Searching for Chinook
As a child, I admit I watched Free Willy more than the average number of times… significantly more! And so my passion for marine conservation, and especially the Southern Resident orca, was born. I have always been an ocean advocate and in more recent years I worked as an activist and volunteer for Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project, fighting for all dolphins to live wild and free, and protesting against the annual dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan. But while protecting dolphins around the world, I couldn’t forget about the plight of the Southern Residents back in Washington. After the hopeful baby boom of 2014–2016, I had the opportunity to visit San Juan Island to see the whales for myself on several occasions. Sadly, over the next year, I listened to reports and learned that the hope we had from the baby boom had begun slipping away. Whale by whale, deaths were reported and the entire population dwindled back down to just 76. I decided it was time, now or never, to bring to life a plan I had been thinking about for a while: ‘Searching for Chinook’.
‘Searching for Chinook’ is a passion project for me and my good friend, well-known Game of Thrones actress, Maisie Williams. Maisie in her own right is a fierce advocate for the ocean and its inhabitants and is a Global Ambassador for Dolphin Project. After visiting San Juan Island with me in 2017, she too fell in love with not only the whales but the island itself and we knew that if we were truly going to try to have a positive impact for the remaining Southern Residents, ‘Searching for Chinook’ needed to become a reality as soon as possible.
The more we looked into the issues impacting these orcas, the clearer it became that this is a dire situation. After talking to experts with Defenders of Wildlife, it became obvious that those babies were doomed as soon as they were born. Southern Resident orcas are one of the most highly polluted marine mammals in the world. Pollution from stormwater runoff, derelict vessels, and other sources flow into the Salish Sea. Once these toxic chemicals are in the food chain, they accumulate at every step up. Southern Residents are right at the top of the Salish Sea ecosystem, making them susceptible to toxic contamination. What’s worse, these whales are feeding on some of the most polluted Chinook salmon in the Pacific! These toxics build up in the whale’s blubber, which the whales rely on for energy. When there is not enough food, which is exactly what is happening due to the decline of Chinook salmon, the toxics are released as the orcas tap into their energy reserves. Not only this, but some toxics are passed from mother to calf through milk, meaning these babies are facing toxic exposure the minute they enter the world. These orcas are struggling to find enough salmon to eat, and the few they do find are filled with chemicals that can harm these whales.
So, where are all the Chinook you ask? That is a great question, and one that we talked to Defenders of Wildlife about. The orcas feed on a number of different Chinook runs throughout the year, and improvements need to be made in many areas. One thing our ‘Searching for Chinook’ team will be focusing on is the effects of dams on the salmons’ spawning rivers. These dams, and in particular the four lower Snake River dams, prevent salmon from reaching some of the best remaining spawning grounds and essential rearing habitat left in the lower 48. Luckily, examples like the Elwha dam removal show us how quickly rivers and ecosystems can recover if we give them a chance.
Despite this successful example and decades of discussions about removing these four dams, the Lower Snake river remains dammed. We want to find out why dam removal hasn’t started yet, especially given the importance of this river to Chinook and ultimately Southern Residents. Scientists have suggested that by removing these dams, we can significantly rebuild Chinook salmon stocks in the Columbia Basin. Every winter, the whales will gather off the coast at the mouth of the Columbia River, waiting for the return of Chinook. But with our current system of dams, salmon runs continue to struggle in the region, leaving orcas starving.
Our hope for this documentary is to raise the plight of the Southern Resident orca to a level where it cannot be ignored. We want the world to know about the never-ending work that passionate people are doing, what individuals (wherever they live) can do to help, and, most importantly, we want the story of this family to be heard in its entirety. This iconic species deserves every possible opportunity for survival. While a lot of great work is being done by passionate individuals, and groups like Defenders of Wildlife, more needs to be done, and we all have a role to play when it comes to saving orcas. We have the tools to save them, as long as we work together. Join us as we explore the Salish Sea, the Columbia Basin, the Snake River, and the world of the Southern Resident orca.
