Resource Library | Southern Resident Orca Recovery

Governor’s Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force

Governor’s Executive Order 18-02 that created the task force and required state agencies to take immediate action to benefit Southern Residents
Final Report and Recommendations (2019)
Task Force Report (2018)

Center for Whale Research‘s population census information and photographic identification of orcas
Center for Whale Research’s Web site to hear orca calls, blows, and more
The Whale Trail guide for watching whales from British Columbia to southern California
Orcasound’s Web site to listen to underwater microphones
The Whale Museum’s Webcam to see orcas near Lime Kiln Point State Park

Mitigation opportunities for projects increasing vessel traffic or noise (State Environmental Policy Act compliance)
The Whale Museum’s Sound Watch Boater Education Program to help prevent vessel disturbance to whales and other wildlife in the central Salish Sea
Be Whale Wise Web site and whale warning flag program to understand the rules for watching Southern Resident killer whales; outreach tool kit with resources for educators, mariners, and the public
Commercial Whale Watching Licensing Program created by Senate Bill 5577
Friends of the San Juans provide green boating tips to help boaters minimize damage to eelgrass, an important habitat to salmon, herring, and orca
Give Them Space, a voluntary pledge program for boaters to stay a half nautical mile (1,000 yards) away from the endangered orcas in the Salish Sea
Canada issued Interim Orders to help protect endangered Southern Resident killer whales from noise and physical disturbance from vessels in coastal waters off British Columbia
Before visiting Canada, review the 2023 Canadian protection measures for Southern Resident killer whales.

The NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries’ teacher curriculum, lesson plans and activities to support ocean literacy in America’s classrooms.
The Whale Trail’s Kid’s Cove Web site, featuring kid-friendly videos and information about Southern Resident orcas
Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Hungry Orcas, Declining Salmon curriculum
Bainbridge Island School District’s Elementary School Curriculum
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Saving the Southern Resident Killer Whales, a Project-Based Learning Unit for Middle Schoolers

SeaDoc and other conservation partners bring the latest high-tech gear into the fight to save endangered Southern Resident killer whales.
Eba + Orcas, a story of Eba, a dog that can tell when orcas are near.
Salish Sea Wild, Team SeaDoc works with scientists trying to save the Salish Sea’s most iconic and endangered species: the Southern Resident killer whale.

State of Salmon in Watersheds, Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office
State of our Watersheds, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission
State of the Sound, Puget Sound Partnership
Puget Sound Info, Puget Sound Partnership’s information on restoration, protection, and recovery information for the Puget Sound region
Salmon Recovery Portal, Salmon Recovery Funding Board and Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office
Action Agenda, Puget Sound Partnership’s science-based recovery plan for Puget Sound

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Web page on the plight of the orcas and federal recovery efforts
NOAA’s Species in the Spotlight overview of the orcas and recovery efforts
NOAA’s 5-year review of the status of Southern Resident orcas
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s killer whale conservation and management site with orca information and resources
Washington Department of Transportation’s Washington State Ferries Sustainability Action Plan: 2021-2023 that highlights work being done to benefit Southern Residents

Orca Network, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness of the Pacific Northwest whales

Photograph by Jeanne Hyde