Friends of the Wild Side
General Delivery V0N 3E0 Sointula, BC, Canada

It was a gorgeous afternoon on the Wild Side today

Incredible action shot of Northern Resident killer whale A43 Ripple catching a Chinook salmon by @JoshExner (IG)! Born in 1981, Ripple is actually the younger sister of A16, who was captured for the captivity trade in December 1969. Now known as Corky 2, A16 suffered seven unsuccessful pregnancies and has spent over 50 miserable years in confinement, the latter 33 years at SeaWorld San Diego where she still resides to this day! While Corky rots away in a concrete tank, her sister Ripple, brother A60 "Fife", niece A69 "Midsummer", and great-niece and nephew A95 "Fern" and A109 "Eliot"

Look at the exhale.....

White Biggs orca

WHERE DOES ORCA'S SELF AWARENESS COME FROM? "The most fascinating part of orcas brain that amazes scientists is the insular cortex (known as insula) which is th...e most elaborated in the world. The insula is involved in consciousness and playing diverse functions linked to emotions that includes compassion, empathy, perception, motor control, self-awareness, and interpersonal experience. According to the neuroscientist Lori Marino: It is a very, very interesting part of the brain. Many scientists have observed for a long-time complex emotions in orcas, and they also have powerful empathy for each other and for humans. Photo copyrights: Photo taken by Mary's Mark Photography Content: Orca Nation

ORCAS BRAIN Sometime earlier this year, I posted some cool facts about orcas brain, it's size and complexity. I have received some messages with questions abo...ut this topic, so here we go, time to remind some facts: WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT ORCAS BRAIN? Killer whales are smarter than we know. Not only do they have their well-documented senses of humor and empathy and mischievousness, they also have a part of their brain that is beyond the understanding of human scientists. WAIT A MINUTE, IT'S BIGGER AND DIFFERENT THAN HUMAN BRAIN, WHAT EXACTLY AM I TALKING ABOUT? It's called a paralimbic cleft, and it's a highly developed set of lobes that "may enable some brain function we can't even envision because we lack it. Scientists who examine their brains are often astonished at just how heavily folded these brains are." WHY ARE BRAIN "WRINKLES" IMPORTANT TO MENTION? The more wrinkles and folds a brain has, the more data it can handle and the faster it can process stuff. This dense folding is called gyrification, and orcas have "the most gyrified brain on the planet." Their gyrencephaly index is 5.7 compared to human beings' measly 2.2. The paralimbic system is believed to have something to do with processing emotions. Scientists have also found highly developed parts of the orca brain they believe are associated with emotional learning, long-term memory, self-awareness, and focus. Picture diagrams Orca Nation, Michael R McGowen, Stephen H Montgomery, Clay Clark & John Gatesy Publication for further study Phylogeny and adaptive evolution of the brain-development gene microcephalin (MCPH1) in cetaceans Text and resources David Neiwert, Of Orcas and Men

Here's some astonishing video, from Chile, of a successful whale hunt, buy transient orcas. Impressive speed on display, by both predator & prey!

The A34s are in the area!! Most likely arrived yesterday morning (Oct 25th) First heard by the Lab's Flower Island hydrophone in the early afternoon. They headed east for the night, returning west this morning. What a great October SurpriseThe A34s are in the area!! Most likely arrived yesterday morning (Oct 25th) First heard by the Lab's Flower Island hydrophone in the early afternoon. They headed east for the night, returning west this morning. What a great October Surprise

Absolutely stunning humpback whale singing near OrcaLab BC, click link below - you will be amazed this is a whale!! https://soundcloud.com//hb-dec-01-2020-pars/s-QFXdf0wWQde

