Pledge to Protect Southern Resident Orcas

Are you a boater in Oregon or Northern California? The southern resident orcas need your help. Boat noise and disturbance make it harder for them to find and catch their prey. While the law has changed in Washington State, these vulnerable pods receive no extra protection when they travel to the southern end of their range in Monterey Bay. Pledge to stay 1,000 yards away from J, K and L pods, and give the whales the space they need to forage, rest and tend their young.

• The southern resident orcas are critically endangered. The population currently consists of 76 individuals, nearing their historical low.

• Orcas are acoustic animals who use echolocation to find and catch their prey.

• NOAA studies show that boat approaches closer than 1640 yards disrupt foraging. Female orcas abandon hunts when vessels approach closer than 400 yards (Holt et al 2021.)

• There are thirteen calves under ten years old in the population, and at least nine of those are female. Their future is here! Whether they survive and thrive into adulthood is up to us. Boaters have a key role to play.

• Not a boater? Take the individual or organizational pledge and help us spread the word.

• Together we can make a difference for these beloved and iconic pods.