— by Amy Smart from the Victoria, B.C. Times-Colonist —
Now that mother J28 has died of apparent malnutrition, her calf J54 is not expected to survive. Photo courtesy of Ken Balcomb
Hopes for the recovery of southern resident killer whale populations have cooled one year after a “baby boom” for the endangered species.
The Center for Whale Research announced the death of J28 on Friday, saying it would also likely mean the death of her calf, J54.
There are now 80 southern resident killer whales, down from 85 in January.
“Mothers are dying and babies are dying, so it’s unrealistic to expect anything positive,” the center’s Ken Balcomb said at a press conference in Seattle.
To read the full article, go to www.timescolonist.com/news/local/orca-j28-found-dead-another-sign-of-distress-in-whale-population
This breaks my heart. Will we have to watch them slowly die? When will it stop? This is climate change and pollution – both fueled by corporate greed.
While I agree with you I would like to point out that most of the pollution in the Puget sound is caused by agricultural fertilizer runoff and septic systems much like the one you probably have. Easy to point a finger at someone else.