Skip to main content
Unsupported Browser Detected

Internet Explorer lacks support for the features of this website. For the best experience, please use a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.

Southern Resident Killer Whales: Questions and Answers on Final Rule to Include Lolita in ESA Listing

In February 2015, NOAA Fisheries published a final rule to recognize the captive killer whale known as “Lolita” as a protected member of the endangered Southern Resident killer whale Distinct Population Segment (DPS). The following questions and answers provide more information about this decision.

More On This Topic

Large woody debris in a creek in a forested area The Fivemile-Bell habitat restoration project in the Siuslaw watershed in Oregon. Credit: Siuslaw Watershed Council.
 Southern Resident killer whales encountered during NOAA's PODs (Pacific Orcinus Distribution Survey) in October 2021 Southern Resident killer whales encountered during NOAA's PODs (Pacific Orcinus Distribution Survey) in October 2021 near the west end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
Aerial view of the Nisqually River Basin at sunset Tidal wetlands in the Nisqually River Basin, where restored habitat fosters growth of juvenile salmon and steelhead on their way to the ocean.