You may download the complete Status Report by clicking the links below: Final Killer Whale Status Report Mar 2004 - PDF Format (1.80 MB) Draft Killer Whale Status Report Nov 2003 - PDF Format (1.23MB) The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife maintains lists of species that are endangered, threatened, or sensitive in the state. The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has adopted listing procedures developed in 1990 by a group of citizens, interest groups, and state and federal agencies (WAC 232-12-297). The procedures describe the process for listing species, criteria for listing and delisting, public review, and recovery and management. The first step in the process is to develop a preliminary species status report. The report includes a review of information relevant to the species' status in Washington and addresses factors affecting its status including, but not limited to: historic, current, and future species population trends, natural history including ecological relationships, historic and current habitat trends, population demographics and their relationship to long term sustainability, known and potential threats to populations, and historic and current species management activities. The procedures then provide for a 90-day public review opportunity for interested parties to submit new scientific data relevant to the status report, classification recommendation, and any State Environmental Policy Act findings. During the 90-day review period, the Department may also hold public meetings to take comments and answer questions. At the close of the comment period, the Department completes the Final Status Report and Listing Recommendation for presentation to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. The Final Report and Recommendation are then released 30 days prior to the Commission presentation for public review. The draft status report for the killer whale was reviewed by researchers and state, provincial, and federal agencies. This review was followed by a 90-day public comment period from November 3, 2003-February 3, 2004. A public meeting was held in Mt. Vernon in January 2004. All comments received were considered in preparation of this Final Status Report for the Killer Whale. Submit written comments on this report by April 1, 2004 to: Endangered Species Section Manager Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 600 Capitol Way North Olympia, Washington 98501-1091. The Department will present the results of this status review to the Fish and Wildlife Commission for action at the April 2-3, 2004 meeting in Spokane.

Final Killer Whale Status Report: Executive Summary Killer whales are distributed throughout the marine waters of Washington. Four populations are recognized and are referred to as southern residents, northern residents, transients, and offshores. These populations rarely interact and do not interbreed despite having largely sympatric year-round geographic ranges that extend into British Columbia and other areas along the west coast of North America. Southern resident and transient killer whales are the only populations that regularly enter the state's coastal waters, whereas offshore whales mainly inhabit open ocean off the outer coast. Northern residents are rare visitors to the state. Resident killer whales are believed to feed almost exclusively on salmon, especially chinook, and other fish. They occur in small highly stable social units known as matrilines, in which all individuals are maternally related. Pods are larger social groups comprised of several matrilines and typically hold about 10 to 60 whales. In contrast, transient whales feed primarily on harbor seals and other marine mammals. They also travel in small matrilineal groups, which typically contain one to six animals. Although some matriline members maintain long-term bonds, the social organization of transients is generally more flexible than in residents. Few details are known about the biology of offshore killer whales, but they commonly occur in large groups of 20-75 individuals and are believed to be mainly fish-eaters. The southern resident population is comprised of three pods (identified as J, K, and L pods) and is most familiar to the general public. It occurs primarily in the Georgia Basin and Puget Sound from late spring to fall, when it typically comprises the majority of killer whales found in Washington. The population travels more extensively during other times of the year to sites as far north as the Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia and as far south as Monterey Bay in California. Southern resident population trends are unknown before 1960, when roughly 80 whales were present, but it is quite likely that numbers were at a depleted level due to indiscriminant shooting by fishermen. The population is believed to have recovered somewhat during the early and mid-1960s, but live-captures for aquaria removed or killed at least 47 of the whales during the 1960s and 1970s. The population has been closely monitored since 1974, with exact numbers of animals and other demographic details learned through annual photo-identification surveys. Membership increased from 70 to 98 whales between 1974 and 1995, but this was followed by a rapid net loss of 18 animals, or 18% of the population, from 1996-2001. J and K pods have generally maintained their numbers during the decline, with both equaling or exceeding their largest recorded sizes in 2003. However, L pod, which comprises about half of the southern resident population, has been in sharp decline since 1994. This pod's decline is especially worrisome because it involves both increased mortality of members and a reduction in birth rates. Population trends of transient and offshore killer whales are not known because of their greater mobility and more sporadic occurrence, making it difficult for researchers to maintain detailed photographic records of both groups. Both populations cover huge geographic ranges that extend from Alaska to southern California. Three threats have been identified as potentially the most problematic for killer whales in Washington. First, the southern residents have experienced large historic declines in their main prey, salmon. Overall salmon abundance has remained relatively stable or been increasing in Puget Sound and the Georgia Basin during the past several decades and therefore may not be responsible for the decline in L pod since 1996. However, a lack of comprehensive information on the status of all salmon runs in the range of the southern residents makes the threat of reduced prey availability difficult to dismiss. Second, recent studies have revealed that transient and southern resident whales are heavily contaminated with organochlorine pollutants, primarily PCBs and DDT residues. Both populations are now considered as among the most highly contaminated marine mammals in the world. Lastly, increasing public interest in killer whales has fueled tremendous growth in whale watching in and around the San Juan Islands during the past two decades. As a result, southern resident whales are now followed by significant numbers of commercial and private vessels during much or all of the day when residing in this portion of their range. Despite the great increase in killer whale research in Washington and British Columbia since the early 1970s, researchers remain divided on which of these threats are most significant to the whales. It may well be that a combination of threats are working to harm the animals, especially L pod. Until more complete information becomes available, it is best to take a precautionary management approach in determining appropriate conservation strategies for the species. For these reasons, the Department recommends that the killer whale be listed as an endangered species in the state of Washington.   For more information on wildlife management issues, please contact WDFW Wildlife Management Program. Phone: 360-902-2515 E-mail: wildthing@dfw.wa.gov Files formatted in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) require the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print. You can download the free reader directly from Adobe. Windows versions are approximately 4MB in size.