#orca #orcas #kpassionate A marine biologist reacts to a new species of orca and the 49 unstoppable killer whales who are reshaping marine biology. 00:00 - KPassionate 01:07 - How Many Types of Orca Are There? 02:28 - Orca in the Pacific Northwest 03:12 - Sperm Whale vs Killer Whale 05:12 - New Orca Species 06:43 - Are Orcas Endangered? 07:37 - How to Save Killer Whales 08:19 - Snake River Dams Why do I call orcas killer whales? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIwjehSYKJg There are an estimated 50,000 orcas found in every ocean of the world. Currently classified as the same species, Orcinus orca, they are all distinct variations known as ecotypes. Each orca ecotype has a unique physiology, appearance, and hunting behavior. In the Pacific Northwest we have the resident, offshore, and Bigg's killer whales. Now, researchers have confirmed that resident and Bigg's killer whales are entirely different species. Genetic analysis found these orcas likely diverged between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago. “Knowing resident and Bigg's killer whales are unique species is incredibly important from a conservation standpoint. It’s challenging to create effective conservation policies for a globally distributed species like orca because animals in different regions of the world are all facing different threats.” Scripps Institution of Oceanography For the Southern Resident orca, the greatest threat is a lack of food. Research shows that the survival and reproductive success of these orcas is correlated with Chinook salmon abundance. Increasing salmon abundance is an integral component of the species recovery plan. Support breaching the Snake River Dams: [1] https://www.columbiariverkeeper.org/take-action/snake-river National Geographic on the Snake River Dams [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK5nUXkrz8o Read the Washington State LSRD Benefit Replacement Report [3] https://governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2022-11/LSRD%20Benefit%20Replacement%20Final%20Report_August%202022.pdf See the argument against breaching these dams [4] https://nwriverpartners.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BPA-Snake-Dams-Fact-Sheet-2016.pdf Sources [1] https://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/article/evidence-for-an-oceanic-population-of-killer-whales-orcinus-orca-in-offshore-waters-of-california-and-oregon/ [2] https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.231368 [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7928517/ [4] https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/a60234154/killer-whales-new-ecotype/ [5] https://media.fisheries.noaa.gov/2024-02/KillerWhalePoster-SWFSC-MMTD-UkoGorter-0.pdf [6] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/there-should-be-two-new-species-of-killer-whale-new-study-says-180984056/ [7] https://alaskapublic.org/2018/02/02/endangered-orcas-are-starving-should-we-start-feeding-them/ [8] https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/extinction-risk-to-southern-resident-orcas-accelerating-as-researchers-raise-alarm/ [9] https://earthjustice.org/feature/salmon-timeline-snake-river-litigation [10] https://apnews.com/article/salmon-tribes-snake-river-dam-energy-336a20cf02093fcdd725cb3047af8f29 [11] https://apnews.com/article/salmon-dams-tribes-columbia-snake-river-biden-51408c120a2e2dc147e6b07fe01d3531 [12] https://www.columbian.com/news/2024/jan/02/plan-to-breach-snake-river-dams-was-the-work-of-tribes/ [13] https://www.oregonlive.com/environment/2023/12/efforts-of-tribes-pay-off-in-historic-agreement-on-snake-river-dam-removals.html [14] https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-024-01327-5 Aerial Footage: Resident Killer Whale J50 NOAA Fisheries, filmed under NMFS research permit #19786 Type D Killer Whale Research Team 2019, Taken under Chilean Sub-Secretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Permit, Res. Ex. 1811 (31 May 2017) and Res. Ex. 4402 (18 December 2018) ----------------- Check out our Patreon! →https://www.patreon.com/kpassionate ----------------- Learn more about marine mammals: →Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/kpassionate →Instagram: https://instagram.com/kp.assionate →TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@k_passionate Chat with my community: →https://discord.gg/YuuHNm2t2E Merch: →null ----------------- Music Cody Martin - soundstripe.com Imagery NOAA JSUBiology https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJh-1XRxTq8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNE4IGiL64A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfyVMWuUQnw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h3ze6tRBSI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U6ywFMKh2c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKBbWnkGD2c https://www.tiktok.com/@aprilboyes/video/7239127812932717851 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJh-1XRxTq8 orcaresearchstrust.org Stov - stock.adobe.com timelabpro - stock.adobe.com BlackBoxGuild - soundstripe.com Chad Stembridge - stock.adobe.com aerocainua - stock.adobe.com blackboxguild - stock.adobe.com underWATERcam - stock.adobe.com OKIOKI - stock.adobe.com markconnell - soundstripe.com Aggi Schmid - stock.adobe.com