New orca birth makes a big splash from San Juan Islands to Bothell

BOTHELL, Wash. — The birth of a new orca calf is sparking celebration. But also some concern among whale watchers tonight.

Now a scientist based in Bothell is working hard to keep mom, baby, and the rest of the endangered killer whales well fed.

Bothell is some 65 miles from the San Juan Islands where the pair was first seen.  But that’s where the founder of “Whale Scout” is doing restoration work, hoping to boost the population of salmon, the whales’ favorite food.

It’s not often we think “salmon” and “Bothell” in the same sentence. But it turns out, we probably should.

After all, the Sammamish River is part of the eco-system that delivers salmon to the Salish Sea. So, what happens here could determine whether calf L-128 survives.

Whitney Neugebauer is  talking about her favorite subject.  The work Whale Scout, a land-based whale watching organization she started 11 years ago, is doing to restore salmon habitats along the Sammamish River here at Wayne Park.

“So, it affects whales because salmon are in the Sammamish River,” Neugebauer said. “We actually have coho and chinook salmon. They’re migrating through right now.”

And the effects of a long, dry summer can make that arduous journey even more so and threatens their existence.

“One of the biggest threats to the Southern Resident killer whales  is a lack of salmon, specifically chinook salmon,” Neugebauer said. “And they’re right here. They’re literally swimming beneath our feet right now. So, what we do here really does matter for them.”

So, it is a whale of a tale that 31-year-old orca, L-90, has given birth to a brand new calf, named L-128 by the Center for Whale Research.

The newest member of the L-pod was spotted just two days ago off the coast of San Juan Island. There was some concern that the mother and calf have separated from their pod.

But all reports are that the calf looks healthy. Still scientists say L-128 likely has just a 50-50 chance of survival.

Neugebauer says they are doing their part here to help increase those odds.

“They’re so many people that love these whales so much, I don’t think we’re just going to watch them slip away,” insists Neugebauer.  “It wouldn’t be the Pacific Northwest without orcas and salmon. It just wouldn’t.”

You won’t get any arguments here.

As for L-128 --scientists still don’t know the calf’s gender.  Neugebauer says in order to determine gender, you have to see the calf’s belly.

The whale community is hoping for a female so there will be more orca calves to come.

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