At the very least, you gotta have standards. I can respect a pro-cap person if they got standards. But if you’re trying to tell me that Lolita’s situation at the Miami Seaquarium is fine, I immediately know you don’t give a shit about the welfare of the animals.

Did you know that in 1983, SeaWorld attempted to capture 100 of Alaska’s killer whales? SeaWorld had been barred from capturing in Washington and British Columbia, so they looked farther north to acquire more killer whales for their parks. They had received a permit from NMFS to temporarily capture 100 whales in Alaskan waters to obtain blood samples, extract teeth, and take weight/length measurements. While 90 whales would be released, 10 would be kept and shipped off to their parks in California, Florida, and at the time, Ohio.

Naturally, this did not sit well with Alaskans. The proposed area of the captures, Prince William Sound, is an important region for the local resident killer whales and people feared captures could deplete the population and cause remaining whales to become scared of humans. The Tlingit people, who revere killer whales, branded the captures and cruel and exploitative. Some fishermen and environmentalists threatened to interfere with any of SeaWorld’s capture operations. Coincidentally, SeaWorld failed to file an environmental impact statement prior to issuance of their permit—several groups, including the Sierra Club, challenged the permit in court on this basis. Their permit was voided by a federal judge in 1985 and SeaWorld was not allowed to conduct the proposed captures.

Knowing that the whales I study and love could have been subjected to cruel procedures or confined to tanks to splash tourists in Florida sends a shiver up my spine. The removal of even one female whale would have had profound impacts on the pods—a productive female can leave as many as 15 descendants over 3 generations. Had even a few of these whales been captured, I might not have had the privilege to view the whales I see today! I am extremely grateful Alaskans stood up to SeaWorld and prevented them from disrupting Alaska’s wild whale populations.

lol Alaska totally told SeaWorld to eat shit

Side note, why would SeaWorld want to extract teeth?

“Hey, I have a whaley funny joke for ya. What do you call a pod of musical orcas?“

…

“An orca-stra! *buh dum tss!*” 

When they aren’t splashing around dad jokes, orcas can be sighted sporadically along North America’s West Coast, including in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The best time to spot an orca in this sanctuary is from April until June, when they feed on migrating gray whales. 

(Photo: Douglas Croft) 

[Image description: A pair of orcas swimming in the ocean.]

Education matters. As a naturalist and a marine biology student, I am deeply entrenched in all things whale, killer or otherwise. I view them as an extension of myself, and it’s not uncommon for me to react to the phrase “killer whale” as if I heard somebody call my name.

When I first became a naturalist, it was startling to me how little most passengers know about whales. It is so easy for us, entrenched in our whale-centric circles, to forget that to most people, whales are foreign. These are creatures many only see in films or photographs. When I am asked questions like “Are orcas and killer whales the same thing?” I am reminded how crucial education is! Whenever we see whales on our tours, I make it a priority to ensure every passenger has a chance to learn something new, even if it means lugging my laptop and camera around to 70 different people to explain how photo-ID works. The only thing that makes me happier than seeing whales is seeing people’s faces light up as they are introduced to the wonderful world of whale science.

Something important to point out: many of the news articles about the recent scientific expedition to study type D killer whales are not quite painting an accurate picture. 

This is not the first time scientists have seen them! They’ve been known since the 50s after a mass stranding in New Zealand:

Photo: Orca Research Trust Archives

Type Ds were sighted again nearly 50 years later in the Crozet Islands in 2003. Between 2003 and 2014, type D killer whales were recorded at least 63 times! Most of these sightings come from longliner fishing boats, but they are records nonetheless. Biologists have also been able to study the whales themselves a few times and papers were published in 2011, 2014, and 2016 documenting their behavior and appearance. There is even a photo-ID catalog for type D killer whales. 

What makes the most recent scientific expedition exciting is that the team of scientists were able to obtain genetic material through biopsy samples, something that hasn’t been done before. These samples will be able to tell us if type Ds are truly a new species of killer whale, something that has been long-suspected since their discovery. 

So get excited about this news! It really is truly fantastic! But don’t forget about the other studies done on type Ds, and don’t let the news articles wash over important discoveries made in the past with these fascinating, enigmatic whales. 

When Transient Killer Whales Meet Resident Killer Whales

In the Pacific Northwest, there are two kinds of killer whales that have overlapping ranges: residents and transients. Each is a distinct ecotype (and considered sub-species by many) that differ in morphology, coloration, behavior, vocalizations, genetics, and prey type. Transients subsist off of marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, and porpoises, while residents eat exclusively fish, mainly salmon. These two populations don’t interbreed with one another. However, they do live in the same region and have plenty of opportunities to stumble upon each other. 

What happens when a group of transient killer whales and a group of resident killer whales come in contact?

