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NOAA has prepared plans to capture J50 if it can be removed from its pod safely or if it is blocked or alone. But no one has seen it for days.
Massive research is under way for the sick orca J50, but the principal investigator who follows the southern resident population asserts that she is probably dead.
"I think she's gone," said Ken Balcomb, founding director of the Whale Research Center, which maintains demographics on southern residents and officially calls the J50 status.
Balcomb said he had a boat looking for him and that he would be joining the search later in the day to make an official announcement. Research at this stage is only a matter of protocol, he said.
"I thought she was dead Monday," Balcomb said.
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The 3-year-old whale was last seen on Friday at Lime Kiln Point, on the west shore of San Juan Island. His family was seen Wednesday at the southern end of Lopez Island, but J50 was not among them.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced Thursday morning that the agency is stepping up its research efforts, including activating its network of strandings, and asking airlines flying over the island of San Juan to monitor the young whale.
"Unfortunately, J50 has not been seen for several days of favorable conditions and repeated observations from his group and his family group, including J16, his mother," the agency said. A press release. "The teams were looking for water yesterday and are now intensifying their extensive cross – border research with our water partners and counterparts in Canada. We have alerted the West Coast marine mammal stranding network, which is a tremendous resource in such situations.
"The airlines entering and leaving the San Juan Islands are also on the lookout. We greatly appreciate all the help and concerns.
The assistance line for grounding reports is 866-767-6114. Other updates can be found on bit.ly/NOAAJ50J35.
The agency had planned to save the whale and intervene more aggressively to try to save his life, including rehabilitation in captivity.
J50 has already surprised people, gone missing for days, and then appeared in the hours that followed the announcement that she might have left for good.
"The other people in the south, pods K and L, and whales J pod, are probably still in the area, so it will be a long day of research for all," wrote Balcomb in an email to the Seattle Times.
Correction: An earlier version of this article had been misinterpreted on the last day that J50 had been seen, due to a communication problem between the research team.
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