Ken Balcomb was the founder of the Center for Whale Research, who worked to save wild orcas from extinction.
- Died: December 15, 2022 (Who else died on December 15?)
- Details of death: Died of prostate cancer at the age of 82.
- We invite you to share condolences for Ken Balcomb in our Guest Book.
Saving orcas
After serving as a U.S. Navy oceanographer duing the Vietnam War, Balcomb began researching orcas in the 1970s, at a time when there were no protections against capturing them for display at marine parks. Many orcas were captured, and others died in the roundups for their capture. Balcomb began an annual survey of the southern resident population of orcas in the Pacific Northwest in 1976, finding that their wild population had declined sharply, with only about 70 remaining in the area. His ongoing research showed the orca population beginning to rebound in the 1980s and ‘90s before plummeting again in a collapse attributed to the loss of habitats for salmon, their primary prey. Balbomb’s research and advocacy led to the southern resident orcas being placed on the U.S. Endangered Species list in 2005. He continued to document their decline and advocate for better measures to preserve their population all his life.
Notable quote
“People go to Lime Kiln and get all excited when they see a whale go by. But jeez, you should have been here when we saw 87 whales go by and they’d be jumping and carrying on. That was excitement!” —from a 2021 interview for Outside
Tributes to Ken Balcomb
Full obituary: The Seattle Times
