#wild orca

[the-graphics-ace]

Could you possibly make Orca/Killer Whale pngs, preferably none with captive ones? Ty in advance :D

hi! this request is wonderful. unfortunately we were not really able to find full-sized wild orca pngs so we're gonna offer you some that are half-in-water pngs and some orca plush pngs ! hope this honours your wishes still.

if you will find some wild orca photos you will want to make pngs of on the topic, contact me ! 💙

[typhoonteeth]

I feel like my dorsal fin is eventually going to start collapsing from all the time I spend at the surface. I’m not mad about it, I think it’s a rather unique look.

[freedomfororcas]

Made this version for tiktok but figured I'd post here.

Song: The Beach Slowed - Lil Gijs

Footage courtesy of Pierre from USEA diving

[themagicof-orca]

Video footage of orca close to shore 21st August 2019 Moa Point/Island Bay, Wellington, New Zealand

[jadedownthedrain]

Amazing video of Kiwi woman, Judie Johnson, getting joined by wild Orca on her morning swim at Hahei Beach in New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula. Beautiful.

[fuckyeahaquaria]

Orca | Orcinus orca

[thecartoongirl22]

Up Close and Personal With Norwegian Orcas

[king-lobo]

As of September 24, 2017, there are just 76 Southern Resident Killer Whales remaining. This endangered population of Orca feed primarily on chinook salmon - in fact, it makes up approximately 78% of their diet. Unfortunately for them, the chinook runs that they rely on most are also endangered, and these whales are starving to death as a result. So what can we do? Write to government officials. You don’t even have to be a citizen in the United States to contact them, and you can copy+paste and e-mail, or print and mail, the letter below. WHO TO WRITE TO: United States Army Corps of Engineers (select ‘Public Affairs’) This form does NOT require you to list your physical address. The USACE own the four lower Snake River dams and are the ones who operate and maintain them.

Washington State Governor Jay Inslee Office of Governor Jay Inslee PO Box 40002 Olympia, WA 98504-0002 360-902-4111 (Online form allows for non-U.S. addresses)

Office of U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell 511 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 206-220-6400 (Online form for U.S. residents only)

Office of U.S. Senator Patty Murray 154 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 206-553-5545 (Online form for U.S. residents only - character limit of 5,000)

President Donald Trump 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 202-456-1111 (Online form allows for non-U.S. addresses - character limit of 2,500)

WHAT TO SAY: Feel free to create your own letter, or use this one that I have provided below. Remember to sign your own name at the bottom! (Link to google doc)

To whom it may concern,

I am writing this letter to you to request your cooperation regarding the recovery of the Southern Resident Killer Whales. As of September 2017, this population has dropped to a dangerous low of just 77 individuals and they show very few signs of recovery at this point in time.

On September 13, 2017, aerial images captured under NMFS permit #19091 showed a 2-year old juvenile male - J52 “Sonic” - displaying what is known as “peanut head”, a condition resulting from severely diminished fat deposits behind the head, indicative of advanced starvation. Prior to J52 returning to the Salish Sea in such poor condition, several other individuals have disappeared or been found dead in similar condition. In 2016, seven whales were declared to be deceased - including the iconic J2 “Granny”, as well as adult female J28 “Polaris”, and her 10-month old calf, J54 “Dipper”.

Their main prey, chinook salmon, have also been struggling to maintain their numbers for well over 20 years. The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission states, historically, the Columbia River basin once produced between 10 to 16 million salmon annually, with more than 13,000 miles of habitat at their disposal. Both their habitat, as well as the number of salmon, have decreased significantly within the past 120 years between 1890 and 2011.

As of 2010, just over 485,000 chinook salmon were reported to be in the Salish Sea by the Pacific Salmon Commission. This is a 60% reduction in the abundance of chinook salmon since the Pacific Salmon Commission began tracking salmon data in 1984. While there has been a 30% increase in the number of spawning salmon since 1999, for species such as the Southern Residents - whose diet consists of at least 78% chinook salmon - the low return of fish to the Salish Sea is not good news for them or their long-term survival.

Research and scale samples indicate that the Southern Residents are especially reliant on early spring runs, as well as winter runs of chinook that stem from the Upper Columbia & Snake River. NOAA Fisheries has stated that the decrease in salmon stocks in the Columbia-Snake River basin has been one of the single greatest changes in food availability for the whales since the late 1800s.

Not only can prey depletion lead to poor body condition or even death caused by starvation; it can also be attributed to the low number of births, as well as the high mortality rates among neonate calves. A report put together by the SeaDoc Society explored this subject, concluding that poor body condition in Southern Residents is associated with the loss of fetuses, calves, and adults. They note that the causes of this are complex, but food availability is one of the major contributing stressors in the decline of this population.

Part of this report included results from aerial photogrammetry studies, which provides valuable data regarding the body condition of individual animals. Measuring the width of the head as an indicator of head fatness (Eye Patch Ratio, EPR) sets a starting point for researchers to more closely monitor the health of an individual, based on whether they experience increases or decreases in EPR over time. From September 2015 to May 2016, five of six animals had declines in EPR. From May to September 2016, three animals experienced increases in EPR over the summer, while three experienced decreases. All three animals that experienced continued declines in the summer of 2016 died. A multi-year study from 2007 to 2014 - conducted by researchers from the Center for Conservation Biology at the University of Washington, along with partners from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Northwest Fisheries Science Center, and the Center for Whale Research - also concluded that prey depletion is the most immediate threat to the survival and subsequent growth of the Southern Residents.

