A noise reduction of up to 75 per cent could have a big impact on orcas, who use sound to communicate, hunt and map their environment.

"Many of these whales in the southern resident community have never known a quiet Salish Sea," said Prof. Lauren McWhinney.

"That was one animal I'd dreamed of seeing, but probably thought I'd never see them," said Victoria-based researcher Josh McInnes.

There is something about animal stories that resonates in a special way, by shocking or delighting us or tugging on our heartstrings. Here's 10 of B.C.'s best from 2019.

Should researchers confirm orcas J17 and K25 have died, it would mean just 72 critically endangered southern resident killer whales remain.

The DFO said J-pod's new mother, J31, and her calf were also sighted.

The boater broke rules imposed by the federal government that require vessels to stay at least 400 metres away from killer whales.

Canada's new ban on whales and dolphins in captivity will not apply to the more than 50 cetaceans at Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ont.

While B.C.'s southern resident killer whales teeter on the edge of extinction, a smorgasbord of seals has been good news for their orca cousins.

Pink salmon spawning patterns might be interfering with killer whales' ability to hunt in the Salish Sea, a newly published paper suggests.