After seeing its population briefly dip to the lowest levels on record, the Southern Resident orcas appear to be holding steady, according to the latest estimates.
A calf born at the beginning of the year is believed to still be alive.
As Governor Jay Inslee's Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force kicked off its second year, Lynne Barre, NOAA Fisheries recovery coordinator for Southern Resident killer whales, told the group they would continue to track L124, aka "Lucky," and its mother. When the young orca was just a few weeks old in mid-January, it was reportedly in good spirits, "bouncing around" between several members of L Pod.
The calf was seen as recently as March 9, according to a written encounter by the Center for Whale Research. The calf and several other orcas were seen "grouped up and zig-zagging their way toward Obstruction Pass."
Meanwhile, the orca referred to as K25 is still alive, despite showing signs of declining health heading into 2019. From what researchers have been able to observe, K25's health has "not necessarily worsened," Barre told the orca task force.
If recent sightings are accurate, that means the Southern Resident orca population is an estimated 75. Though low, it's up one after a tough year that included a calf's death that caught the world's attention when its mother carried it for more than two weeks.
The encouraging update from NOAA comes at a time when several governor-requested bills linked to the health of the orcas remain alive in Olympia. In December, Inslee acted on a good chunk of the task force recommendations to support the recovery of the struggling orcas. Orca Task Force co-chair Les Purce told members Monday, "We feel good to know those major recommendations – many of them – have moved forward," and may still be approved and funded.