Today is orca recovery day! For those who aren’t familiar, it occurs every fall and is a fantastic way to connect with your local communities to educate yourself on the conditions of the endangered orcas and ways to help with the preservation of these creatures and the waterways they occupy.
These are some behind the scenes photographs from the ‘Eba + the Orcas’ episode that’s a part of the Seattle Aquarium’s Salish Sea series, which was beautifully created by my friends at Soulcraft Allstars. Last spring we set out on a research expedition around the San Juan Islands to learn about the vast ecosystems these magnificent orcas are a part of and how they contribute to the larger systems of the Salish Sea.
By our side was Eba the wonder dog, a rescue pup adopted by Dr. Deborah Giles of Wild Orca, one of the worlds leading experts on Southern Resident killer whales. Eba uses her incredible senses to scout out orca poop that lies on the surface of the water. Once it’s located it can be used for many fascinating researching purposes, and is a critical way to learn more about these creatures without invading their space.
Many people ask how they can help whales...Nora Nickum with the Seattle Aquarium suggests; advocating for supportive policies to be put into place for these endangered species, as well as funding for food resources, get in contact with your local elected officials to tell them that more money and resources need to be put into place to preserve the longevity of these remarkable orcas!
Learn more while you check out 'Eba and the Orcas' and the other two films in the series at the Seattle Aquarium's site here: https://salishsea.seattleaquarium.org/orcas/ And I think you'll enjoy this particularly magical clip below as well.
In a previous season of my podcast 'THE WILD with Chris Morgan' we also produced an episode featuring Eba and Giles. Sporting one of the more memorable titles that's particularly enjoyable for our younger listeners: 'The Power of Poop' and the equally engaging subtitle: 'Poop parties, floating scat, and an international crime fighter.'
Among other things you'll learn: "Scat is the most accessible animal product in nature," according to Professor Sam Wasser, director of the Center for Conservation Biology at the University of Washington. "And because so many products in the body are eliminated through scat, it provides this treasure trove of information about the animal's health, its reproductive status and the other environmental pressures that it's under, and there's really nothing else like it."
Tantalizing stuff.
So for now we'll leave you with this closing sentiment from Eba below; and wish you Fair Winds and Following Seas - and if you're very very lucky, an orca sighting in your future too.
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