For the most part, they seem to prefer to avoid each other. When residents and transients come within a few kilometers and are on a course to intersect, transients will typically peel away and change their direction to avoid coming in contact with residents. Because residents tend to be “chatty” and travel in big groups, it is assumed that transients––which are quiet and stealthy to avoid alerting potential prey to their presence––hear the residents and slink off before the residents are even aware of them. Less often, residents have changed course to avoid transients. 

There is one case, however, where things did not go so cordially. In 1993, a nasty spat was observed for the first time between residents and transients. Graeme Ellis, a researcher with the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo, Canada, had gone out to document some killer whales he had been notified of. It was a few members of J pod, a group of residents belonging to the southern resident population. They were racing towards Gabriola Island, where they met up with the rest of J pod. According to Ellis, the whales were extremely agitated, splashing and racing towards Descano Bay in a large, tight group. It soon became evident that J pod were not the only whales present there––three transient killer whales, T20, T21, and T22, were about 100 yards in front of them. 

T20 and T21, two of the three transients involved in the J pod attack. Photo by Five Star Whale Watching.

J pod closed in on the transients, apparently trying to push them against the rocky shoreline. The water was soon boiling with the commotion of 20 very irritated, aggressive whales. Ellis reported hearing intense squeaks, clicks, and whistles through the hull of his boat. There was whale-on-whale contact with biting and pushing and jostling. Eventually the clash ended, and the transients high-tailed it away from the J pod whales, which were still huffing and circling the bay. When Graeme went over to check out the transients, he noticed fresh cuts and rake marks. J pod, on the other hand? Not a single new scratch on any of the whales. After J pod had calmed down, Graeme noticed three whales were absent: J17, her new baby J28, and grandmother J5. 

J28 in 1993 with her mother, J17. Photo by Ken Balcomb, Center for Whale Research. 

The absence of this newborn calf and her immediate relatives from the proximity of the attack seems to suggest that J pod did not want this new baby near the transients. In 2016, transients were observed partaking in infanticide––the killing of an infant––for the first time. Perhaps residents perceive transients as a threat to their calves. However, it is all speculation because this encounter between J pod and the T20s remains the only aggressive incident ever observed in over 4 decades of killer whale field research in the North Pacific and its cause still remains a mystery. 

REFERENCES 

Baird, R.W. and Dill, L.M. (1995) Occurrence and behaviour of transient killer whales: seasonal and pod-specific variability, foraging behaviour, and prey handling. Can. J. Zool. 73: 1300-1311. 

Howard Garrett: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CetalFauna/search/?query=killer%20whale%20aggression%20resident%20transient&epa=SEARCH_BOX

Some of the Japanese Resident whales have gorgeous saddle patches.

Read more here 

Orca of the Norwegian Arctic by George Karbus

Killer Whale Research References

I recently had a request to share some the resources that I have used throughout the years for killer whale research and thought I would share them publicly too for anybody who wants to get more in-depth knowledge of killer whale biology, ecology, culture, and evolutionary history. The best information comes from from primary sources––these will almost always be published peer-reviewed research articles. Unfortunately, they can be difficult to access outside academia thanks to paywalls and complex language/topics can make it difficult for people without background in the paper’s topic to fully understand. Worry not though! As a university student, I have access to most research papers and am more than happy to email them to you if needed. If you are having difficulty understanding what the paper is talking about, check out these resources on how to read scientific papers: 

If you are still having difficulty grasping the main concepts, shoot me a message and I’d be more than happy to explain them to you! Another note: it is important to understand that scientific research is always changing and that older papers, though they often contain the founding principles of a research topic, can sometimes have inaccuracies due to their age. Always be aware of this while reading older research. 

*Note: This is NOT a comprehensive list of all killer whale research papers. This is a list of key papers/studies I believe are good starting points for people who are interested in getting more in-depth knowledge of killer whales.*

Life History

 Evolution

Note: most of these papers are heavy in genetic concepts and methods––they are difficult to understand and I recommend focusing on the introduction/abstract and discussion/conclusions for clarity. 

Foraging

Culture & Behavior

Misc. Articles (Not Primary Literature)

Primary sources are always best but there are also good articles and sources outside of peer-reviewed literature that contain good information as well!

While this is seemingly good news, I do think a word of caution is order. As this article states, some of the belugas were not weaned when captured. Their extremely young age will likely preclude them from being eligible for release.

Additionally, the killer whales are all quite young (some may be only a year old), and this too will pose difficulties with release. However, John Ford, the world’s top expert on killer whales, believes they will likely form their own social group if released together. They are transients, so their social bonds are much looser than those of residents. According to Ford, the older whales probably know how to hunt and the younger ones would likely learn from them.

Rehabbing and releasing one whale is difficult enough. Doing so with nearly 100 sounds downright impossible. Hopefully all will be well in the end and the healthy animals can be released successfully.

