Town Hall Seattle Science Series

In July of 2018, Orca whale J35, also known as “Tahlequah,” gave birth to a calf off the coast of British Columbia. When the calf died shortly after birth, the world grieved alongside J35 as she carried the calf for 17 days across 1,000 miles before finally releasing it and rejoining her pod. Grief that transcends species is an extraordinary thing; it sparked a revival awareness of the critical need to preserve orcas, the chinook salmon they feed on, and their habitat — together, core elements of Pacific Northwest identity. In her book, Orca: Shared Waters, Shared Home, environmental journalist Lynda Mapes discussed one of the most urban whales in the world and why our efforts to protect them matter now, more than ever. The Southern Resident whales are a community of orcas that live in the Pacific waters spanning from Southeastern Alaska to central California. They are the only killer whale population listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act; as of September 2021, only 73 Southern Resident Whales remain a