Killer whales make first major appearance in Salish Sea after more than 100 days

Orcas from all three pods of endangered southern residents reappeared this week after more than 100 days without a sighting in the Salish Sea.

Monika Shields, director of the US based Orca Behavior Institute, says they began hearing the killer whales' vocalizations over a hydrophone and later saw a large portion of K-Pod, about half of L-pod and at least one family group from J-Pod.

Shields says she also spotted the youngest member of the southern resident population, born earlier this year, and it looked to be doing well.

The inland waters off Vancouver Island are the residents' core summer habitat, and Shields attributes fewer sightings to a dwindling supply of salmon.