Victoria - Researchers with the Orca Behavior Institute in Washington state (click here) say a well-known southern resident killer whale was seen in poor condition earlier this week.
The "iconic" male orca, K21, was spotted off the southern tip of Vancouver Island in the Race Rocks Marine Protected Area by a whale-watching vessel on Wednesday.
According to the Orca Behavior Institute, the orca, also known as Cappuccino, appeared emaciated and in poor health. His dorsal fin was also collapsed which can be a sign of illness, according to the institute.
"Cappuccino is one of the best-known southern residents, easily identifiable by his check-mark shaped saddle patches and a notch in his tall dorsal fin," said Monika Shields, director of the Orca Behavior Institute, in a release Friday.
Shields says Wednesday's sighting was a disheartening development after dozens of orcas were spotted in the Salish Sea on Tuesday, after being noticeably absent from their usual summer hunting ground for more than 100 days.
Shields adds that 35-year-old Cappuccino made it well into adulthood, which can be rare for the endangered southern residents.
"The average life expectancy of a male resident killer whale is about 30 years," Shields said. "It’s never easy to lose one of these whales, but it’s even worse when they aren’t living a complete life. K21 at least had that."...
The "iconic" male orca, K21, was spotted off the southern tip of Vancouver Island in the Race Rocks Marine Protected Area by a whale-watching vessel on Wednesday.
According to the Orca Behavior Institute, the orca, also known as Cappuccino, appeared emaciated and in poor health. His dorsal fin was also collapsed which can be a sign of illness, according to the institute.
"Cappuccino is one of the best-known southern residents, easily identifiable by his check-mark shaped saddle patches and a notch in his tall dorsal fin," said Monika Shields, director of the Orca Behavior Institute, in a release Friday.
Shields says Wednesday's sighting was a disheartening development after dozens of orcas were spotted in the Salish Sea on Tuesday, after being noticeably absent from their usual summer hunting ground for more than 100 days.
Shields adds that 35-year-old Cappuccino made it well into adulthood, which can be rare for the endangered southern residents.
"The average life expectancy of a male resident killer whale is about 30 years," Shields said. "It’s never easy to lose one of these whales, but it’s even worse when they aren’t living a complete life. K21 at least had that."...
...Researchers say that southern resident killer whales sometimes gather in the Salish Sea to mark the birth or death of an orca....
I particularly found this one statement interesting. They think in family groups similar to elephants. But, also the fact the Orcas hadn't been noticed in their usual summer hunting grounds in more than 100 days again reminds us there is something very wrong with the warmed waters of Antarctica.
