Researchers stunned after capturing footage of rare predators in unexpected location: 'Only 73 remain'

A pod of southern resident killer whales was spotted near Depoe Bay, Oregon. Only 73 of these whales are left in the wild, so any sighting is a big deal — but where they showed up could be a sign of something bigger.

Marine biologists Carrie Newell and Josh McInnes, who study these whales, posted on Instagram and told Oregon Live the pod may have been looking for food, mainly Chinook salmon, which is getting harder to find in its usual spots up north. That search might've led it south, possibly toward the Klamath River, where a major environmental win just happened: Four dams were removed, opening up 400 miles of salmon-spawning habitat.

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The massive project, called the largest dam removal in U.S. history, is expected to boost fish populations and restore ecosystems across the region. More salmon means more food for the whales and better chances of survival.

NOAA Fisheries lists orcas as endangered, and part of what's hurting them is the decline of Chinook salmon. So, when the whales go somewhere new, it can be a sign they're adjusting to shifts in salmon populations.

Researcher Josh McInnes said it's not common to see the whales along the Oregon coast considering they are usually hanging out and looking for food in places that are not easy to see from shore.

"The Oregon coast is part of their overall habitat, and we're just beginning to learn how they use this area. They're more elusive — and critically endangered," he said. "Only 73 remain."

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It also shows that when we undo damage to land and rivers, animals can find their way back. These whales didn't need to be told where, Newell posted on Instagram: "Cetaceans have an incredible memory of where they have found food sources in the past and travel to those areas if food sources are scarce in their home areas."

The pod was tracked for about four hours, according to the post. Boat and trail cameras as well as other tools can help researchers keep tabs on rare animals such as these and learn what's working when it comes to conservation.

We've seen this kind of progress before. After dams came down on the Elwha River in Washington, salmon started showing up in places where they hadn't been in over 100 years. And in Brazil, golden lion tamarins are doing way better now after years of work to protect them.

Conservation efforts and stories remind us that when people take action to fix what's been damaged, nature can respond. Helping one species often supports others as well as human communities. With more such work, sightings like the one off the Oregon coast might happen more often.