Twice now, Tahlequah has shared her grief with us, and her message is clear: We must act, before it’s too late.
You may have seen the heartbreaking news recently. Tahlequah, the Southern Resident orca, spent over two weeks earlier this month sacrificing precious energy to carry her deceased calf in a tragic display of grief.
Scientists tell us the top reasons for their precipitous decline are the lack of their main prey, chinook salmon, as well as noise disturbance from boats that makes it hard for the orcas to hunt, and chemical pollutants that accumulate in their tissues. As a result of these threats, the calves especially struggle to survive. Southern Resident orcas, with just 73 individual whales remaining in the coastal waters of the Northwest, are being pushed toward extinction.
As much as 80% of the Southern Residents’ diet is chinook salmon and one of the largest historical sources of these salmon at a critical time of the year – winter - has been the Snake River. Unfortunately, the four dams on the lower Snake River have degraded their habitat and devastated these once abundant runs. All four remaining Snake River salmon and steelhead populations face extinction today. Taking decisive steps to transition the services of the Lower Snake River dams and restore a free-flowing river as quickly as we can is essential to recovering these critical salmon runs – and helping feed the struggling Southern Residents.
ACT NOW: Urge Governor Bob Ferguson to take bold action to restore salmon, protect orcas, honor treaties between the U.S. government and tribal nations, and strengthen the regional economy.