John, the people doing biological research on killer whales are pretty happy about the transients and the offshore populations. The Northern Resident group is also doing well at over 200 members at last count, which is the number that the Southern Residents were at historically. The big problems are reproductive success, lack of pregnant females, and the issue of high levels of contaminants (PCBs, flame retardants, and more) that are carried in the blubber of the Southern Resident killer whales. When food isn't readily available, the whales draw from their stores of fat and the toxic chemicals come into their blood stream. This may explain the problem of orca calf deaths.

The transients seem to enjoy eating our harbor seals and the 2 species of sea lions in our waters. The offshore whales eat sharks, squid, and marine mammals so lack of salmon isn't as big a problem for them. The three groups of killer whales are seen as distinct species, with different languages, diet, and genetics.