Southern Resident Killer Whales

Orcas (also counterintuitively referred to as both “killer whales” and “sea pandas” because of their ruthless hunting and similar coloring to the cuddly bamboo-eaters) serve as a symbol for the conservation of all species. The Southern Resident killer whale is no exception. While they aren’t the ones you may have seen skillfully knocking seals off of floating ice to grab a bite to eat, they are picky hunters that feed strictly on fish.
 
Southern Resident killer whales are critically endangered due to their historical removal from the wild for aquaria and high levels of contamination and noise from boat traffic, among other reasons. There are only 80 individuals left of a population that consisted of around 200 in the 1800s. While they are no longer removed from the wild, the population has not fully recovered. Read more about endangered ocean animals that are on their way to a population recovery.