Resources
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)
Progress Reports
Hear and See Whales
- 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
For Boaters
- 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.
For Teachers
- 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
Orca Videos
- 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.
Podcasts and Webinars
- Orca Recovery in the Salish Sea, Conservation Starters
- An Update on Orca Recovery in the Salish Sea, WWU Alumni Association
- Checking in on Endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales, NOAA Fisheries West Coast
Salmon and Watershed Recovery
- 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
Salmon Hatcheries
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife video on increasing hatchery production to feed orca
Recovery Plans and Information
- 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
Other Resources
- Orca Network, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness of the Pacific Northwest whales
Photograph by Jeanne Hyde