. Unfortunately, Pacific Northwest salmon runs are anything but healthy.

The mighty Columbia, which runs between Washington and Oregon, is the Northwest’s largest river basin, and historically the region’s biggest source of salmon. That makes it the main source of food for Southern Resident orcas in the winter, and a popular feeding ground each spring as Chinook salmon get ready to run up the river to their spawning grounds. Chinook salmon, also known as king salmon, are the largest salmon species. For Southern Resident orcas, they are definitely the meal of choice – these fatty, delicious fish make up 80 percent of their diet.

It’s no secret that Pacific Northwest salmon face a load of troubles. Salmon are split up into groups called “runs” based on where they return to spawn, as well as other factors. In the Columbia Basin, more than a dozen runs, including Chinook salmon, are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. They face what people call the 4 H’s: habitat loss, harvest management issues, hatchery issues, and hydro-electric dams.

Hydro-electric dams on rivers make it difficult, if not impossible, for salmon to travel safely to the ocean or return to spawning areas. Increased development in floodplains, caused by unprecedented population growth in the Pacific Northwest, removes vital spawning and rearing habitat, and reduces water quality. The impacts from habitat loss in the Columbia River are amplified by climate change, which contributes to longer periods of drought, rising water temperatures, and changing precipitation patterns. In addition to these threats to habitat, salmon are compromised by overfishing, disease, and competition and interbreeding with less robust hatchery fish. These troubles are not the Columbia River’s alone. Nearly all salmon populations in river basins within the Southern Resident orca’s range face some, if not all of these threats to their recovery.

For our orcas, less food means less strength and resilience to cope with other threats. When orcas are hungry, their bodies begin to rely on their blubber. But those thick layers of blubber are full of toxins accumulated from swimming and feeding in the region’s polluted waters. So as they use up their blubber stores, those toxins are released into their bodies, causing all kinds of health issues. Hungry orcas are also more vulnerable to watercraft because they spend precious time and energy trying to avoid the vessels instead of foraging. For example, if loud commercial or military vessels are nearby, orcas may have trouble finding fish by echolocation, and need to expend valuable energy ‘yelling’ at each other to communicate.

Because the Columbia River basin is so important for the Southern Residents, Defenders is actively working in the basin to protect and restore salmon runs and vital habitat. Our team is working to curb development of floodplains, which act like nurseries for salmon as they grow and make their way downriver to the ocean. We advocate for responsible management that will decrease mortality of salmon passing through dams on their way to the ocean or on their journey upriver to spawn in their natal stream. And we support removing outdated dams when it makes sense. The Columbia River and its tributaries are one of the most dammed river systems in the U.S. with more than 475 dams acting as barriers to spawning habitat, inundating riverine habitat, or providing extra challenges for fish to migrate. It is time to assess which dams are needed and which can be removed. We need to return some of the Columbia River to the fish that support the Northwest — ecologically, culturally, and economically — and help our orcas at the same time.

The Columbia River basin is key to keeping salmon populations healthy. It will be up to Oregon and Washington to work together to protect salmon – and the orcas that depend on them — so that these species can thrive long into the future. Our 83 wild Southern Resident orcas can bring our states together (though perhaps not during soccer season). They are Pacific Northwest orcas. Just give them some plaid and a Stumptown micro-foam cappuccino. In honor of Orca Month, let’s celebrate the orca, the salmon, and the river that joins us.

West Coast Whale Entanglements Increasing, May Break Record
Humpback whaleNearly 40 reports of whales entangled in fishing gear have been recorded off the West Coast in 2016. And 2015 saw 61 reported entanglements, up from 30 confirmed in 2014. Before that, the average was around eight entanglements a year.

Some whales do end up escaping from fishing gear -- often with the help of whale-rescue teams that are now being overwhelmed -- but those that don't escape often die slow, painful deaths.

In response to the latest figures, the Center for Biological Diversity is calling on Dungeness crab fishermen to remove more fishing lines from Monterey Bay and other areas where whales, including endangered humpbacks and blues, are now feeding and being seen entangled. The Center also has urged regulators to take swift action to address the problem.

