A1 pod is the name given to one of the best known killer whale families in British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. It currently consists of 3 matrilines and 22 members and is the most commonly encountered pod in the Northern resident killer whale community. This community is found in coastal waters ranging from mid-Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...

 up through the Queen Charlotte Islands

Queen Charlotte Islands

Haida Gwaii , formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Haida Gwaii consists of two main islands: Graham Island in the north, and Moresby Island in the south, along with approximately 150 smaller islands with a total landmass of...

, although A1 pod has yet to be seen this far north. The community is made up of three clans known as A, G and R clans, each possessing a distinctive dialect and consisting of several related pods. A1 pod belongs to the biggest clan, A clan.

Early research and naming

A1 pod was the first pod identified by Michael Bigg

Michael Bigg

Michael Bigg was a Canadian marine biologist who is recognized as the founder of modern research on killer whales. With his colleagues, he developed new techniques for studying killer whales and conducted the first population census of the animals...

 and Graeme Ellis in 1972. Bigg’s pioneering photo-identification system actually originates from the regular encounter of a female whale with a distinctively torn dorsal fin. The whale, named Stubbs, was re-sighted in 1973, which gave Bigg the idea of photographing the dorsal fin of each killer whale he and Ellis encountered. Thus, Stubbs was aptly given the alphanumeric code A1, which also became the name of her pod. Another female orca belonging to Stubbs’s pod also had a very recognizable dorsal fin with a big nick on the lower edge and was named A2, but became better known as Nicola. During the summer of 1973, A1 pod spent a considerable amount of time with A4

A4 Pod

A4 pod is the name given to one of the best known killer whale families in British Columbia.It currently consists of 3 matrilines and 14 members and is most famous for being the family of young Springer, who was the first orca to be successfully reintroduced to the wild after being handled by humans...

 and A5 pod

A5 Pod

A5 pod is a name given to a group of orcas found off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the northern resident population of orcas - a name given to the fish-eating orcas found in coastal waters ranging from mid-Vancouver Island up through the Queen Charlotte Islands of British...

, which led researchers to believe they belonged to the same group. When it became clear to researchers that these whales spent a significant amount of time apart from A1 pod and had just happened to be travelling together when first identified, they were named A4 pod and A5 pod. Moreover, researchers discovered that A1 pod generally split during winter months into three subpods or matrilines: A1 subpod, A12 subpod and A2 subpod.

Evolution of the pod

For reasons unknown to researchers, the three A1 subpods have steadily been spending increasing time apart from each other since the 1980s. While in the 1970s, the three matrilines were together two thirds of the time, this figure dropped to one third of the time in the 1980s and to one fifth of the time in the 1990s. Today, the A1 matrilines are typically encountered separately and the coherence of A1 pod as a group is sometimes debated.
Between the 1970s and 1990s, A1 pod didn’t grow much in size: it consisted of 13 members in 1973 and of 15 members in 1993. However, since the mid 1990s, A1 pod has been enjoying a steady growth, mostly due to the high number of reproductive females and the low number of sudden deaths that have hit its members. As of July 2010, A1 pod consists of 22 members.

A36 matriline

A1 matriline was renamed A36 matriline following the death of Stubbs (A1) in 1974 which meant that her suspected daughter Sophia (A36) would take on the role of matriarch. Sophia was also thought to be the sister of a large bull named Hardy (A20), who was sometimes called Sturdy. As Sophia neared the end of her reproductive life in the early 1990s, it became clear to researchers that the A36 matriline would eventually die out, as Sophia’s only daughter, A44 died in 1975 at the age of 2. Sophia was the mother of three bulls, Cracroft (A32), Plumper (A37) and Kaikash (A46). One good example of the stability of killer whale society and especially of the bonds that unite brothers was when Sophia died in 1997. Instead of drifting apart, the three brothers stayed together and to this day have never been seen travelling separately.
As the A36s solely consist of bulls, they are a very recognizable group and are sometimes called “The Brothers” or “The guys”. On November 8, 2004, the A36s were involved in a very unusual incident recorded by a camera of Orcalab

Paul Spong

Dr. Paul Spong is a neuroscientist and cetologist from New Zealand. He has spent more than 30 years researching orcas in British Columbia, and is credited with increasing public awareness of whaling, through his involvement with Greenpeace....

