We also must consider new threats and actions as we look to a future with climate change, new alternative ocean energy projects, and continuing development along our coasts and in our ports. In the next 5 to 10 years, several high-priority projects are planned to help answer these remaining questions and inform management actions to advance recovery. New information on coastal distribution and habitat use, gathered from both acoustic monitoring and satellite tagging, have informed a proposal for additional critical habitat for the whales.
Digital acoustic suction cup tags are shedding light on foraging behavior for the whales and how finding and catching salmon may be affected by vessels and sound. Seasonal health assessments, habitat use, and understanding body condition changes and times and places with prey limitations will all be taken into consideration when determining the need for additional conservation actions. With more than 10 years of funding, collaboration, and ingenuity, we have taken substantial and important steps to aid Southern Resident killer whale recovery.
Research projects have illuminated new aspects of killer whale biology, behavior, and ecology and helped us better understand the challenges this population faces. Targeted management actions, informed by research, have been taken to secure protections for the whales and their habitat, including:.
Understanding the factors that affect the whales' health will help us identify the most important threats, how they interact, and what we can do to reduce their effects. New technologies are being developed to better understand risks of disease, assess individual body condition, and gain a better understanding of the health effects of carrying large contaminant burdens.
We also plan to explore additional management actions outlined in the recovery plan to stabilize the population. Recovery of the Southern Residents and their preferred salmon prey, as well as protection of their broad and diverse habitat, is a long-term process that requires support over a large geographic area, from California to southeast Alaska.
The continued success of research and conservation programs relies on leveraging resources and maximizing effects through partnerships. For example, the whales spend significant time in Canadian waters and are listed as endangered under the Canadian Species at Risk Act so transboundary coordination has been, and will continue to be, important to recovery. Our recovery criteria are built around a timeframe of 14 to 28 years based on the biology of these long-lived animals.
It will take at least that long for us to evaluate the effectiveness of the protective measures put in place in the past several years. The past federal funding and effort have secured a strong foundation of research and conservation, which we can build on to secure recovery of this iconic species for future generations. We developed a Species in the Spotlight — Priority Action Plan that builds on the recovery plan and the — Priority Action Plan and details the focused efforts that are needed over the next five years.
The plan lists key actions NOAA Fisheries and its partners can take from to to help recover the species. These actions include:. Jeff Hogan has partnered with NOAA for more than a decade and has helped implement many important recovery actions for endangered Southern Resident killer whales. It uses storytelling and field-based science to inspire students to take an active role in the conservation of Pacific Northwest killer whales.
Learn more about Jeff Hogan's work. Governor Inslee brought state authorities, significant investments, and new members of the community to the ongoing fight to recover the iconic Southern Resident killer whales. The Task Force developed recommendations for short- and long-term actions needed to protect and recover Southern resident killer whales.
Killer whales are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Only one population of killer whales is listed under the Endangered Species Act. This means that the population of Southern Residents is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. We work to protect all populations of killer whales.
However, our management work primarily focuses on recovery of the endangered Southern Resident population. The ultimate goal of the Southern Resident killer whale recovery plan is to recover the species, with an interim goal of down-listing its status from endangered to threatened. The major actions recommended in the plan are:. Read the recovery plan for Southern Resident killer whales. Learn how NOAA Fisheries and partners have been implementing the recovery actions identified in the plan.
Rather than convening a recovery team for Southern Resident killer whales, we used an open public process to engage as many interested stakeholder groups and individuals as possible and work with a variety of partners to implement the actions in the plan.
Those areas may be designated as critical habitat through a rulemaking process. The designation of an area as critical habitat does not create a closed area, marine protected area, refuge, wilderness reserve, preservation, or other conservation area; nor does the designation affect land ownership. Federal agencies that undertake, fund, or permit activities that may affect these designated critical habitat areas are required to consult with NOAA Fisheries to ensure that their actions do not adversely modify or destroy designated critical habitat.
We designated this habitat because it contains three features essential to the conservation of Southern Residents:. Learn more about the revised critical habitat designation for Southern Resident killer whales. Learn more about critical habitat for Southern Resident killer whales.
Chinook salmon stocks are currently lower than historic levels, putting Southern Resident killer whales at risk for decreased reproductive rates and increased mortality rates.
