‘Access to food is not the problem’: new orca study deepens mystery behind endangerment

True cause of why southern resident killer whales are on brink of extinction becomes murkier as conservationists warn of marine noise and ship traffic

Last month, the ailing southern resident killer whales of the Pacific gave researchers a rare moment of hope: a new calf was spotted swimming alongside her mother. Until that point, only one calf had appeared this year, only to die a few months later.

But by mid-October, this new calf, named L128, also appeared to succumbto poor health, appearing “lumpy and skinny” as researchers with the Center for Whale Research watched an older orca swim with the infant draped across her snout.