. They were seen harassing a Dall’s porpoise, which resident killer whales never feed on. Though the attack appeared quite violent, there is no evidence that the A36s actually ate the porpoise.

Current undividuals:

• Plumper (A37). Plumper is a middle-aged bull born in 1977. He was one of the first A1 pod members whose date of birth is positively known.
• Kaikash (A46). Kaikash is a young bull born in 1982. Although Sophia was only about 35 years old when she gave birth to Kaikash, she never produced another calf, which meant that the A36 matriline would eventually die out.

Deceased individuals include:

• Cracroft (A32). Estimated to have been born in 1964, Cracroft was one of the oldest males in the northern resident community. Thanks to genetic testing it was determined that Cracroft was the father of Skuna (A42), member of I11 pod and born in 1983. Cracroft was very easy to identify, as the tip of his dorsal fin was continuously rounded while it is normally pointed. It seems that Cracroft died during the spring of 2010, as the rest of the group was encountered without him in June 2010.

Other deceased individuals include: Stubbs (A1; 1927–1974), Sophia (A36; 1947–1997), A44 (1973–1975), Hardy (A20; 1953–1992).

A12 matriline

The A12 matriline was named after its matriarch A12. Better known as Scimitar, she was given this name because her dorsal fin has a shape similar to that of a sword. The A12 matriline has grown substantially since it was first encountered and today spans 4 generations. The A12 matriline is one of the very few matrilines led by the same matriarch as when first discovered. Since the early 2000s, Scimitar’s daughter Simoom (A34) and her offspring have been spending some time away from the rest of the group.
Current individuals:

• Scimitar (A12). Scimitar is an adult female estimated to have been born in 1941. At about 70 years of age, she is one of the oldest females in the Pacific Northwest
  Pacific Northwest
  The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
  
   region. She is also one of the very few orcas that was already mature when first identified in 1973. She has had two sons, Pulteney (A31) and Nimpkish (A33), both of whom are dead, and one daughter, Simoom (A34).
• Simoom (A34). Simoom is an adult female born in 1975. She had her first calf, Echo, at the age of 15 and since then has been a very prolific mother, producing five other offspring, one of whom is deceased. It is interesting to note that all of Simoom’s offspring were born in late October or November. In 1997, while her calf Misty (A62) was nursing, Simoom was hit by a speedboat. She survived the accident and all her wounds appear to have healed well. Simoom became a grandmother in 2005 when her Misty gave birth to Dusky (A83). As Simoom’s family grew, it began spending some time away from the rest of the group, even though they still spend most of their time together.
• Echo (A55). Echo is a subadult male. He was born in 1990 and is Simoom’s first calf. Usually, researchers have to wait until adolescence to determine the gender of an orca, but thanks to genetic testing, it was determined earlier that he is a male. Echo’s dorsal fin started sprouting (i.e growing) in 2007 and it now resembles that of a bull.
• Misty (A62). Misty is a young adult female born to Simoom in 1993. She became a mother at the early age of 12 in 2005 when she gave birth to Dusky (A83). Misty’s gender was also determined by genetic testing.
• Eclipse (A67). Eclipse is an adolescent female born to Simoom in 1996. As with her brothers and sisters, Eclipse’s gender was also determined by genetic testing.
• Hope (A80). Hope is Simoom’s latest calf and was born in 2004. His/her sex has not been determined yet.
• Dusky (A83). Dusky is Misty (A62)’s first calf and with his/her birth in 2005, the A12 matriline became one of the few killer whale families spanning four generations. His/her sex has not been determined yet.
• A91. A91 is Misty's second calf and was born in 2009. His/her sex has not been determined yet.
• A92. A92 is Eclipse's first calf and like its cousin A91, was born in 2009. His/her sex has not been determined yet.
• A96. Simoom's latest calf, A96 was born in 2010. His/her sex has not been determined yet.

