Endangered Orcas: The Story of the Southern Residents

The critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales are the most watched and studied whales in the world, yet they struggle for survival in the waters of Washington State and British Columbia. These urban orcas, a Pacific Northwest icon, are at the center of human politics as we attempt to learn from the past and find a sustainable future. Our relationship to these whales, complicated by both the positive attachments and negative politics we have created around them, has changed dramatically over the last 50 years. With more challenges on the horizon, one question looms: Can we still create a sustainable future for humans and orcas in the Salish Sea? Monika Wieland Shields’s Endangered Orcas (Orca Watcher) is the story of the Southern Resident killer whales.