Environment: The serious message behind orca poop

Re: “Orca researchers need all the poop they can get. These dogs help them find it” (TNT, 6/27).

Why is there a dog on the boat? My answer would’ve never been “to sniff orca poop” if I didn’t attend the “Our Toxic Orcas” event in Tacoma. Although I was entertained by Dr. Sam Wasser’s orca-poop-finding dog, I was shocked by orcas’ high pregnancy failure and I’m concerned about the health of the Salish Sea.

Orcas are just like us; they become stressed when hungry. Unlike us, they mainly feed on Chinook salmon, which are also endangered. The lethal combination of decreased food source, increased stress, and increased toxins is not just hurting our current southern resident orcas, but it’s also devastating the future survival of this majestic species.

With only 78 orcas remaining in The Salish Sea, we need to take immediate actions to protect them! There is no easy solution, but we can start by restoring chinook salmon runs and reducing our daily use of toxic products. Hopefully, when Dr. Wasser’s poop sniffing dog and research crew sail in the sea in the future, they will smell the “fresh” scent of newborn orca poop.

This story was originally published July 16, 2017 at 3:25 PM with the headline "Environment: The serious message behind orca poop."