Beloved killer whale — ‘source of joy and inspiration’ — presumed dead near Washington

Cappuccino, the oldest living male in the southern resident orca pod, is presumed dead at age 35, officials said.

Whale watchers in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, a body of water between Washington and Canada, saw the orca last week looking thin and weak, the Orca Rescues Foundation said. His dorsal fin was fully collapsed, and he couldn’t keep up with the rest of the pod.

“He was many miles behind the rest of his pod,” the institute said on Facebook. “Based on the photos we’ve seen, we do not think it is a condition from which he can recover.”

The Pacific Whale Watch Association was also “deeply concerned and saddened” by Cappuccino’s condition, the group said Friday.

Cappuccino could have suffered from starvation or a chronic disease, Paul Cottrell from Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans Marine Mammal Unit told Seattle Pi.

“While clearly malnourished, we cannot say for sure what contributed to his severe physical decline - illness, lack of food, or most likely some combination of factors,” the Orca Behavior Institute said. “The Department of Fisheries and Oceans in Canada was attempting to get on scene to assess his status further but as far as we know were unsuccessful in re-locating him on Thursday.”

The average lifespan of a male resident killer whale is about 30 years, the Orca Behavior Institute said. Cappuccino lived to be 35, which is a remarkable life for an orca, experts said.

“Since his birth in 1986, this beloved whale has been a source of joy and inspiration for anyone who had the good fortune to see him in the Salish Sea and beyond,” the Pacific Whale Watch Association said on Twitter.

His death could be a “devastating blow” to the southern resident killer whale population, the Orca Rescues Foundation said. There are only about 74 left in the pod.

This story was originally published August 3, 2021 at 11:28 AM.