Adopt a Killer Whale!

Springer is a young female killer whale born in 2000 and named after Springer Point, on Sonora Island at the south end of Johnstone Strait (50°18’00″N 125°13’00”).

Springer is quite the celebrity! After her mother, Sutley (A45), died sometime in 2001, Springer showed up alone and in poor health in Washington State’s Puget Sound in early 2002. She was just two years old. Approaching dangerously close to boats, her behaviour and physical condition were a growing cause for concern. A group of experts, including a team from the Vancouver Aquarium, successfully rescued, rehabilitated, and released her back into Canadian waters.

In the weeks following her release, Springer was spotted with members of her family’s pod. Recognized by her calls, she was slowly welcomed back into her own northern resident community. Although Springer rarely travels with her A24 matriline, she is most often sighted with her adopted family, the A35 matriline and a female killer whale named Nahwitti (A56). Springer now has a family of her own. Spirit (A104) was born in 2013, and Storm (A116) was born in 2017.

Venture, named after Venture Point (50°17’44”N, 125°20’24”W) on Sonora Island, is a young male killer whale born in 2018. Venture is the first calf of Current (A79) and Venture’s grandmother is matriarch, Sonora (A42). Venture is a member of one of three matrilines in a pod known to researchers as A5 pod. It is one of the best known northern resident pods because it normally spends a great deal of time in Johnstone strait during the summer and was one of the first groups of B.C. killer whales to be identified by researchers in the early 1970s.

Eclipse, named after Eclipse Point on the northeast coast of British Columbia (52°58’38″N 129°18’00″W), is an adult female killer whale who was born in late 1997. Eclipse is the third calf of Simoom (A34) and has two brothers, Echo (A55) and Hope (A80); and two sisters, Misty (A62) and Rainy (A96). Eclipse became a mother herself in 2009 with the birth of her first calf, Sunday (A92). Unfortunately, Sunday passed away in 2-11. Luckily, eclipse had another chance at motherhood and gave birth to Tuzo (A102) in 2012 and Barlow (A112) in 2016 – both are still alive and well!

Stanley, named after Stanley Park in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, is a male killer whale who was born in 2000. Stanley is the first offspring of Sidney (T123) and has two younger siblings, Lucky (T123C) and Darcy (T123D). Another younger sibling, Thrasher (T123B), has been missing since 2011 and is presumed to have passed away. Stanley received his name after he made a rare visit to Vancouver’s Inner Harbour in May 2011. Later that same year, Stanley and his mother were discovered stranded on a beach near Prince Rupert, British Columbia, but they were able to swim away a few hours later when the tide came up. They have been seen many times since and appear to have suffered no ill-effects from the stranding.

Tahlequah is perhaps one of the most famous wild killer whales in the world. She made headlines in July 2018 when she was observed carrying her deceased newborn’s body around for 17 days in what became known as a tour of grief. Tahlequah was born in 1998 and gave birth to her first calf, Notch (J47), in 2010 who is still alive and well. To the surprise of researchers, Tahlequah became pregnant and successfully gave birth again September 2020.

Tahlequah’s well-known mother, Princess Angeline (J17), unfortunately passed away in the summer of 2019. She has two younger siblings, brother Moby (J44) and baby sister Kiki (J53). She is also an aunt to her late sister, Polaris’ (J28), daughter, Star (J46). Genetic studies revealed that Tahlequah’s father is a male from L pod, Mega (L41).

Yoda is a young female killer whale who was born in 2003. Yoda is the second calf of Lea (K14). Yoda has two brothers: Lobo (K26), born in 1993, and Kelp (K42), who was born in 2008. Yoda and her family also travel with Opus (K16) and her son Sonata (K35). Yoda’s grandmother, K8, and uncle, K29, unfortunately both passed away in 1998.

Bend (A72) is one of the most easily recognizable northern resident killer whales and is encountered every year in Johnstone Strait. Bend was named after Bend Island in Clio Channel and also refers to the sharp notch in the leading edge of her dorsal fin which she obtained from an injury. Bend is the first calf of Clio (A50) and became a first-time mother herself in 2014 when she gave birth to Jamieson (A108). In 2023, Bend became a mother of two with the birth of her second calf (A131). Bend has two surviving younger siblings, Klaoitsis (A84) and Alder (A99).

In the summer, northern residents are commonly seen foraging for fish, particularly salmon, in the waters around the northern end of Vancouver Island, and along BC’s Central and North Coasts.

Eliot (A109), named after Eliot Passage at the southwest end of Knight Inlet on the central coast of British Columbia, is a young female northern resident killer whale born in 2014. Eliot is the second calf of Midsummer (A69) and has an older brother and playmate, Fern (A95), who was born in 2009. In 2021, Eliot became an older sister to Ne’nakw (A126). Eliot’s grandmother, Ripple (A43), is the family matriarch.
Eliot also has a great-uncle, Fife (A60). It is believed that Eliot’s great-aunt is A16, who was taken into captivity in 1969, where she is now known as Corky.

