orca | Northwest News Network

A way to prevent large ships from striking and killing whales is to transmit alerts to the officers at the helm when whales are nearby.

Reducing collisions between ships and whales? There's apps for that, but they need work

Tom Banse

Fortunately, it doesn't happen very often in the Pacific Northwest that ships collide with whales. But when it does, it's upsetting, tragic and the whale probably dies. Three separate teams have developed smartphone-based systems that can alert commercial mariners to watch out or slow down when there are whales nearby. A recent ride-along on a big container ship demonstrated that real-time whale alerts are still a work in progress.

Salish Sea whale watchers were treated in May 2021 to humpback whale mother Slate surfacing with her young son Malachite.

Environment and Planning

Record numbers of Bigg's killer whale sightings and humpback calves in Salish Sea

Tom Banse

Whale watchers have spotted a record number of humpback calves in inland Pacific Northwest waters this season. There was also a record streak of Bigg's killer whale sightings that just ended, according to a local whale research nonprofit. Those observations offer some good news to offset the ongoing concern about the survival of the Northwest's iconic, but critically endangered resident orcas.

Comparison photos captured by research nonprofit SR3 showed endangered Pacific Northwest orca J36 is pregnant.

Environment and Planning

Babies on board! Three endangered Northwest killer whales look very pregnant in aerial photos

Tom Banse

Research photos taken with a drone show multiple female killer whales are close to giving birth in one of the Pacific Northwest's critically endangered pods. The late-stage pregnancies stirred excitement among whale watchers -- and also renewed worries about the availability of adequate food supply for the mothers and babies.

Environment and Planning

Pandemic gives Pacific Northwest whales a respite from din of underwater noise

Tom Banse

American and Canadian marine scientists -- and one talented dog -- are seizing an unexpected opportunity presented by the coronavirus pandemic. They are…

Government and Politics

Judge strikes down ballot measure on whale watching distance rules

Tom Banse

Whale watch tour companies have knocked a proposed orca protection initiative off the November ballot in San Juan County, Washington. The ballot measure…

SeaWorld parks said it has no interest in turning over its captive orcas to the Whale Sanctuary Project.

Environment and Planning

Nonprofit gauges interest in San Juan Islands sanctuary for retired captive orcas

Tom Banse

An environmental nonprofit is gauging interest in the creation of an orca enclosure in Washington's San Juan Islands. The organization is hosting public…

Aerial photograph of adult female Southern Resident killer whale J16 with her calf (J50) in 2015, when the calf was in its first year of life.

Environment and Planning

Veterinarians grapple with how to save young orca: salmon laced with meds or syringe

Tom Banse

An emaciated orca from the Pacific Northwest’s critically-endangered resident killer whale population could get a pole injection of medicine under the…

Environment and Planning

Starving 4-year-old orca may get delivery of live salmon

An emaciated, 4-year-old Pacific Northwest orca is drawing alarm.NOAA Fisheries spokesman Michael Milstein said feeding live Chinook salmon to the female…

Environment and Planning

Call Goes Out Again To Big Ships To Slow Down For Killer Whales

Tom Banse

The call is going out again to the operators and pilots of big ships to slow down in the shared border waters between Washington and British Columbia. The…

Environment and Planning

Not Too Late To Save Critically Endangered Orcas Say State Leaders And Feds

Tom Banse

The Pacific Northwest’s beloved orcas will not survive unless humans do more to ensure adequate food and cleaner, quieter waters. That was one of the…