Pod of Orcas
by SeaDoc Society
Only around 70 Southern Resident Killer Whales remain in the wild and they’re looking directly at extinction if things don’t change. Season 1 of this podcast is a deep dive on this endangered population of orcas. All episodes after that tell stories of the Salish Sea ecosystem and the planet. Click subscribe and spread the word!
Episodes
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The Power of Playful Online Communications (Non-Taylor's Version), w/ Rachel Terlep of Washington State DNR/WSDOT
This episode originally aired back in 2022 but it recently got taken down because of a short clip of the Tayl*r Sw*ft song "Lavender Haze." This is that original episode, sans Taylor. On this episode we cover social media at the intersection of science, nature, conservation, and nonprofit work....
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This Saturday: Expanding Science, Expanding Hope.
Our big summer auction event will take place Saturday July 18th, from 4-7 pm, on Orcas Island. The event is near but we have a handful of tickets left if you'd like to join. It will be held at Slanted Apple Farm, not far from the ferry landing. Get tickets an learn more at seadocsociety.org/auction
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Interview with Michelle Barbieri Lino, New SeaDoc Scientist
Today’s guest is SeaDoc Society’s new Veterinary Translational Scientist, Michelle Barbieri Lino. In a moment where researching funding is tenuous on both the state and federal level, SeaDoc Society is expanding its impact. Michelle (who goes by Shell) is joining Joe Gaydos, Deborah Giles and Cat...
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Dr. Deborah Giles on Killer Whales, Poop-Sniffing Dogs, and the Superpod that Changed Her Life
Early in 2025, the amazing killer whale research organization Wild Orca merged with SeaDoc Society, adding Giles to our growing team of scientists, alongside Joe Gaydos and Cat Lo. In today's episode we talk with Giles about her time on the water this field season, having her life changed by a...
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Join us on Orcas Island July 12th
Pod of Orcas is produced by The SeaDoc Society, whose big summer auction event will take place Saturday July 12th, from 4-7 pm, on Orcas Island. The event will be held at Slanted Apple Farm, just a few miles from the Orcas Island Ferry Landing. Seating is limited, so don't wait too long. Tickets...
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17. Science, Storytelling, and Salish Sea Wild, with Bob Friel
Bob Friel is the producer of SeaDoc Society's EMMY-nominated web series, Salish Sea Wild, hosted by Joe Gaydos. He's also an award-winning writer, photographer, documentary filmmaker, and author of the true-crime bestseller The Barefoot Bandit. In this episode we talk about how to get folks to…
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16. A Rockfish Baby Boom, with Adam Obaza and Olivia Carmack
Rockfish are very vulnerable to overfishing and don't have babies every year. Very rarely a "jackpot recruitment" happens and tons of rockfish babies are born (they give birth to live young, meaning no eggs!). The last time it happened in the San Juan Islands was decades ago. Our guest today are...
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15. Why are human feet washing up on beaches in the Salish Sea?
Human feet have been washing up on beaches in the Pacific Northwest's Salish Sea since at least 2007. But why? Turns out there are scientific explanations for "why feet?" and "why here?" The answer sheds light on why the ecosystem's name—The Salish Sea—is important, and why place names matter in...
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14. Our team reflects on 2023
Join the whole SeaDoc Society team as we reflect on 2023 and look ahead to 2024. Thanks for listening to the show and for supporting our work. All gifts will be doubled thanks for two generous donor families: seadocsociety.org Thank you!
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13. A 250-pound Bluefin tuna mysteriously washed up on Orcas Island. Why?
This is the story of a mysterious fish that washed up on Orcas Island on July 11, 2023. That fish was a six-foot long Pacific bluefin tuna—a species that had never in history been documented in the inland waters of the Salish Sea. Bluefin are a delicacy that can sell for millions of dollars. Why...
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12. Searching for the rarest whale in the world, w/ Kevin Campion
Our guest today is Kevin Campion, founder of Deep Green Wilderness and a board member for the SeaDoc Society. In this episode we talk about the North Pacific Right Whale. Kevin and his crew have made an excellent new film called Right Over the Edge—all about their search for this elusive and...
