Illustrated catalogue with local artwork showcases the Transient Killer Whales of Central and Northern California and Oregon – the ‘wolves of the sea’
Science is not just for scientists. Citizen science has been instrumental in helping us understand more about the elusive, but majestic, transient killer whales.
Teenage orcas could be roughhousing with boats off the coast of Spain
Killer whales are in the news for sinking boats off the coast of Spain.
Grey Whales — the other Pacific Northwest resident whale
Grey whales face many threats ranging from entanglements and ship strikes, to loss of habitat and reduced prey availability. Researchers are collecting data this summer needed to quantify and mitigate these threats.
Decoding the secret lives of killer whales one micro-second at a time
Using methods to detect when the animals are catching prey and to model their energy expenditure will be key to understanding the differences between these neighbouring whale populations.
No apparent shortage of prey for southern resident killer whales in Canadian waters during summer
Researchers reported that Chinook salmon in the Salish Sea in summertime are four to six times more abundant for southern resident killer whales than northern resident killer whales.
What do differences in animal behaviour reveal about the decline of Steller sea lions in Alaska?
More than 50 years of studying Steller sea lion behaviour has yielded one of the most complete life history descriptions for any species of marine mammal.
Guadalupe fur seals continue to recover as new colony discovered
New colony of Guadalupe fur seals discovered on El Farallón de San Ignacio Island, Gulf of California
The Killers of California and Oregon
Thirteen years of photo-identification data of killer whales observed in California and Oregon provide new insights into the distribution and population structure of mammal-eating killer whales in the eastern North Pacific Ocean.
Blue herons identified as a significant juvenile salmon predator
Looking for predators that ate salmon, an Indigenous biologist suggested looking at heron. Discarded tags proved Pacific great blue herons could be scooping up as many as 3-6% of all juvenile salmon.
Orca Quest 2020: In Search of Killer Whales
In August 2020, Marine Mammal Research Unit (MMRU) researchers set sail to determine whether there are enough chinook salmon to support southern resident killer whales in the Salish Sea.