NCW Libraries

Nowhere in recent history has a captive mammal garnered so much attention as the orca star of the 1993 hit film Free Willy. The film's success, partnered with growing public interest in animals held in captivity, launched a children's crusade that called for the orca's release into the wild. The result: a multimillion-dollar project that spanned four countries and weathered endless controversy.

A look at the history of the commercial capturing of orcas in Washington's Puget Sound, the whales taken, and the efforts to save them. In November, 2005, Washington's iconic killer whales, known as Southern Resident orcas, were placed on the endangered species list. It was a victory long overdue for a fragile population of fewer than one hundred whales. Author and certified marine naturalist Sandra Pollard traces the story and destinies of the many...

Numbers of chinook salmon have been plummeting along the U.S. Pacific Coast due to the existence of four dams 500 miles inland, reducing the ability of killer whales to feed themselves. Marine scientist Ken Balcomb's proposed solution is to remove the dams.