Our Northerly Neighbors: Northern Resident Killer Whales

What better way to start out a new year than with whales! On this episode, Jared Towers, a cetacean research technician with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, joins us for a fascinating in-depth conversation about the Northern Resident killer whales (NRKWs). NRKWs are a population of killer whales (also known as orcas) that eat fish and reside in waters around, and above, northern Vancouver Island. We’ll get the scoop on the culture of these whales; population dynamics, status, and threats; as well as research and conservation efforts. Additionally, differences and interactions will be delved into between this population and the similar, but distinctly different, population of Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs).