usually blamed for the high infant mortality rate of wild orcas. They are also believed to play a role in the mortality of adult orcas such as Hope, whose death ultimately was assigned to a complex of problems arising from all the toxins in her body, and others, both Bigg’s and resident orcas, when they are stressed for food sources. At those times, their bodies begin processing their fat stores, and the toxins are released into their systems. The toxins aren’t believed to kill the orcas outright, but rather, to compromise their immune systems so badly that they become susceptible to a variety
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