Researchers have found a variety of complex, learned behaviors that differ from pod to pod. Orcas have evolved complex culture: a suite of behaviors animals le...arn from one another. They communicate with distinctive calls and whistles. They can live 60 years or more, and they stay in tightknit matrilineal groups led by older females that model specific behaviors to younger animals. Scientists have found increasing evidence that culture shapes what and how orcas eat, what they do for fun, even their choice of mates. Culture, says Hal Whitehead of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, may be very important to them. Some of the first evidence of cultural differences among orcas came from studies of vocalizations in whales that frequent the coastal waters of British Columbia and Washington State. Such residents belong to four clans, each with multiple groups. While the clans live close togethertheir ranges even overlaptheir vocalizations are as different as Greek and Russian. And smaller groups called pods have dialects akin to a Southern drawl or a clipped New England accent. Among orcas, food preferences tend to be distinct. Resident orcas, researchers found, eat chinook and chum salmon. And orcas share meals, particularly between mothers and offspring. A mother orcaa 7,000-pound behemothwill hold a salmon in her mouth while her calves chew on it. And thus the group’s preference for chinook may be transmitted to the next generations. Transient orcas, which swim in the same waters as residents but roam more widely, hunt marine mammals such as seals, porpoises and sea lions. Offshore orcas, which are found ten miles or more from shore from Alaska to California, eat so much shark their teeth get worn to the gums from chewing their prey’s sandpapery skin. In Antarctica, one orca population prefers penguins, while another likes minke whales. Other behaviors vary from group to group. Some resident killer whales in British Columbia frequent rubbing beaches where they scrape along pebbly rocks; other groups in the same waters don’t go in for body scratching. Residents in the Salish Sea (coastal waters around Vancouver Island and Puget Sound)the group to which the young Luna belongedhave a reputation for being unusually frolicsome. They wag their tails, slap their pectoral fins and spyhopbob into the air to get a better look at the above-water world. They also engage in greeting ceremonies in which whales line up in two opposing rows before tumbling together into a jostling killer whale mosh pit. It looks like they’re really having a great time, says Ken Balcomb, a biologist with Washington’s Center for Whale Research. But adhering to strict cultural norms can have serious consequences. While there are about 50,000 orcas worldwide, the Salish Sea’s residents are down to fewer than 90 animalsand social mores appear to prevent them from mating outside their group, creating an inbred population. Meanwhile, though the residents’ preferred food, chinook, is scarce, the orcas’ upbringing seems to make them reluctant to eat sockeye and pink salmon, which are abundant. The rules hold, says Howard Garrett, co-founder of Orca Network, a Washington-based educational organization. They depend on their society and live accordingly by old traditions. Write credit: Lisa Stiffler who is an environmental writer in Seattle.

Super proud to be part of this. Tis an honour to be alongside some of the biggest legends in the whale world: diving, listening to and learning about these incr...edible beings. What a unique summer we had amidst the pandemic with no noisy cruise ships and a multitude of marine mammals! Amazing job everyone involved. The video features some seriously beautiful scenes, mesmerising orca calls and yours truly with terrible Canadian twang and funky hand gestures

https://www.timescolonist.com//u-s-navy-gets-ok-for-increa

LEFT EYE CHECK - IN No, I am not talking about check in at the hotel, but about that very moment when orca decide to check you out with her left eye. Maybe s...ome of you remember, last month, I covered the findings of great academic paper that focused on free ranging orcas behavior towards divers. Authors found out that orcas left eye is connected to the right side of the brain and it's used mainly for social interactions. It was fascinating to learn that "the results showed a significant preference for the use of the left eye but exclusively in adult females." Here are some pretty cool facts that this paper offers: "Orca's juvenile is often positioned on the right side when it swims near its mother, maintaining a visual contact with its left eye. "When hunting, orcas attack their prey by placing them in their right visual field, whereas no lateral bias is found when they jump out of water and fall back on their side" ................................................................................................................... COPYRIGHTS INFO Academic paper : Spontaneous approaches of divers by free-ranging orcas (Orcinus orca): age - and sex-differences in exploratory behaviors and visual laterality, by Stéphanie Chanvallon, Catherine Blois-Heulin, Pierre Robert de Latour, and Alban Lemasson Photo copyrights, author: Adam Ernster Photography

UNIQUE ORCA HYPOTHESIS This is a rare opportunity to learn beyond books How often can you explore and discuss unexplained phenomenons about orcas? Well, to...day,I'd like to open your mind with some pretty fascinating facts about these majestic beings. It was a snowy, dark evening, and I just finished my first orcas swimming expedition in Norwegian Arctics. I was completely exhausted but happy at the same time. And then, when I thought nothing can surprise me anymore, during my last presentation on board, I heard this hypothesis that left me speechless. Today, I decided to offer you that very same experience and trigger same curiosity that I felt back on my expedition boat. I would like to introduce you very specific phenomenon, that my mentor, Pierre Robert de Latour dared to investigate. WHAT IS THAT "WATERY RING" AROUND ORCA'S NOSE? WHAT IS THAT SPECIAL SHAPE AROUND ORCA'S MOUTH? DO YOU KNOW HOW ORCAS USE SOUNDS AND FREQUENCIES? Well, click on the photos below and learn what Pierre thinks about this fascinating topic. Photo copyrights: USEA - Undersea Soft Encounter Alliance Learn more: www.usea-diving.com

'Male orcas (photo) have the largest dorsal fin of any marine mammal, it can get up to 6 feet tall. On females it’s a bit shorter and more curved. The dorsal fi...n acts like a keel, and each dorsal fin is unique for each orca. The orca’s pectoral fins are paddle-shaped and they’re used for steering and work in conjunction with the fluke for stopping. Inside these appendages is a network of veins that help regulate body temperature.' photo by Christopher Doherty via instagram.com/orcaspeninsulavaldes

