How are orcas identified?

Like many other cetacean species, orcas (or killer whales) can be identified individually by their natural markings and differences in fin shape. Eye patches are one of the methods used to identify individual killer whales. These are unique to each whale, and even vary from the left to the right sides. 

Orca Conservancy has now released a guide to help identify members of the J Pod by their distinctive eye patches. Get your guide here: https://www.orcaconservancy.org/eye-patch-guide 

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Who are the Southern Residents?

The Southern Resident killer whales are a genetically and culturally distinct population of orcas within the Pacific Northwest and consist of three separate pods: J, K, and L Pods. Like other ecotypes of orcas, the Southern Residents are matriarchal, which means females are the leaders. Within each pod, there are separate family sub-groups or matrilines that are centered around the older females (grandmothers and mothers).

Each matriline is identified by the eldest female within the group. In most cases, both males and females will spend the entirety of their lives with their mother (and maternal grandmother if she is still alive). Occasionally matrilines will separate to socialize or breed with other matrilines or pods. There have been a few instances of Southern Residents switching matrilines due to the loss of their mothers or grandmothers, and in one unique case, an orca (L87) has been observed switching pods entirely, though it is not entirely understood why.

Naming

Southern Residents are given an ID when they are born and cataloged by the Center for Whale Research. The unique ID they are given is alphanumeric and starts with the letter of the pod they are born in and followed by the number order in which they were cataloged. For example, the calf J57 was born into J Pod, and was the 57th member of J Pod to be identified, hence the ID J-57.

Many familiar with the Residents will also recognize individuals by their “nicknames”. Typically, the whale nicknames are assigned to the individual orcas by the Whale Museum and are often voted on by the public. On some occasions, the names will be in honor of prevalent researchers or conservationists within the community, while others may be named after locations, pets, fictional characters, and even snacks.

Assigning nicknames to the Southern Residents was a result of a conservation movement to block a proposed capture of L Pod within Canadian waters during the capture era in the 1970s. Conservationists believed that if local residents became familiar with the orcas by name, they would be more emotionally connected and therefore want to protect whales from capture. Each member was given a nickname outside of their alphanumeric IDs, and this strategy proved to be effective. Residents petitioned and successfully blocked the proposed capture of members of L Pod, and since that time now all Southern Residents, Northern Residents, and Transients have been assigned nicknames.