Fecal samples collected from the whales allowed researchers to study the levels of different hormones that play key roles in physiological stress responses, including glucocorticoid and thyroid hormones. The levels of both hormones allowed researchers to differentiate between stress due to poor nutrition and stress due to external responses, such as boat traffic. Levels of progesterone and testosterone were also used to determine the reproductive state of females. They were even able to determine whether a pregnant female was in the early or later stages of pregnancy. Using this data and the date of collection, along with calf sightings, they were able to determine whether each pregnancy was successful.

The hormone data was able to detect 35 unique pregnancies among Southern Resident females between 2007 and 2014. In total, only 11 females gave birth and were later seen with a calf. In the remaining 24 cases (69% of total pregnancies), no live calf was subsequently seen, indicating that the pregnancies had failed. While most cases likely ended in spontaneous abortion during the first half of gestation, hormone levels indicated that in one-third of pregnancies the calf was lost in the latter half of pregnancy, or moments after birth. These are times at which the mother has already invested significant resources and is at a higher risk of infection or complications when the pregnancy fails. It was also noted that these females showed signs of nutritional stress, with ratios of thyroid hormone relative to glucocorticoid hormone nearly seven times lower than females who successfully gave birth.

When the team compared their hormone data to records of salmon runs in the Columbia and Fraser Rivers, they saw that large runs at these watersheds coincided with lower nutritional stress, while poor runs at either site showed signs of elevated nutritional stress.

While it would not immediately bring salmon numbers back up, removing the Ice Harbor Dam, Lower Monumental Dam, Little Goose Dam, and Lower Granite dam would provide a critical boost to salmon species - such as providing access to over 140 miles of high-quality habitat and spawning grounds. Evidence of how quickly a river can recover and begin to thrive from the removal of man-made obstacles, such as dams, is not hard to find.

On September 17, 2011, the removal of the Elwha Dam began and in six months, it was gone. In 2014, the Glines Canyon Dam was removed, making the Elwha a free flowing river once again. After being absent for nearly a century, salmon species have already returned to the river. Chinook, coho, and chum salmon have seen a spike in their numbers, as have bull trout and steelhead. This can likely be attributed to the removal of the dams opening up access to over 70 miles of mainstream and tributary habitat, as well as the speed at which the water moves. Dams create slow-moving lakelike habitats in the impounded section of the river that significantly alters the species composition of the river. Species that are well-adapted to lakes may begin to flourish and thrive in the river, which often results in the displacement of riverine species. The Snake River is an example of this, as the slow pace of the river has encouraged salmonoid predators to increase in density. Slower moving waters also become warmer, which results in increased mortality of species that prefer colder temperatures.

Not only do dams cause harm to the river and its inhabitants, the Snake River Dams [specifically] are outdated and provide little benefit to the northwest in terms of energy production. The Northwest Power and Conservation Council has stated that the northwest has an electrical generation surplus, and can meet expected increases in demand possibly through 2030. A study commissioned by Idaho Rivers United concludes that the Pacific Northwest only runs at approximately 84% capacity with 4,600 annual megawatts of surplus energy. The Snake River Dams only bring in approximately 1,000 aMW’s.

In addition, the use of the lower Snake River to transport goods by barge has decreased by approximately 70% since 2000; and container shipments from the Port of Lewiston had dropped by 82% by early April 2015 - and 100% by late April 2015. Instead, freight shipments are increasingly being transported by rail due to bridge improvements, better fuel efficiency, as well as construction projects such as a unit train loader at the Port of Lewiston.

The cost to maintain these dams continues to rise as the dams age, with estimates reaching as high as $312.9 million per year as of 2015 (estimates from DamSense). In addition, more than $15 billion has been spent on salmon recovery projects - though none of the endangered salmon species have recovered; in fact, their numbers continue to decline. Contrasting the astronomical costs of maintaining the dams and failed salmon recovery projects, the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau states that in 2014, tourism in San Juan County brought in over $189 million. The whale watch industry in Washington also brings in between $60 to $75 million per year; an industry that relies heavily upon the Southern Resident Orcas.

As previously stated, the breaching of the dams will not immediately restore salmon runs to historical numbers, though it will provide a critical boost needed to begin their recovery. The Southern Residents face other threats to their survival, but prey depletion has been the most immediate threat to them for many years. If the recovery of critical prey species is not taken more seriously, we could lose the Southern Residents, and many other species, forever.

Sincerely, [name of sender]

P.S. During the time it took to gather information, formulate this letter, and send it, the Center for Whale Research officially declared J52 “Sonic” to be deceased as of September 24, 2017 after he had not been seen with his familial pod since September 19th; approximately six days after his return to the Salish Sea in emaciated condition. The Southern Residents now number just 76 individuals, and the fact remains that their numbers will continue to drop unless immediate action is taken to improve their quality of life and ensure their survival. This beloved and iconic population is out of time and can not wait on us any longer.