PNW Protectors

If you haven't read or listened to the audio book Lost Frequency and you love orcas....go and do it as soon as possible. This is a fantastic book and we were lucky enough to sit down with author Barry Swanson and his partner Marine Naturalist Rachelle Hayden to talk about his book, the state of the Southern Resident Orcas, and what all of us can do to help. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we had making it.  If you wish to support the March for the Dams movement go to www.marchforthedams.com Or if you want to buy a BREACH hoodie to help fund the March, please go to www.pnwprotectors.com/shop Holdfast, Cy and Snow

Jim Waddell is a retired Civil Engineer from the US Army Corps of Engineers where he served for 36 years. Over the last 6 years Jim has been working relentlessly providing information to the public, leading the movement to breach the lower four snake river dams in order to save the endangered chinook salmon and Southern Resident Orca populations with his "Dam Sense" recommendations and information. In this episode Jim speaks with us in depth about the critical importance of why breaching is so critical this year, the complexities, the logistics, the cost, and the bureaucracy we all have to overcome in order save our orcas.

Internationally famous Gary Sutton (Pro Orca Photographer) and Tasli Shaw (Renowned Orca Artist) joined us from Vancouver Island in this PNW Protectors podcast episode to share some mind blowing Orca stories, a Canadian perspective of the plight of the Southern Resident Orcas (SRKW), and ways we all can help Save Our Orcas. Prepare yourself for an amazing hour long journey with these two incredible souls. Enjoy!

Gloria and Elena, co-directors or Co-Extinction Film, share with us their experiences of what it's like to tackle a multi movie series about such a powerful topic: the co-extinction of chinook salmon and the Southern Resident Orcas. Neither of them have had ever made a film before, but through social media and sheer will, they brought together a powerful team of cinematographers and film crew from around the globe to help create what is to be surely to be one of the most powerful conservation series of 2019.

Alex and Maria spent three months this summer on San Juan Island filming their movie "Searching for Chinook." What they couldn't have known was the tragic events of Tahlequah (J-35) pushing her dead calf for 18 days over 1,000 miles as well as young Scarlet (J-50) dying after a long fight with starvation during their filming timeline. In the midst of these events, the Orca Task Force was forced by public comments to finally discuss the breaching of the lower four snake river dams which surprisingly to Alex and Maria, the task force knew virtually nothing about despite it being the only short and long term solution in saving the Southern Resident Orcas. Alex and Maria felt it was going to be a tough summer, but they had no idea the amount of drama they would be capturing everyday filming the orcas, politicians, scientists, and Orca experts.

Dr. Joe Gaydos spoke to us about the science behind breaching the Lower Four Snake River Dams, his summer up close and personal with the Southern Resident Orcas, and ways each and every individual can save our Orcas! Visit our website at www.pnwprotectors.com or follow us on Instagram @pnwprotectors for more information on the latest SRKW news and how you can help Save Our Orcas!

Jeff Friendman, President of the Pacific Whale Watching Association, and Sara Shimazu, Naturalist of Maya's Legacy whale watching, speak about some of their most magical encounters in the Salish Sea with our beloved Orcas as well as their thoughts on the Orca Task Force's "bold" 3-5 year recommendation ban on SRKW whale watching. To learn more about the plight of the Southern Resident Orcas and what you can do to save them, be sure to check out our website at www.pnwprotectors.com and follow us on Instagram @pnwprotectors.