Our scientists have also organized workshops and panels to better understand the effects of salmon fisheries on Southern Resident killer whales. Learn more about salmon restoration. Killer whales are especially vulnerable to chemical contaminants because they are at the top of the food web. Environmental Protection Agency and Washington State agencies to develop a plan to fill gaps in research and monitoring. Learn more about environmental contaminants.
Southern Resident killer whales are at risk of harm in the event of an oil spill. Additionally, the Northwest Area Contingency Plan PDF, 51 pages includes methods to discourage killer whales from swimming into spilled oil. Learn more about preventing oil spills. Learn more about minimizing disturbance of Southern Resident killer whales from vessels. Learn more about ocean noise. Because Southern Residents range from California to Alaska, recovery of their population requires cooperation across state and national borders.
Learn more about interagency coordination and cooperation. NOAA Fisheries supports responsible viewing of marine mammals in the wild and has adopted a guideline to observe all marine mammals from a safe distance of at least yards by sea or land. NOAA Fisheries and Washington State have also taken steps to reduce threats to killer whales by regulating how close a vessel may get to the species in Washington State waters. This reduces disturbance to the animals and the potential for negative interactions.
The federal regulations make it illegal to:. Learn more about vessel regulation and viewing distances for Southern Residents in Washington State. We work with many partners to promote the Be Whale Wise campaign to educate boaters on the regulations and viewing guidelines in place to protect killer whales and all marine mammals.
We also encourage land-based whale watching, as part of the Whale Trail, as a way to enjoy viewing without any effects to the whales. We work with volunteer networks in all coastal states to respond to marine mammal strandings including all whales. When stranded animals are found dead, our scientists work to understand and investigate the cause of death. Although the cause often remains unknown, scientists can sometimes attribute strandings to disease, harmful algal blooms, vessel strikes, fishing gear entanglements, pollution exposure, and underwater noise.
Some strandings can serve as indicators of ocean health, giving insight into larger environmental issues that may also have implications for human health and welfare. Killer whales have never been part of a declared unusual mortality event. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act , an unusual mortality event is defined as "a stranding that is unexpected; involves a significant die-off of any marine mammal population; and demands immediate response.
Learn more about marine mammal UMEs. Get information on active and past UMEs. Southern Residents are listed as endangered under the ESA. The spill was strongly correlated with the deaths of most of the AT1 Transient pod. There have been no observed births to the AT1 stock of the North Pacific transient killer whale population since , and the population has steadily declined to 7 individuals. In , NOAA Fisheries reviewed a petition concerning the possibility that the AT1 killer whale group of Prince William Sound may be genetically distinct from other killer whales in Alaska, and may be depleted.
We designated critical habitat for Southern Residents in and a recovery plan was completed in In , we issued a month finding on a petition to revise critical habitat for Southern Residents. In December , we completed a 5-year status review of Southern Resident killer whales.
NOAA Fisheries scientists are leading the effort to answer key questions about the risk factors potentially affecting killer whales, with a special focus on the Southern Resident population.
Our scientists and collaborators collected length and width data for killer whales using both vessel-based laser photogrammetry and aerial photography from unmanned aerial systems hexacopters. This research aims to provide a comparative assessment of nutritional status to guide management of these two protected populations. Learn more about our photogrammetry research PDF, 2 pages. NOAA Fisheries' researchers and collaborators use digital acoustic recording tags, recording the sounds they receive and the sounds they produce, to examine sound exposure, sound use, and behavior of Southern Residents in their summer habitat.
This research helps address threats like vessel disturbance, noise exposure, and effects on feeding. Learn more about digital acoustic recording tags. Scientists study the transfer of contaminants from mother to offspring through blood during gestation and through milk during lactation.
This research helps us understand whether young whales are at greater risk than adults for negative health effects from contaminants. Learn more about pollutant transfer. Our scientists measure the metabolic cost how much energy the whales used of specific behavioral and acoustic responses to vessel disturbance.
We use the results to assess the cumulative energetic costs of Southern Residents to vessel disturbance. Learn more about the energetic costs of vessel disturbance. Determining the size of killer whale populations helps resource managers determine the success of conservation measures and regulations. Our scientists collect population information on killer whales from various sources and present the data in annual stock assessment reports. Check out what our scientists from the West Coast Region are working on.
