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This may not seem like much, and it may not seem so bad to see number 74. But it is how many orcas of Southern residents are left alive when they are young. J50 remains missing and presumed dead by the Whale Research Center.
The problem is that 74 does not tell the whole truth, because the majority of southern resident orcs do not breed. This means that the possibility of having more births than deaths decreases.
There are nine breeding females in J-Pod and only three have produced viable calves in the last ten years. The pod now has three young women and seven young men. K-Pod has only one female reproduction.
See also | Orca mum lets go of dead calf after 17 days and 1,000 miles
Take the L-Pod for example, there are not really any whales that can reproduce, according to the founder of the Whale Research Center, Ken Balcomb.
"There are only about four women who have babies in the last decade," Balcomb said.
In addition, 75% of pregnancies end in miscarriage or death. Half of baby boomers are dead.
"Without reproduction, there is no chance of survival," Balcomb said. "That's what idling looks like."
WATCH | Superpod of Puget Sound Orcs amazes spectators
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