#Ken Balcomb

[believeyourstory]

I wonder if the whales will know… the man who used to follow them on the water for 46 years is gone. The one who championed for them and their survival. Who celebrated their births and mourned their deaths with them. I wonder if they will feel it. My heart just aches. The man who loved them so, he devoted half his life for them to ensure they had a future in this world.

Rest easy Ken.

#killer whales #orcas #whales #southern resident killer whale #srkw #ken balcomb

[cipher-the-sidhe]

I feel like there is something symbolic or spiritual to be found in the fact that Avatar the Way of Water (with its very specific themes) had its theatrical release the same day Ken Balcomb (the head of the Center for Whale Research and a pillar in the fight for the srkws) died, after 50 years of advocating for a very special population of critically endangered orcas.

In any case: may the Great Mother embrace you, Ken. There will be generations because of you, and we will continue to fight for our beloved Salish Blackfish. As you always said, we “will not count them down to zero, at least not quietly.”

*please consider donating to the Center for Whale Research and their fight to save the sacred Southern Resident Orca people*

#atwow #atwow spoilers #I don’t this this is a spoiler even if you squint but just in case #srkw #ken balcomb #avatar the way of water #avatar 2009 #cetacean activism #killer whales #orca #southern resident orcas

[snini-9]

Kenneth C. Balcomb (1940-2022)

With profound sadness, the Center for Whale Research announces the passing of our beloved founder and longtime leader Kenneth C. Balcomb.

Ken’s family and loved ones surrounded him in his final hours on December 15, 2022. He was 82 years old.

Ken was a pioneer and legend in the whale world. But more importantly, he was the North Star, a guiding light. Over half a century of whale research and advocacy, he lit a path for tens of thousands to follow. He was a scientist with a deep-rooted love and connection to the whales and their ocean habitat. He inspired others to appreciate both as much as he did.

Ken spent much of his career detailing and documenting the lives of the Southern Resident Orca population in the Pacific Northwest’s Salish Sea. His groundbreaking Orca Survey study determined that the Resident orcas needed more food abundance in a healthy habitat to survive. He continually heralded his message to the world: “No fish, No Blackfish.” [No Chinook salmon, No Southern Resident orcas].

The Center for Whale Research’s Southern Residents orca research began in 1976; it is the longest study of this population. Ken’s goal was always for CWR’s research to continue for 150 years, provided there were whales to study. All of us at CWR share Ken’s vision and mission to preserve and protect the magnificent Southern Resident killer whales. He often said about the critically endangered Southern Residents: “I’m not going to count them to zero, at least not quietly.” The CWR board of directors and staff are dedicated to continuing Ken Balcomb’s life’s work.

Thank you, Ken. We will carry you in our hearts forever.

Images and words courtesy of the Center for Whale Research

---v Snini’s words v---

I never got to meet Ken in person, but I did have the privilege of hearing him give a presentation during an online webinar. I remember that when he switched tabs, there was a document on in the background (I believe it was a report from NOAA) that he had written a note over saying, “Can we get a word count on this?” and during that presentation, he had expressed his frustration on the lack of salmon recovery being done by the government, saying something along the lines of, “Whales can’t eat words and if they put one salmon in the river for each word they typed, there wouldn’t be a salmon issue.” I know he, like Michael Bigg does, will continue to inspire others to continue his work. I wish I could have met him, but he will continue to be the reason I aspire to do research. I hope he rests easy and my heart goes out for his family and the Center for Whale Research.

#Center for Whale Research #Ken Balcomb #rest in peace #SRKW #KCB

[jmventre]

Information regarding #Superpod8 is included in this linked blog post - jv 

#orca #killer whale #center whale research #ken balcomb #visser #ventre #rose #seaworld #dams #snake river #VOTO

[derangedhyena-delphinidae]

URGENT! DO YOU WANT TO HELP THE SOUTHERN RESIDENTS? PLEASE HELP US WRITE, CALL AND TEXT!