The Species in the Spotlight initiative is a concerted agency-wide effort to spotlight and save…. Annual summary reports of strandings of cetaceans whales and pinnipeds seals and sea lions that…. Data on marine mammal interactions i. Una unidad de aprendizaje basada en proyectos para la escuela secundaria.
Learn about the threats facing the Southern Residents and how your actions can make a difference…. Killer Whale Orcinus orca. Southern Resident DPS. Throughout its Range. MMPA Protected. MMPA Depleted.
A female killer whale will give birth to one offspring at a time every three to 10 years. The gestation period usually lasts for around 17 months according to SeaWorld. Orcas work together to take care of the young, and other females in the pod will often help with the rearing. Female killer whales have an average life span of 50 years, but some individuals are estimated to have lived up to years.
Males live shorter lives, with an average life span of 29 years and a maximum life span of 60 years, according to the Center for Whale Research in Washington state. Killer whales are the most widely distributed mammals, other than humans and possibly brown rats, according to SeaWorld.
They live in every ocean around the world and have adapted to different climates, from the warm waters near the equator to the icy waters of the North and South Pole regions. Orcas have been known to travel long distances. For example, one study found that a group of orcas traveled from the waters off of Alaska to those near central California, according to IUCN — a distance of more than 1, miles 1, km.
All orcas are currently listed under one species, Orcinus orca. However, there are recognizable differences between populations, and biologists have identified several distinct forms, known as ecotypes, which may actually be different species or subspecies, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA. Killer whale ecotypes can vary in size, diet and behavior. In the North Pacific, scientists have identified resident orcas, which tend to have small ranges — hence the name — and specialize in catching fish.
Bigg's killer whales, or transient orcas, can also be found in the North Pacific. These orcas travel great distances and hunt mammals such as seals and whale calves. Offshore orcas can also be found in this region. They live far from coastlines and have been seen eating fish and sharks, but relatively little is known about them. Type 1 orcas are generalist eaters and have been observed eating fish and seals around European countries, including Norway and Scotland.
Type 2 orcas are rarer and mainly eat other whales and dolphins. Scientists didn't have sufficient data when it was last assessed in due to the uncertainty regarding its taxonomic classification — whether orcas should be split into different subspecies or species. The IUCN noted that as a single species, the killer whale is abundant and widely distributed.
However, they still face threats from human activities and some regional populations, such as the orcas dependent on bluefin tuna in the Strait of Gibraltar, have declined significantly.
Human civilizations around the world kill orcas directly and indirectly. They are still hunted for food in small numbers, or as a means to control their population, in Greenland, Japan, Indonesia and the Caribbean, according to the IUCN. Contaminants in the ocean and seas, such as chemicals and oil, pose a threat to orcas along with disturbance by boats, overfishing and other disruptions to their food supply and climate change, according to IUCN.
As well as the power imbued by their considerable weight, orcas have speed on their side. In fact, they're the fastest marine mammal , capable of reaching For context, that's around the same as a galloping horse on land. Killer whales are found in oceans worldwide, from the poles to the tropics. Currently the largest population of orcas — some 25—27, individuals strong — resides in the cold, clear waters around Antarctica.
With no natural predators only humans hunt them , they sit comfortably at the top of the oceanic food chain. Orcas feed on a wide range of prey, including squid and octopuses, seals, penguins, sea birds and even great white sharks the largest predatory fish , consuming some kg lb of food daily. On the hunt, these highly intelligent animals employ various tactics to dispatch their victims. To dislodge seals from ice floes, for instance, they slap their heavy tails down or swim directly underneath them sometimes in small groups , sending waves washing over the ice.
En masse, they'll even tirelessly chase down a blue whale — the largest animal ever — harassing and biting it until the giant mammal is too weak to defend itself. That ruthless pack mentality has seen killer whales dubbed the "wolves of the sea". But pod living offers other advantages too: members collaborate to take care of young orcas and share food. Offspring may remain with their mothers who often lead the pod for their entire lives.
A killer whale's sonic palette includes calls and whistles, for communicating with its own kind.
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