Tracking what's alive on Earth and what affects it.
Humans, now
On the wall: 1,000 or fewer left in the wild
Southern Resident orca
76
Head count
July 2026
Orcinus orca (Southern Resident population)
Salish Sea and the Pacific coast from British Columbia to California
Counted July 2026, by the Center for Whale Research.
The latest count for the Southern Resident orca is 76, a head count of every whale known, as of 1 July 2026, by the Center for Whale Research.
76 Southern Resident orcas at the census of 1 July 2026, every whale known, the Center for Whale Research reports.
How it was counted
The number comes from the Center for Whale Research census of 1 July 2026, which covers the whole Southern Resident population of the killer whale. It counts animals, each whale known and counted in turn, so the figure is every animal known.
A head count: every whale is known and counted, whale by whale, so 76 is the whole number as of 1 July 2026, not an estimate.
Earlier figures
- 74 in July 2025: the previous count. Source: NOAA Fisheries.
What moves it
The Center for Whale Research names these pressures on the whales: too little Chinook salmon, boat noise and crowding, and contaminants.
- too little Chinook salmon. Source: NOAA Fisheries.
- boat noise and crowding. Source: NOAA Fisheries.
- contaminants. Source: NOAA Fisheries.
The next count
The count is annual (census at 1 July), so the next is expected at the following census date. No release date is known as of 12 November 2026.
Sources
- Center for Whale Research Last checked 12 November 2026.
- NOAA FisheriesKiller Whale Last checked 12 November 2026.
What changed
- 12 November 2026 Added to Live Species, on the wall (1,000 or fewer): 76 (Head count, July 2026).
Next on the wall
The letter
The letter comes once a month, on the first Thursday. It gives what changed on Live Species, one animal up close and the humans figure for contrast.