New Southern Resident orca census confirms population growth remains stunted

The 2025 Orca Survey, conducted earlier this summer and released this week by the Washington state-based conservation group Center for Whale Research (CWR), has found that there were 74 Southern Resident killer whales alive as of July.

While this is a slight uptick from the 2024 census number, low birth rates and a high number of deaths continue to prevent the population from growing beyond 75 whales.

CWR researchers say immediate action and policy changes must happen to save these salmon-eating whales from extinction. CWR said in a release that it’s time to “take the threats of climate change and ecosystem degradation seriously.”

50 years of orca monitoring

The Orca Survey began 50 years ago, with a mission to “track and understand” more about Southern Resident killer whales, the CWR said.

“The demographic census gives us an unparalleled long-term view of how this population is changing over time,” Michael Weiss, research director at the CWR, said. “It helps us understand the consequences of environmental pressures and measure the effectiveness of conservation efforts.”

The survey relies on photo identification of each member of Southern Resident pods. Through these photo collections, the physical well-being of whales can be tracked. It also allows researchers to determine the mothers of calves, helping to track matrilineal lines.

The survey is conducted on July 1 every year, but determining whether a missing whale is deceased or a new calf was born can take months—the full results are typically available by September.

Only births and deaths that took place between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, are reported as part of the census, meaning the two J-Pod whales born this September (one of whom died shortly after birth) were not included.

Overall population increased by one member

As of July, the Southern Resident killer whale population had 74 members, an increase from last year’s 73. Between 2024 and 2025, J-Pod increased by two members (there are currently 27), while L-Pod remained at 33 members. K-Pod lost a member, dropping to 14 this year from 15 last year.

Four new births were documented during the census: Capital Daily previously reported on the two “ Christmas calves,” born to J-Pod last December—one of these calves died before the new year, but the other survived—and a female calf born in April. Before that, L-Pod welcomed a newborn male in September 2024, but it was presumed dead by October.

K-Pod lost one of its oldest male members late last summer—K26 was one of the few remaining adult males known to have reproduced, with genetic testing confirming his fatherhood. His son, J51, is still alive and well.

“The Southern Residents have a much lower reproductive output than other killer whale populations, even those living in the same region,” Weiss noted. “Their dependence on declining Chinook runs means they face nutritional stress that directly affects their ability to reproduce and raise healthy calves.

A study from last year showed Southern Resident orca mothers struggle to consume enough calories to match what they burn while nursing their young, leading to malnourishment for both mother and calf. Boat noise is one of the main factors causing female orcas to abandon a hunt.

Protection policies urgently needed to save population

The census showed that the unique population, which lives in the southern waters of Vancouver Island, continues to struggle, with CWR researchers calling its future “precarious.”

Weiss says these creatures need to be prioritized—and soon.

In an interview with the Canadian Press, he said that at least one of the three pods could disappear in the next 50 years.

Preserving Chinook salmon habitats is one of the main issues that needs to be addressed, according to Weiss. Vessel noise, high tanker traffic, and toxins in the water are additional factors that multiple researchers, including Weiss, say need to be dealt with.

“If we want to preserve these whales for future generations, we have to make their survival a societal priority,” Weiss said in a statement.