Killer whales, also called orcas, are among Puget Sound’s most distinctive and charismatic inhabitants. They occupy an important niche at the top of the food web. Orcas are very important culturally and economically for the region. 

Southern Resident killer whales are a unique population of orcas that ranges in the Salish Sea and along the West Coast of the U.S. and Canada. These whales eat fish and depend heavily on Chinook salmon for food. In the late-1990s, Southern Resident killer whales experienced a dramatic decline. The combination of a precarious food supply and threats from pollution, vessel traffic, and noise continues to jeopardize their survival. As a result, they are federally listed as endangered.

The Southern Resident Killer Whale population is actually a large extended family, or clan, comprised of three pods: J, K, and L pods. Although they can be seen throughout the year in Puget Sound, they are most often seen during the summer, especially in Haro Strait west of San Juan Island, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and in the Strait of Georgia near the Fraser River and in the fall in Puget Sound.

Resident orcas were chosen as an indicator because they are top-level predators, spend a portion of the year in Puget Sound to feed and socialize, consume prey species that originate in Puget Sound, and are threatened by some of the pressures on the Sound, such as pollution, vessel traffic, and declining salmon and herring runs. Although a robust orca population is an important recovery goal both at the state and federal levels, there may be limits to how much the orca indicator can tell us about the overall health of Puget Sound. The Southern Resident Killer Whale population migrates in and out of the area, and thus is not entirely dependent on Puget Sound and its resources.

Other populations of whales, such as Bigg's (formerly "transient") killer whales and Northern Resident killer whales, also frequent the Salish Sea, but their numbers are not reported here because the indicator and target focus only on Southern Resident killer whales.

The status of the Southern Resident killer whale population remains fragile. In 2010, the Partnership’s baseline reference, the census reported 86 individuals. Every year since then the population size has been smaller, except in 2011.

As of July 1st, 2026, there were 76 southern resident killer whales remaining, significantly below the baseline reference and target values but above the previous year's count of 74 whales. This increase was due to the birth of four whales (J64, K47, L129, and L130), two of which survived to the census date (K47 and L130). Between the 2025 and 2026 census dates, K pod grew for the first time since 2004. L pod also grew, while J pod maintained its size.

Population size has largely plateaud over the last five years, changing from a low of 72 whales in 2020 to 76 whales in 2026, with most years of growth followed by years of decline. 2026 marks the first time since 2016 that the population has grown for two consecutive census periods. This previous period of growth, however, was followed by 4 years of decline.

As the population is small and has not shown significant decreases or increases over the last 5 years, we currently consider this indicator to be below target with no clear trend. The lack of recovery in this population can largely be ascribed to low recruitment compared to other killer whale populations. This low recruitment is likely due to a combination of failed pregnancies and early life mortality, with the majority of pregnancies never resulting in an observed calf and approximately 50% of calves dying in their first year.

EXTERNAL LINKS

Southern Resident Task Force, Governor's Office

NOAA Fisheries Species in the Spotlight: Southern Resident Killer Whale

Center for Whale Research

Orca Network

Orca Behavior Institute

REFERENCES

Lacy, R.C., R. Williams, E. Ashe, K. Balcomb III, L.J.N. Brent, C.W. Clark, D.P. Croft, D.A. Giles, M. MacDuffee & Paul C.Paquet. 2017. Evaluating anthropogenic threats to endangered killer whales to inform effective recovery plans. Scientific Reports 7:14119.

NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2018. Southern Resident Killer Whale Priority Chinook Stocks Report.

Pacific Fishery Management Council. 2020. Pacific Fishery Management Council Salmon Fishery Management Plan Impacts to Southern Resident Killer Whales: Risk Assessment. Ad-Hoc Southern Resident Killer Whale Workgroup, May 2020. SRKW Workgroup Report 1.

Wasser, S. K., J.I. Lundin, K. Ayres, E. Seely, D. Giles, K. Balcomb, J. Hempelmann, K. Parsons, R. Booth. 2017. Population growth is limited by nutritional impacts on pregnancy success in endangered Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca). PLoS One 12, e0179824 (2017).