"This has become a crisis. We recognize that crabbers don't want to harm whales -- now they need to act to avoid important biological areas where whales feed," said Kristen Monsell, a Center attorney. Read more in our press release.
Urge President Obama to Protect New England's Ocean Treasures
Urge President Obama to Protect New England's Ocean Treasures
TARGET: President Barack Obama - 33,289 of the 35,000 Goal

Overview petition
Help us create the first marine national monument in the U.S. Atlantic Ocean.

In the U.S. waters of the Pacific Ocean, more than 600,000 square miles of marine habitat are protected from commercial and industrial activity. But in the Atlantic, that figure is zero. You have an opportunity right now to help change that.

New science shows that some special places off New England's coast are great candidates for permanent protection. The Coral Canyons and Seamounts host enormous numbers of whales and dolphins and contain unique deep-sea habitats where rare and vulnerable species are still being discovered, including ancient, fragile corals that can live for more than 1,000 years and grow to 10 feet tall. Cashes Ledge in the Gulf of Maine contains the largest continuous kelp forest in the U.S. Atlantic, providing a home for the iconic cod, and serving as a critical feeding ground for migratory whales, tunas, and seabirds.

These places have special scientific and cultural value – and are sensitive to disturbance, slow to recover, and threatened by extractive activities. They deserve the permanent protection we afford to the most important places in our country.

Urge President Obama to Make New England's ocean treasures a marine monument.

Bubbles, SeaWorld's oldest pilot whale, dies
SeaWorld San Diego announced the death of one of the park's attractions, Bubbles the pilot whale.
SeaWorld San Diego announced the death of one of the park's attractions, Bubbles the pilot whale.

SeaWorld San Diego announced the death of one of the park's attractions, Bubbles the pilot whale.

SeaWorld's beloved pilot whale has died after decades of performances in San Diego.

Bubbles was the oldest pilot whale in a zoological park, and performed at the aquarium's San Diego location for almost three decades, SeaWorld said. She was estimated to be in her 50s.

The whale was one of the star attractions at the park's Dolphin Stadium, where she had performed since the 1980s, SeaWorld said in a statement.

"She has inspired and amazed more than 100 million guests for nearly 50 years," it said. "Loved by her trainers and veterinarians, Bubbles had been a member of the SeaWorld family for nearly 30 years."

Bubbles was captured in 1966, according to WDC, a marine-mammal advocacy group, and was originally owned by another marine park, Marineland of the Pacific. SeaWorld acquired her in 1987.
SeaWorld will perform a necropsy to determine the cause of death. Female short-finned pilot whales usually have a maximum lifespan of around 60 years.

Captive life criticized
Some took to Twitter to express their distaste at Bubbles' life of captivity.

Bubbles was captured in US waters in 1966 & spent the rest of her life in a tank 😢She deserved better.

User Amber Noelle Morasse, whose account identifies her as an employee of the U.S. Humane Society, tweeted, "Bubbles was captured in US waters in 1966 & spent the rest of her life in a tank. She deserved better."

However, someone identified as one of her trainers took to Facebook to defend SeaWorld's animal programs.

"This whale was more loved than our own families, has brought more smiles to people then any pilot whale in the wild!" Jenny Thompson said in a post.

"We learned so much about this beautiful species and Bubbies (sic) lived a fantastic life, full of stimulation, comfort and beauty and was more loved and cared for than I can try to explain!"

Changing opinions
SeaWorld has come under fire for its treatment of captive marine mammals, particularly its killer whales. Its orcas will be the last generation at its parks, the organization announced in March.

"SeaWorld has been listening and we're changing. Society is changing and we're changing with it," the company said. "SeaWorld is finding new ways to continue to deliver on our purpose to inspire all our guest(s) to take action to protect wild animals and wild places."

The company has come under fire for its treatment of killer whales since the 2013 CNN documentary "Blackfish."

The organization has been trying to adapt to public perception on the ethics of captive performing animals and a growing tide of animal rights activism.

Make a difference for whales. It was World Oceans Day, an international day of celebration and action to protect our blue planet. Today, you have the opportunity to voice your concerns to federal agencies that impact the future of whales and other marine mammals.
Tell the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to stand firm on the decision to remove the Atlantic Coast from the 2017-2022 offshore oil and gas leasing program. It's not often you can do something so easy and so important for our oceans. We only have until June 16 to make our voices heard, so act now!

