Orca Conservancy

Photo: J63 and J40 Suttles (front), J41 Eclipse, J62, and J27 Blackberry (back)

Picture Credit: @intertidalkendy.bsky.social

J63 is the first calf born to J40 Suttles, an encouraging development that the population has another reproductive female.

Female calves like J62 & J63 are vital for future growth. Both male & female calves play a key role in supporting genetic diversity needed for long-term survival

J63 IS A GIRL! 🩷🎉

In early July, @whaleresearch.bsky.social photographed the underside of J63, confirming she is female!

📸: Members of the AT1s | Emma Luck

Weakening the Marine Mammal Protection Act now puts other vulnerable populations, like the Southern Residents, at risk of the same irreversible outcome.

The MMPA directly mandates the sustainable management and protection of critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs), their habitat, & their prey. Under the proposed changes, marine mammals would no longer be protected from activities with high potential for disruption or injury.

• Constrain the federal definition of ‘harassment’ so that it no longer prohibits actions with the potential to harm marine mammals
• Require unreasonable or impossible data to estimate population abundances and design best practices for management, which will hinder conservation efforts

The proposed amendment would:
• Strike down protections for poorly-known populations, such as Alaskan killer whale populations
• Eliminate best-practice precautionary approaches backed by decades of science

What’s happening:
Earlier this week, Congressman Nick Begich (R-AK) introduced a draft bill amending the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the landmark federal legislation that has guided marine resource management and conservation in the United States for over fifty years.

🚨 ACTION ALERT
Contact your representatives to protect the Marine Mammal Protection Act from weakened regulations. We have put together additional information, contacts, suggested talking points, & resources. Hearing Date is July 22nd.

www.orcaconservancy.org/blog/action-...

Photo 1: J Pod in a greeting line (Southern Residents)
Photo 2: T19 Nootka breaching during a predation (Transients)
Photo 3: A5 Pod (Northern Residents)

At Orca Conservancy, our work is rooted in protecting wild orcas and the web of life they depend on. That means restoring wild salmon, defending clean waters, and speaking up for the wild places that sustain us all.

Today is a celebration and a reminder that their survival depends on our choices.

Each has a unique dialect, social structure, and relationship with the ecosystem they call home. These aren’t just whales, they are families, cultures, and ecological indicators of the health of our waters.

Happy International Orca Day! Here in the Pacific Northwest, we’re lucky to share our waters with multiple orca populations, including the endangered Southern Residents, the Transients/Biggs, and the Northern Residents.

This is the first release of the J Pod Eye Patch Guide, and we’ll continue to update it as we expand our catalog. We will also be working toward acquiring images of all members of K and L Pods to release a complete Southern Resident Killer Whale Eye Patch Guide.

We have some exciting news!

The J Pod Eye Patch Guide 2025 is NOW AVAILABLE for free digital download and printed booklets are available for pre-sale.

Get yours here: www.orcaconservancy.org/eye-patch-gu...

ACTION ALERT: Oppose EPA Rollbacks of Carbon Pollution Safeguards — Orca Conservancy Submit a public comment opposing the proposed rule by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to repeal limits on carbon emissions produced by power plants and weaken critical environmental pro...

The public comment period is open until August 7, 2025. To learn more and submit a comment, visit:
www.orcaconservancy.org/blog/action-...

These rollbacks would remove key protections under the Clean Air Act and weaken the federal government’s ability to respond to the climate crisis.

Photo: T99 Barakat with fire smoke in the background

ACTION ALERT: Oppose EPA Rollbacks of Carbon Pollution Safeguards — Orca Conservancy Submit a public comment opposing the proposed rule by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to repeal limits on carbon emissions produced by power plants and weaken critical environmental pro...

The EPA is proposing to roll back carbon pollution safeguards for fossil fuel power plants, threatening climate progress, salmon recovery, & the survival of endangered Southern Resident orcas.

ACTION ALERT: Oppose EPA Rollbacks of Carbon Pollution Safeguards — Orca Conservancy Submit a public comment opposing the proposed rule by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to repeal limits on carbon emissions produced by power plants and weaken critical environmental pro...

🚨 ACTION ALERT🚨

Submit a public comment opposing the proposed rule by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to repeal limits on carbon emissions produced by power plants and weaken critical environmental protections.

ACTION ALERT: Oppose Tidal Energy in Rosario Strait; Endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale Critical Habitat — Orca Conservancy Submit a public comment opposing the proposed permit by Orcas Power & Light Cooperative (OPALCO) to the Department of Energy | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), [Docket No. Project No. ...

The public comment period is open now through September 30, 2025. This is your chance to speak up for endangered orcas, wild salmon, and the health of the Salish Sea. We have put together an Action Alert with more info and how to comment: www.orcaconservancy.org/blog/action-...

The proposed project is being pushed forward as a "pilot," yet OPALCO is requesting a 10-year license—an unusually long timeframe for a trial in such a fragile ecosystem, especially without sufficient real-world testing or peer-reviewed science to assess the risks to whales & other marine life.

Moving forward without full approval or genuine collaboration with Tribal leaders disrespects treaty rights & disregards cultural practices that have endured for millennia.

Beyond the environmental risks, this project also raises serious concerns around Tribal sovereignty & responsible stewardship. Rosario Strait is a traditional fishing area for Coast Salish Tribal Nations.

More broadly, the project threatens already stressed marine ecosystems, and fast-tracking it without rigorous, peer-reviewed research increases the risk of long-term, cumulative harm to both species and the fragile balance of the Salish Sea.

For Chinook salmon—the whales’ primary prey—the infrastructure and altered water flow could degrade spawning habitat, change sediment transport, and create physical or behavioral migration barriers.

Installing a tidal turbine in SRKW critical habitat introduces chronic underwater noise and electromagnetic fields that can interfere with echolocation, disrupt foraging, and displace whales from essential feeding and migratory routes.

The turbine, Orbital Marine O2X, is a 243-foot-long floating tidal turbine — larger than a Boeing 747 — capable of generating 2 megawatts of power from underwater currents. It is expected to power just 400 homes—a minimal return that comes at a potentially high cost to critically endangered SRKW

Giant turbine sparks outrage in WA orca habitat: ‘Like a 747 in the water’ A proposed tidal energy project in the Salish Sea is facing fierce pushback from environmental groups. They say it could endanger the region’s last remaining Southern Resident killer whales.

Since last year, we’ve been tracking a proposed tidal energy pilot project by Orcas Power & Light Cooperative (OPALCO), which seeks to install a floating tidal turbine in Rosario Strait—part of the designated critical habitat for endangered Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs)

🧵⬇️

From invasive plant removal to planting native species, her work is helping rebuild critical ecosystems that benefit wildlife and support the recovery of the endangered Southern Resident killer whales.

We’re so proud of her dedication, knowledge, and leadership!