Instagram story viewer> @orcaconservancy> Tagged

orcaconservancy

@orcaconservancy

46.3K

followers

595

following

We're a 501c3 non-profit organization committed to protecting the endangered Southern Resident killer whale population. Join us:

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Every new calf in this population is a spark of hope but also comes with trepidation for many. With a 50% survival rate, optimism can be fleeting, especially with recent experiences of calves who pass away shortly after birth & being documented.

J60, L128, J61, J64, & L129 are all calves who have passed within a short timeframe after documentation in the last 3 years. In that same time, L126, L127, J62, J63, K47, L130 came into existence & have been rencountered (L130 was last observed on Sept 3 by the Center for Whale Research, Encounter 79). J65 is now the newest calf to the population & while it is still early, I have hope.

I have hope for every calf, even with 50% odds. I must. I am somewhat cautious to become attached but I’ve found that I can do little to control that for myself. J64 made this clear for me—I have spent every year wishing for a new calf in the J16s. I was ecstatic at the news of J42 being a mother, of J16 being a grandmother, & of the population growing by one little fin. But unfortunately this little one was gone by the end of October & I felt this loss pretty deeply.

It’s been over a decade for me following this population & advocating for their recovery & conservation. I’ve definitely hardened over that time & don’t get emotional over every loss but every now & then, one hits my heart. K21’s loss was easily the hardest. L128 ached & J64 broke my heart just a little more.

And yet! I hope! I feel optimism & joy where & when I can. I feel akin to “rage, rage against the dying of the light,” when it comes to increasing feelings of doom & fatigue around environmental conservation issues. I’m a stats girl, I know the stats of the SRKW population well and yet I rage forward in stubborn optimism.

J65 brings the population up to 77 💕 77 Southern Residents are swimming in the Pacific & I have hope in my soul yet for these whales. Working in conservation has taught me many things but one thing stands out: These animals & ecosystems are resilient. I have hope in that resilience, alongside my own fears, worries, & pessimism.

📷 Photo taken from shore with a telephoto lens

3

1

FROM THE OCEAN TO THE MOUNTAINS 🐋🏔️

Some projects are especially meaningful, and this is definitely one of them!

I’ve been snowboarding since I was a kid, so having the opportunity to create the artwork for @travisrice iconic Orca and Golden Orca pro models by @libtechnologies has been a dream come true. 🏂

Here’s a little behind-the-scenes look at the creative process, bringing together three of my greatest passions: art, snowboarding and wildlife.

What makes this collaboration even more special is its purpose. A portion of the proceeds supports @orcaconservancy and their efforts to protect the endangered Southern Resident orcas of the Pacific Northwest, threatened by declining salmon populations, pollution and underwater noise. 🐋

I’m incredibly grateful to Travis Rice and the entire Lib Tech team for trusting my work and making this possible!

Ride with purpose. Protect what inspires us. 💙

#Dulk #LibTech #TravisRice

4k

194

A whale-watching trip that turned into a whole lot more than whale watching. 🐋

We headed out with @pugetsoundexpress for a full-day trip, and the whales showed up early enough to make us feel pretty good about our decision to spend the day on the water.

But they weren’t the only wildlife on the itinerary.

We also spotted an otter napping in the kelp, a Minke whale, sea lions, seals, and plenty of birds. We even made time to explore Friday Harbor before heading back out on the water.

And, of course, there was the famous blueberry buckle. Because whale watching requires snacks.

One thing to know if you’re planning your own trip: the full-day San Juan Island tour we took has wrapped up for the season, but Puget Sound Express still has half-day whale-watching trips departing from Port Townsend through November 28. The half-day trip is a different itinerary, so check the current schedule before booking.

If a whale-watching trip has been sitting on your PNW bucket list, this is your reminder to look into those remaining fall dates!

Save this for a future PNW adventure, and tell me: what would you be most excited to spot — whales, otters, or sea lions? 🫍

#WhaleWatching #PortTownsend #PugetSound #PNW #PNWTravel

113

1

October 12, 2026
Indigenous Led Whale Watching Tour
for @frsclipper / @clipperwhalewatching

Thank you @lorenzocabrera 🫡

120

5

protecting our oceans 🐬🩵
—
#ocean #conservation #protectwildlife #protectouroceans #savetheocean

5

0

in the wild🫍🖤
—
#pacificblueproject #oceanconservation #orca #freewilly #protectouroceans

13

0

Fragments from my latest story for @blintermagazine + some photographs I’ve taken around here lately that show just interwoven our communities are with the orca — we see them from our neighborhoods, dedicate community art to them, install bells on our shorelines so we can alert others they’re home, name our transit cards after them, and know them by name. They are the Salish Sea.

My heart has been breaking with J-Pod, one of our #southernresidentorca families🫍🌊 And while it’s been so special to see new calfs be born into T-Pod, it’s important to understand the struggles that orca mothers face. Even when they are able to get pregnant and give birth, it’s still an uphill battle to keep that child alive, let alone themselves.

Learn more about the fight at blintermagazine.com or go to the link in my bio and click on the magazine’s home page from there — my story is the newest one📖 If you’re familiar with this crisis, feel free to tag resources in the comments.

Come see me perform at @langleywhalecenter tomorrow from 11-2 with @wa_orcanetwork

6

0

At 1:00am when everyone is asleep sometimes I “play”. I find late night doodles to be so freeing. No expectations, no deadlines, no perfection. No rules. Just me and my orca 🫍#orca #dolphin #purplerain #artist #doodling

11

1

Tree Thinning at our Berrydale Tree Farm Site along Big Soos creek! 🌲🌲🌲

Thinning and limbing dense groves of Grand Fir trees allow more sunlight to reach the forest floor, encouraging understory vegetation to thrive! Additionally, we continue to thin out this old Christmas tree farm to allow more wildlife passage, healthier soils and forest conditions, increase biodiversity, and to prepare for our 2026/2027 planting season! 🌿🌲

Join us and @orcaconservancy for our upcoming events at Berrydale, to help us create healthy forests for salmon and wildlife! 🐟🌿🌲🦌

Check out our website for upcoming volunteer events !
https://www.freethegreen.org/events

19

1

Here comes the orca!
.
A friendly pod and crystal clear visibility. Hard to beat days like this out on the water! 🌊✨
.
.
#bajacalifornia #orca #wildlifeencounters #oceanvibes #underwaterlife

3

4

There's a special light that forms over the slick calm, windless surface of the sea during late August on Blackfish Sound off the northeastern coast of Vancouver Island. On the best days, late summer fog rises in the early morning but leaves superfine mist in the air, creating a truly magical glowing glass effect with brilliant blues and soft focus whites. The harsh exhale of cruising killer whales holds in the air and is reflected brightly in the flat water as the pressure wave folds gently over their snouts. This dreamy effect is prized highest of all amongst marine mammal photographers, but is rarely encountered. Sometimes the stars and spray align just long enough to see such things.

@bbcearth
@killer_whale_centre
@canoncanada
@vancouverislandnorth

#killerwhale #orca #vancouverisland #britishcolumbia #canadianwildlife

315

11

Biggs orca off Burien WA, and they’re swimming right by the @orcaconservancy webcam! Currently Northbound toward Seattle. Happy whale watching! ❤️🫍❤️

24

3