Lolita was captured five decades ago in the Puget Sound. Animal rights activists say she's the oldest orca in captivity and should live her final years back home in a seaside sanctuary.
"Within seconds we realized, oh my God, a pack of killer whales is attacking a blue whale," researcher John Totterdell from the Cetacean Research Centre in Australia, told NPR.
Washington's orcas are hungry, because there aren't enough salmon for them to eat. State officials want to take out some dams to help them, but that would hurt Washington's wheat farmers.
What began as a moment of joy ended in tragedy when the infant died last week. Since then its mother has refused to let go, holding her child tightly in what experts call a moving expression of grief.
Historical photos show fishermen with chinooks almost as tall as they are. A century's worth of dam-building, overfishing, habitat loss and hatcheries has cut the size of the average fish in half.
A killer whale attempting to say "hello" or "Amy" did not sound as clear as, say, a parrot. But scientists found that the whales could repeat human vocalizations with some success.
