Dr. Ingrid Visser captured the moment a New Zealand orca delivered a 'karate chop' blow to a shark, and describes this impressive hunting strategy (article: 2009)

Carl Eric Peterson has been convicted of harassing orcas and fined $7,500 dollars — but he's also been ordered to write an article for the local newspaper warning others not to harass whales.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/01/10/carl-eric-peterson-whale-harassment_n_2447429.html?just_reloaded=1

Tracking Offshore Killer Whales in Southern California:

"On 5 January 2013, researchers from Cascadia encountered a small group of
"offshore" ecotype killer whales during a survey on the SOAR range, as part of the Marine Mammal Studies at SCORE  project." 

For more information and photographs please visit: 
http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/SCORE-offshore-kw.htm

"To better protect our endangered killer whales, the Northwest Fisheries Science
Center has been tagging the orcas to learn more about where they roam in the
winter...

So, the agency has been putting tags on a fin or two and tracking the whales via satellite. They use a pneumatic dart gun from about 4-12 meters that penetrates the fin tissue with a transmitter’s “retention petals,” the center writes."
 
http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2013/01/16/ever-wonder-where-the-killer-whales-go-during-the-winter/

Check out this stunning photo of transient orcas harassing a grey whale calf off the coast of California - status update from Transient Killer Whale Research Blog by Josh McInnes: 
  
Looks like another amazing Transient show off California. Two Young orcas known as CA49 and CA49B were witnessed by Channel Islands whale watch harassing a Grey whale calf. The mother was able to scare off the attacking transients. The Grey whale
migration south is now in full swing and unlike the West coast transients the mammal eaters of the South take advantage of these large prey sources. This could be because of the lack of harbor seals or any sort of prey deficiency.   

Josh McInnes

Orca hunting common dolphins in Monterey Bay, California:
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_22372519/killer-whales-hunt-monterey-bay

UK's resident West Coast Community are at risk from extinction say experts -
find out why in this follow-up article from the orca coverage on the BBC One
Show!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-20956727?SThisFB

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/uk-orcas.html#cr

Repost from Artist for the Ocean -
Please take the time to read and share:

EMERGENCY ACTION FOR ORCAS TRAPPED! Looking for people to share this with your MEDIA CONTACTS! Get ACTION TO SAVE THESE LIVES! 

Trapped in Ice north of Quebec, Canada!  
Video taken: Jan 8, 2013
4:01pm
Killer whale near Inukjuak january 8 2013
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=470041559698482

This article about the trapped orca in northern Quebec has just been released by journalist Elizabeth Batt - we urge you all to read and share. Time could be running out for these orca! http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/340884

Reports are stating that ice-breakers are too far south to get to the trapped orcas in northern Quebec in time; their breathing hole is said to be the size of a pick-up truck. Other reports say help is on the way. Please help us keep these whales in the news!
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1312556--killer-whales-trapped-by-ice-in-hudson-s-bay

Join us in keeping these trapped orcas in the news, over Facebook and trending on Twitter - stay positive, whales have been rescued before! 
 
Aerial Photo of Orcas Stranded and the Hole.

David Kirby suggests who you can contact about the Quebec orcas! Please read and share: http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/01/09/urgent-many-18-killer-whales-trapped-quebec-ice

Kasco Marine, inc. (as featured in 'Big Miracle') are getting de-icers out to the orcas trapped in Hudson Bay - please visit their Facebook page and thank them, hope is not lost! http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Kasco-Marine-Inc/207536458010

Please contact Canada's Fisheries and Oceans - put pressure on them to free trapped Quebec orcas! http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Contact-eng.htm

Re-post from the Orca Network, update on help from US Coastguard for Quebec orcas: 
 
And reposting  this from Alisa Schulman-Janiger & Meg McDonald:
VERY BAD FOR TRAPPED ORCAS! USCG CANNOT SEND HELP W/O OFFICIAL REQUEST FROM CANADA; THEY HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED THIS REQUEST. USCG UNABLE TO CONFIRM ICEBREAKERS STATUS/LOCATIONS OVER PHONE. Meg McDonald just spoke to the U.S. Coast Guard command office for District 1 (Maine to Connecticut). They can't send help without an official request from the Canadian government, and no such request had been received as of her phone call 20 minutes ago (15:50 PT). The USCG was also unable to verify the status and location of its icebreaker(s) over the phone.
.........................
keep the emails, fb posts, tweets, etc. going out to officials, businesses, media, NGO's, anyone who might be able to help. The help will likely come quicker from businesses/NGO's, but any help may need permission from DFO which could delay things

Quebec orca update from the Orca Network:
  
Amy Carey just posted:
Several members of the nearby Inuit community are posting on the "posted by others" section of the Kasco Marine facebook page. They report the community will be out tomorrow working to widen the breathing holes for the whales until help arrives. Pretty remarkable to see the firsthand info and have a glimpse into Inuit life. (They appear to have made their pages public).

Please visit the OrcaLab facebook page to follow their call to action, thank you:

Urgent call to action...
"Many of you will have heard about the desperate situation faced by a group of orcas trapped in ice in Hudson Bay, Canada. They are in a tiny hole in ice about 35km from the small community of Inukjuak. The community has mobilised to help the orcas, but urgently need major outside help in the form of an icebreaker that can cut a path to the open ocean and freedom, along with equipment and supplies that will enable them to keep the hole open until the icebreaker arrives. The nearest icebreaker is perhaps a week away, and it will be costly to send it. Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans is investigating the situation, but investigation takes time and there is very
little time left for these whales. The orcas' only chance is for the government of Canada to make a decision to rescue them NOW and immediately dispatch an  icebreaker to the scene. 

