Friday Harbor whale watchers treated to sights of 4 whale species on Mother's Day trip
For professional whale watchers, hitting a "Grand Slam" is a rare treat that doesn’t happen often, but a group was treated to such an event on Mother's Day in Friday Harbor.
Southern resident orca pod in best condition in decade
On this Mother’s Day, there is some cause for cautious optimism for some of the most famous mothers in our region, on whom the future of this fragile population of orcas depends.
Feds start review of endangered Southern Resident orcas
NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service says it’s starting a five-year status review of the Southern Resident orcas.
Chainsaw the Orca spotted near San Juan Islands
The killer whale is called Chainsaw because his dorsal fin has several large notches in the top third of his fin that gives the appearance of a large saw blade.
It's a girl! J pod's newest southern resident calf brings hope to endangered orcas
A small barrel roll gave Washington whale watchers a gender reveal over the weekend and reason to be hopeful about a pod of endangered southern resident orcas that frequent Puget Sound.
Surprise! New calf spotted in southern resident orca L Pod
Researchers noticed something new when the J, K and L pods were all spotted in the Haro Strait on Tuesday morning: a new calf, L125!
Washington state hatchery to rely on native steelhead trout
A fish hatchery in Washington state has said it will stop importing steelhead trout from the Columbia River and instead rely on native fish.
Study: Southern resident orcas turn to other fish when Chinook salmon is scarce
Findings of a 13-year study on the diets of southern resident killer whales showed that when Chinook salmon were scarce, the orcas turned to other fish to supplement their diet.
Idaho congressman unveils plan to breach dams, save PNW salmon
A Republican congressman has proposed removing four hydroelectric dams in the Northwest as part of a sweeping new plan to address the decades-long problem of how to save salmon populations without upending a system that provides power to millions of people.
Stricter whale watching rules to take effect in 2021
New regulations for whale watching in Washington waters will take effect in 2021 in an effort to protect endangered orcas, according to the state Fish and Wildlife Commission.
New photos show southern resident orca calves swimming with their moms off B.C. coast
Researchers captured new photos this week of two orca calves off the coast of Victoria, British Columbia.
New study: Hood Canal Bridge is a big fish-killer
A long awaited study from local environmental non-profit Long Live The Kings show how much of a trouble spot the Hood Canal Bridge really is for migrating fish trying to get from Hood Canal to the open ocean. But solutions could be quite affordable.
Photos show pregnant southern resident orca J46 in Puget Sound
More great news for the southern resident orcas: a J-pod member is pregnant, according to recent reports from a Puget Sound whale watcher who captured photos of the whale on Sunday.
Critics vow to continue efforts to remove Snake River dams
Environmental groups are vowing to continue their fight to remove four dams on the Snake River that they say are killing salmon - a key food source for the endangered southern resident orcas.
Second new orca baby spotted with J-Pod in less than a month
For the second time this month, a new southern resident orca calf has been spotted with the J-Pod in the Salish Sea.
Second new orca baby spotted with J-Pod
Q13's Hana Kim reports.
It's a boy! Newest southern resident orca calf is a 'feisty' one
It's a boy! The newest member of the southern resident orcas' J-pod is a "feisty" one, whale watchers and researchers say.
Southern resident orca Tahlequah gives birth to new calf
A bittersweet addition for the southern resident orca as J35, Tahlequah gives birth to new calf, J57. The orcas were spotted just off of the San Juan Islands this weekend, not far from their pod.
Washington governor slams military testing impact on orcas
The planned military exercises include testing torpedoes, firing projectiles at seven times the speed of sound, piloting mine-detecting undersea drones, deploying underwater sonar and exploding bombs up to 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms) in waters from northern California to Alaska.
Aerial photos show 'a number' of pregnant southern resident orcas, researchers say
This year, the typically frequent visits from the southern resident orca pods have been scarce in the Puget Sound, leading some researchers to reach the tragic conclusion that our southern resident orcas are residents no more.