A lawsuit, National Wildlife Federation vs National Marine Fisheries Service, may finally determine the fate of the 4 Lower Snake River Dams, the salmon who spawn there and the remaining 75 Southern Resident Orca who desperately need salmon to survive. Biden needs to know that we want those dams breached. He's broken enough of his climate promises - let him know that, and the extinction of these amazing animals, isn't an option!

Public comment is also being sought on the matter. Please visit our page, BidenBreachNow, for talking points, social media shareables, and extensive information about why the dams need to go. This is a critical time. Please call, text, write or email, every day if you can, until August 31st. Even if you already have acted and/or shared, please do it again. Please keep sharing because every voice counts! The Snake River was once one of the top salmon rivers in the world. That is sadly no longer the case. Four deadbeat dams on the Lower Snake River have cost an estimated 8 to 9 billion dollars in failed salmon recovery attempts - taxpayer money! - and they lose millions more every year generating unstorable surplus energy. What they do sell is often sold at a loss. The dams continue to get older and costlier to maintain, while solar and wind energy have replaced their power output; energy efficiency alone has done the same seven times over.

These dams aren't even clean energy! Their reservoirs emit huge amounts of methane, which contributes to the climate crisis. Please help spread this if you can, and join in. We have a real chance here to get this done - so let's do it.

As the late and great Ken Balcomb said: "We're at a point in history where we need to wake up to what we have to consider: do we want whales, or not?"

He never stopped fighting for the Southern Residents, and neither should we.

#srkw #bidenbreachnow #orca #salmon #orcanize #southern residents #snake river dams #killer whale #conservation

[gaiusozarkus]

Ken Balcomb - naturalist whale hero

[where-is-my-pen]

L124 Lucky

Recently it's been found that the SRKW have a new baby among them! Born to L77, this calf has been allocated L124 and has been nicknamed "Lucky" by Ken Balcomb. It's suspected to be a couple of weeks old already and appears good and healthy! I hope that trend continues.

#orca #killer whale #dolphin #srkw #southern resident killer whales #l124 lucky #ken balcomb

[chordatagifs]

05 September 2020 - Center for Whale Research's Lodie Gilbert Budwill shot this video of a rare close-up Southern Resident killer whale Superpod with Ken Balcomb.

#orca #killer whale #center for whale research #srkw #ocean #orcinus orca #ocean gif #im sadly. not good at id since im not at all good at visual learning #but these are all srkw ya know #so they should in theory be identifable #especially from the full vid #umm i yanked up the sat and color on the ocean since #why not. it looks grey otherwise #im still not the best at aesthetics thou lol #ill probably make more gifs from this vid soon? #even thou its copyright violation :3c

[csnews]

J41 gives birth to new J-pod baby

Pacific Whale Watch Association News - September 25, 2020

For Immediate Release

MORE GOOD NEWS! SECOND NEW BABY SIGHTED IN JPODPWWA Naturalists Thrilled to Witness New Calf's First Breath

FRIDAY HARBOR, WA (September 25, 2020) – Following the recent news of the birth of a new baby in Jpod, and the subsequent report that J57 is a boy, comes even more good news from the Salish Sea.

Expectant mother J41, aka Eclipse, gave birth to her newest baby Thursday afternoon just miles off the Victoria, B.C. waterfront. This is J41's second calf. Her first calf, J51, is a male born in 2015.

The birth of the baby was witnessed by professional naturalists Talia Goodyear and Leah Vanderwiel, along with everyone aboard the Orca Spirit Adventures vessel Pacific Explorer. The crew and guests came upon the lone female killer whale as they were returning from viewing one of the dozens of humpback whales that are regularly seen in the region all summer, and were on their way to Race Rocks to finish their tour viewing seals and sea lions when they happened upon J41.