Little is known about how prolonged exposure to smoke/chemicals released during wildfires affects marine mammals. Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion spilled 20...0 million gallons, most burned off into the air. Bottlenose dolphin breathing smoke developed severe lung diseases five years later: were more prone to infections, offspring died at higher rates... See more

New study shows that big mammals suffer brain damage in captivity Caging large mammals and putting them on display is undeniably cruel from a neural perspective..., it says. It is easy to observe the overall health and psychological consequences of life in captivity for these animals. Many captive elephants suffer from arthritis, obesity or skin problems. Both elephants and orcas often have severe dental problems. Captive orcas are plagued by pneumonia, kidney disease, gastrointestinal illnesses and infection. ( Bob Jacobs) https://www.downtoearth.org.in//new-study-shows-that-big-m

The Matriarch: A11 was an incredible mother. Not only to her own daughter, A35, who now continues to grow her own family, but A11 took on the role of adopted mo...ther to Springer, A73. After Springer was re introduced into the Northern resident orca community in 2002 she spent many years in the company of A11 and her family until sadly in 2013, A11 passed away. Her legacy lives on in every recording we make. The beautiful delivery of the N4 passed down from generations before her now transfers to the newest member of the family, A52’s baby, born this year! May her life inspire all the matriarchs out there to carry the strength to nurture the way she did! To find out more about how you can support Orcalab and wild Orcas head to orcalab.org and listen live now: Image by @wild_sky_productions #orca #matriarch #northernresidentorcas #killerwhale #blackfish #mother #family #community #britishcolumbia #bc #nature #wildlife #canon #photography

Here is the video from the A23‘s / A25‘s at Strider rubbing beach September 20th. A121 Twilight was right in the middle of it. It was wonderful to watch thi...s little fin. A121 Twilight was born in early September last year. A85 Cordero who belongs to the A25 matriline is the mom. With the birth of Twilight and the knowledge that A85 Cordero is a female, the matriline got a chance to survive. Personally, this birth made me overjoyed. This is the first of four videos. The rest of them with all members of the A23‘s / A25‘s will follow shortly. Thanks again to Orcalab for allowing me to post the edited videos. All footage was taken via the remotely operated camera and streamed through explore.org To learn more about this unique behaviour and help support wild orca, head to OrcaLab.org https://explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base http://www.orca-live.net/community/index.html

Colour is descriptive. Black and white is interpretive. (Eliott Erwitt) WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT ORCAS EYE PATCH? Just like every orca has a distinctly shaped... and scarred dorsal fin, that, along with the saddle and shape of the eye patch, helps to identify individuals. A killer whale's eyes are on each side of its head, just behind and above the corner of its mouth, and in front of its white eyespot. A killer whale's eyes are about the same size as the eyes of a cow. Orcas have excellent eyesight in and out of the water. They also have a well-developed sense of hearing. And like other cetaceans, Orcas receive sound through receptors in their jawbones. The jawbone acts like a conduit, transmitting the sounds to the ear canal and auditory nerves. Copyrights and location: Silver Shark Adventures, Bahía de los Ángeles, Mexico Source: NOAA

Today the first pictures of the A34 matriline follow for the summer season 2020. Here too, a big thank you to Andrew Jones and Coastal Rainforest Safaris. I hop...e the A34's come to Johnstone Strait. A34 Simoom has five living offspring. Her oldest son A55 Echo is often by her side. The eldest daughter A62 Misty and her three living offspring A83 Dusky, A91 Fantome and A107 Blunden were sometimes found without the remaining A34's. Her second daughter A67 Eclipse with her two living offspring A102 Tuzo and A112 Barlow are also more at the side of A34 Simoom. The last two offspring of A34 Simoom are her sons A80 Hope and A96 Rainy. Thank you for allowing me to post the pictures. Thanks alot All pictures are zoomed in and cropped

It's time for our final whale nick naming vote of the year! This time round we're looking for your help to name D32, fourth offspring of Cascade (D13). Cascade ...is named after Cascade Inlet near Bella Bella, B.C. Comment below to vote for your favourite name! Results will be posted tomorrow. Options are: 1. Finlay after Finlayson Inlet 2. Mathieson after Mathison Inlet Happy voting!!

Notice how asymmetrical the orca skull is, which is also characteristic of all Odontoceti, in the nasofacial region. This asymmetry is believed to be related to echolocation.

