A brand new northern resident orca calf was born late December, 2012 close to Powell River. “This is extremely good news for these protected marine mammals since for years, orca populations were on the decline,” said Susan MacKay, who manages the Whales and Dolphins BC website. “As excitement builds in the whale research community, it’s wonderful to think that we had first glimpses of him/her.”
The tight family pod, known as the A8s through matriarchal lineage, has been slowly travelling between Lang Bay and Savary Island for a number of days, said MacKay, adding the first good glimpse and confirmation of the newborn was on January 2.
The calf’s mother, born in 1980, is A42, also known as Sonora, MacKay said. Sonora was with her son Surf (A66) born 1996 and her two other calves, born in 2008 and 2004. “Resident killer whales stay together in their family pods throughout their whole lives with the oldest female as the head of the family,” MacKay explained. “They breed during interactions with other resident pods, so we don’t know who the father is.”
The calf will not be named until at least late summer, MacKay said. “Perhaps by then we’ll know if it’s a male or female. I will be pushing for the name of Albion or Myrtle since the first sighting report came in from that area.”
At around the same time, a new Bigg’s (transient) orca calf was also born somewhere close to Powell River, MacKay said. “The two types of orca don’t intermix,” she said. “Transients (Bigg’s) are meat eaters, feeding on other marine mammals and birds, while the residents are fish eaters and would fear for the life of their calf. Since there was another group of these meat-eating orca by Denman and Hornby islands, the A8s, lucky for us, stayed well over to our side of the Strait [of Georgia]. They were last seen heading up toward Lund on January 4, but may turn back our way again, if they haven’t already.”
Most sightings reports come from shore, MacKay said. She asked that sightings of any whales, dolphins or porpoises be reported as soon as possible to Whales and Dolphins BC online. Alternatively, reports can be made to MacKay by phone at 604.485.9138 or cell phone at 604.483.8323.
Photos of the new calf are posted online through the Sightings link or through Facebook at WhalesDolphinsBC.
Interested readers can view or receive sightings reports for free. Whales and Dolphins BC is also seeking financial assistance and volunteers. More information is available at the Support – Enter to Win page on the website.
