Orcas
(or Killer Whales)
 Three
Types of Orcas
Three distinct
races, or “ecotypes,” of orcas ply the waters of British
Columbia. So-called “residents” are the most frequently
seen (about 98% of our orca sightings) in our waters. These familiar
whales eat only salmon and are heard vocalizing most of the time
they are near us. “Transient” orcas are those whose
diet consists of other marine mammals: whales, seals, porpoises,
dolphins, etc. and rarely eat fish. And finally, the “offshore”
ecotype, who we rarely see as they normally live away from the coastline,
seem to fit somewhere between residents and transients in their
habits.
About 175 Resident
orcas, living in family groups and groups of families numbering
3 to 50 live in BC waters and many of those visit our paddling waters
each summer. Some spend the majority of their summer and fall in
the Blackfish Sound and Johnstone Strait focal area for orcas (see
our Location page
for details).
Somewhere around
200 Transient orcas inhabit the northwest coast. Those whales, whose
families are much less stable than those of Residents and average
3-4 in size, have a broader range than Residents: from Alaska to
southern California. It’s always exciting to have a few of
these infrequent visitors pass by.
Offshore orcas
were not recognized until the early 1990s; much research is still
to be done. Because of the difficulty of researching whales far
off the coast, no doubt this group, which appears to number perhaps
up to 200 in British Columbia, will hold many of its secrets for
years to come. For reasons still unknown, some offshore orcas occasionally
come close to shore and may give us a brief glimpse before turning
back toward the open ocean.
Habits
 The
Resident orcas we see almost daily spend a great deal of time foraging
for salmon in our waters. Typically, they will ply the shorelines
along Blackfish Sound and Johnstone Strait, just like the salmon
who are on their way to any of hundreds of rivers and streams that
flow into the ocean along the BC coast.
When not looking
for fish, they’ll be traveling from one area to the next,
resting together or even displaying some of their play activity,
breaching “spyhopping,” tail slapping or fin slapping.
Any of these are fascinating behaviors to witness, either from one
of our camps or from the viewpoint
of a kayak.
 OrcaLive
Orcas "talk" a lot! When orcas are in the area,
as they usually are between June and November, they normally make
a good deal of noise. One of the highlights of any orca encounter
is to hear their sounds with the aid of an underwater microphone,
or "hydrophone."
In the summer
of 2000, OrcaLive began broadcasting, live over the internet, underwater
sounds and sights of the orcas of Johnstone Strait and Blackfish
Sound. Hydrophones receive the whales' calls; they are then digitally
uploaded to the web. In addition, stationary underwater cameras
catch brief glimpses when the whales happen to pass within close
range. Like the sounds, these images are also broadcast when they
occur.
The Orcalab
web site is a great resource for keeping up to date on much of the
"whale news" from the area. We recommend you check it
regularly. You
can receive e-mail alerts from OrcaLive when whales are in the Johnstone
Strait vicinity by registering your e-mail address at the OrcaLive
website.
Orca
Adoptions
A rewarding
way to contribute to the well-being of British Columbia's orcas
is to "adopt" one. Northern Lights has adopted many of
the coast's whales and we encourage you to do the same. Adoption
fees go toward research that helps increase our understanding of
what these animals need to survive into the future.
For more information,
including photos, sounds of killer whales in the wild, and video,
please go to the killer whale adoption web site: www.killerwhale.org
One of our goals
and hopes is that many of our guests will become involved in these
efforts. To become involved, contact:
The Vancouver
Aquarium Marine Science Centre
BC
WILD KILLER WHALE ADOPTION PROGRAM
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