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Everyone can be an Orca Hero!

Everyone can be an Orca Hero!

Orca Action Month is an annual time to gather the human community of the Pacific Northwest around the endangered Southern Resident orca population, sharing their story and taking action to support their recovery.  June is always a busy month for me. Normally, it’s filled with traveling to festivals with our partners in Seattle, joining groups…

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Orca Action Month goes online!

Orca Action Month save the date - June 2020

Whamily, it’s almost that time again – time to celebrate, honor, and dive in to actions to help Southern Resident orcas in our annual Orca Action Month festivities.  This year is going to look a little different.  Along with the health of the Southern Resident orcas, the health of our communities is a top priority,…

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Three Southern Resident orcas declared dead

The devastating news came late on Tuesday night – three more Southern Resident orcas lost, one from each pod in the highly endangered and dwindling population.  Like many others who work on recovery for the Southern Resident orcas and their home, I have spent my summer nervously dreading this announcement, but steeling myself for the…

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We <3 Whale Poop: WDC providing support for Orca Scat Project

San Juan Island, Washington. July 22, 2019: Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) is thrilled to share the news that we are a contributing supporter in 2019 for the Southern Resident Orca Scat Project, a research effort within the University of Washington’s Conservation Canines program.  WDC’s contribution to the program will help support the management and…

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Canada approves pipeline despite concerns for Southern Resident orcas

In extremely disappointing but not unexpected news from Canada last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion – a project long opposed by First Nations, coastal communities, and environmental groups in both Canada and the U.S., in addition to the British Columbia provincial government and the state of Washington.…

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Southern Resident orca Task Force: Reflecting on Year One

As we get settled into 2019 and figure out our plans for the next few months, I wanted to take a quick look back at the first year of work by the Washington State Southern Resident Orca Task Force, an effort dedicated to identifying local and regional solutions to reverse the decline of the critically…

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Legislation to kill sea lions signed into law

December 19, 2018: Legislation to allow nearly 1,000 sea lions per year to be killed in the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington has now been signed in to law.  Following passage by the Senate earlier this month, the Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act (S.3119) was accepted and passed in the House of Representatives despite…

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Canada takes steps to phase out Atlantic salmon fish farms

Atlantic salmon net pens in the Pacific Northwest are a major threat to the native wild salmon that are a vital food source for both the Northern and Southern Resident orca populations.  These net pens can spread lethal parasites and viruses to wild salmon, are a significant source of pollution, and the nets themselves can…

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