GreenWatch

B. McPherson Killer whales herd and kill white-sided dolphins Monday a pod of transient Killer Whales demonstrated to the public how they got their name. Ferry passengers leaving Departure Bay in Nanaimo witnessed a large pod of the orcas herding a large group of dolphins into shallow water. They then proceeded to slaughter them. Amateur video footage showed the killer whales leaping into the air and diving. The dolphins were fleeing as best they could. As the scene was being filmed ferry passengers were heard laughing and expressing awe at the movements of the orcas. They probably had no idea what was really happening. Most people on the coast know only our resident population of orcas. These whales depend on salmon for their diet. They are not usually interested in eating seals or dolphins. There is another population of killer whales that pass through Georgia Strait periodically. They hunt marine mammals. As efforts to return the Strait to health have begun to p...

B. McPherson A federal court of appeal in Canada has ruled that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) had failed in its duty to protect killer whales (orcas) by not protecting crucial habitat for them. Last year EcoJustice brought suit against the DFO for failing this duty and the lower court agreed with them. The decision of the lower court was appealed by the DFO. “The court ruled that the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans must legally protect all aspects of killer whale critical habitat — including their food supply and the quality of their marine environment.” EcoJustice The iconic black and white whales have two main populations on the coast of British Columbia, the northern and the southern. The northern group is made up of 264 individuals and is considered threatened. The southern group is now reduced to 87 and listed as endangered. The southern group travels mainly in the Strait of Georgia south to Juan de Fuca Strait. Both are listed under the Specie...