#crewser

L92 Crewser: 1995-2017

Probable grandson of L26 Baba

Son of L60 Rascal

Brother of L81 Raina

Probable nephew of L52 Salish, L71 Hugo, and L90 Ballena

Probable cousin of L128

This is the orca known as L92 Crewser.

Excerpt:

Following the suspected death of an orca whale nicknamed Crewser, the population of southern resident orca whales is the lowest it has been in 34 years, The Seattle Times reported Saturday.

The Center for Whale Research (CWR) declared the whale, officially known as L92, "missing and presumed dead" on Friday. L92 had not been seen since November 2017 and was "conspicuously absent" from 2018 sightings. He was 23 years old.

With L92s death, the number of southern resident orca whales, who travel between waters in Washington State and southwestern British Columbia, fell to 75, the lowest it has been since 1984. Orca whales were listed as an endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2005.

Despite a baby boom, the southern orca population has fallen by eight since 2016, The Canadian Press reported.

Deaths are being blamed on a decline in Chinook salmon, the whale's main prey, as well as noise and boat traffic, The Seattle Times reported.

Conservationists are concerned that the increased shipping associated with the Trans Mountain pipeline could exacerbate these risks, since it will increase tanker traffic in the Salish Sea by 700 percent, according to the Raincoast Conservation Foundation.

The Southern Resident killer whales lost another member – there are now only 75 left

The Center for Whale Research has confirmed the absence of 23 year old L92, Crewser. He was in the prime of life.

  The remaining Southern Residents have changed their use of the Salish Sea – which includes Puget Sound and extends up to the Georgia Strait in Canada – and may eventually find this region an unsuitable habitat for their needs unless we move swiftly and decisively to restore Chinook…