The 2010s: What Does the Future Hold?
We have only been studying these animals for a short time, and they are long-lived. There is so much that we still don’t know. It’s important to retain a historical perspective and take all available information into account when monitoring the health of this population so that we can separate normal fluctuations from danger. Unfortunately, we undermined our data before we even began research by removing so many animals for capture. We can only estimate how many animals were in the population originally and must make educated guesses about what a healthy population looks like, as we have never studied a healthy
Southern Resident population.
Quote Match
Attitudes towards orcas have changed over time as our understanding has grown. See if you can figure out which quote about orcas was said in which decade. Hover over the author to see their quote in the left corner. Then drag the author tile to the decade you think the quote is from.
The Whale Museum: Your Visit Today
Research on the impacts of humans of the Southern Residents is ongoing, and we learn more every day. Each bit of knowledge gives us a greater respect for these animals and a better understanding of what they need to survive. But we already know that the main threats to their survival are lack of salmon, high levels of toxins and pollutants, and vessel presence and disturbance. Now the most pressing questions are: Can we change our behavior? Will it be enough to save them?