$2.4 million in grants seek to help endangered orcas

• The grants will also establish a platform for the state to work with tribes and other organizations to source specific kinds of trees needed to restore complex instream salmon habitat that's been lost to deforestation.

Why it matters: While many other whale species are thriving in the Seattle region's seas, the Southern Residents are struggling to survive against multiple threats. On the endangered species list, there are currently only 73 of the animals.

Zoom in: More than 50 years after the orca known variously as Tokitae, Toki or Lolita was captured for public display, there are plans to return her from the Miami Seaquarium to the Pacific Northwest.