Orcas

149 Stories

Does that orca have a baby bump? Drones can tell from the air

Orcas, like humans, get baby bumps in the early months of pregnancy and grow larger as the pregnancy advances. Researchers say they can now spot those underwater baby bumps from the air and keep better tabs on the maternal health of whales.
- John Ryan
Grieving orca mom carries dead calf on her nose for fifth day

An endangered orca mother has been carrying her dead newborn calf on her snout for nearly a week around Washington’s Puget Sound.
- John Ryan
Famous orca mom carries another dead calf around Puget Sound

Two newborn calves joined the Northwest's endangered orcas in December. By New Year’s Eve, one of them was dead — and being carried around on its mother’s nose.
- John Ryan
Endangered orcas’ circle of life: one baby dies, another is born

A baby orca at first believed to be J61, which hadn't been seen for nearly a week, turned out to be a brand-new baby instead. Researchers now presume J61 is dead.
- John Ryan
Newborn orca brings holiday cheer — and fear — to Seattle whale watchers

What might be the world’s most famous orca has given birth again.
- John Ryan
Southern Resident orcas have been seen wearing salmon ‘hats.’ But it's not all fun and games

Deborah Giles told KUOW’s Kim Malcolm that while this "salmon hat" phenomenon is certainly noteworthy, it's likely not a hopeful sign of long-term recovery.
- Kim Malcolm
Too much cyanide in Puget Sound? EPA to review state regulations

Federal officials have agreed to take another look at how Washington state regulates a deadly poison — cyanide.
- John Ryan
Endangered Northwest orca population drops as 3 males die

Three members of the Northwest’s population of endangered orcas died over the past year.
- John Ryan
Why the Salish Sea's new baby orca surprised researchers
- Natalie Akane Newcomb
Shhh! The orcas can’t hear their dinner

When an orca hunts salmon, it clicks and buzzes. It sends a beam of sounds from its nasal passages into the murky depths in hopes that the sound waves will bounce back and reveal the location of its next nutritious meal. Those hopes are often dashed when noise from passing vessels drowns out orcas’ sonar signals.
- John Ryan

2 of 15

Orcas

Sponsored