List of Northern Resident Killer Whale Pods
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Northern resident killer whale pods that live off the coast of British Columbia
, Canada
.The northern resident community is found in coastal waters ranging from mid-Vancouver Island
to Southeastern Alaska
up through the Queen Charlotte Islands
. Northern residents live in close-knit family groups known as pods that frequently split in subpods during the winter months and feed only on fish. They have never been seen spending time with other communities, although their territories often overlap. This list does not include Southern resident, Transient or Offshore pods.
Asterisk indicates deceased member.
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.
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...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.The northern resident 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...
to Southeastern Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
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...
. Northern residents live in close-knit family groups known as pods that frequently split in subpods during the winter months and feed only on fish. They have never been seen spending time with other communities, although their territories often overlap. This list does not include Southern resident, Transient or Offshore pods.
Pods
| Clan | Pod | Number of matrilines | Number of Members | Famous members | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | A1 A1 pod A1 pod is the name given to one of the best known killer whale families in British Columbia. It currently consists of 3 matrilines and 22 members and is the most commonly encountered pod in the Northern resident killer whale community... |
3 | 22 | Stubbs (A1)*, Nicola (A2)*, Tsitika (A30) A30 matriline The A30 matrilineal is the name given to the most commonly seen orca matriline in British Columbia. The matriline is currently made of 3 generations, with a total of 10 individuals. It is one of the 3 matrilines in A1 pod, one of the 9 pods of the A-clan. The matriline was present in over 60% of... |
See main article A1 pod A1 pod is the name given to one of the best known killer whale families in British Columbia. It currently consists of 3 matrilines and 22 members and is the most commonly encountered pod in the Northern resident killer whale community... . |
| A | 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... |
3 | 16 | Yakat (A11), Kelsey (A24), Siwiti (A48)*, Springer (A73) Springer (orca) Springer , officially named A73, is a wild killer whale from the Northern Resident Community of whales which every summer frequent the waters off the northern part of Vancouver Island, British Columbia... |
See main article 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... . |
| A | A5 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... |
3 (another one died out) | 13 | Top Notch (A5)*, Eve (A9)*, Sharky (A25)*, Saddle (A14)*, Corky (A16) Corky Corky is a female captive orca from the A5 Pod in British Columbia, Canada. She currently lives at SeaWorld San Diego in California. Corky received her name after the park's original Corky died in December 1970. Of the other animals captured on that day, only Corky still survives... |
See main article 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... . |
| A | B1 | 1 | 6 | Hooker (B1)* | Used to have a very large proportion of males. Travels alone more than any other resident pod. |
| A | C1 | 2 | 17 | Namu Namu (Orca) Namu was only the second orca displayed in an aquarium exhibit and was the first orca to perform with a human together in the water... (C11)* |
Its two matrilines are most often encountered separately. |
| A | D1 | 2 | 12 | Wrap Fin (D1)* | Its two matrilines are rarely encountered separately. |
| A | H1 | 1 | 5 | - | Has been seen infrequently. |
| A | I1 | 1 | 18 | - | Has been seen very infrequently. |
| A | I2 | 1 | 3 | - | - |
| A | I18 | 2 | 24 | - | Has been seen very infrequently. |
| G | G1 | 4 | 34 | - | Is one of the largest Northern resident pod. |
| G | G12 | 2 | 16 | - | Has the same dialect as G1 pod, suggesting very close relatedness. |
| G | I11 | 2 | 26 | - | - |
| G | I31 | 2 | 10 | - | - |
| R | R1 | 4 | 38 | - | Is the largest Northern resident pod. Spans a record 5 generations. |
| R | W1 | 1 | 1 | - | Will eventually die out, as there is no reproductive female. Has the same dialect as R1 Pod. Is the smallest resident pod. Was only discovered in 1979. |
Asterisk indicates deceased member.
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.