The Pacific Northwest may be home to a wide array of animals, but the Southern Resident Killer Whales, also known as Orca, are a mainstay of this region’s identity. However, like many whales across the globe, the local pods are endangered – even here in our own backyard.

That’s where the new project, created by Wild Orca in partnership with Kenmore Air, comes in.

Wild Orca is currently crowdfunding, via IndieGoGo, an awareness campaign that paints a Kenmore Air DeHaviland Otter seaplane like a Killer Whale and also creates educational pamphlets for Kenmore Air customers.

“I’ve spent the last seven years flying up and around the San Juan Islands, and Victoria, and northern BC,” said Anna Gullickson. “In the summer its not uncommon to fly over orca whales or grey whales, or even humpbacks.

“They’re part of our daily life as pilots flying up there… seeing their natural habitat and how pristine it is. It brings it close to your heart.”

Even though the Killer Whales are so much part of our culture, they are not immune to the damaging effects humans have on the ecosystem. Among the many dangers Orca face, is the overfishing of their primary food source, Chinook Salmon.

As a keystone species, Salmon play a vital role in the Puget Sound and Strait of Juan De Fuca ecosystems. With a total of 137 different animals that rely on salmon-including 41 mammals, 89 birds, five reptiles, and two amphibians-salmon are more than a vital part of our local ecology, they are the backbone of it.

Other than the overfishing of their primary food source, Orca face environmental contaminants such as oil spills and runoff from chemical products that normal consumers use, sea-vessel noise pollution and more.

But most people don’t know about these issues. Michael Hays, co-founder of Wild Orca and pilot at Kenmore Air, was one of those people in the ‘didn’t know’ category about a year ago, but has since educated himself and, now, wants to give back.

“The reality is once you start learning about these Orca, you start realizing the issues affecting them are really entire ecosystem issues,” Hays said. “There are things that we can all do in our lives, and make changes in our lifestyle, that will directly benefit the health of our ecosystem and therefore the health of the orcas.”

From not using pesticides on lawns to watching what goes down the sink drain, each person in the Pacific Northwest and neighboring lands can do something to help improve the ecosystems of Orca and every other animal in the Puget Sound.

Orca may be on the top of the food chain, but without salmon they and the other 136 animals will see a decrease in population size; possibly going extinct.

“Our Southern Resident Killer Whales are endangered and, if we don’t do something quickly, then [as soon as 50 years] we could lose them all together,” Gullickson said. “This is a local animal that is an icon of Washington State and the PNW… We wanted to educate these people [flying Kenmore Air about] the environment they are flying over, the environment they are staying in, and give them information about the whales.”

The prospect of extinction is a real threat to Southern Resident Killer Whales, which saw their first calf in two years dead within the first six weeks of its life just this year. No other calves have been born and the Orca population has decreased to the same numbers as prior to federal endangered species protections.

As a flying ambassador for Killer Whales, the highly visible seaplane will help protect and educate the general public as it flies routine flights around Seattle and the Puget Sound.

“We want to start conversations. These planes are very visible – flying in and out of Seattle – and its going to be a really stunning paint job that looks different than everything else that people see,” Hays said. “I think this will be something that stands out to people, …and its going to spark some interest and its probably going to get people talking about Orcas.”

By being more visible, the Wild Orca team hopes to spread word about the dangers orca face, but also to start a conversation about how every person can help keep these animals safe for future generations.

Those interested in donating can visit Wild Orca’s Indiegogo Page. For more information, check out Wild Orca’s website.