Photo taken under NOAA permit
Orca Calls
Kitty
Daddy
Cowboy
Double Daddy
Listen to Orcas Live!
Orcas rely on sound to navigate and communicate in the dark world underwater. Light travels just a few feet in our murky waters, which makes sight useful only in close encounters. Sound can travel for miles, making it possible for orcas to communicate with each other, navigate and locate prey over long distances. Hydrophones are underwater microphones that allow us to listen in on the sounds that orcas make underwater and get some clues about what they might be doing.
Then we can start asking questions—When did they make the sounds? Which calls were they using? Which whales were seen on the surface and what were they doing? We can start to see patterns and use these patterns to learn more about life in an orca pod. Using hydrophones we can listen for orcas as they travel throughout the Salish Sea. By learning to identify their calls, you can help researchers learn more about how our local orca pods use this critical habitat.
Click below to get started!
Listen Live Orcasound
19 September 2013
Photo taken under NOAA permit
Great Calls, including a whale repeating an S36 call right over the hydrophone. Also, listen for a breach!
19 September 2013
Photo taken under NOAA permit
Shorter clip with lots of echolocation
20 October 2013
Photo taken under NOAA permit
A seven minute clip of phenomenal calls. All three pods and not a bit of background noise.
Where to See SRKWs
Fort Flagler
Orcas visible throughout the year, often between September-February
Saltwater
Orcas visible throughout the year, often between September-February
Dash Point
Orcas visible throughout the year, often between September-February
Fort Casey
Orcas visible throughout the year, often between September-February
Deception Pass
Orcas visible throughout the year, often between May-September
Fort Worden
Orcas visible throughout the year, often between September-February
Lime Kiln Point
Orcas visible throughout the year, often between May-September
Burrows Island
Orcas visible throughout the year, often between May-September
Turn Island
Orcas visible throughout the year, often between May-September
South Whidbey
Orcas visible throughout the year, often between September-February
Blake Island
Orcas visible throughout the year, often between September-February
Research Papers
Read more about the studies on our Southern Resident killer whales and their environment.
Linking Killer Whale Survivial and Prey Abundance
Food limitation in the oceans’ apex predator?
Species and Stock Identification of Prey
consumed by endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales in their summer range- 2010 Hanson et al.
Prey selection and food sharing by fish-eating ‘resident’ killer whales
(Orcinus orca) in British-Columbia-2005 Ford and Ellis
TOXINS: Persistent organic pollutants in chinook salmon
(Oncorhynchus tshawytschea): implications for resident killer whales of British Columbia and adjacent waters- 2009 Cullen et al.
Vessel Traffic Disrupts the foraging behavior
of Southern Resident Killer Whales- 2009 Lusseau/Bain
Effects of vessels on whale behavior
on individual Southern Resident Killer Whales- 2006 Lusseau/Bain
Sound Exposure and SKRW
Sound Exposure and Southern Resident Killer Whales- 2008 Holt
Recovery Plans
These comprehensive documents outline the respective recovery programs and the issues involving the Southern Resident killer whales
Endangered Species Recovery Plan
Endangered Species Recovery Plan- United States
Species At Risk
Species at Risk Recovery Program- Canada
Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery Overview
SRKW endangered species bulletin Summer 2009
Questions about our Program?
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