Deceased individuals include:

• Pulteney (A31). Pulteney was a large bull and it is thought that he was Scimitar (A12)’s first offspring. He was estimated to have been born in 1951 and died in 1997. Pulteney was his mother’s constant companion and seldom left her side. After his sister Simoom was hit by a speedboat, Pulteney appeared in distress and almost stranded himself. He died a few months later, although is death may well have been due to his old age.
• Nimpkish (A33). Nimpkish was Scimitar’s second son and was estimated to have been born in 1971. Nimpkish often took the role of “uncle” to his nephew Echo and was affectionately nicknamed “Uncle 33”. Following his brother Pulteney’s death, Nimpkish began spending nearly all of his time next to his mother. He was also known for his large dorsal fin which many considered to be “perfect” because it didn’t bear any nicks or scratches. Nimpkish died during the spring of 2009 at the age of 38.
• Stormy (A74). Stormy was Simoom (A34)’s fourth calf and was born in 2000. His/her gender was never determined. It died in 2006.

The pod today

A1 pod is one of the healthiest resident pods, with few early deaths and a rather high birth rate. The three matrilines are quite approachable and are usually not afraid of boats. Like in the 1970s, A1 pod is the most commonly encountered pod in the Northern Resident community, mostly due to its preference for the Johnstone Strait

Johnstone Strait

Johnstone Strait is a channel along the north east coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Opposite the Vancouver Island coast, running north to south, are Hanson Island, West Cracroft Island, the mainland British Columbia Coast, Hardwick Island, West Thurlow Island and East...

 region during the summer and fall. Even at the peak of summer gatherings, the tree matrilines are rarely seen all together. However, each group does spend more time with other A1 matrilines than with other pods. During the summer months, they spend a substantial amount of time with A4

A4 Pod

A4 pod is the name given to one of the best known killer whale families in British Columbia.It currently consists of 3 matrilines and 14 members and is most famous for being the family of young Springer, who was the first orca to be successfully reintroduced to the wild after being handled by humans...

 and A5 pod

A5 Pod

A5 pod is a name given to a group of orcas found off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the northern resident population of orcas - a name given to the fish-eating orcas found in coastal waters ranging from mid-Vancouver Island up through the Queen Charlotte Islands of British...

 who are their closest relatives. A1 pod is also one of the few pods whose winter grounds are at least partially known. They can be seen in the winter in the northern Johnstone Strait

Johnstone Strait

Johnstone Strait is a channel along the north east coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Opposite the Vancouver Island coast, running north to south, are Hanson Island, West Cracroft Island, the mainland British Columbia Coast, Hardwick Island, West Thurlow Island and East...

 region and spend an important part of their time in the Broughton Archipelago

Broughton Archipelago

The Broughton Archipelago is a group of islands on the northeastern flank of the Queen Charlotte Strait on the coast of British Columbia, Canada. The largest islands in the group, which includes numerous smaller islets, are Broughton Island, North Broughton Island, Eden Island, Bonwick Island and...

.
When Nimpkish (A33) died in the summer of 2009, Scimitar was seen alone for the first time. She was then spotted in the company of her daughter’s family as well as with the A30s and the A36s. During fall, she was seen with the A36s rather than with her daughter. Researchers such as Paul Spong

Paul Spong

Dr. Paul Spong is a neuroscientist and cetologist from New Zealand. He has spent more than 30 years researching orcas in British Columbia, and is credited with increasing public awareness of whaling, through his involvement with Greenpeace....

believe she may have done so because of the presence of large bulls which she was used to travelling with.

External links

• http://northenresidentorcas.blogspot.com
• http://www.Killerwhales.org
• http://www.orcalab.org

Books

• Ford, John K.B.; Ellis, Graeme M.; & Balcomb, Kenneth C. (2000). Killer Whales (2nd ed.). UBC Press. ISBN 0-7748-0800-4.
• Hoyt, Erich. (1990). Orca: The Whale Called Killer (3rd ed.). London: Robert Hale Limited. ISBN 0-920656-25-0.
• Morton, Alexandra. (2002). Listening To Whales : What the Orcas Have Taught Us. Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-44288-1.