Dead Puget Sound female killer whale, orca L-112, died of massive blunt force trauma

[Emily]

http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/national/21007193071826/experts-sleuth-out-what-killed-puget-sound-orca/

SEATTLE (AP)Experts sleuth out what killed Puget Sound orca
-- Two months after a 3-year-old endangered orca washed ashore bloodied and bruised in Washington state the cause of her death remains a mystery.

Marine experts believe the female killer whale, known as L-112, died of massive blunt force trauma, but they're still examining evidence and waiting for tests of tissue samples to determine what caused that trauma. Some orca experts, however, suspect the injuries are linked to an underwater explosion or military training activity at sea...

Read more: http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/n...t-what-killed-puget-sound-orca/#ixzz1uEcwS9H1

Council grills Navy panel over killer whale protections

May 4, 2012 ? Updated 6:42 PM
By Steve Wehrly/Journal reporter

In a game of chicken on the ocean, Navy vs. Orca might be a one-sided contest.

Despite assurances from federal officials, San Juan Island residents and officials seem skeptical that Navy training exercises adequately protect local whales....

Center for Whale Research update page

 

[Emily]

Re: Dead Puget Sound female killer whale, orca L-112, died of massive blunt force trauma

Orca Victoria is also known as L-112. The article has a photo of her joyously leaping out of the water when she was healthy, and a gruesome photo of her injuries taken when she was found after her unexplained death.

What Killed Orca Victoria? Some Point To Naval Tests

by Ashley Ahearn

May 16, 2012

Few people know the orcas of Puget Sound as well as Ken Balcomb.

A researcher with the Center for Whale Research on Washington state's San Juan Island, Balcomb has been studying the whales for more than 30 years...