Streaming Media

Presentation Abstract

Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW, Orcinus orca) may be found year-round in the Salish Sea. These killer whales comprise three matrilineal pods (J, K, and L) and were listed as Endangered under the Canadian Species at Risk Act in 2003 and under the United States Endangered Species Act in 2005 due to prey scarcity, vessel noise and disturbance, small population size, and exposure to toxins. Through federal, state and local regulations vessel disturbance has been mitigated by increased approach distances, reduced speeds, increased on-the-water enforcement, limitations of the number of commercial whale watching boats allowed to be with a group of whales at any one time, viewing time limits for commercial whale watching boats, and education. The ongoing COVID-19 (SARS-Cov-2) global pandemic impacting daily life for most people has raised the question whether vessel traffic and disturbance accompanying the SRKWs would be reduced, which has been noted in marine mammals by other major global events that disrupt normal vessel traffic. However, recreational boating, which accounts for a majority of the violations against vessel regulations, has been deemed an appropriate form of social distancing in accordance with current guidelines. In the Salish Sea region, recreational vessel sales have increased throughout the ongoing pandemic, while commercial whale watching tours suffered from the lack of tourists. Despite the shift in tourism activities, Soundwatch found a net gain of vessels within ½ mile of SRKWs as well as a shift in the daily peak times of vessel disturbance in 2020. Outreach opportunities were severely limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, likely a largely contributing factor to the adverse effects of the pandemic on the SRKWs.

Session Title

Poster Session 2: The Salish Sea Food Web and Cycles of Life

Conference Track

SSE14: Posters

Conference Name

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)

Document Type

Event

SSEC Identifier

SSE-posters-29

Start Date

26-4-2022 4:30 PM

End Date

26-4-2022 5:00 PM

Type of Presentation

Poster

Genre/Form

conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)

Contributing Repository

Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.

Subjects – Topical (LCSH)

Killer whale--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Endangered species--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Wildlife conservation--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020---Washington (State)

Geographic Coverage

Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.

Type

Text

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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Apr 26th, 4:30 PM Apr 26th, 5:00 PM

COVID-19 and the SRKWs: A New Suite of Problems Facing the Critically Endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales in the Salish Sea

Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW, Orcinus orca) may be found year-round in the Salish Sea. These killer whales comprise three matrilineal pods (J, K, and L) and were listed as Endangered under the Canadian Species at Risk Act in 2003 and under the United States Endangered Species Act in 2005 due to prey scarcity, vessel noise and disturbance, small population size, and exposure to toxins. Through federal, state and local regulations vessel disturbance has been mitigated by increased approach distances, reduced speeds, increased on-the-water enforcement, limitations of the number of commercial whale watching boats allowed to be with a group of whales at any one time, viewing time limits for commercial whale watching boats, and education. The ongoing COVID-19 (SARS-Cov-2) global pandemic impacting daily life for most people has raised the question whether vessel traffic and disturbance accompanying the SRKWs would be reduced, which has been noted in marine mammals by other major global events that disrupt normal vessel traffic. However, recreational boating, which accounts for a majority of the violations against vessel regulations, has been deemed an appropriate form of social distancing in accordance with current guidelines. In the Salish Sea region, recreational vessel sales have increased throughout the ongoing pandemic, while commercial whale watching tours suffered from the lack of tourists. Despite the shift in tourism activities, Soundwatch found a net gain of vessels within ½ mile of SRKWs as well as a shift in the daily peak times of vessel disturbance in 2020. Outreach opportunities were severely limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, likely a largely contributing factor to the adverse effects of the pandemic on the SRKWs.