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Orca Groups of the Pacific: A Short Overview
March 24, 2013
During your Victoria whale watching trip, you may hear our experienced guides discuss “orca groups”. “Groups” is a specialized name meaning something like “extended family”. Orca groups are groups of orcas hunting and mating together, stable in its members but showing incredibly complex family structures. Scientists have named three types of orca groups: resident, transient […]
Orcas in First Nations Culture
March 20, 2013
As the first inhabitants of this beautiful land, West Coast First Nations have developed, over the millennia, a rich and fascinating culture surrounding the typical animals found in our waters and forest. And of course, as a frequent sight along our coasts, the beautiful orca is an important part of First Nations culture, as much […]
What Can You See On A Whale Watching Tour?
February 28, 2013
updated: March 22, 2022 As the name implies, whale watching tours are meant to take you out on the water to see whales in their natural environment. Whale watching in Victoria BC can offer you that experience, but there are more than just whales living in the straits around Vancouver Island! Here’s a short guide […]
Ruffles: The Iconic Orca in the Pacific Northwest
August 27, 2012
Ruffles (Born ~1950, Died 2011) Even though he is now deceased, Ruffles remains one of the most recognizable killer whales in the Pacific Northwest. Known for his 6-foot tall, ruffled-edge dorsal fin, he was the patriarch of J Pod, one of the three pods that make up the endangered southern resident killer whale community. Ruffles […]
The Resident Whales Of L-Pod
May 7, 2012
The L-pod is part of a larger group of whales called a clan. There are three pods in the southern resident killer whale clan, J, K, and L. Here is a list of L-Pod Members (Last Updated 2012): L-2 Grace (Female) Born 1960: Grace is one of the older females in L-pod. She has one […]
The Resident Whales Of K-Pod
May 7, 2012
The K-pod is part of a larger group of whales called a clan. There are three pods in the southern resident killer whale clan, J, K, and L. Here is a list of K-Pod Members (Last Updated 2012): K-12 Sequim (Female) Born 1972: Sequim is an experienced mother with 3 living and 3 deceased offspring. […]
The Resident Orcas Of J-Pod
May 6, 2012
The J-pod is part of a larger group of whales called a clan. There are three pods in the southern resident killer whale clan, J, K, and L. Here is a list of J-Pod Members (Last Updated 2012) J-1 Ruffles (Male) Born 1949, Deceased 2010: Even though Ruffles has now passed on, we like to […]