Learning from Lulu: The death of an orca – a sign to clean up our act?

by Suzie Hall and Sam Lipman

“One of the most contaminated individuals that we’ve ever looked at,” Dr. Andrew Brownlow told the BBC, “Possibly one of the most contaminated individuals in the world.”

Brownlow is a veterinary pathologist with Scotland’s Rural College and head of the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS). He was referring to “Lulu” who, until her death, was a member of the UK’s only resident orca population, known as the West Coast Community. This Community is dying; there are just eight individuals left.

Lulu was found entangled on the shores of Tiree, Scotland in January of last year. A necropsy was performed on her body and the results confirm the terrifying truth: We are living beside a contaminated ocean. 

North Atlantic ecotype (Photo © Orca Aware)

A shocking 957mg/kg of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contaminants were found in Lulu’s body. To put this into perspective: As little as 20-40mg/kg of PCBs are believed to cause significant physiological damage, and Lulu’s blubber contained 100 times more PCB contaminants than is the accepted toxicity threshold in marine mammals. Her blubber was packed with 957mg/kg of pure poison.

Although the production of such deadly substances is now heavily regulated, they are still leaching into the natural environment. Once there, the contaminants bio-accumulate up the food chain until the animals at the top, like orca, are carrying heavy chemical burdens. These high levels of toxicity can leave orca in poor health, infertile and in some cases, dead.

SMASS, the organisation which carried out Lulu's necropsy, reports that Lulu never produced a calf in her short lifetime; this is despite the fact she was at least 20 years old when she died. Regrettably, Lulu's pod haven’t been sighted with a calf for over two decades. It is possible that it is the impact on health and reproductive fitness from these chemicals that has sealed the fate of the culturally unique West Coast Community, setting them on a path to extinction.

Fatally entangled seal in the UK (Photo © Richard Ilderton / BDMLR)

With Lulu's death, human involvement was a double-edged sword. Experts claim orca are an intelligent, agile, communicative species, very rarely becoming entrapped. However, despite this, Lulu's ultimate cause of death was entanglement in discarded fishing line. It is speculated that the toxins within her body may have debilitated her, impacting Lulu's ability to free herself from the lines.

Sadly, many other marine animals are killed in this way. Last year in England, Scotland and Wales, 33 whales, seals and seabirds were found entangled in discarded man-made materials, with a further 21 entangled marine mammals reported during the first four months of 2017. Just this Friday, Orca Aware’s sponsor charity British Divers Marine Life Rescue attended a recently deceased young grey seal entangled in plastic; another indication of the sorry state of our oceans.  

As if PCB contamination and hazardous discarded gear aren’t bad enough news for the marine world, we are amidst a global plastic pollution crisis too. Not only does plastic also leach toxic chemicals when it breaks down, but it is estimated that by the year 2050, at current production rates, the plastic in the oceans will outweigh the fish. Along with entangling marine life, plastics have been found inside the stomachs of whales, dolphins and other animals, from whole plastic bags to tiny plastic fibres. And we’re ingesting plastic as well; up to 11,000 pieces each year, in the seafood and salt that we eat.

Recently collected in a beach clean (Photo © Suzie Hall)

While much more can and needs to be done, the outlook isn’t as murky as our polluted seas. More and more large organisations are being rallied to tackle their environmental footprint. The United Nations has pledged to take action against plastic waste, usage of PCBs and their disposal. Disposal is becoming more heavily regulated and innovations are cropping up worldwide to reduce production, consumption and circulation of these indestructible materials.

You can also take action, joining us in these five simple steps:

1. Think twice about what you buy and where possible, avoid purchasing items wrapped in packaging.

2. Cut out "disposable" plastic items such as straws, coffee lids, bottles and bags. Learn more about reducing your plastic waste here.

3. Familiarise yourself with your local recycling collection and always try to recycle your waste.

You can also dispose of electrical items at designated sites rather than landfills; these are ones that leak chemicals such as PCBs to the surrounding environment.

4. Don’t litter. You wouldn’t use your sitting room floor as a bin, so why use our planet’s floor? After all, it is all our living space.

5. Take action! Organise beach cleans and sponsored awareness events, support environmental charities and simply just spread the word. You can also encourage friends, family, colleagues and your local council to adopt more sustainable practices.

Lulu's death symbolises our urgent need for mindful action, to counteract the harm we have already caused through ignorance and inaction. We didn't know how PCBs and other materials would impact the oceans, but we do now. The fact can no longer be brushed under our carpet of plastic and toxic compounds.

Scientists estimate we are on the cusp of irreversible environmental damage, with our oceans (and our world) at stake – and time itself may be running out. In the words of J.R.R. Tolkien, what we now "have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." And what we might learn from Lulu is that we need to act today. 

Find out more about how chemical pollution impacts orca by reading our article: Polluted Orca – How Chemicals Are Killing the World’s Killer Whales. 

