October 15, 2025 — Just 74 southern resident orcas remain, as of the latest count by the Center for Whale Research. The count has hovered around this low point for several years.
The 2024 census tallied 73 orcas in the southern resident J, K and L pods. In the next census period, which ran from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, four births were documented. Two of the calves and one adult died.
It’s a mixed story, said Michael Weiss, research director with the Center for Whale Research. J pod increased by two, L pod was stable and K pod declined. K pod is at its lowest point since the survey began, with just 14 orcas.
“What we had was a bunch of calves being born and half of those calves dying, and you can’t sustain a population if you can’t get calves to be born and survive their first couple years of life,” Weiss said. “That’s all tied to the state of the moms, and the moms need fish.”
The endangered southern residents, a fish-eating population that can be seen along the West Coast of the U.S. and B.C., were listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act 20 years ago. They face multiple threats, from a lack of their primary food, Chinook salmon, to underwater noise from vessels that makes it harder to hunt, as well as pollution and inbreeding.
The release of the latest census comes as the Trump administration has proposed rolling back protections for endangered species and blown up a Northwest agreement over dam operations in the Columbia Basin to help restore salmon.
L128 was born to first-time mom L90 in September 2024. L128 was seen looking thin in October 2024, and was not seen again.
In late December, J41 gave birth to female J62, and Tahlequah, also known as J35, had female J61.
J61 was identified on Christmas Eve, and confirmed dead on New Year’s Eve. Tahlequah carried her body for at least 11 days in what is understood by some scientists to be an indication of grief.