Scarlet (killer whale)

Scarlet, also named J50, was a juvenile female member of the endangered Southern Resident Orca group in Puget Sound, Washington. She was born near South Pender Island, British Columbia around Christmas Day, 2014.[1] In late June, 2018, Scarlet appeared emaciated and was feared near death.[2] Another calf died in late July, 2018 leaving Scarlet "represent[ing] the future" of the declining Southern Residents, thought to number 75, cut off from their food supply of Puget Sound chinook salmon,[3] themselves listed as a threatened species.[4] Scarlet's mother, known as J16, was born in 1972.[5]

J-50 and her mother, J-16, in September 2015

In August 2018, the Lummi Nation, a federally recognized tribe with treaty rights to salmon, announced a plan to feed Scarlet from their own chinook catch.[6][7][8] Beginning in early August, marine veterinarians delivered doses of antibiotics via a dart gun.[9][10][11] The idea of feeding her medicated fish was also under consideration.[10][11]

On September 13, 2018, Ken Balcomb, the senior scientist and president of the Center for Whale Research on San Juan Island in Washington state, said Scarlet was probably dead, though her remains had yet to be discovered.[12][13]

References
  1. Newborn orca J50 spotted swimming with JPod family in Puget Sound, CBC News, January 11, 2015, retrieved August 7, 2018
  2. John Ryan (June 19, 2018), After whale goes missing, endangered orca population drops to 30-year low, KUOW-FM, retrieved August 7, 2018
  3. "Orca whale continued grieving ritual for a sixth day on Sunday", The Seattle Times, July 30, 2018, retrieved August 7, 2018
  4. NOAA Fisheries to assess Puget Sound Chinook salmon fisheries plan, NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region, May 2018, retrieved August 7, 2018
  5. Southern Resident Orca Community Demographics, Composition of Pods, Births and Deaths since 1998, Freeland, Washington: Orca Network, June 17, 2018, retrieved August 7, 2018
  6. Lummi Tribe teams with NOAA to save sick orca, Bellingham, Washington: KGMI, retrieved August 7, 2018
  7. Lynda V. Mapes (August 7, 2018), "Lummi stage trial run to feed starving whale", The Seattle Times, p. A1, retrieved August 7, 2018
  8. Giuliana Viglione, Alison Morrow (August 6, 2018), ‘Skinny whales around the world’: Is intervention for J-50 too little, too late? The condition of J-50, a four-year-old female orca, has alarmed scientists in recent weeks. But it may already be too late to save the endangered whale., KING-TV, retrieved August 7, 2018CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  9. Mapes, Lynda V. (September 6, 2018). "Firing a dart into a wild, sick orca 'a little bit different,' sharp-shooting veterinarian says". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  10. "Sick orca known as J50 has received antibiotics, still low chance of survival". Global News. Retrieved 2018-08-11.
  11. "Antibiotic delivered to wild killer whale in unprecedented international rescue operation". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2018-08-11.
  12. Cihon, Brett; Del Rosario, Simone (September 13, 2018), 'She’s dead:' Scientists say struggling southern resident orca J50 deceased, Tacoma: KCPQ
  13. Allyson Chiu (September 14, 2018), "'What extinction looks like': A young orca's presumed death cuts endangered whale population to 74", The Washington Post

Further reading
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