Bronwyn Harvey / Parks Canada
Southern Resident Killer Whale science and conservation program
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
Quick facts
Southern Resident Killer Whales represent a genetically and culturally unique population of orcas made up of three pods: J, K, and L Pods.
Southern Resident Killer Whales are fish-eaters, with Chinook Salmon making up making up over 50% of their diet year-round, and nearly 100% of their diet in the spring. In the fall and winter, they supplement their diet with other salmonid and non- salmonid fish species. These whales are incredible hunters! Using echolocation, they can efficiently target their prey.
Southern Resident Killer Whales are highly social animals and typically stay with the same family unit for their whole lives. Family groups are matrilineal, meaning the oldest female is the leader!
The marine waters within and adjacent to Gulf Islands National Park Reserve provide year-round critical habitat for Southern Resident Killer Whales to feed, rest, and socialize. The Southern Resident Killer Whale population is listed as endangered under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, with only 73 individuals remaining as of January 2025.
Parks Canada collaborates with Indigenous partners, other federal departments, and non-government organizations to monitor and understand Southern Resident Killer Whales distribution and movement to support their recovery.
The Southern Resident Killer Whale science and conservation program includes five research projects that address the three threats to survival: prey availability, physical and acoustic disturbance, and contaminants.
By taking a holistic approach to marine ecosystems, the data being collected by Parks Canada and its partners will inform management decisions intended to protect marine species in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.
Research projects on this page:
- Marine Mammal Visual Surveys (on water and land-based)
Tracking the presence and movement of marine mammals.
- Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) Surveys
Capturing footage of underwater habitats and species diversity.
- Passive Acoustic Monitoring
Using underwater microphones to study noise levels and whale communication.
- Forage Fish Surveys
Studying small fish species that serve as a critical food source for salmon and other marine predators.
- Pinniped Surveys
Assessing populations of seals and sea lions, potential competitors for salmon.
How can you help Southern Resident Killer Whales?
This map is for general information only. It may not represent the most recent legal boundaries and should not be used for navigation. For the latest bulletins, updates, and closures, please visit our website and the Fisheries and Oceans Canada website.
Southern Resident Killer Whales are endangered. When you are boating or paddling in and around Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, you may encounter them. Take the actions below to protect the killer whales. Your participation is essential.
- Keep 400 m away from all Killer Whales when visiting Gulf Islands National Park Reserve and all southern BC coastal waters. It's the law. Remember, if you see a fin, tail or spray, stay far enough away!
- Familiarize yourself with these Southern Resident Killer Whale protection measures, which are in place around the Southern Gulf Islands, such as Vessel Restricted Zones and voluntary speed reduction zone.
- Be Whale Wise.
- Enjoy shore-based whale watching on the Whale Trail. Visit the Whale Trail website for location information, including at East Point on Saturna Island, at Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites, and at Kwisitis Visitor Centre in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.
- Report your sightings: You can support Southern Resident Killer Whale research by reporting your whale sightings to the Ocean Wise Sightings Network. Download the WhaleReport App or call 1-866-I-SAW-ONE.
- Please report any violations or incidents involving marine mammals (that you observed or were involved in) to Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s 24/7 Observe, Record, Report Line: 1-800-465-4336 or via email at DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca, or call Parks Canada’s Emergency Dispatch at 1-877-852-3100.
Research methods
Marine Mammal Visual Surveys
Parks Canada conducts vessel-based and land-based surveys to monitor Southern Resident Killer Whales and other cetaceans, tracking their location and abundance with specialized binoculars and telephoto cameras. Vessel-based surveys occur mainly in fall, winter, and spring, when fewer boats are on the water. In 2024, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve piloted land-based surveys to reduce vessel noise during the busy summer. These surveys provide valuable data on cetacean distribution in the Southern Gulf Islands.
Baited Remote Underwater Video Surveys
Parks Canada researchers use a technique called Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) surveys to monitor nearshore biodiversity. This method involves a metal cage with waterproof cameras and bait, which attract nearby animals so they can be captured on video. The data from these surveys helps track changes in the abundance, distribution, and health of Southern Resident Killer Whale prey and other species in the marine food web. In 2024, Parks Canada piloted a two-camera "stereo" BRUV system, allowing researchers to measure the body size of species on camera. These data can inform management decisions aimed at protecting the full spectrum of nearshore ecosystems, from tiny fish to large whales.
Passive Acoustic Monitoring
Whales use a variety of sounds (clicks and whistles) to communicate with each other, and different groups of whales have unique dialects. In 2025, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve deployed a Passive Acoustic Monitoring system that uses a hydrophone to measure, monitor, and determine the sources of sound in the ocean. These data allow researchers to identify distinct groups of whales in a non-invasive way.
Forage Fish Surveys
Southern Resident Killer Whales are top predators that depend on a healthy, connected food web. Their primary prey, Chinook Salmon, rely on forage fish, which are small, schooling fish that play a crucial role in the marine ecosystem by providing a nutritious food source for many predators. During spawning periods, species like Pacific Sand Lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) and Surf Smelt (Hypomesus pretiosus) lay eggs on beaches around the Salish Sea. In collaboration with the Forage Fish Network and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Parks Canada is using eDNA to determine spawning sites within Gulf Islands National Park Reserve to enhance protection of these essential forage fish.
Pinniped Surveys
Pinnipeds, like Steller Sea Lions and Harbour Seals, can be found basking in large groups on rocky outcrops known as haul-outs. Like Southern Resident Killer Whales, Steller Sea Lions and Harbour Seals like to eat salmon. Parks Canada is conducting research on pinnipeds to better understand their diet and distribution in Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. Using cameras with telephoto lenses, researchers can count the number of pinnipeds present in an area. If any of the animals are entangled or injured, they are reported to Fisheries and Oceans Canada immediately.
In collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Parks Canada is also collecting scat samples to determine the overlap between pinniped and Southern Resident Killer Whale diets.
How can you help?
You can help by reporting any incidents involving marine mammals (that you overserved or were involved in) to Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s 24/7 Observe, Record, Report Line: 1-800-465-4336 or via email at DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca, or call Parks Canada Emergency Dispatch at 1-877-852-3100.
Species Spotlight
Humpback Whales, North Pacific Population
Megaptera novaeangliae
The Humpback Whale is one of the most recognizable visitors to the Salish Sea and Gulf Islands National Park Reserve waters. British Columbia’s vast coastal inlets and shelf waters provide productive feeding habitat for humpbacks. Their prey consists mostly of euphausiid crustaceans (krill) and small schooling fish like Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) and Pacific Sand Lance (Ammodytes hexapterus). Forage fish, like Pacific Sand Lance, are a species of interest for researchers at Parks Canada, because they are food for the salmon upon which killer whales depend.
Humpbacks travel a long way to get here, migrating between high-latitude summer feeding areas and low-latitude wintering and calving areas. Of those that favour the southern B.C. coast and the Salish Sea, about half of them winter in Hawaii and the other half in Mexico. Humpbacks spend time in Canadian Pacific waters primarily for feeding from spring through late fall, although they are present in all months of the year.
Humpback Whales in Canadian Pacific waters are affected by a variety of threats, including vessel strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, toxic spills, climate change and disturbance or displacement due to underwater noise.
How can you help Humpback Whales?
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