Endangered whales in Washington's Puget Sound to get individual records

The records will include data on behavior, reproductive success, and skin diseases and will be used to monitor individual health as well as overall trends

Endangered orcas in the inland waters of Washington state will now have individual health records, which researchers hope will help them identify threats to the whales' health.

There are typically 84 whales residing in Puget Sound from spring to fall. These were listed as endangered in 2005 and are both genetically and behaviorally distinct from other killer whales. They use distinct calls to communicate and eat salmon rather than other marine mammals. Because of pollution, lack of prey and disturbance from boats, their numbers have fluctuated in the past few decades.