Researchers recently published a study tracking the presence of killer whales in Washington waters, such as Puget Sound and the Salish Sea, since the 1970s.
The scientists looked at two populations of orcas: the endangered southern residents and Bigg’s killer whales, also called transient killer whales. They studied where each was found over time, using reports from The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor with data spanning 1978 to 2022. They published their findings in PLOS One in late June.
“The key big finding here is that we are seeing increasing presence of transient killer whales,” said lead author Zoe Rand, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington.
This means Bigg’s killer whales are sharing habitat with endangered southern residents in Puget Sound more than they used to.
“Transients eat the marine mammals that eat salmon,” Rand said. “So that actually could be good for the southern residents, because that then gives them more salmon to eat.” To break it down, transients are known to feed on salmon predators, like harbor seals, which could in-turn increase the southern residents' food supply.
The story of the southern residents’ presence in our state’s waters is complicated.
“K Pod and L Pod are in Washington, in the Puget Sound, a lot less,” Rand said. “Whereas J Pod seems to be here just as much as it always has been.”
Rand said these observations show that as the whales spend more time outside of Puget Sound, they may need more protection in coastal waters.
