Quarterly Update | March 2026

Every once in a while the Salish Sea reminds us that despite the challenges facing the Southern Resident killer whales, this ecosystem is still very much alive.

Over the past few months we’ve seen both encouraging and complicated developments in the waters these whales call home, new calves among the Southern Residents and continued work by Orca Conservancy and our partners to address the long-standing threats facing this endangered population.

None of these developments exist in isolation. They are all part of the larger story unfolding in the Salish Sea.

New Life Among the Southern Residents

In December 2025, a new Southern Resident calf was documented with K Pod. The calf, now designated K47, was first observed by Orca Conservancy’s own Tamara Kelley, highlighting the importance of consistent monitoring and the role experienced observers play in helping track the status of this endangered population.

Then in February 2026, researchers documented another calf, L129, traveling with L Pod and the L55 matriline in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Every birth matters for the critically endangered Southern Resident killer whale population.

But those of us who have followed this population for years also know that the first year of life is difficult. Historically, roughly half of Southern Resident calves do not survive that critical first year. These whales live in a system where food availability, noise, pollution, and other stressors make survival far more challenging than it should be.

So while births are encouraging, they are also a reminder of how fragile recovery remains.

Southern Residents are more than a species designation. They are a tightly knit society with family groups, distinct dialects, and cultural traditions passed down from one generation to the next. Every calf carries forward a lineage that stretches back generations in the Salish Sea.

The question is whether we are willing to make the changes necessary for those lineages to continue.

Our Work Behind the Scenes

While much of the public conversation focuses on whale sightings, a significant amount of our conservation work happens behind the scenes.

In January, Orca Conservancy submitted multiple public comments addressing federal policies and regional projects that directly affect the future of Southern Resident killer whales and the ecosystems they depend on.

One set of comments focused on the Navy’s Northwest Training and Testing (NWTT) Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, urging decision-makers to fully evaluate how underwater noise, sonar, and other training activities may affect endangered Southern Resident killer whales within and near their designated critical habitat. Southern Residents rely heavily on sound for navigation, communication, and locating prey, and even modest increases in background noise can interfere with their ability to forage effectively.

At the same time, Orca Conservancy submitted comments opposing proposed federal regulatory changes that could weaken long-standing protections under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). These proposals would narrow how agencies evaluate harm to endangered species and their habitat, changes that could have significant implications for species like the Southern Residents that depend on healthy salmon runs and functioning marine ecosystems.

Public comment periods may seem procedural, but they are one of the most important ways science, conservation expertise, and community voices enter federal decision-making processes.

Orca Conservancy has been directly involved in the Godfrey v. City of Seattle case, often referred to as the “Orca Appeal”, as part of a coalition of environmental organizations challenging the adequacy of Seattle’s environmental review for its comprehensive growth plan. The case centers on whether the City fully accounted for the downstream impacts of increased development, including stormwater pollution, loss of urban tree canopy, and resulting effects on salmon habitat and Southern Resident killer whales.

Notably, this case stands apart from dozens of related challenges to the City’s plan. Of approximately 60 lawsuits filed, 59 were dismissed. Godfrey remains one of the only cases to elevate the specific connection between urban growth, salmon recovery, and the survival of Southern Resident killer whales.

Orca Conservancy contributed scientific and policy expertise to the effort, helping to articulate the connection between land-use decisions in Seattle and the health of the broader Puget Sound ecosystem. Its involvement reflects a core organizational focus: ensuring that regulatory and planning decisions are grounded in science and fully consider impacts to the endangered species it works to protect.

Salmon, Habitat, and the Bigger Picture

Protecting Southern Resident killer whales ultimately means rebuilding the salmon populations they depend on. That reality continues to shape many of the policy discussions across the Pacific Northwest.

Orca Conservancy has continued to advocate for meaningful salmon recovery, including the need to address major barriers to fish passage and restore access to historic habitat. Discussions around the Lower Snake River dams remain central to that conversation. Chinook salmon from the Columbia and Snake River systems have historically been an important food source for Southern Residents, and decisions about those rivers will influence the long-term health of the entire ecosystem.

Closer to home, we also submitted comments regarding the proposed Chehalis River Basin flood control dam, urging decision makers to carefully evaluate the project’s potential impacts on salmon habitat and watershed health. Projects intended to address flooding must also ensure they do not undermine efforts to recover salmon populations that endangered species like the Southern Resident killer whales depend upon.

Long-Term Solutions

Our work continues to focus on the conditions these whales need to survive.

That means rebuilding Chinook salmon populations, reducing vessel noise and disturbance in critical habitat, protecting water quality, and supporting technologies that improve our understanding of whale presence and underwater sound—such as AI-assisted hydrophone monitoring networks.

Science and technology are giving us better tools than ever before to understand what these whales experience beneath the surface.

But tools alone are not enough.

Recovery ultimately depends on the decisions we make about habitat, salmon restoration, and how we manage the Salish Sea in the decades ahead.

A Reminder of What Is Still Possible

Seeing a new calf surface beside its mother is always powerful. It is a reminder that despite everything these whales have endured, they are still trying to survive here.

The Salish Sea is still capable of supporting incredible life.

The question before us is whether we will do what is necessary to protect it.

At Orca Conservancy, we intend to keep showing up, advocating for science-based decisions, pushing for meaningful ecosystem recovery, and working with partners across the region to ensure that the Southern Resident killer whales have a future in the waters where they have lived for generations.