A-73 / Springer

PACIFIC NORTHWEST KILLER WHALES - SPRINGER ONE ORPHAN SPOTTED; ONE STILL STRUGGLING (July 2003) L98 - LUNA Additional updates on this topic and other selected issues involving Keiko, Luna, Springer, and the rest of the northern and southern resident orcas (SRKWs) can be found in the conservation reports.

June 2002 Press Release

Seven conservation organizations announced today that they have established the Orphan Orca Fund to provide a single, coordinated opportunity for the public to support the reintroduction of A73, "Springer," to her pod in Canada. The sponsors of the Orphan Orca Fund will hold a press conference on Wednesday morning, June 12, at 10:30 am at Cove Park, the beach access immediately north of the Fauntleroy ferry dock in West Seattle, Washington State.

Members of the public are urged to contribute to the fund, knowing that the money they donate will go directly to the project to reunite A73 with her pod. The Orphan Orca Fund will be administered by The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor, Washington. Donations can be sent directly to Orphan Orca Fund, c/o Juanita Johns, Islanders Bank, PO Box 909, Friday Harbor, WA 98250.

The sponsoring organizations also include the American Cetacean Society Puget Sound Chapter, Earth Island Institute, Friends of the San Juans, Orca Conservancy, Orca Alliance and People For Puget Sound, in addition to The Whale Museum.

Bob Lohn, Regional Director of the National Marine Fisheries Service, expressed his support for the establishment of the Orphan Orca Fund: "I want to express my appreciation for the support A73 is receiving from the citizens of Puget Sound through these organizations. This rescue is a collaborative effort. Much of the monitoring, evaluating, and protection of the whale to date has been organized and freely given by these groups. Their continued support will be equally important in these next weeks and months. The funding and in-kind donations that they're soliciting, and the volunteers serving with them, will provide significant supplies and services for the orca's treatment and rehabilitation. I am grateful for these organizations and their members. The fund they have together created will allow all of us to take part in giving this orca its best chance for long-term survival."

The remarkable story of A73, or "Springer," the orphaned orca calf alone in mid-Puget Sound since January, has captivated people around the world. Now this story has spurred an unprecedented effort by scientists, federal agencies and non-governmental organizations to return her to her natal waters in Johnstone Strait, British Columbia, to give her a chance to return to her pod. In this spirit, and in cooperation with The National Marine Fisheries Service, a coalition of non-profit groups have come together to establish "The Orphan Orca Fund." By creating a single fund, the hope is to eliminate confusion about which organization to donate to, and exactly where those funds are going.

The primary purpose of the Orphan Orca Fund is to support the rehabilitation project now underway, beginning in Puget Sound and if all goes well, continuing through her translocation and ultimate reintroduction in Johnstone Strait this summer. The Fund will not only raise money to assist in this historic effort, but also cull the expertise and collective resources of the coalition's participating organizations to secure much-needed supplies and services throughout this endeavor. Since A73 was first discovered alone off West Seattle in January, an extraordinary collaborative effort has existed between NMFS and members of the research and environmental community. Non-profit organizations have contributed crucial on-the-water monitoring, boater education and wide-reaching public information. Non-governmental organizations' scientists and volunteers have kept an eye on A73, provided platforms for top veterinarians and scientists to evaluate her day-to-day health, kept curious boats at a safe distance, notified ferry captains of the orca's whereabouts, conducted public meetings, engaged our elected officials, and through our coordinated media efforts sent a clear, concise message to the public and to responsible federal agencies that this orca deserves the best possible chance to rejoin her family in the wild.

And with this ultimate goal in mind, and in consideration of the Stipulation of Dismissal in the case of Washington v. Sea World, et al in 1976 and subsequent Congressional Action prohibiting the capture of orcas in Puget Sound, the Orphan Orca Fund will only fund activities that support A73's repatriation to her natal waters. No funds will be used to support any activities associated with preparing A73 for removal to an aquarium or marine park. The coalition has been given assurances from NMFS and other responsible parties in this project that this is a shared sentiment, that this orca should be rehabilitated in a natural seapen or embayment, minimizing human contact, and that she be translocated to the beautiful waters of Johnstone Strait, and expeditiously returned to her family. The sponsors of the Orphan Orca Fund also understand that this story transcends just this one wayward orca; she very well may be a symptom of an ecosystem in deep trouble. Our resident orcas are some of the most contaminated marine mammals on Earth. Their primary prey resource, salmon, are seriously depleted. And underwater, the Sound and Straits have become a cacophony of man-made sounds, perhaps making it more difficult for these acoustic predators to find the little food that's out there. With this in mind, the coalition has committed to donate all funds left over from the A73 effort to support the scientific research and conservation efforts surrounding Puget Sound's endangered Southern Resident Community orcas. Moreover, the coalition envisions the partnerships created in this A73 venture between both government and non-government organizations on both sides of the border will enhance our ability to respond to future orca strandings, and to undertake meaningful actions toward the recovery of our troubled killer whale populations.

Who Are The Sponsors of the Fund?

Current members of the Orphan Orca Fund coalition include:

• American Cetacean Society/Puget Sound Chapter
• Earth Island Institute
• Friends of the San Juans
• Orca Alliance
• Orca Conservancy
• People For Puget Sound
• The Whale Museum

Collectively, this coalition brings to the table extraordinary expertise in killer whales and in issues affecting them, from bioaccumulative marine toxins, depleted fish stocks and acoustic disturbance to the risk of oil spills in the Sound and Straits. The membership includes the two of the largest environmental organizations in the region, the local chapter of the oldest whale and dolphin conservation society in the world, and the only non-government organization ever to raise funds for and coordinate the translocation of a killer whale (Keiko). It includes groups who have worked in tandem with NMFS on the monitoring and protection of A73, and who have become familiar voices on television, radio and print on her welfare, whose thoughtful and salient messages have contributed to the intense international interest in this animal, and in the wild orca populations as a whole. The collective reach of the coalition through its popular websites, mailing lists, membership action alerts and other communications is in the millions.

The Orphan Orca Fund has been established as a restricted fund under the aegis of The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. A Steering Committee comprised of representatives of each of the organizations has oversight of fund dispersal.