09/05/2026
Whale spotlight! Meet T46B3A Munro:
Munro, born in 2025, is one of the newest members of the T46 Matriline. This little whale is a part of a massive legacy that all leads back to his great grandmother, T46 Wake. Back in 1976, Wake and five other orcas were herded into Budd Inlet by contracted whale catchers, their path nearly set in stone to be sold off to marine parks.
But their fates would change. Ralph Munro and his wife Karen witnessed the event on their sailboat and petitioned for an end to live captures and the release of the Budd inlet six. Because of their intense efforts and changing public perception, these whales were released and new legislation ended orca captures in Washington.
Had Wake been successfully taken to a marine park, her estimated 26 living descendants, including little Munro, wouldn’t be swimming free today!
