The scientists say the whales were about three times more likely to feast on Chinook salmon — their preferred meal — in a narrow coastal strip near San Juan Island than anywhere else in their summer range.

According to a report by the Canwest News Service, the scientists from the University of British Columbia, Britain and the U.S. spent 4 months in the summer of 2006 monitoring the movements of a three-pod population of killer whales in waters off B.C. and Washington state that numbers just 87 individuals.

In an article published in the latest issue of the journal Animal Conservation, the scientists propose strict protections adjacent to San Juan Island, arguing that the 'no=go' zone is small enough to establish a practical system for diverting all boat traffic, but large enough to guarantee the whales unfettered feeding.

"Protecting even small patches of water can provide conservation benefits, as long as we choose the spots wisely," lead researcher Erin Ashe, a biologist at Scotland's University of St. Andrews, told Canwest News Service.

The proposed protected area near SJI would be the first reserve designed specifically to prevent human disturbance of an orca feeding ground.