Southern Resident Orca Grandmother Goes Missing

SEATTLE — Sad news for whale watchers this week as researchers say that a beloved Southern Resident killer whale matriarch is missing, and presumed dead.

The Center for Whale Research says L47, or "Marina", did not appear during their 2021 whale census. The grandmother whale was last seen on Feb. 27 in the Swanson Channel. At the time, she appeared to be hale and healthy, but while her family in the L-pod was later spotted in the western Strait of Juan de Fuca, but Marina wasn't with them.

The Center for Whale Research says, now that they've seen Marina's immediately family without her several times, her absence meets their criteria for declaring a whale missing, and they believe she is likely deceased.

L47 was born in 1974, and would have been 47 years old in 2021. The Center for Whale Research says she was "one of the most prolific Southern Resident females," giving birth to seven surviving calves, the most of any Southern Resident. She also gave birth to four calves that did survive past their first year.

Unfortunately, Marina's death also poses a threat to her surviving children. Researchers say her son, the young male L115, is now three times more likely to die during the next two years. Her grandchildren, L110 and L112, are also six times more likely to die than if their grandmother had survived and continued supporting the pod.

Also missing is K21, a 35-year-old male who was last seen in July. His disappearance is less shocking— researchers say recent sightings of K21 showed that he was extremely emaciated, and unlikely to survive much longer.

Including the disappearance of L47 and the death of K21, the current Southern Resident killer whale population is now 73. Marina's L-pod remains the largest group, with 33 surviving orcas.

Right now the endangered Southern Residents face three main threats: food shortages, chemical contaminants in their water and food, and boat noises that interrupt their communication and hunting. While efforts are underway to restore the Chinook salmon population that the orcas rely on for food, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife recently sounded the alarm, asking boaters to help address noise concerns by keeping away from orcas and slowing down if they're nearby.

Related: Keep Clear Of Pregnant Orcas, Warn Experts