— from KOMONews.com —
In this Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014 photo provided by the Center for Whale Research, a new baby orca whale swims near its mother near Vancouver Island in the Canadian Gulf Islands of British Columbia. (AP Photo/Center for Whale Research, Ken Balcomb)
SEATTLE (AP) – The annual July tally of endangered orcas is complete, and researchers have counted 81 whales, including four babies born since last winter.
Researchers tracking the southern resident killer whales have photo confirmation of each whale and nobody is missing, said Ken Balcomb, a senior scientist with the Center for Whale Research who keeps the official census of Puget Sound killer whales for the federal government. “They’re all here.”
The orcas that frequent the inland Washington waters are identified by unique black and white markings or variations in their fin shapes.
It’s good news that the four baby orcas – one female and three males – have survived so far, Balcomb said.
“We’re excited. They passed the dangerous part,” he said. The survival rate for babies is about 50 percent.
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