One of B.C.’s most threatened species could be facing an unprecedented respite during the novel coronavirus pandemic. The southern resident killer whales who spend their summers in the waters of the Salish Sea are listed as endangered with just 73 members left, and are facing a triple threat from pollution, a lack of food and marine noise caused by humans.
That third factor, however, has all but disappeared during the pandemic. “What we are experiencing right now is actually an unprecedented opportunity of a quieter ocean,” said Prof.
Richard Dewey, associate director of science with Ocean Networks Canada at the University of Victoria. “What we are seeing right now is a significant shutdown, anywhere from 20 per cent for some deep-sea cargo