The lesions appear on the whales as grey patches or targets, or black pinpoints. Some resemble tattooed skin. Their presence on the animals' graphically black and white bodies is "increasing dramatically", according to Dr Joseph K Gaydos of the SeaDoc Society at the school of veterinary medicine at the University of California, lead author of the paper.
"The health significance... is not clear," says the report, but the possible relationship between the lesions and "decreasing body condition in an endangered, non-recovering population is a concern".
The lesions appear to be the symptom of serious underlying conditions affecting the whales' health - from immune suppression to infertility - and their presence, as in any cetacean, is a warning sign that things are not well.
With 99% of the animals studied exhibiting the lesions, the consequences could be disastrous for the fragile population of southern resident orcas, which now numbers fewer than 75. "It's worrisome," said Gaydos. "Now we need to try and isolate the potential infectious agent."
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