Orcas
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Miami Seaquarium’s Lolita the orca died from old age and multiple chronic illnesses
The exam supported early reports from the Seaquarium, which cited kidney failure as the cause of death.

Oregon officials consider adding southern resident orcas to state endangered species list
With only 73 orcas remaining among the southern resident pod that forages along the Oregon Coast, state officials are considering adding the orcas to the state's endangered species list. That listing would provide great protections to the orcas and the salmon they eat.

Oregon commission petitions to add southern resident orcas to the endangered species list
With Chinook salmon numbers dwindling along the Oregon Coast, the southern resident orcas who live in the Pacific Northwest increasingly face the risk of starvation. Oregon has listed the salmon as an endangered species, and now a state commission is petitioning to add the orcas to the same list.

New research points to another big problem for endangered orcas in the Northwest: inbreeding
New research suggests that inbreeding may be a key reason that the Pacific Northwest’s endangered population of killer whales has failed to recover despite decades of conservation efforts.

OSU researcher revisits dead orca saga through genetic analysis
Charles Nye, a graduate fellow with OSU’s Marine Mammals Institute, said he was able to examine some organic material from the whale to help identify it.
Remains of orca found again off Oregon coast near Coquille River
A dead orca has been sighted again, after being adrift at sea for 11 days. The fisherman who spotted the body removed fishing or crabbing gear entangling it, and described it as sport rather than commercial.
Search underway for dead orca spotted off Oregon Coast
Scientists are hoping to locate the carcass of an orca spotted off the Oregon Coast. This may be the first instance of a dead killer whale seen in the state.

New orca listening post installed in Puget Sound
A trio of hydrophones rests on the sea bottom, recording the sounds of Washington's Puget Sound, including endangered southern resident orcas.

Southern Resident grandmother orca missing and likely dead
The Bellingham Herald reports mother and grandmother L47, or Marina as she was also known, was missing from the center's 2021 census, and she hasn't been spotted since Feb. 27.
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Endangered orcas get new protection from US government
Endangered killer whales have received new habitat protections from the U.S. government.