According to Goodyear, "We spotted who we soon identified to be J41 just southwest of Race Rocks. She appeared to be alone at the time and stayed very close to the surface for a few minutes. After going under for several minutes, she reappeared, and this time it looked like she was pushing something with her rostrum. She surfaced like this 3 or 4 times.”

"It took us a little while to really figure out what was going on," said Goodyear, "so it was a bit of an emotional roller coaster as we thought of all the possibilities. Although we thought we were certain this was an SRKW, we did question whether this was a Biggs killer whale with a seal, or if we were seeing a buoy and this was an entanglement, and then we were concerned we could be re-living the tragic situation with J35 and her deceased calf from 2018."

"She was aiding the baby up for a few breaths with her rostrum," added Vanderwiel, "at which point the little one started surfacing on its own. It appeared to be a rambunctious little bundle of baby, as every surface was exaggerated and playful. We watched as they continued to head off southwest from Race Rocks."

"It was an emotional time as we processed what was happening in front of us," said Vanderwiel. "It took a few minutes to realize what was actually happening, but then it was pure excitement realizing that it was a birth and the baby was very alive and boisterous.

"While the majority of PWWA whale watching tours are focused on the thriving Biggs mammal-eating killer whales, abundant Humpback whales and other marine wildlife, occasional chance encounters with the world-famous Southern Resident Killer whales (SRKW) do occur. During these brief encounters naturalists educate their guests about the SRKW, their matrilineal social structures, their playful nature and life histories, and explain to their guests the challenges the beloved endangered SRKW population currently face for their very survival.

Following their brief encounter, and while the excitement was still coursing through their veins, Goodyear and Vanderweil alerted the PWWA and the Center for Whale Research about their observation, and provided their photos for analysis once they returned to shore.

While the trained professional naturalists were certain that the new mother was J41, and believe that they witnessed the calf's first breaths, their photographs were sent to whale researchers to confirm their identities and to hopefully determine their body condition based on the photos provided.

According to Ken Balcomb, founder and executive director of the Center for Whale Research, the photos of the mother are confirmed to be those of J41 and a brand new baby. "We're very pleased to see that J41 has had her baby," said Balcomb, "however, it's too soon to determine the status of the calf, and further observations are necessary before we'll make an announcement of the new baby's health.

"As the PWWA remains cautiously optimistic for the health and survival of yet another beautiful new addition to Jpod, survival for the endangered SRKW population directly correlates with the health of Chinook salmon. Dramatic declines over the past several decades of Chinook salmon throughout their critical habitat continues to be the biggest threat to SRKW recovery. Salmon stocks that the SRKW rely upon throughout the year primarily include Chinook salmon that spawn in the Fraser River, Columbia River, and Sacramento River systems.

In contrast, Biggs mammal-eating killer whales have produced over 80 new calves in the past ten years in the shared waters of the Salish Sea due to abundant marine mammal prey resources and are thriving throughout the region.

#news #wild #cetacean #birth #calf #killer whale #whale #orca #dolphin #srkw

[believeyourstory]

Saw a post about Ken Balcomb and still can’t fathom that he is gone. We will never stop fighting for these guys.💙

#personal #southern resident killer whale #srkw #orcas #whales #dolphins #free Willy #jpod #kpod #lpod #Youtube

[endkillerwhalecaptivity]

L-126 / Ken

The first offspring of Joy / L-119, born in June this year, has been named Ken, in honor of the late Ken Balcomb, founder of the Center for Whale Research.

#killer whales #orca #killer whale #southern resident killer whales #blackfish

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from the Seattle Times:

Another baby orca has been born to J pod, the Center for Whale Research confirmed Friday morning. It’s the second calf born this month for the endangered southern resident orcas that frequent Puget Sound.

“We confirm that there is a new calf in J pod and the mother is J41,” Ken Balcomb, the founding director of the center, wrote in a text message to The Seattle Times on Friday morning.

“We have to await the whales’ return to determine its health condition and hopefully determine its success. It is important to note that the observation was in Canada and we could not be there due to covid restrictions.”

