WILD ORCA

WELCOME ABOARD

THE KILLER WHALES

OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

BY

KEN BALCOMB
THE CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH

The killer whale (Orcinus Orca)

brought me here nearly forty years ago at
the behest of the US government for a
contract to census the animals population
following a decade of capture for the
marine park industry. Within a short
time, I was hooked on these charismatic
creatures.
Nobody knew much about these
magnificent animalsactually large
dolphinswhen the first killer whales
were brought into captivity in the 1960s.
Thanks to the remarkable discovery by
Dr. Mike Bigg in the early 1970s that
free-swimming individual whales could
be recognized and photo-identified by the
pigment, shape, and scar patterns around
the dorsal fin, these whales are now well
known. In fact, they are the most wellknown whales in the world as a result of
our photo-identification studies, and other
non-invasive research (acoustic, genetic,
etc.). A precise census of the resident
killer whale population is conducted
annually on both sides of the US-Canada
border, a feat virtually unknown for any
other wildlife species.

Photo by Center for Whale Research

WHENEVER I FLY the routes of Kenmore Air, I spend most of the

time looking out the window at the spectacular Pacific Northwest scenery. It stirs up special emotions to call a little part of the
Northwest my home. The snow-capped mountains, the islands, the
constantly changing cloud patterns, and the ever changing colors
and sparkles of the sea below are candy to my eyes. And, most
spectacular in this realm of unparalleled beauty, are the iconic killer
whales that also call this region their home.

Not only do the resident whales

call this region home, but the calls, or
vocalizations, they make are patterned in
distinctive dialects for each geographic
community of whales within the region,
much like the language patterns of native
humans in the Pacific Northwest
Salishan, Wakashan, Tlingit, etc. From
genetic studies using sloughed digestive
system cells found in the feces collected
in the trail of these whales, we know that
these geographic whale communities are
genetically distinct and have been for
millennia. They do not interbreed.

They are nomadic nations unto themselves,

irrespective of political borders, but obviously
respectful of ecological boundaries. There are southern
residents whose core range is near the southern end
of Vancouver Island (Fraser/Puget Sound/Columbia
River systems), and northern residents whose core
range is near Haida Gwai and southeast Alaska (Skeena
River system), as well as Alaska residents, Aleutian/
Bering Sea residents, and Kamchatka residents; and all
are fish eaters, specializing on salmon wherever they are
abundant.
Photo-identification studies have revealed the
fascinating social structure of these whales, beginning
with the surprising finding that each resident offspring
remains with its mother throughout its life, learning the
language, foraging patterns and habits of its matriline.
Sisters travel together with their mother and their
mothers mother (if she lives long); and unlike most
mammals, the brothers also travel with their matrilineal
familythey do not disperse, fight one another, or
form harems as was formerly thought. When momma
dies (usually as a grandmother or great grandmother
at 55-85 years of age) her daughtersthe sisters,
which by then have produced their own lineages of
offspringstill travel together, and with cousins and
other kin, often travel in a group called a pod. Sons
become socially adrift upon their mothers death,
leading to the curious early finding that male lifespan
is much shorter than female lifespan (average 29 years,
versus 54 years for females). Maybe they just go into a
funk and die, or perhaps for other reasons join the big
whale in the sky, but we know they do not relocate to
other communities of whales to survive.
Following Mike Biggs pioneering efforts at
describing the demographics and ecosystem role of
these amazing top predators of the ocean, the scientific
community designates each whale alpha-numerically,
starting with alphabetically naming the podA pod,
B pod J, K, L pods, etc.,and gives each whale a
sequential number within the pod as it is identifiedJ1,
J2,J46, etc. This may seem clinical, but we do not
typically give the whales names, as the name may imply
a personality that may not fit the individual or may
simply be nonsensical.

Whales do have idiosyncratic behavior traits

that are noticeable or obvious with years of careful
observation. Some whales are shy and some are very
vivacious, frequently spyhopping, breaching and tailslapping. A generalized behavior that we have surmised
is that a mother (or a senior female) plays the role of
a match-maker, introducing a young male to mating
opportunities with eligible females within the social
matrix of the community.
We have long surmised, and now know from
genetic studies, that the mating structure in resident
orca communities is neither random nor monogamous.
Both male and female sexual maturity occurs in the
early teens, and the females may begin having babies
by different fathers in their mid-teens; whereas, the
males do not father offspring until they reach social
maturity in their early twenties. The mating is generally
between whales in different pods, but always within
the community. The older and larger males father
most of the offspring. The females produce maybe
one baby, or calf, on average at five-year intervals
from their mid-teens to about age forty, when they
become reproductively senescent. The elder females
are apparently the social leaders of the pod, and when
pods of a community get together these senior ladies
often form tight associations lasting for days (perhaps
chatting or vocalizing about foraging success and
grandchildren).
I could go on for volumes relating objective facts
and subjective facts about these most fascinating
marine creatures of the Pacific Northwest, but I
would be remiss if I didnt share an urgent and salient
point. The southern resident killer whale community,
with fewer than 80 individuals, is endangered and at a
serious risk of extinction within our lifetime if we do
not manage wild salmon resources (especially Chinook)
sufficient for their diet in both the US and Canada.
Visit CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH
and become a member today at whaleresearch.com

Learn more about the threats facing

SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES

and find out how you can help, at wildorca.org

W H AT YOU CA N DO

TO PROTECT SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES

Buy Local, Buy Organic

Buying local is a meaningful way to reduce your carbon footprint. Buying organic products
keeps harmful chemicals out of the water and away from orcas and their favorite prey.
Fertilizers reduce fish habitat by encouraging the growth of plants that then deplete
oxygen for fish such as salmon. Pay attention to the chemicals used in cleaning solutions.

Restore Salmon Habitat

Orcas need salmon to survive. Replace non-native plants with native ones,
install rainwater harvesting systems, and reduce impermeable surfaces.
Visit wildorca.org to find out how you can make your home and community Salmon Safe

Boating?

Always observe NOAAs Be Whale Wise guidelines and remain a minimum of 200 yards
away from orcas at all times. Marine noise can prevent orcas from communicating and
hunting for their prey. Shore-based observation is a low impact alternative.
Visit www.bewhalewise.org for more information.

LEARN ABOUT MORE WAYS YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE AT

Photo by Traci Walter, Cover Photo by Center for Whale Research

WILD ORCA.ORG

SAF