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11. Is it safe to eat seaweed and kelp? w/ Jennifer Hahn
This episode is about kelp and seaweed in the Salish Sea, and more specifically whether it is safe for human consumption. Our guest is Jennifer Hahn, who has a unique and adventurous childhood story, and in adulthood kayaked solo through Alaska’s Inside Passage. She’s the author of Pacific Feast…
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10. Getting sassy on social media with the Washington State DNR, w/ Rachel Terlep
This episode is about social media at the intersection of science, nature, conservation, and nonprofit work. More specifically it’s about Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and a state agency that has leveraged social media beautifully as a way to get their word out. Our guest is Rachel Terlep,...
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9. Climate fatalism vs. climate hope, w/ Elin Kelsey (PART TWO)
Welcome to Part 2 of our episode about Hope with Elin Kelsey. In this episode we talk about Southern Resident Killer Whales, why we shouldn't put our climate responsibility on young children, environmental fatalism, and individuals vs. corporations as it relates to a healthy planet and Salish…
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8. Hope Matters in our doom-and-gloom climate, with Elin Kelsey (PART ONE)
We're back for Season 2, and we’re kicking things off with a conversation about Hope! The doom-and-gloom of the endless news cycle can convince you that our planet is as good as dead. This conversation with Elin Kelsey, author of Hope Matters: Why Changing the Way We Think is Critical to Solving...
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Trailer: Pod of Orcas Season Two
Welcome to Pod of Orcas! Last season, we dove deep with an endangered population of killer whales, and we met some brilliant scientists and storytellers along the way. This season, we’re zooming out. We’re gonna look at the place they call home, which is also the place we call home. And by that I...
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7. Our Shared Home, with Lynda Mapes & Joe Gaydos (Season One Finale)
In our finale episode, we look at Southern Resident Killer Whales through the eyes of the Seattle Times environment reporter, Lynda Mapes. Lynda has been locked into their story since Tahlequah carried her dead calf for 17 days and more than a thousand miles in the summer of 2018. That story...
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6. Toxic blubber, with Peter Ross
In Ep. 6, we look at how human-made contaminants in the ocean are compromising killer whales and compounding the other problems they face. Fat soluble toxins move up the foot chain and accumulate in killer whales, who metabolize it in their blubber. Mothers also pass those contaminants down to...
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5. Looking to gorillas to save killer whales, with Kirsten Gilardi
In Ep. 5, we look at a conservation success story that could help map out the future for Southern Resident Killer Whales. The similarities between mountain gorillas and Southern Residents are plenty: Both can be individually identified and monitored by researchers. Both are massive tourist...
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4. Orca sound & human noise, with Rob Williams
In Ep. 4, we enter the acoustic world of killer whales, and what that means for how they talk with their families, hunt for salmon, navigate the sounds of boats, and so much more. Our guest is Rob Williams, who is Chief Scientist and Co-Founder of Oceans Initiative with Erin Asche. Acoustic...
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3. How captivity changed everything, with Jason M. Colby
In Ep. 3, we look at how humans have viewed and treated killer whales throughout history, especially in the Salish Sea. It starts with slaughter by fishermen, followed by captivity for entertainment, all the way up to our present moment, in which wild Southern Resident Killer Whales are…
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2. Could we lose salmon in our lifetime?, with Cecilia Gobin
In Ep. 2, we talk about salmon—the sole food source for Southern Resident Killer Whales. Our guest is Cecilia Gobin—a Tulalip tribal member who is on staff at the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. She's incredibly thoughtful and and exactly the kind of voice you want speaking on this topic....
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1. Killer whales and culture, with Dr. John Ford
In Ep. 1, we bring you up to speed on the critically endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales and discuss orca culture with Dr. John Ford, who has studied the species since the 1970s, when killer whale research truly began. How did things become so dire? What’s the difference between the three...
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Introducing 'Pod of Orcas: Saving Southern Resident Killer Whales'
There are only about 70 Southern Resident Killer Whales remaining in the wild and they’re looking directly at extinction if things don’t change. Southern Resident Orcas are emotionally intelligent animals with complex family dynamics. They also have a deep spiritual connection to the tribes and...
About this show
Only around 70 Southern Resident Killer Whales remain in the wild and they’re looking directly at extinction if things don’t change. Season 1 of this podcast is a deep dive on this endangered population of orcas. All episodes after that tell stories of the Salish Sea ecosystem and the planet. Click subscribe and spread the word!
Hosted by
SeaDoc Society