The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) issued an emergency order requiring whale-watching boats to stay farther away from 11 vulnerable killer whales this summer. The emergency ruling comes after several whales were reported to be in "poor condition." Of the 10 whales in the poorest condition, six are from the J pod, three are from the L pod and one is from the K pod. The other whale, J-36, is believed to be in late-stage pregnancy, according to the Researchers from Sealife Response, Rehabilitation, and Research. All commercial whale-watching vessels are now required to stay at least one-half nautical mile away from the 11 vulnerable whales. While other boaters do not fall under the emergency rule, the WDFW encourages all boaters to do the same. Read more: https://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/environment/orcas/wdfw-emergency-rule-boaters-protect-vulnerable-southern-resident-killer-whales/281-69053e46-5bb4-43c1-8337-da2acbe6aa70