An iconic species of whale could soon become extinct, thanks to human interference in their habitats.
Those are the findings of a number of studies examining the threats facing killer whales that live in the Pacific Northwest.
Experts warn that ‘we need to act soon’ to save the species from man-made factors leading to their downfall.
Chief among these are noise and overcrowding from boat traffic, scarce supply of their preferred food – salmon – and waters polluted with industrial chemicals.
The black and white marine mammals were added to the endangered species list in 2005 and are considered one of the likeliest species to go extinct without action.
An iconic species of whale (pictured) could soon become extinct, thanks to their main source of food dying off and human interference in their habitats. Those are the findings of a number of studies examining the threats facing killer whales that live in the Pacific Northwest
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), based in Silver Spring, Maryland, is paying particularly close attention to the Southern Resident killer whale.
One of the main problems for the creatures, also known as orcas, is a dire lack of food.
Their primary prey – the Chinook, or king salmon – are dying off, so staff from the NOAA have been working to try and boost their numbers.
They devised a statistical framework for modelling population changes in Chinook salmon in the Columbia and Snake Rivers.
It provides a way for fish biologists, managers, and industry to make better-informed decisions about fisheries management by providing more accurate estimates of future populations and their risks of extinction.
The black and white marine mammals were added to the endangered species list in 2005. Chief among the problems they face are noise and overcrowding from boat traffic, scarce supply of their preferred food – salmon – and waters polluted with industrial chemicals
In a written statement, NOAA fisheries Biologist Lynne Barre said: ‘The endangered Southern Resident killer whale is an icon of the Pacific Northwest.
‘It inspires widespread public interest, curiosity, and awe around the globe.
‘Unfortunately, their population level is the lowest we have seen it in several decades.
‘We study how threats are affecting the whales. Our research informs conservation and management actions to address those threats.’
Southern Resident killer whales were traditionally a regular sight off Puget Sound, just off the coast of Seattle, much to the delight of tourists.
The population census at the end of 2016 counted only 78 Southern Resident killer whales, down from 98 in 1995.
A baby orca has not been born in the past few years. Four or five calves would be born each year normally. Half of the calves born during a celebrated baby boom several years ago have died.
Female orcas also are having pregnancy problems linked to nutritional stress brought on by the low supply of chinook salmon, a recent study said.
Their orca’s primary prey – the Chinook, or king salmon (pictured) – are dying off, so staff from the NOAA have been working to try and boost numbers of both predator and prey over the next 14 to 28 years
Another issue faced by orcas is noise create by marine vessels. The whales use clicks, calls and other sounds to navigate, communicate and forage mainly for salmon, and noise from fishing boats, ferries and other engines can interfere.
A new threat may add to this problem. The Canadian government recently signed a deal with energy infrastructure firm Kinder Morgan to expand the Trans Mountain Pipeline, with construction set to begin in August.
This would multiply oil tanker traffic through the orcas’ habitat by seven times, according to reports on WRAL.
It also opens the potential for oil spills, increasing the risk of toxic contamination already believed by experts to be a major factor affecting the health and survival of orcas.
Industrial chemicals – including the highly toxic and now banned pesticide, DDT – build up in salmon when they feed and are passed on to the whales that eat them.
Roughly 85 per cent gets transferred to calves through lactation, experts say.
The toxic substances making the whales more susceptible to disease by decimating their immune systems, as well as reducing their chances for reproductive success.
But all is not lost for the beloved sea dwellers.
In March, State Governor Jay Inslee directed state agencies to take immediate and longer-term steps to protect the struggling killer whales.
His executive order aims to make more salmon available to the whales, give them more space and quieter waters, ensure they have clean water to swim in and protect them from potential oil spills.
‘The destiny of salmon and orca and we humans are intertwined,’ the governor said at a news conference at the Daybreak Star Cultural Center in Seattle.
‘As the orca go, so go we.’
Under the order, state agencies will find ways to quiet state ferries around the whales, train more commercial whale-watching boats to help respond to oil spills and adjust fishing regulations to protect key areas and fish runs for orcas.
Lawmakers also passed a supplemental budget that includes $1.5 million (£1.1m) for efforts.
That includes as a boost in marine patrols to ensure that boats keep their distance from orcas and an increase in hatchery production of salmon by an additional 5 million.
An orca task force forming will meet for the first time in April and will come up with final recommendations by November.
The NOAA also has a plan in place to boost their numbers over the next 14 to 28 years.
‘We are not too late,’ said Barry Thom, West Coast regional administrator for NOAA Fisheries.
‘From a biology perspective, there are still enough breeding animals, but we need to act soon.’
HOW DO WHALES COMMUNICATE AND COULD THEY ONE DAY TALK TO HUMANS?
How do whales communicate?
Whales are known for using complex clicks and singing to communicate with each other – even if they are hundreds of miles apart.
Whales that are closely related or live together produce similar pulsed calls that carry vocal characteristics distinct to the group, known as a dialect.
Clicks are believed to be primarily used for navigation and identifying objects such as prey in the environment but they are also used for social interactions.
Members of a pod have similar calls known as a dialect, which is composed of types of discrete, repetitive calls.
Newborns copy the call of their mother.
It’s thought that individuals learn their dialect though contact with their mothers and other pod members.
Norwegian and Icelandic herring-eating orcas are believed to have different vocalisations for activities such as hunting and travelling.
Could they talk to humans?
Previously researchers thought mimicking human speech was limited to some primates, birds, elephants, dolphins and seals.
The fact the whale produces these sounds shows they are able to learn sounds by copying and helps us understand their lives in the wild.
However, when Wikie says ‘hello’ it means absolutely nothing to her.
She does not attach any meaning to this sound and is not ‘talking’ to humans.
The word is completely out of the normal sound repertoire of whales and was chosen as a nonsense sound.
When Wikie says ‘hello’ it means absolutely nothing to her. She does not attach any meaning to this sound and is not ‘talking’ to humans
Although the researchers did not set out to test Wikie’s communication skills, the scientist who led the study believes basic ‘conversations’ with her may one day be possible.
Dr Jose Abramson, from Complutense de Madrid University in Spain, said: ‘Yes, it’s conceivable … if you have labels, descriptions of what things are.
‘It has been done before with a famous grey parrot and dolphins using American sign language – sentences like ‘bring me this object’ or ‘put this object above or below the other’.’
The experiment proves there is a lot of complex communication happening among whales and dolphins.