Your Guide to Orca in UK Waters

by Suzie Hall 

Orca sightings in the Northern Hemisphere are often associated with the shores of Iceland, Norway, the USA or Canada. But did you know that the UK has its own resident population of orca? Furthermore, the north of Scotland is also visited by other North Atlantic populations throughout the course of the year. So grab your binoculars and head to the British coast; this short blog will take you through the best locations and times of year to spot the majestic orca in UK waters.

West Coast Community Orca

The UK has its own small, resident population known as the West Coast Community (WCC), consisting of only eight or nine individuals. Although rare to find, the WCC can be spotted year-round in the Hebrides, along the West coast of Scotland. They have also been seen off the North West coast of Ireland, and some individuals have even been seen as far south as Pembrokeshire, South Wales in the summer, typically around June and July.

Photo: © Orca Aware

This orca population is believed to be the North Atlantic Type 2 ecotype. Although relatively little is known about the WCC’s feeding habits, their ecotype would suggest they feed primarily on other marine mammals. They have been seen hunting dolphins and porpoises, and it is possible they feed on other whales too. These North Atlantic type 2 orca are generally larger than their Type 1 counterparts. Studies have also shown that they have larger and sharper teeth than the Type 1’s, which makes them more specialised for hunting larger mammals.

Scientists at the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust in Tobermory, Scotland have been gathering data on the WCC since 1994, and have recently made an interesting discovery. In the 1970s, a lone orca, dubbed Dopey Dick, swam up the River Foyle in Northern Ireland and it has just been identified that he is in fact a well-known member of the WCC, known as Comet.

The WCC also made the headlines earlier this year when a female, known as Lulu, was found dead on the Isle of Tiree in Scotland. The early necropsy released by the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme reported that there were deep lesions all over her body and that she had swallowed large amounts of sea water. They report that the most likely cause of death was entanglement in abandoned fishing gear, which subsequently led to her drowning.

Probably the most recognised member of the WCC is a male known as John Coe. He has been sighted by various organisations and members of the public since 1980 and is easily recognisable by the large notch towards the base of his dorsal fin. He is one of the individuals who has been sighted off the Irish and Pembrokeshire coasts, often accompanied by females. He hit the headlines in January 2015 when he was photographed with a large chunk missing from his tail fluke, believed to have been caused by a shark attack!

Sadly, the WCC are in danger of becoming extinct. No new calves have been seen since studies began and their dwindling population is already of a tiny size. In my next blog, I’ll be exploring how chemical pollutants found in the marine environment are likely impacting the WCC, in line with the latest scientific findings.

Photo: © Orca Aware

Visiting Orca 

During the summer months, the UK is visited by other North Atlantic Type 2 orca, as well as an entirely different ecotype, the Type 1 North Atlantics. Both visiting groups of orca are frequently sighted around the Shetland and Orkney Islands, as well as from the Scottish mainland, off the coast of Caithness.

Type 2 North Atlantic orca are actually more closely related to the Type A Antarctic ecotype. Type 2 orca, including the WCC, are larger than Type 1's and there are also differences in the orientation of their eye patches. 

Where Type 2 mammal-eating orca are ‘specialist feeders’, the Type 1 orca are considered to be ‘generalist’, primarily predating on fish species (such herring and mackerel), although they have also been known to feed on seals. This difference in dietary preference is the cause of severe tooth-wear in the Type 1 fish-eating orca, which results from friction between fish scales and an orca’s teeth when the orca ‘sucks up’ the fish.

At least seven of the Type 1 individuals sighted in Scottish waters have been identified as members of the Icelandic orca population. Although the Icelandic orca visiting UK shores primarily feed on herring, it is thought that they make their journey to the UK to coincide with the local seal-pupping season, which takes place from April to July.

How You Can Get Involved

Our knowledge of the WCC and the visiting groups of orca is increasing. However, there is still much that we have yet to learn about them.

Photo: © Orca Aware

Since 2012, a dedicated team of enthusiasts have been meeting at the northernmost tip of Scotland each May to participate in an Orca Watch week. The week, coordinated by the Sea Watch Foundation, aims to collect vital data on orca and other cetacean (whale, dolphin and porpoise) species found off the North East Scotland coast, as well as to inform the public about the abundance of marine life right on their doorstep! From the coast of Caithness, it is possible to see the visiting Type 1 North Atlantic orca cruising around the shores in search of food. During last year’s Orca Watch week, orca were spotted, as were several other cetacean species.

This year’s Orca Watch will take place from 21^st – 28^th May and all are encouraged to participate. You can find out how to get involved in the week, and in other events, by visiting Sea Watch Foundation, Caithness Sea Watching, Whale and Dolphin Conservation and Orca Aware.

During the week there will be ample opportunity to whale watch from Duncansby Head, Caithness alongside orca experts and fellow orca enthusiasts. While it is not guaranteed, there is a good chance that orca will pass by the shoreline during this time. I will be there, along with Sam, Orca Aware’s founding manager, and we hope to see you there too!

Photos (top to bottom): Orca off the Scottish coast sighted at last year's Orca Watch, Orca from the Icelandic population & Orca dorsal fin sculpture near Duncansby Head.