Center observer Mark Malleson caught up with the whales near Sheringham, British Columbia, Balcomb wrote. The whales were very spread out, foraging, and could not be located before dark.

J35, the orca also known as Tahlequah, gave birth to a male calf on Sept. 4. Mother and baby were seen this week romping and feeding. Tahlequah raised worldwide concern in 2018 when her calf died shortly after birth and she carried it for 17 days and more than 1,000 miles.

This is the fourth birth to the southern residents since 2019. In such a small population, every calf is celebrated. There are now 74 southern residents in the J, K, and L pods.

#orcas #killer whales #southern resident orcas

[snini-9]

This is the story of J6

For many years J pod contained three very iconic males - J1, J3, and J6. J6 Ralph was estimated to have been born in 1956 and was already a mostly full-grown adult male when CWR's Orca Survey began in 1976. By Katie Jones, CWR ORCA SURVEY Outreach & Education Center Manager

J6 and J3 in 1976

During the early days of the [Orca Survey] study, when the whales' family trees were largely unknown and guesses had to be made as to who was related to whom, it was thought that J6 could have possibly been the brother of J8 as they spent a lot of time together. 

J6 was nicknamed "Ralph" in honor of former Washington Secretary of State Ralph Munro. Ralph Munro has long been a champion and protector for orcas. He was a first-hand witness to the horrific orca capture in Budd Inlet in 1976, and his actions not only helped to free the whales of the Budd Inlet capture but also helped to stop orca captures from ever happening again in Washington State. He has been a tireless advocate for Southern Resident killer whales, and it's only fitting that a whale is named after him. 

I asked Center for Whale Research Senior Staff / Photo Identification Specialist Dave Ellifrit for stories about J6. I've heard some people refer to J6 as "the babysitter." Around the time when J19 and J11 were just little ones, apparently, J6 would spend time playing around with his little pod mates. As he grew older, though, his behavior became very much like many of the older males in the pods: the pods would be foraging, and J6 could often be seen way offshore from everyone doing his own thing. Despite this behavior, Dave said he was definitely a very social whale and could often be seen right in the thick of good rolly-poly social behavior. 

CWR Senior Scientist Ken Balcomb recalls an encounter while watching the whales come into Haro Strait from Discovery Island - J6 was going from whale watch boat to whale watch boat checking everyone out. Ken said he seemed to be saying hello to everyone! 

J6 in 1992

Dave Ellifrit also recalled one story where High Spirits (CWR's old research trimaran vessel regularly used in the 1990s, especially for the Earthwatch teams that would volunteer for CWR) was following along with J6. During this encounter, J6 was being harassed by Dall's porpoise. The little porpoises zipped and buzzed around him at high speed, and he seemed to be so annoyed with his little hitchhikers that he began to ooze closer and closer to High Spirits. Dave recalled that Dall's porpoise really loved riding on the bow of the trimaran, and it seemed like J6 was trying to pawn off his annoying little companions on the research boat! If this was his tactic, it didn't seem to work, but it was good thinking if that's indeed what he was trying to do.

J6 Ralph and a Dalls Porpoise in 1998

CWR Community Relations Coordinator Lodie Budwill also has a very special story about J6 that she shared: 

My favorite memory of J6 "Ralph" took place almost 30 years ago! I would spend the entire day observing resident whales from land or by boat whenever my schedule would allow. I had three favorite "boys" at that time, J6 "Ralph," L38 "Dylan," and J1 "Ruffles." Any and every moment of time with them was extra special to me! 

On this particular day, I was on a small metal boat with Captain Darrell Roberts, who knew these whales and understood my passion for them. It was summertime, and the water was flat like a mirror. All of J Pod was present on the north side of Henry Island, somewhat spread out, traveling from west to east. We sat still in the water with the engine cut to watch the whales approach off the stern of the boat. Most of the whales had passed by when I spotted J6 at a distance, swimming solo. There he was, his massive dorsal fin cutting through the smooth water like a knife. He was aiming directly toward us. 

