 |
Friday, November 29, 2002
Three babies lift orcas' total up to 82
The little dorsal fins of three baby orcas are slicing through Puget Sound waters. The babies, born sometime this fall, are welcome additions to a population of killer whales that has seen too many deaths in recent years.
The number of whales in the three pods that frequent these waters dipped below 80 last year, but now is up to 82.
But the celebration has to wait.
What's important for long-term recovery is that the whales make it to sexual maturity, which happens during their teens, and then are able to successfully create babies of their own, scientists say.
Right now, "they're just extra little mouths to feed," said Ken Balcomb, a whale expert with the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor. "We keep our fingers crossed until they reach maturity."
The first few weeks of life are the major hurdle to survival, though the local whales seem to be dying at an unusually high frequency up to their sixth birthday, Balcomb said. The new whales seem healthy so far.
The potential causes for the orcas' decline are many, including shortages of food and accumulation of toxic chemicals including polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, that reduce immune resistance and successful reproduction.
The local population spends part of the year here, hanging around the San Juan Islands and venturing down to the southern stretches of the Sound. Soon the whales will head out to the ocean, some migrating to the Oregon coast or farther.
The gender of the baby whales isn't yet known. Their sex can be told by the pattern on their stomachs -- males have an elongated white section and females have a shorter, rounder white patch.
A photo of one of the babies can be found online at www.whaleresearch.com. In the picture, the normally white patches are a peachy color characteristic of newborns. The pink fades to white in four to six months.
P-I reporter Lisa Stiffler can be reached at 206-448-8042 or lisastiffler@seattlepi.com
My web site
My Yahoo!
Google
 Day in Pictures A spotted eagle and more |
 David Horsey A reminder from 2004 ... |
 Photo gallery Screening of Sex Drive |
· Redfin cuts its work force 20 percent
· Parents arrested for allegedly starving girl
· Signs of times add up for homeless on the street
· Oregon pair singes McCain sign
· 'Twilight' fans looking for vampires in Forks
· 400 King County positions to be cut because of tight budget
· No body, no weapon, but trial starts in biker's death
· Man convicted in Ballard rapes from 12 years ago
· Herb enhanced by UW scientists to fight cancer
· Transportation initiative also cuts arts funding
· Oregon infant recovers from rare disease
· Reward offered in Oregon cabin fire death
more· Microsoft exec touts technology for rural business
· No winners for Wash. Lotto, Hit 5 top prizes
· Winning lottery numbers chosen
· Wash. father, stepmother charged with mistreatment
· Rossi resists subpoena, says lawsuit political
more· Advocates say government should save wild horses
· Business interests seek employer sanction changes
· Gay support group criticizes Mormon leadership
· Desalting plant near Yuma prepares for restart
· 3 BLM workers held at gunpoint at NV pot garden
more
The Big BlogBy Monica Guzman and other P-I editors and staff
· Canadians have an election too, eh?
· Who is really to blame for our pet shelter problem
· Reader Reports: P-I banned in Thailand
Strange BedfellowsP-I staff on Seattle politics
· Canada's election ends in Vancouver
· Gallup daily poll: Obama 51, McCain 41
· Dearth of new governor's race polls
Seattle Real Estate NewsWith the P-I's Aubrey Cohen
· Trulia embraces crisis
· Quadrant offers new incentive
· Fall not Fannie and Freddie's fault
Seattle TrafficBy Reporter Larry Lange and other P-I staff
· Weigh in on possible bus changes
· Overnight shutdowns Thursday on 520 Bridge
· New ride record claimed for water taxi
101 Elliott Ave. W.
Seattle, WA 98119
(206) 448-8000
Home Delivery: (206) 464-2121 or (800) 542-0820
seattlepi.com serves about 1.7 million unique visitors
and 30 million page views each month.
Send comments to newmedia@seattlepi.com
Send investigative tips to iteam@seattlepi.com
©1996-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Terms of Use/Privacy Policy
