Orca chronicler Ken Balcomb dies at age 82

Ken Balcomb saw the orcas just a few miles away in the water off Sequim. They went to his white research boat, which read “Killer Whale Study” in black letters.

It was April 8, 1976, in the morning. Balcomb worked for the National Marine Fisheries Service on a one-year contract to count killer whales in the Salish Sea. With a film camera and neatly written notes, he kept track of this first meeting. Before that, scientists didn’t know much about this endangered species.

But thanks to Balcomb and the organization he founded, Center for Whale Research, we now know more about the southern inhabitants than any other group of marine mammals in the world.

Balcomb died of prostate cancer on Thursday at the age of 82. He was a leader in the fight to save the southern inhabitants from extinction and a leader in their cause.

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Most people will remember him from his work with the southern inhabitants, but he did many other things in his career. For example, he tagged whales in the North Pacific for the US Fish and Wildlife Service and was an oceanographer for the US Navy during the Vietnam War. He also co-wrote dozens of scientific articles.

The records of the Smithsonian Institution say he received a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of California in 1963. He was particularly interested in cetaceans, which led him to earn a PhD in marine biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Balcomb has been watching these J, K, and L pods, which are often seen in Puget Sound, for over 40 years. His orca survey, which he began in 1976, is now the standard way of tracking Southern residents.

This is because he took pictures of the saddle spots, unique markings on each whale, and kept track of them. He knew almost all the people who lived in the South from birth.

Balcomb was heartbroken to see the killer whales he had worked so hard for slowly becoming extinct. He also never saw some of the things he cared about most come to fruition, such as rebuilding ranges of Chinook salmon, which the orcas eat.

“Lots of stuff offered”

Balcomb was born on November 11, 1940. During his career, the public’s view of killer whales changed. Coast Salish people have long held a high opinion of killer whales. But many newcomers who were not from the area were afraid of them.

Some fishermen shot them as soon as they saw them. People viewed them as pests to be avoided at best and killed where possible.

In the 1960s and 1970s, they were captured for aquariums around the world using helicopters, seal bombs, harpoon guns, and speedboats.

Elizabeth Dunne, director of legal advocacy at Earth Law Center, said Balcomb has worked his entire life to change that mindset. She said that through his own kindness he was really trying to show how humans naturally bond with animals.

Balcomb and other early researchers, such as the Canadian scientist Michael Biggfound out how small orca populations are and what types of orcas there are and where they live.

His camera and his in-depth knowledge of whales were the most advanced tools he used. He once said he thought people in the South knew him or at least knew the sound of his boat, the Chimo, which was named after one of the first killer whales to be kept in captivity.

The staff and board of Orca Network are deeply saddened by the passing of our brother, dear friend and valued colleague, Ken Balcomb, on December 15, 2022.
Please visit https://t.co/35azRdL8eo and https://t.co/hOn52Axnsn to read more about Ken and his wonderful legacy. pic.twitter.com/auDOdWOWZq

— Orca Network (@orcanetwork) December 15, 2022

Balcomb conducted annual surveys that showed how Southern residents slowly improved after hunting ended. This gave people hope that perhaps the families would return to what is believed to be a baseline of about 120. 73 today.

“We recognized from 1976 onwards that, wow, this is a phenomenal opportunity to not only count every whale in the population every year, but look at the dynamics: the birth rates, the death rates, the social dynamics and you know, the has offered a world of stuff,” he said in an interview this fall after his team’s last census.

“I’m pretty proud of what we’ve done,” balcomb said, “please pass it on.”

A source of motivation for others

The research and activism centered around Balcomb’s Center for Whale Research. Volunteers from the environmental organization Earthwatch camped in the yard, filling every room of his home on San Juan Island.

The center became a place where many scientists and researchers went to work. Some of them are still at the top of their field today.

Our team is heartbroken at the loss of our dear friend Ken Balcomb, founder of @CWROrcas and strong advocate for the endangered killer whales of the South. Such a great person and a great loss to our community 💙. pic.twitter.com/45lzvlkWyj

— Dolphin Project (@Dolphin_Project) December 15, 2022

John Durban, who, like many researchers who work with Southern residents, got his start with Balcomb, said the group of researchers still doing the work is one of Balcomb’s most important legacies.

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