Science Column: Orcas Missing

Since the beginning of the year, seven orcas, also known as killer whales, have gone missing from their pod in the waters near Victoria, BC, Canada. The whales have disappeared without a trace, and without any information on where they could have gone, they are presumed dead. The sudden decrease in numbers has created a severe cause for alarm for the already small group of orcas in the area. The population of the whales has dropped to 83 from a previous 90. The whales that have disappeared are L67 (Splash), a 23-year-old female, J11 (Blossom), a 36-year-old female, L21 (Ankh), a 58-year-old female, L101 (Aurora), a 6-year-old male, and K7 (Lummi), a 98-year-old matriarch. Two other whales, L111 and J43 also went missing, but were under a year old and were not named.

The whales have most likely perished, but there is still a chance that they may have moved to another location. A whale was found several miles from its group and was returned, but the possibility of that many whales leaving their groups for any reason is very unlikely. The cause of the whales’ deaths is not completely known, but the most likely answer would be starvation. The orcas feed on several hundred pounds of salmon each day, and the area surrounding the coast is very heavy in salmon fishing. However, the salmon population is shrinking, and as such there is a scarcity for food among the orca group. Several of the orcas have been noted as having a condition called “peanut head”, which is caused by weight loss. There is also a sharply declining birth rate, with only one calf being born this year. Both of these are signs of starvation. With a diminishing number of females, the birth rate may continue to decline.

With a thinning population, the possibility of starvation, and a grim outlook on new births, the killer whales in the area are facing extinction. Worldwide however, the population is not at a high risk.  For more information on the whales and what is being done to save them, go to http://www.orcanetwork.org/.