Southern Resident Killer Whale (Orcinus orca)

In 2005, the Southern Resident killer whale was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Learn more about the Southern Resident killer whale’s status, management, recovery efforts, and outreach and education partnerships.

West Coast

Killer whales are widely distributed in the world's oceans, but the status of most populations of killer whales is unknown. All killer whale populations are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Only two populations receive special protections under Federal Law: The Southern Resident Population was listed as endangered in 2005 under the Endangered Species Act and are considered depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The AT1 Transient population is also considered depleted under the MMPA.

Southern Resident killer whales spend several months of the summer and fall each year in Washington State's Puget Sound. The population is composed of three family groups of whales that have been named J, K, and L pods. Individual animals are identified by a number based on pod membership and birth order. The Southern Resident population has fluctuated considerably since the 1970’s. All three Southern Resident pods were reduced during 1965-75 because of captures for marine parks. The population consisted of 71 whales in 1974, the first year that individuals were counted. It then peaked at 97 animals in 1996, and declined again to 79 in 2001. The population now numbers in the 70s. For more information on this population and efforts to recover it, please view our Saving the Southern Residents story map.

The factors causing the decline of Southern Residents are complicated, and are likely to continue until we learn more about what needs to be done to reverse this trend. Scientists have identified the three main causes of decline, which are:

Reduced quantity and quality of prey,
Persistent organic pollutants that could cause immune or reproductive system dysfunction, and
Noise and disturbance from vessels.

In 2014, NOAA Fisheries released a report highlighting the accomplishments of the 10 years of dedicated research and conservation of the endangered Southern Resident killer whale population. With a decade of federal funding and productive partnerships with the killer whale community, we have taken targeted actions, collected substantial new data, and refined scientific techniques to protect this listed species and ensure a strong foundation for its recovery.

See our Ten-Year Southern Resident Killer Whale Report (2014)