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The first baby orca of 2010 has been born to J pod on January 3, boosting an endangered population of killer whales that needs every birth it can get. The orca calf’s mother is only 12 years old, raising concern for the survival of both the mother and her calf. Killer whales don’t usually become reproductive until the age of 15. In 2009 there were five births and three deaths among the “southern resident” orca families of Washington. Three of the new babies were born into J pod, the family of killer whales that we kayak with most often in the San Juan Islands. We are optimistic that this ‘baby boom’ in J pod represents a comeback for our local orca whales.Look carefully at the photo and you will see new-born foetal folds and the distinctive orange color of a baby orca whale. The birth brings to 88 the population of southern resident killer whales that we enjoy seeing on our kayak tours in the San Juan Islands. Our local orcas were listed as endangered in November 2005 after experiencing a population drop of 20% between 1996 and 2001. The orca whales’ survival depends largely on another endangered species, the chinook salmon. To make matters worse, our local killer whales have been found to carry the highest concentrations of deadly pollutants of any animal. All of these threats are a direct result of human carelessness. The Center for Whale Research stated, “If the whales could talk to us, they would probably say that our effort to promote wild salmon recovery in the Pacific Northwest is good for all of us, so let’s do all that we can. And, let’s clean up the pollution, too, so we can all eat healthy fish.” Meanwhile, the “transient” killer whales that also use the San Juan Islands for hunting, have dramatically increased in recent years to more than 260. Transient orca whales feed mostly on seals and sea lions and do not interbreed with the resident-type killer whales. Genetic and behavioral studies suggest that although they look similar, they are actually distinct species. See the New Orca Babies on a Kayak Tour in the San Juan Islands

Amazingly enough, the National Marine Fisheries Service has a plan to ban kayaking on the west side of San Juan Island in the heart of the orca whale watching zone. Without the backing of any scientific studies that show kayaking with killer whales has any negative effect on the orcas, NMFS was planning to shut down kayaking on the west side of San Juan Island this year. Fortunately, they have delayed a decision as they are finally starting to understand the true facts now. There is still time to let them know what you think about this crazy idea before they make any rules for 2011. The deadline for sending them your comments on their proposed plan is January 15, 2010 – just a couple of days from now. We have submitted our suggestions for creating a more sensible orca management plan which you can read below. Feel free to use them in your email to orca.plan@noaa.gov if you wish. 1. I support your proposal to require motorized vessels (kayaks exempt) to stay 200 yards away from orcas. 2. I support your proposal that motorized vessels keep clear a 400 yard right-of-way ahead of the killer whale’s path. It should be recognized that kayaks closeness to the water often limits their ability to spot killer whales, and their slow speed, combined with winds & currents, can make it difficult to quickly clear the way; therefor kayaks should keep a 200 yard right-of-away ahead of the orca whales path. 3. I recommend that the orcas’ critical foraging area on the west side of San Juan Island be better protected. I do not support your proposed blanket “no-go zone” as currently designed. Reductions in vessel-whale interactions can be achieved by giving right-of-way to the whales. This unique whale watching area should be regulated in the following ways: A. Create a “slow zone” with a speed limit of 7 knots extending from Kellet Bluff to Cattle Point within half-mile of shore throughout the year. B. Create a “whale right-of-way zone” for motorized vessels (kayaks exempt) when killer whales are present between May 1 and Sept 30 extending from Battleship Island to Eagle Point. Vessels should be required to move offshore by 1/4 mile when orca whales are present within 1/4 mile of a vessel and when the vessel and whales are within 1/4 mile from shore. C. Create a “no-go zone for motors” for motorized vessels (kayaks exempt) from Edwards Point to San Juan County Park to be in effect year-round. This “no-go zone for motors” would extend out to 1/2 mile offshore. This area would be a kayak and human-powered craft-only zone, all other restrictions applying. Absolutely no exemptions for recreational or commercial fishing. D. SoundWatch / The Whale Museum has devised an excellent code of conduct for kayakers called K.E.L.P. which they use to educate kayak users on the beaches on the west side of San Juan Island. This educational effort should be supported and continued.

