Simply put our goal is to SAVE OUR SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS from extinction. We will do this by raising money from individuals and business for TV and social media advertising to educate the public everywhere about what humans have done to these Orcas for many years which governments have allowed to happen. We believe such action will motivate our federal, provincial and municipal governments to act immediately on what they have known for years must be done.
When the young Swedish activist Greta Thunberg spoke at the UN she shamed politicians for speaking pretty words about climate change instead of taking action. Many scientific experts state that bio-diversity in our Eco-systems is vital for our planet and I believe the survival of our Orcas is part of our Earth’s survival for future generations.
When our group of Orcas (Pods J, K and L) were declared endangered by our Federal government in 2003, the words used were “dire” and “facing imminent threats to survival and recovery”. Despite this government declaration 19 years ago, not much has been done other than spending more money on research and studies when it was already well known what MUST be done to fix the habitat problems for our Orcas when they were declared endangered.
Humans have polluted the Orca habitat with sewage, PCB’s, pesticides and other chemical toxins which many marine mammal experts state is preventing them from having healthy baby Orcas and is killing off their only food supply of Chinook salmon. Unlike Orcas elsewhere, our Orcas do not eat meat. History tells us that when Our Orcas came here thousands of years ago the Chinook salmon were so abundant the Orcas stayed, but today our governments are fully aware that human pollution has reduced the salmon population by about 75% in the last 20 years and much of the remaining salmon are infected with parasites from farmed salmon when they escape the pens and interbreed with wild salmon.
Thanks to the efforts of many, people are waking up and are now aware of how humans have polluted our seas and oceans with plastics, PCB’s and other chemical toxins. Our Orcas are on the same path as those off Western Scotland who have not produced a calf in over 20 years and with only 8 members left are doomed to extinction. Please take a look here: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jan/14/uks-last-resident-killer-whales-doomed-to-extinction
It was late July 2018 when the Orca, humans named Tahlequah, gave birth to her baby near Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Tragically, within minutes of birth the baby died. In a heart wrenching show of grief, Tahlequah carried her dead baby on her nose for 17 days and with the help of her pod family travelled about 1,000 miles in our coastal waters before letting go of her dead baby. Truly incredible! By her amazing show of grief, I believe Tahlequah was saying to us humans, “you see my dead baby? This means we URGENTLY need your help as we are almost out of time because I cannot reproduce any more due to all the toxins in my body from human poisoning of my habitat”.
Tahlequah’s story and photo were flashed around world and was headline news for a couple of days, but is now buried in the newsroom archives. I was moved to tears by this story of Tahlequah that her grief and actions told me I must do something for her. I would hate for my 3 grand children not to ever see the majestic Orcas in our BC Coastal waters and then ask me, “Granddad…how come you let our Orcas become extinct when you knew the action steps necessary to save them?”
My determination to do something accelerated just after Tahlequah lost her baby and then a 4 year old female Orca named Scarlet, from the same J pod, appeared emaciated and starving. While marine mammal professionals tried to help by feeding her fresh wild Chinook salmon, her favourite, and gave her antibiotics for fear she had an infection from parasites, Scarlet could not keep up with her pod and disappeared and is presumed dead from starvation.
While Scarlet’s body has not been found by humans, not long after she was last seen, members of her J pod, along with Orcas from pods K and L converged into a “super pod” in which the Orcas perform enthusiastic greetings, jumping and splashing as they cluster together. Such convergences are rare and conservationists believe this gathering was a mourning ceremony for Scarlet, similar to what elephants and other animals do when a family member dies. As Dr. Jane Goodall of Chimpanzee fame said years ago, “how can we humans be so arrogant to think that animals do not have feelings or emotions?”
Brad Hanson, a wildlife biologist with the Northwest Fisheries Science Center stated that “On average we expect a few calves to be born each year in the Southern Resident Orca family. The fact that we haven’t seen any in several years and then to have reproductive failure, is further evidence that we have a severe problem with the reproductive viability in the population,” Currently, the scientists say there were 74 southern resident Orcas as of December 2018, and the center has warned that noise, toxic contamination, and a lack of food threaten their long-term survival.
Dr. Jane Goodall also said, “The least I can do is speak for those who cannot speak for themselves” and her words are one of the foundations that inspired me to start the “Save Our Orcas” campaign. Humans, as far as we know, are the most clever species to have ever lived, so how is it we continue to destroy the only planet we have?
The first step in our campaign is the survival of our Southern Resident Orcas. The second step is to see them thrive and the third step is to ensure this human cruelty of poisoning their habitat with sewage, other toxins and excessive ship noise never happens again.
If we are successful in saving the Southern Resident Orcas by repairing and restoring their habitat, any money left over from the “Save Our Orcas” campaign will be used to create a Foundation to financially help students enrolled in a marine sciences university program who will passionately dedicate their time and effort to ensuring our Southern Resident Orcas never, never, never have to face the shameful and cruel human plundering of them and their habitat ever again. In my opinion, if these Southern Resident Orcas were dogs, cats, horses or cattle those responsible for their condition would be charged under our animal cruelty laws.
I have managed to gather around me some amazing volunteers who have already given an enormous amount of time and effort to our campaign. But we still have far to go, so if you care about these Orcas and their healthy survival please get involved with us through ideas to passionately advance the goal, make a donation, be a sponsor or volunteer, our Orcas will have a new chance at life and we will all be very grateful.
For the sake of Tahlequah, Scarlet and all the Southern Resident Orca family, Pods J, K and L, I say a great big thank you for any help you can give us and send you peace and blessings.
Brian J. Crombleholme – Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Formerly of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada)
Founder