In my excitement to connect with J6, I leaned over the back of the boat, reached my arms out about 1-2 feet above the clear water. I clapped my hands and called to him as he swam towards us. He remained close to the surface the entire distance, as the tip of his tall dorsal fin never fully submerged! He swam straight as an arrow right up to the boat, and almost as if in slow motion, he glided directly under my hands. He was gorgeous from rostrum to fluke! I remember Captain Darrell at this point telling the others on the boat that Ralph was one of my "boyfriends"! J6 will always hold a very special place in my heart.

J6 is definitely one of the most iconic whales of yesteryear, and it's always a pleasure to bring these stories to new generations of orca lovers who may not have had the opportunity to meet or get to know these special individuals.

J6 in 1980 

Photo and article credit to the Center for Whale Research “This is the story of J6″ 

#J6 Ralph #southern resident orcas #southern resident killer whales #southern resident community #srkw

[a-srkw-dedicated-blog]

J31 Tsuchi and J56.

Credit: Dave Ellifrit (top) Ken Balcomb (bottom).

#srkw #blackfish #orca #orcas #j31 #j56

[respectanimalrights]

Credit © 🎬 @sonicseafilm Voice Ken Balcomb @centerforwhaleresearch via @pnwprotectors 🖋 72 Southern Resident Orcas and 294,715 marine mammal species in the Salish Sea will be impacted by Navy training and testing activities. ⁣ ⁣ Let’s all send a letter to NOAA. ⁣ 30k individual letters are far more powerful than a petition signed by 30k people.⁣ We need to STOP this. ⁣All Together. Let’s all send a letter to NOAA. ⁣ ⁣https://linktr.ee/pnwprotectors 📝Link in our profile ⬆️ link @pnwprotectors to download a letter template to NOAA that you can print out and send via snail mail to:⁣ ⁣ ✉️Jolie Harrison, Chief Permits and Conservation Division, ⁣ ⁣ Office of Protected Resources National Marine Fisheries Service ⁣ ⁣ 1315 East-West Highway Silver Spring, MD 20910⁣ ⁣ 🔺Here are some Navy training Facts: ⁣ ⁣ 🔺The Navy’s application and NOAA’s proposed rule would allow for 51 instances of level B harassment affecting Southern Resident Orcas every year for the next seven years. ⁣ ⁣ 🔺As the proposed rule notes, that means that 68% of the endangered Southern Resident orcas could be affected. ⁣ ⁣ 🔺This is just the Southern Residents. In total, they estimate 149 killer whales impacted during training & 325 from testing. ⁣ ⁣ 🔺Those numbers account for total from 4 different populations (Alaskan Residents, ENP Offshores, West Coast Transients/Bigg’s & Southern Residents⁣ ⁣ 🔺294,715 marine mammal species in the Salish Sea will be impacted in total. ⁣ ⁣ “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”⁣ -Margaret Mead⁣ ⁣ ⁣🎥 @sonicseafilm ⁣ Voice: Ken Balcomb @centerforwhaleresearch ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #srkw⁣ #orca⁣ #killerwhale⁣ #blackfish⁣ #salishsea⁣ #conservation ⁣ #navy⁣ #pnw⁣ #weprotectwhatwelove ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ https://www.instagram.com/p/CDEHPjbBM9e/?igshid=1w46jfxqalvgd

#srkw #orca #killerwhale #blackfish #salishsea #conservation #navy #pnw #weprotectwhatwelove

[orcacharm]

"Ken Balcomb was with J pod on April 7. J17 has improved and showed little sign of the peanut-head condition that had us very worried during an encounter with her on New Year's Eve." -CWR

#orca #killer whale #srkw #southern resident #southern resident killer whale #cetacean #j17 #princess angeline #j pod