Jumbo Squid, also called Humboldt Squid, are invading Washington’s Salish Sea and their effects on orca whales is being questioned. These swift predators grow 7 feet long, live in huge schools, and could have a major impact on the San Juan Islands’ orca whales if they become permanently established. The “Diablo Rojo” eats everything from tiny fish up to large sharks that are attacked in swarms. They can grow up to 100 pounds in a single year! The squid could damage baitfish populations that salmon depend on, or consume the salmon themselves. Both would be very bad news for the orca whales we observe on our kayak tours in the San Juan Islands, as salmon are their primary food. On the other hand, the Humboldt squid might turn out to be a great substitute food item that the killer whales could feast on like their larger cousins the sperm whales. As both salmon and orca whales are locally endangered, the squid invasion bears close study, and some efforts are noted in this great article. Humboldt squid beaks are commonly found on the Sea of Cortez beaches where we operate our Baja Mexico kayaking trips and we sometimes find spawned out individuals in the shallows. Are the oceans changing so drastically that they will become a frequent beachcombing item thousands of miles to the north in the San Juan Islands? If so, we may start fishing for squid on our San Juan Island kayaking trips and start serving kalamari for dinner! Go Kayaking in the San Juan Islands with Orca Whales and Jumbo Squid!

Amazing photographs taken by Ingrid Visser of killer whales attacking and killing a mako shark have recently been published. Although Ingrid’s studies take place in New Zealand, the hunting techniques she describes are very similar to those used by killer whales pursuing seals in the San Juan Islands of Washington: cooperative herding, surpise attacks, and powerful blows from the flukes to deal the death blow. We highly recommend you click this link to read the article in the Daily Mail and enjoy four incredible photographs of orca whales in action. Then consider joining us on a killer whale watching kayak tour in the San Juan Islands for a chance to observe orca whales in the wild. We’ve long speculated that the scarcity of sharks in the San Juan Islands is due to our concentrated population of killer whales. Killer Whale Watching Kayaking Trips from Friday Harbor, Washington

A total of seven different local organizations will receive more than $1.4 million in funding to improve salmon habitat in the San Juan Islands of Washington, our main sea kayaking base. This is great news for our orca whales as their most important food source are salmon, especially locally bred chinook. All five species of Pacific salmon are now on the endangered species list in the lower 48 states, a situation that threatens our entire marine ecosystem with collapse. It should not be surprising that the resident-type killer whales living in the same region are also officially listed as endangered. Current trends, if not reversed, could see orcas disappear from the Pacific Northest’s Salish Sea sometime between 40 to 200 years. Sea kayaking in the San Juan Islands will never be the same if our killer whales aren’t there to share the waters with. Much of the excitement and mystery of a San Juan Island kayak tour will vanish with the orca whales. The Salmon Recovery Funding Board has selected the following groups to receive grants: Friends of the San Juans, San Juan Preservation Trust, Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group, San Juan County, University of Washington, Washington Water Trust, and Wild Fish Conservancy. Grantees will be contributing resources of equipment and labor to make the public funds go further. Funding comes from the federal Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund and is matched by state funds. Information about the Salmon Recovery Funding Board and the Recreation and Conservation Office is available online at www.rco.wa.gov. Photo by Astrid Van Ginniken / Center for Whale Research Go Orca Whale Watching on a San Juan Islands Kayaking Tour

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) took an important step toward protecting critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act for the Cook Inlet beluga whale in Alaska by proposing to designate more than 3,000 square miles of the threatened whale’s habitat for protection. In October 2008 NMFS listed the Cook Inlet beluga whale as endangered over the objections of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin.  The Cook Inlet beluga whale is a genetically distinct and geographically isolated population whose numbers have plummeted in recent decades. The whale’s population ranges between 300-400 animals, down from 1,300 whales in the 1980s. The Cook Inlet beluga whale is one of five populations of beluga, or white whales, in Alaska. The are the most accessible for responsibly operated whale watching kayak tours. The decline of the Cook Inlet beluga was first caused by overhunting, but they have failed to recover after hunting was reduced in 1999, suggesting that other factors are preventing recovery, such as noise and pollution from industry in Cook Inlet. “While today’s proposal is an important step toward protecting the Cook Inlet beluga, protections for the species remain far from complete,” added Cummings. “Critical habitat designation should be promptly finalized and expanded to include the lower Inlet. Moreover, NMFS needs to prepare a recovery plan and stop so freely handing out permits to industry allowing the beluga’s habitat to be developed and disturbed.” Link to more information on the beluga whale in Alaska. Go Whale Watching on an Alaska Kayaking Tour