Luna the six year old orca who swam his way into the hearts of whale watchers, Pacific Northwest natives and marine mammals researchers died after being hit by a tugboat propeelor in march. His death largely brought about by his fascination with boats and the humans abroad them was a tragedy amidst a plethora of positive attention and conservation victories enjoyed by puget sound orcas. In november 2005 the three pods of whales that constitute the southern resident orcas were officially listed as endagered. The southern resident population to which luna belonged before going it alone in wootka sound in 2001 occupies the lower puget sound poff the coast of washington.