Gabriel Newton, a renowned professional kayaker, artist and orca advocate from Burien, embarked last week on a three-day, 65-mile journey from downtown Seattle to Olympia to personally deliver more than 1500 postcards and petition signatures to Governor Bob Ferguson on March 26.

The petition urged the Governor to take bold leadership and commit to decisive actions to protect the critically endangered Southern Resident orcas and the Chinook salmon they depend on for survival.

Newton’s paddle was launched on May 24, from Pioneer Square Habitat Beach, with an overnight stop that evening on Vashon. After arriving at the beach near the Tahlequah ferry dock, he was greeted and cheered on by island organizers and activists including Joseph Bogaard, executive director of the nonprofit Save Our wild Salmon, and local artist Britt Freda, who is the creative director of Northwest Artists Against Extinction, a project of Save Our wild Salmon.

Newton’s three-day journey included headwinds on the first day and fog on the second. The third day, he arrived in Olympia after paddling through waters as a thunderstorm approached.

Newton’s action comes in the wake of the loss of a second calf born to Tahlequah (J-35), a Southern Resident orca whose grief-stricken display in 2018 captivated the world.

The ongoing decline of this iconic species — driven by dwindling prey, toxic pollution, and vessel disturbance — underscores the urgency of immediate conservation efforts, according to Newton, whose voyage was meant to underscore the need to safeguard the future of these endangered whales.

“I became enchanted by the Southern Resident orcas 20 years ago when I encountered a superpod of 23 orcas on a solo sea kayak journey through the San Juan and Gulf Islands,” Newton said. “I now feel a responsibility to speak up for these majestic beings, whose voice can be more difficult for elected representatives to hear.”

In Olympia, Newton gifted Governor Ferguson with his original painting, “Celebration.”

The artwork is part of “Superpod,” Newton’s 46-piece collection created on wood found along the shores of the Salish Sea. The series depicts all 73 remaining Southern Resident orcas, as well as seven that have died since the project began, serving as a call to action for their conservation.

“Washington state’s leadership is critical for restoring Chinook salmon throughout the range of the Southern Resident orcas, especially in the Columbia and Snake River Basin — a major food source for the Southern Residents,” Newton said.

His voyage to Olympia was sponsored by Save Our wild Salmon, Endangered Species Coalition, Braided River, Washington Conservation Action and the Sierra Club.

Find out more about Newton’s art and advocacy at gabrielnewton.com.

Gabriel Newton’s paddle was launched on May 24, from Pioneer Square Habitat Beach. On the misty morning of March 25, after an overnight stay on Vashon, Newton continued on his journey from Tahlequah Beach. (Britt Freda photo)