RIP, J50? Killer Whales' Friends Cry Emaciated Orcs, But Research Continues

The emaciated and sick killer whale known as J50 or Scarlet has disappeared from her family group and experts assume she is dead. Nevertheless, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its partners continue their efforts to find it, dead or alive.

"We have alerted the West Coast marine mammal stranding network, which is a tremendous resource in such situations," NOAA said in Thursday's update. "Airlines coming in and out of the San Juan Islands are also on the lookout."

NOAA stated that the assistance line for the grounding reports is 1-866-767-6114.

The last confirmed observation of J50 was reported on Sept. 7 by NOAA, the SeaDoc Society and other observers. The presumed loss of J50 occurs after weeks of effort to get her medications and her extra food. Experts have never been able to diagnose exactly what made the whale suffer.

The critical situation of the 3-year-old Killer Whale caught the attention of the world over the past two months. It was the same for the case of J35, also called Tahlequah, another orc of the same group who was seen carrying his dead calf for 17 days this summer.

A third orc of a different group, a 23-year-old man known as L92, died earlier this summer. The deaths have resulted in 74 orphans of the endangered southern population of orphans, mainly off British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. This is the lowest number since 1984.

In a press release, Ken Balcomb, founder and senior researcher at the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor, said, "Watching J50 in the last three months is how extinction looks when survival threatens and lacks of reproduction ".

Recent studies have linked the decline in the birth rate of southern residents to the chronic absence of chinook salmon. And paradoxically, the decline of chinook salmon has been associated with increased predation by a different, more northern, orca population that frequents the waters off Alaska.

"The message from J50, and from J35 and his dead calf a few weeks ago, is that the SRKW [Southern Resident killer whales] are short of reproductive capacity and extinction of this population is imminent, while humans convene working groups and conference calls that produce nothing or worse than nothing, diverting attention and resources to solve the underlying ecological problems productive region, unlivable for all, "said Balcomb.

Balcomb called on policy makers to take drastic measures to restore habitat along the coastline of southern killer whales, including the restoration of chinook salmon, the breaking of the Snake River dams for salmon and salmon. strengthening of environmental regulations governing industrial development and pollution. on the Fraser River in Canada.

Robb Krehbiel, Northwest Representative for Seattle-based Defenders of Wildlife, said he was "devastated by the loss of J50" and issued a similar call for action.

"NOAA and Washington State were ready to put in place an aggressive plan to save this whale, and we need that kind of leadership to save the entire population," Krehbiel said in a statement. "Preventing the extinction of these unique whales will require bold leadership and difficult choices. "

Krehbiel said Washington Governor Jay Inslee needed to take immediate action.

"It can start by neutralizing dams that destroy salmon, restoring rivers and their habitat, reducing toxic runoff and reducing noise pollution from ships and ships," said Krehbiel. "There is a lot to do and there is no time to lose to save these whales."

In March, Inslee called on state agencies to take action on behalf of the southern killer whale population and to establish a working group to make longer-term recommendations for the recovery of the population. Members of the group include state, local and tribal officials, as well as business leaders and conservatives such as Balcomb.

The recommendations of the task force are due in November.

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