It’s been another year of births, deaths and a fight for survival for B.C.’s endangered southern resident killer whales.

According to the latest census from the Washington-based Center for Whale Research, the population stood at 74 as of July 1, up just one from last year’s 73.

The modest increase underscores a fragile future for a species still in “overall decline,” whose population has been hovering around the low- to mid-70s for several years, says research director Dr. Michael Weiss.

But the number doesn’t tell the whole story, he adds – to understand what's really happening, you have to look below the surface.

During the census period, one adult male known as K26 – missing since the summer of 2024 – was confirmed dead. His death is a major loss for the population, Weiss says, as h

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