Stories from the Salish Sea: Eba + the Orcas
“You can’t make this story up…a pound dog that is out saving killer whales.”
Chris Morgan, wildlife ecologist, conservationist, filmmaker and host of the podcast THE WILD, takes us on a research vessel in the San Juan Islands to witness Eba, an orca-scat-sniffing dog. The scat tells the story of the challenges the orcas are facing—from toxicity and stress levels to reproductive health and more. Chris uncovers some brilliant work that has already been done to help orcas and what you can do to help.
Take action
Conserve water. Turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth, take shorter showers, skip watering your lawn. More water in our rivers means more water for salmon—and more food for orcas!
Conserve electricity. Use less electricity so the dams use less water. More water for salmon means more salmon for orcas.
Put waste in its place. Properly dispose of litter, garbage and pet waste—and check your car engine to prevent oil leaks—so these materials don’t end up in Puget Sound.
Choose non-toxic, environmentally friendly household and yard products. Even far from the water, nearly everything that goes down your drain or washes into storm drains and creeks, eventually ends up in the sea.
Use less gas. Carpool, use mass transit, ride your bike or walk to help create a cleaner environment for our orcas.
Reduce, reuse, recycle. Saving resources makes for a better environment for our orcas—and ourselves.
Make informed decisions about the seafood you eat. Choose sustainably caught and harvested seafood. See our sustainable seafood page for guidance.
Follow whale-watching guidelines. Be Whale Wise: if you’re going whale watching, do so from a safe distance; or even better, from the shore.
Share what you know with family and friends! Together, we can all make a difference for the orcas.
Learn More
Increase your knowledge and support the many groups that are working to save the orcas – and salmon too.
American Cetacean Society, Puget Sound Chapter
Local chapter of the oldest whale conservation organization, featuring a monthly speaker series in Seattle.
Be Whale Wise
Learn how to watch whales safely and responsibly.
Center for Whale Research
35 years of orca population research and great orca photos.
Killer Whale Tales
Environmental science through storytelling; inspiring kids to make a difference for orcas.
NOAA Fisheries
Read the southern resident orcas and salmon recovery plans. Report harassment or sightings of injured/stranded marine mammals by calling the NOAA Fisheries hotline at (800) 853-1964.
Orca Network
Find out where the whales are, all the latest news about orcas and their habitat, ways to get involved, and more.
Orcasound
Listen in to a network of hydrophones stationed throughout the Salish Sea, habitat of the Southern Resident orca pods.
Orca Salmon Alliance
The Orca Salmon Alliance (OSA) works to highlight the connection between two iconic endangered species that need help: southern resident orcas and Chinook salmon.
People for Puget Sound
Working for a clean and healthy Puget Sound, teeming with fish and wildlife.
Quiet Sound
A collaborative program to reduce noise impacts to southern resident orcas from large commercial vessels.
Save Our Wild Salmon
A coalition working to recover abundant, sustainable runs of wild salmon to the Northwest’s Columbia and Snake Rivers, once the largest salmon-producing river system on earth.
The Whale Museum
Visit the museum in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, or on the web, and adopt a Southern Resident orca!
Washington state orca recovery website
Track progress toward implementing the Governor’s Orca Task Force recommendations.
Whale Scout
Volunteer on a habitat restoration project to protect Pacific Northwest whales through land-based conservation experiences.
The Whale Trail
Find out where you can view whales from shore. The Seattle Aquarium is one of the first sites along The Whale Trail, established to inspire appreciation and stewardship of whales.