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Southern Resident orca petition to list them under Oregon Endangered Species Act advanced

Southern Resident orca petition to list them under Oregon Endangered Species Act advanced

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted today to advance a petition seeking to protect southern resident orcas under the state Endangered Species Act (ESA). The petition was brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and Whale and Dolphin Conservation. In the coming months the commission will conduct a public rulemaking process…

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WDC and Conservation Partners Continue to Seek Oregon Endangered Species Protection for Southern Resident Orcas

On Friday, April 21st, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will determine whether the petition submitted earlier this year by WDC and our conservation partners Defenders of Wildlife and the Center for Biological Diversity to list the Southern Resident orcas under the Oregon Endangered Species Act presents enough information to move forward with the listing. …

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Orca Found Dead on Florida Beach

Credit: Flagler County Sheriff’s Office On January 11th, a 21-foot-long female orca died after stranding on a beach in Palm Coast, Florida. WDC’s Stranding Coordinator, Sarah McCormack, was in a meeting with rescue, response, and rehabilitation organizations across the country when news broke about this extremely rare occurrence. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years,…

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The secrets of orca beach life

Orcas at the seabed

Rubbing on smooth pebbles is a generations-old cultural tradition for a particular group of orcas off the coast of British Columbia, Canada.  Cameras allow our partners at OrcaLab to take you right into the orcas’ fascinating, hidden world … Orcas are deeply cultural beings: the ultimate team players, it’s difficult not to admire their devotion…

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A New Calf Provides Hope for Endangered Southern Resident Orcas

Sara Hysong Shimazu (Hysazu Photography) GOOD NEWS – A new baby orca! On March 1st, observers with Washington State-based Center for Whale Research and Orca Behavior Institute were watching members of J pod of the Southern Resident orca community off San Juan Island and spotted a tiny dorsal fin amongst the more familiar orcas.  The…

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Shocking footage of captive orca butting head against wall

Jo-Anne McArthur/We Animals Distressing scenes have recently emerged from Marineland in Ontario where Kiska, the loneliest whale in the world, has been filmed violently thrashing her head against the side of her tank. Kiska is a wild caught Icelandic orca who has spent the last four decades in captivity. She was just three years old…

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Another captive orca tragedy as Morgan’s calf Ula dies

Morgan the orca in captivity © C. Robles

Only five months after young orca Skyla died at Loro Parque in Spain, another orca lost her life here yesterday. Morgan’s calf Ula died a few weeks before her 3rd birthday. In spring 2021 the park had announced that Ula was suffering from an intestinal condition. After an update in May stating that Ula was…

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The Penn Cove orca captures

Tokitae breaching at Miami Seaworld

On August 8th, 1970, more than 80 orcas were rounded up and herded into nets in Penn Cove, Washington.  Seven of these orcas, likely from the the Southern Resident community, were taken into captivity, including Tokitae. This video is original and shocking footage of this notorious event, known as the Penn Cove orca captures.  Five…

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