Adding in that there haven’t been many killer whale releases, and as far as I know, not many beluga releases earlier. Even with a more ideal situation, it’s risky. I hope they’ll be able to monitor any released animals long term to see how they do.

If any of the animals are unreleasable, I hope authorities can find them a good home. Situations like this are why cetacean sanctuaries should be a thing.

K33 Tika backdive, from CWR encounter #81

The difference a year and lens upgrade can make! I was using a 55-250mm lens in the first photo when AP7’s calf was a few months old in 2017. I took the second photo in 2018 after upgrading to a 100-400mm lens when the calf was one year old.

Better gear leads to higher quality photos and better data. Plus, it helps with getting better adorable baby killer whale photos!

Getting better adorable orca baby photos is so important.

J1 Ruffles, The Iconic Bull from J Pod…Was an L Pod Whale!

Things are not always as they seem in killer whale population biology. J1, known to the public as Ruffles, was a keystone member of the southern resident killer whale population. He was most often seen traveling with J2 Granny, famous for her purported age of 100+ (spoiler: she probably was around 60-80 years old). Because of their close relationship, researchers assumed J1 was the final calf of J2, who had not given birth since killer whale population studies started in the 70s. Doing a bit of math and back calculating, they came to the conclusion that since J1 must be her final calf, J2 must have been born around 1911. 

A study on the paternity and reproductive success in the southern residents, published in 2011, revealed that this long-held assumption was completely wrong. You have to dig a little bit into the supplementary material/appendix, but it is there, clear as day: genetic testing showed J2 was not the mother of J1. His mother was listed as an unknown female that had not been sampled at that time. This essentially invalidated J2′s age estimate of 100+ years as it had been based on the assumption J1 was her final offspring. However, everyone still assumed J1 belonged to J pod. After all, why wouldn’t he be? He travelled with them all of the time. He was an iconic member of J pod. 

That, too, was wrong. Further genetic studies published in 2018  by Ford et al. dropped a bombshell that went largely unnoticed until recently. Again, looking into the supplementary material of that paper, we can see more information about paternity and maternity of the southern residents. And the most interesting fact to emerge was the identity of J1′s true mother: L45 Asterix. Additionally, it was revealed that L57 Faith, another large bull, was J1′s half-brother. J1 was in fact a true member of L pod. 

But the surprises don’t stop there. 

J1 was traveling with J2 as an integrated member of J pod when studies on the southern resident population began. His real mother, J45, however, was still very much alive and did not pass away until 1995. There are instances when orphaned males will transfer to a new pod and become “adopted” by other females (this is the situation with L87, currently living with J pod, who also was adopted by J2 Granny). But J1 wasn’t orphaned. His mother was alive and well. Why wasn’t he traveling in his birth pod with his birth mother? This new information raises the possibility that J1 could have been rejected or otherwise abandoned by his mother, causing him to seek out companionship with females in J pod. Another possibility is that L45 had enough on her plate raising L57 and J1 went off in search of a better adopted mother/provisioner (which we know is critical to the survival of adult males). 

While the revelation of J1′s true identity is definitely startling for all those who followed him over the years, there is some good news as well. J1 was a very successful father and sired dozens of calves, many of whom are in J pod. This raised concerns about inbreeding as pod members, even if they are not in the same matriline, are usually related. Typically, whales try to breed outside the pod by mating with individuals whose vocalizations are most different from their own––this indicates they are not closely related. Knowing that J1 was genetically an L pod whale means that the genetic viability of J pod is perhaps not as bad as once thought. It also raises interesting questions about culture and learning in killer whales––did J1 use J pod vocalizations or L pod vocalizations? How did this impact mate choices? 

This new discovery shows that with improvements in genetics, there are facets of killer whale biology which we currently accept as fact that might require a closer look. I, for one, love this aspect of science. There is always more to learn.

Check out @derangedhyena-delphinidae recording of the Way of Whales Workshop in which this information is discussed!

Photo source: Center for Whale Research.

Whoa, twist!

WOW Aurora underwater world. © 📷 @pxlexplorer Aurora Under the Water! We had #lightrays today!!! OH MY GOODNESS they are incredible! Stunning orange, yellow, red, even pinkish hues breaking through the dark emerald surface. I waited and waited, hoping for an #orca to come by that was snacking near the fishing boat. In the meantime I still took photos of these flickering, dancing shards of light. Then you guessed it one then two came by! The second orca came up from the depths slowly reaching the surface, his dorsal slicing through like he was opening the seas up to the heavens. It seriously was so magical and ethereal. 💙🤗 I also managed a beautiful clean shot of a humpback today so I’m extra happy! A northern humpback in emerald green waters. #bliss 💙🐋 Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings! #whalesunderwater18 #whalesunderwater #killerwhales #orcas #wuworcas18 #orcasome #spekkhogger #shachi #kaudszarnyudelphin https://www.instagram.com/p/BqQKDorAbrg/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1xt9jji9fn0o2