Only the Prime Minister and Minister of Fisheries have the authority to order the rescue. Please help convince them that they should act now. Here are their contact details:

 Right Hon. Stephen Harper,
Prime Minister of Canada
Telephone: 1-613-992-4211
Fax: 1-613-941-6900
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @pmharper

Hon. Keith Ashfield
Minister of Fisheries & Oceans Canada
Telephone: 1-613-992-1067
Fax: 1-613-996-9955
Email: [email protected]
Email: <[email protected]
Twitter: @DFO_MPO

Here is the message we have sent them:

Please rescue the Hudson Bay orcas. Send icebreaker, keep the hole open. Thank you.

Until the icebreaker gets to the scene, the hole in the ice must be kept open. Canada's military has the ability to help the people of Inukjuak with this vital task. Canada's Defense Minister can order the needed assistance. Here are his contact details:
  
Hon. Peter Mackay
Minister of National Defense
Telephone: 1-613-996-3100
Fax: 1-613-995-8189
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @MacKayCPC

Here is the message we are sending to him:
Please assist the rescue of the Hudson Bay orcas....

http://www.theprovince.com/technology/environment/killer+whales+trapped+northern+Quebec+only+Mother/7797905/story.html

Thank you Kasco Marine! 

Update from Kasco Marine Inc.: 
Kasco is overwhelmed with the outpouring of offers and assistance. We are doing our best to provide all of the assistance we can in the rescue effort by continuing to look for transportation to the remote area of Inukjuak where there is very limited airplane accessibility. With the help and cooperative efforts of the many volunteers and individual and business donations we hope to save these great whales.
Please contact Kasco at [email protected] with inquiries or any information you may have to help the cause.

Quebec orca update from author David Kirby: 
 
UPDATE - whales have moved, but not out of trouble yet? 
 
From Sybelle Foxcroft

I just spoke via Telephone with Johnny Williams from Northern Village of Inukjuak. The water has opened, however not all the way. The weather is now -25 and they are sending teams out to see how far the ice has opened. They are cutting holes in the ice now. I have passed all our prayers and support onto him and he is passing that onto the Major. Lovely lovely man. The whales are not free yet, but they have more breathing space now.

Quebec orca update from pilot Davidee Saumik Inukpuk - orcas free from Inukjuak but need to get passed the ice of Hudson Bay:

#SavingQuebecOrcas Ground Zero Update: Orcas are now free from Inukjuak, but not out of the woods! Necessary that these whales out of the Hudson Bay, and watch the ice cover at the moment ...Davidee

Reports suggest the ice may have opened up with a change of wind and weather last night, possibly freeing the trapped Quebec orcas, however the world is on standby as we wait for confirmation from aerial observations. Keep talking about these orcas because they may still need our  help!
http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Shifting+frees+trapped+killer+whales+northern+Quebec+locals/7801001/story.html

Quebec orca update: aerial observations did not find the orcas but did see lots of ice-free patches leading to open water, so fins and fingers crossed that these orcas made it out just fine! A big thank you to all involved with these orcas, with keeping us updated and a big thank you to you all for helping spread the word!

The worst is sadly not over for the Quebec orcas - they still face a hard journey ahead of them:  http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/trapped-whales-face-deadly-maze-en-route-to-atlantic-expert-says-1.1108290

Great words from Davidee Saumik Inukpuk of the Inukjuak community about the Quebec orcas - Update from Artist for the Ocean:  
 
#EarthFreedom #SaveQuebecOrcas
UPDATE: well, they have certainly moved further from where they were last
sighted and yes the ice reforms quickly and as the winds get stronger and the
current is always moving it is never still like lake ice is, it is always constantly moving and never the same and at time the open water is never far but right now its at it peak of being icy like that and spring time is not that far away, as for the whales being
creatures of their own environment as we are with ours, its like common sense
for them as we are with our environment, like; we as Inuit know when to stop
when there is a blizzard while we are out on land and wait for the weather to
get better and when weather clears up we can start travelling again, same with
any whale in its environment, when they are caught up in ice formations pack
with few breathing holes they know when and what to do to try and stay alive,
for instance these whales were clearly watched and observed by our elders and
the elders noticed that they were coming up for air every few seconds, as we saw
them on the videos, not to fight for air and be desperate for air but to keep
that breathing hole open from freezing up into ice, making huge waves, like ours
elders have been saying, they are in their own environment and are clearly
oblivious to their surroundings, they are smart and maybe even smarter than us,
we have a very demanding environment and it takes what it wanna takes when it
wants to we just have to accept that sometimes but in this case our prayers were
answered in a very good way

Our North Atlantic orca have made it onto the BBC One
Show - you can watch the episode on iPlayer now!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01pv8yz/hd/The_One_Show_08_01_2013/

Great BBC footage of orca taking giant blue-finned
tuna from the fisheries:

http://chill.com/genlabang/post/056667d8e0aa4faab50135b05d3fdb7b/giant-blue-finned-tuna-killer-whale-bbc?source=%2Fpopular&feature=watch-title