Marine mammals

Almost 200 gray whales have washed up dead along the West Coast in 2026. A small group of gray whales who feed in Puget Sound is surprisingly central to understanding the crisis.

A proposed amendment to the Marine Mammal Protection Act has renewed a debate over the merits of killing seals and sea lions to protect salmon. Proponents say it will help some endangered salmon populations while opponents say the legislation is misguided and likely to be counterproductive.

Short-finned pilot whales occur around the world as distinct populations, but records of their occurrence in the Salish Sea are rare. Pilot whales are highly social, with some of the strongest bonds known among cetaceans. Unfortunately this makes them vulnerable to mass strandings and hunting.

Described as ‘ocean nomads,’ sperm whales range widely throughout the world’s oceans. In Puget Sound and the Salish Sea, there has been only one documented record of a sighting in Haro Strait in 2018.

The news of two new southern resident orca calves this year marks the 50th anniversary of whale counts from the Center for Whale Research.

Killer whales are active both day and night, but most scientific research focuses on their daytime activities. A recent study looked at a small group of endangered southern residents to find out how often they hunt after the sun goes down. Ocean noise tends to decrease at night, potentially making it easier for the whales to catch salmon, but could they take advantage?