SEATTLE (AP) — Whale watchers in Washington state say an orca is presumed dead after being found in distress last week in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. SeattlePI.com reports the cause of death for the Southern Resident orca pod’s oldest male, known as Cappuccino or K21, is undetermined but could include starvation, a chronic disease such as cancer, or both. That’s according to Paul Cottrell of Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans Marine Mammal Unit. Orca Behavior Institute Director Monika Wieland Shields told KOMO-TV that the 35-year-old whale was in very emaciated shape. The average lifespan of male killer whales is 30 years.
Southern Resident orca near Washington state presumed dead
