Some love for the blackfish

Kéet. Ska'ana. Max'inux. Arluq. Qaqawun. Takxukuak. Kosatka. シャチ. Spekkhoggere. Háhyrningur. Blackfish. Sea wolf. Orcinus orca. Killer whale. Throughout history this animal has been considered one of the most beloved and feared animals of the sea. They are the most well known among a group of cetaceans collectively called "blackfish." Other members include melon-headed whales, pygmy killer whales, false killer whales, short-finned pilot whales, and long-finned pilot whales. This blog is run by a grad student and wildlife enthusiast (you can call me Emily). I am anti-captivity, but do not let my opinion deter you from following me - I'm very respectful of people's opinions. *This is a sideblog, so I cannot follow back.* If you want to know my my main URL, message me off anon. Also, be sure to check out two of my other blogs: beakedwhales and lifeinthedeepbluesea. Icon of L121, son of L94 Calypso (my adopted southern resident), by NOAA.

[artofsoul1999]

Here’s a full body illustration of a very well known whale, my favorite orca, Tilikum, who sadly passed away 9 years ago on January 6. He was a very distinct bull, with his large bulky build with those massive pectoral flippers. At some point in time, he was the largest killer whale in captivity at 22ft in length, though of course, at this point that record has been surpassed by Russian transient males.

[mulchmouth]

Orcanize and find your pod.

[missmariemariana]

CWR Encounter 07: Bigg’s Transients 

Photos by Mark Malleson

[artofsoul1999]

Here's a short finned pilot whale for Dolphin Awareness Month. They're a bit challenging to draw, but I still had fun making this illustration.

[life-on-our-planet]

Southern resident orcas, also known as the southern resident killer whales (SRKW), are an exclusively fish-eating ecotype of orcas that live in and around the Salish Sea. They differ genetically from transient orcas as well as having different dialects and diets. © Rachel Haight - Orca Network

[inatungulates]

Melon-headed whale Peponocephala electra

Observed by kenny_well, CC BY-NC

[inatungulates]

Gerlache killer whale Orcinus orca

Observed by okinney, CC BY-NC

[northernnaturalist]

They’re known for being mama’s boys, but don’t let them fool you—male resident killer whales spend time with the boys, too!

Research conducted on northern resident killer whales shows that males will temporarily split from their mother’s side to form what is known as a MOSI—a male-only social interaction. These interactions may consist of a pair of males or several males together. During a MOSI, there is a lot of touching, rubbing, rolling around, and sometimes even penile displays above the surface. These groupings most often include adolescent males that are not quite grown yet and are typically composed of unrelated individuals.

You might think this may be only for competition purposes—while it’s possible some MOSIs may include some aspects of dominance-related play, it’s thought that these interactions are largely play-based and are likely important for learning social and cognitive skills. It’s also been suggested that MOSIs may be an opportunity for young males to perform sexual behaviors that they may be otherwise prevented from performing with receptive females due to social status.

While MOSIs specifically haven’t been formally described in Alaska’s resident killer whales, I have seen similar behaviors here. Here are some photos of males from AD8 and AP pod interacting!

Reference: Rose, N. A. (1992). The social dynamics of male killer whales, Orcinus orca, in Johnsytone Strait, British Columbia (Ph.D. thesis). University of California, Santa Cruz.

[orcalovingbeing]

Icelandic Orcas feeding with Humpacks

We’ve been seeing humpbacks feeding right next to killer whales this summer - very interesting stuff! [Source]

[wild-wild-wildd]

Pic of the T65A’s against a Mt. Baker backdrop

Bucket list item accomplished ✔️

[mysteryofnyssa-andtumbo]

L84 Nyssa Yet Again! by Kate Pielmeier

[thelovelyseas]

Life In The Blue (Documentary on Netflix)

[cetuselena]

Happy World Orca Day!

CA140B1.

[cioranius-deactivated20210115]

The Night is Young

Orkid and Corky II in my new artwork for an art trade on DeviantArt. This painting is available as a print as I’m finally opening my RedBubble shop! *here* Also, “The Night is Young” is 6000 px wide and has two color variants. ver.1 // ver.2

[whaletalesorg]

Another Great Day with J Pod! To read this story (and more!), follow the link in our bio.⠀ Photo: L87 “Onyx” by @brendonbissonnette⠀ #whaletales #whales #orca #killerwhale #SRKW #JPod #Onyx #getonaboat #storytelling #salishsea #sanjuanisland #whalewatching #exploreBC #2016

[flukeprintphotography-deactivat]

Adult male resident killer whales in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. The dorsal fin of a male killer whale can reach 6 feet in height, and these guys are probably no exception! 

[marion-island-orcas]

Underwater! M035 “Supernova” with her calf M039 “Nova” and adult female M045 “Sirius”.

Video by the Marine Mammal Research Institute

[freedom-for-orcas]

That saddle patch is gorgeous