In March, the Obama Administration announced that the Atlantic Coast will be closed to offshore drilling for at least the next five years. This is a huge win for whales and other marine life that are affected by the noise and other potential impacts associated with offshore oil and gas activities.

But our job isn’t done yet. Some in the oil and gas industry are pushing back, and we need to say loud and clear that we support the decision to remove the Atlantic from the 2017-2022 offshore oil and gas leasing program and that we want to continue to protect marine mammals. We need more voices supporting this decision in the face of powerful opposition.

The outer continental shelf of the Atlantic provides important habitat for whales and many other marine species. Offshore oil and gas exploration can impact marine mammals by introducing additional noise into the important habitat, increase the risk of ship strikes and major oil spills, and reduce available acoustic habitat needed for vital communication. For highly endangered species like the North Atlantic right whale, industrial development in the Atlantic has been highlighted as a great concern and could prove to be the ‘tipping point’ given the range of threats this highly endangered species already faces.

Submit your comment to BOEM on the 2017-2022 offshore oil and gas leasing program. We need to tell them that we support removal of the Atlantic Coast from the program by June 16!

I know I can count on you. Let's protect marine mammals this World Oceans Day. Thanks for your support!

The Obama Administration has released a long-awaited Ocean Noise Strategy to curb devastating underwater noise from sonar, commercial shipping, seismic testing and oil and gas drilling harming our oceans.
Stop ocean noise
The Obama Administration has released a landmark plan to silence the ocean noise imperiling marine life. Urge the administration to move quickly to implement the plan and fight for the future of our oceans.
It's a major step forward in our fight against the unrelenting industrial noise that threatens whales, dolphins and other ocean wildlife. And it's thanks to pressure from NRDC and supporters like you who have acted to protect marine life from chronic ocean noise.

The plan's release also comes just weeks after our documentary Sonic Sea premiered on the Discovery Channel, shining a light on the devastating impacts of ocean noise.

But the Ocean Noise Strategy has a major flaw: it doesn't include a specific plan — or a budget — for putting its lifesaving ideas into motion. That's where we need your help.

Tell the Obama Administration to move swiftly to put its landmark Ocean Noise Strategy into action — and save the lives of countless marine mammals.

The administration is inviting comments until June 30. That means we have less than two weeks to compel the federal government to strengthen its plan.

Whales and other marine life rely on sound for almost everything — from mating and migrating to finding food. But a cacophony of industrial noise unleashed by oil prospectors, commercial ships and military sonar threatens their survival.

The Ocean Noise Strategy promises to fix this by:
  • Safeguarding National Marine Sanctuaries and enforcing existing regulations to protect critical marine habitats from deafening ocean noise 
  • Monitoring ocean noise pollution off our shores 
  • Advancing quieter technologies to reduce noise from commercial ships and oil and gas operations 
Now we need to make sure the Ocean Noise Strategy has the teeth it needs to make these commitments a reality.

Send your message now: Demand concrete steps to make sure the Ocean Noise Strategy is fully implemented.

You've stood by us as we've fought to silence navy sonar, end offshore drilling and protect the health of our oceans for future generations. Implementing a strong Ocean Noise Strategy is the next step forward. Let's make it happen.
The Movement to Free Marine Mammals
The push to free killer whales is at a crossroads. SeaWorld has ended the breeding of the animals. But a marine park building boom in China is driving the capture of wild killer whales, dolphins, and beluga whales. TakePart’s journalists travel from the Pacific Northwest to Asia to report on plans to return captive killer whales to the sea—and stop a new wave of captivity.
Explore 'Captive' →

What Freedom Looks Like for SeaWorld's Killer Whales
Scientists are developing plans to release captive orcas to huge coastal sea pens where the marine mammals could lead more natural lives.
Watch 50 Years of Marine Mammal Captivity
Whales and dolphins have been held in marine parks long before SeaWorld.
Test Your Killer Whale Smarts
The Pacific Northwest’s Southern Resident orcas lead lives starkly different from those of their captive cousins—and only 84 of them remain in the wild. Think you know all about these intelligent and social marine mammals?
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