Washington whale watchers are mourning the loss of the southern resident orca pod’s oldest male, Cappuccino (K21), who is presumed to be dead after found in distress last week in the Strait of Juan de Fuca with a completely collapsed dorsal fin.
The cause of death is still undetermined, but could include starvation, a chronic disease such as cancer, or both according to Paul Cottrell of Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans Marine Mammal Unit.
The Orca Behavior Institute reported that while K21 was swimming far behind the rest of the pod, there were no signs of physical injuries, ruling out the likelihood of a ship strike. At 35 years old,
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