Fundraiser to Prevent Southern Resident Killer Whales from Being Dammed to Extinction

We need to raise funds to raise awareness about the orcas’ plight and to pay for reports necessary to convince politicians that the dams need to go. For forty years the harmful Snake River dams have been killing chinook salmon by the millions, wiping out one of the largest sources of the Southern Resident orcas' prey. The dams are increasingly expensive to maintain, while generating just 4% of the region’s power supply. If the dams were breached and the money being spent to maintain them were to be used instead to maintain the main stem Columbia River dams that fish can pass more easily, then hydropower, salmon, orcas and taxpayers all win. For more information, please visit http://srkwcsi.org.

If you want to learn more about the Southern Resident orcas, the life and death of Rhapsody (J32) tells their story. Rhapsody was born during the winter of 1996. Although her mother died when she was two, Rhapsody’s aunt quickly adopted her. The sight of this young orphan being cared for by family members was heartwarming. Rhapsody seemingly thrived as a youngster and as a young adult, and fast became a favorite amongst researchers and whale enthusiasts. She was energy in motion and was nicknamed “the breacher” due to her apparent joy in repeatedly jumping from the water. Rhapsody brought smiles to the faces of the countless people who grew to admire her. In the summer of 2014, her wide girth became evident, triggering rumors that she was pregnant. We began to look forward to welcoming a new Southern Resident calf, but we never had a chance to meet this long anticipated baby whale. On December 4, 2014 eighteen year old Rhapsody washed up dead in the waters off British Columbia. She had a full term female calf inside her. At death, she reportedly had a relatively thin blubber layer with little oil content, consistent with an inadequate diet. The loss of this vibrant young orca was a terrible blow to the Southern Residents, especially because there are few breeding females. Rhapsody was just entering her prime reproductive years, making her vitally important to their future. The death of her female calf was equally devastating to the orca community, and illustrates the Southern Resident’s current plight. Without more chinook salmon, this population cannot survive.