Another Baby Orca Is Born In Puget Sound!
Welcome, L123: You're the newest baby born to the endangered orcas in the Salish Sea.
The Pacific Whale Watch Association released photos of you and your mother, L103, also known as Lapis, swimming in Haro Strait on Saturday.
L123, you're the seventh baby born into the southern resident pods since last December. You were first spotted Nov. 10 off West Seattle.
We don't know yet whether you're female or male, but you're joining the L pod, one of the three southern resident pods (J, K and L).
Those pods number about 83 individuals. And federal biologists said earlier this year that recent drone images showed several pregnant orcas.
One of the females in J pod -- J2 or Granny -- is believed to be more than 100 years old, having been born about 1911.
But the odds are long against you reaching that age, L123. Fifty percent of orca calves don't live beyond their first year.
The southern resident pods are the only group of killer whales listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Live-capture programs for aquariums helped cut the population to 67 by 1971 from an estimated 200 in the 1800s. Pollution, the decline of king salmon and boat noise combine to threaten the group's survival.
But for now, L123, we'll just hope for a long life for you swimming in the deep blue sea.
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Gil Aegerter
Gil edits feature pieces and helps guide staff reporters through their stories. He previously served as interim digital director and online managing editor at KUOW. Before that he spent seven years with NBCNews.com, where he was variously a senior editor, editor-producer and features editor. He also worked 25 years as a newspaper editor in Anchorage, Alaska, San Diego, Wilmington, N.C., and Seattle. He also was a freelance researcher for NBC Olympics for the Games in Atlanta; Sydney, Australia; Salt Lake City; Athens; and Torino, Italy. He is a graduate of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, with a degree in photojournalism.
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