The northern resident population numbers at over 300 individuals and consists of 3 clans (A, G and R) with numerous pods within each clan. In the summer, northern residents are commonly seen foraging for fish, particularly salmon, in the waters around the northern end of Vancouver Island, and along BC’s Central and North Coasts.

The A73 matriline is part of the A4 pod of northern resident killer whales and is made up of matriarch, Springer (A73) and her offspring, Spirit (A104) and Storm (A116). Springer, born in 2000, is named after Springer Point on Sonora Island (50°18’00″N 125°13’00”) at the south end of Johnstone Strait and is quite the celebrity!

After her mother, Sutley (A45), died sometime in 2001, Springer showed up alone and in poor health in Washington State’s Puget Sound in early 2002. She was just two years old. Approaching dangerously close to boats, her behaviour and physical condition were a growing cause for concern. A group of experts, including a team from the Vancouver Aquarium, has an ambitious plan: to rescue Springer, restore her to health, and reunite her with her pod in Canadian waters. In the weeks following her release, Springer was spotted with members of her family’s pod. Recognized by her calls, she was slowly welcomed back into her own northern resident community.

Although Springer rarely travels with her A24 matriline, she is most often sighted with her adopted family, the A35 matriline and a female killer whale named Nahwitti (A56). Springer’s release was deemed the ultimate success when she gave birth to Spirit in 2013, and Storm in 2017. Spirit is named after Spirit Island on the central coast of British Columbia (52°09’34″N 128°06’11″W), and Storm is named after Storm Rock in Fitz Hugh Sound (54°25’29″N 130°18’00”) which is where the calf was first seen.

The J4 matriline belongs to the southern resident pod of killer whales known as J pod. Shachi (J19) is the family matriarch and has one surviving daughter, Eclipse (J41). Shachi became a grandmother in 2015 when Eclipse gave birth to her first offspring, Nova (J51). Shachi and family also travel with her nephews, Blackberry (J27) and Mako (J39), and niece, Tsuchi (J31) and her daughter, Tofino (J56) – their mother Blossom (J11), Shachi’s sister, died in 2008. As a teenager, Blackberry spent a lot of time with pod mate Mike (J26) and together they made a very mischievous pair. After Blackberry’s mother died, he took over the role of caring for younger brother Mako and the two are inseparable.

The J17 matriline belongs to the southern resident pod of killer whales known as J pod. Princess Angeline (J17) born in 1977, was the head of the matriline before she sadly passed away in 2019. She was named after the daughter of Duwamish elder Chief Seattle who Seattle is named after. Princess Angeline left behind three surviving offspring: daughters Tahlequah (J35) and Kiki (J53), and son Moby (J44). Her oldest daughter Polaris (J28) and Polaris’ youngest calf Dipper (J54) sadly passed away in October 2016. Polaris’ older calf Star (J46) is still alive and well.

Tahlequah, is now the oldest female in the family and perhaps one of the most famous wild killer whales in the world. She made headlines in July 2018 when she was observed carrying her deceased newborn’s body around for 17 days in what became known as a tour of grief. Tahlequah was born in 1998 and gave birth to her first calf, Notch (J47), in 2010 who is a very active whale, often seen spyhopping and showing off with his young family members. To the surprise of researchers, Tahlequah became pregnant and successfully gave birth again September 2020. Tahlequah and her family also travel with J22 and her offspring. Tahlequah can also be seen with other members of her pod in the feature film, Free Willy.

The A42 matriline is part of the A5 pod of fish-eating northern resident killer whales and is made up of matriarch, Sonora (A42) and her family. Sonora, born in 1980 and named after Sonora Island near Campbell River, gave birth to her first calf, Kelkpa (A57) in 1991, making her one of the few whales known to have become a mother at the early age of 11 years old. In early 1996, Sonora gave birth to her son Surf (A66), named after Surf Inlet on the north coast of BC, but later that same year, young Kelkpa died of an infection while near Powell River. Researchers were able to recover Kelkpa’s body, providing an excellent opportunity to learn more about killer whale anatomy and allowing Kelkpa’s memory to live on through education.

As of 2022, Surf has not been seen with his family and has confirmed to have passed away. In 2004, Sonora gave birth to Current (A79), named after Current Passage at the southern end of Johnstone Strait. Her family continues to grow with the birth of her daughters Cameleon (A88), named after Cameleon Harbour on Sonora Island in 2008, Albion (A103), named after Black Albion Point on the coast of British Columbia, in early 2013, and her newest calf, Ashlar (A114), named after Ashlar Cove on Quadra Island, in 2017. In 2018, Sonora became a grandmother when Current gave birth to her first calf, Venture (A119). The A42 family has grown again in 2024 with the birth of A135.