Inbreeding Puts Endangered Killer Whales at Further Risk

Endangered killer whales off the west coast of Canada and the U.S. are facing an additional threat—inbreeding.

Endangered killer whales off the west coast of Canada and the U.S. are facing an additional threat—inbreeding.

A research team headed by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has found that orca whales that frequently visit Washington’s Puget Sound and the coast of British Columbia are mating within the same pods, or the same social groups.

This could lead to a significant reduction in the genetic diversity of the already perilously small population of southern resident killer whales, which currently numbers only about 85 animals.