It’s time to name the second northern resident killer whale born in 2018! A118 is the fifth calf of Blinkhorn (A54) and has been identified as female. A118 has ...three surviving older siblings Cedar (A75), Cutter (A86) and Nowell (A106). Blinkhorn is named after Blinkhorn Peninsula on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island near Telegraph Cove. The name options for A118 which you can vote for in the comments below for 24 hours are: (1) Hidden, after Hidden Cove west of Telegraph Cove, and (2) Berry, after Berry Island northeast of Telegraph Cove. Cast your vote in the comments below! Results will announced tomorrow.

No Northern Residents on the Wild Side for an entire week now, so sharing this memory from 2014. Keeping our spirits up, even in the wildfire Smoke screen

A85 Cordero and her firstborn A121 Twilight in Nodales Channel on Sept. 11, 2020 by Garry Henkel! A85 Cordero was 6 years old when she lost her mother in 2011. ...The A23‘s adopted her. Now A85 Cordero is 15 years old and got her first calf in 2019, A121 Twilight. The A25‘s have a chance to survive and become one big family again. I love every picture I get of this family, same with the A23‘s!!! Thank you so much Garry for the permission. All pics are zoomed and cropped

Was the A 23s who where last at the Bere Pt beach to rub. Seen here in some great shots by our friend Ellen

We had a tough time yesterday finding the southern residents in the thick smoke --- and can’t imagine what it is doing to their lungs. Smoke from the wildfires... in the United States has poured over southern British Columbia and has smothered the Salish Sea. It is burning our eyes and stinging our throats, and limits our ability to see to less than a kilometer at best. J, K and L pods, who we were with two days earlier near Port Renfrew, have swum over 250 km to the heart of the Salish Sea. They appear to have followed a returning run of white Chinook to the mouth of the Fraser River. We had little information to know where the southern residents were, and are very grateful for the help of the Pacific Whale Watch Association News. Without their help, we would have never found them in the smoke. We started our day near Victoria with a rising blood red sun shining through the thick brown smoke --- and ended it in downtown Vancouver. Of all the places the killer whales have led us over the past 26 days, we never expected to be taken here. We are in another world that bears no resemblance to the wild one we left just two days ago. It is a striking reminder of just how much the world of the southern resident killer whales has changed.

WEEKEND FACTS CHECK 1) Orcas, like all mammals breathe air through their lungs. But unlike humans, breathing is not an automatic reflex. Each breath is a cons...cious act. 2) When orcas come to the surface to breathe they must quickly expel the used air in their lungs. This creates a loud and characteristic sound, the "blow". 3) Orcas breathe usually in about 20 second intervals, in succession, 3 or 4 times, and then remain submerged for a longer period of time. When the whales are travelling fast they will breathe more often and at shorter intervals. 4) When orcas are resting, they take 3 or 4 breaths at short intervals followed by a longer interval of about 3 minutes. Occasionally, orcas hold their breath for as long as 12 minutes! Source: Orca-live Photo copyrights: Todd Thimios

Seeing with sound!? The depths of the ocean are dark and silty. It’s hard to see anything. Killer whales use echolocation to locate their prey, but how can we... see what fish are in the area? Our hydroacoustics team uses a pole with four orange transducers. These send out pings of sound that bounce back in an echo. Based on the echo heard by our transducers, we are able to visualize the sea floor and the fish down in depths of over 500m! We are effectively using the same technique as the killer whales to find fish, killer whales just do it better. We use this hydroacoustic technology in regions historically recognized as favourite spots for orcas to feed. It allows us to assess how much prey is available for killer whales to eat, as well to see the types of fish present! By doing so we hope to better understand the differences in prey availability between the northern & southern resident killer whale’s habitats. Knowing this information can inform decisions to better protect and support orcas off our coast.

Name the new orca babies!

3 orcas came in for a beach rub this afternoon A23s

I have actually observed an event like this, a battle royal, lasting well over an hour! The sea lion prevailed

Grande finale’ end to a magical day! We had the first super pod of Souther resident killer whales. East of juan de Fuca since 2016. We think all 72 whales wer...e present. But wait... plus one! J35 gave birth and we now have J57. J35 was the famous whale who pushed her deceased calf for 17 days of mourning. We are so happy for her. What a day! PS turn up the volume! See more

With no NRs in the area for several days, we rejoice in this news regarding he SRs, who where seen all together, for the first time in 4 years! And a newborn for J35

Current pictures of I77 with injuries. He was born in 1997 and belongs to the I15 matriline. There are no official informations about his injuries at the momen...t. Reminds me of I64 Kokish.... His movements looked good and he had participated in the rubbing like the other whales. Lets hope he will doing fine the next weeks, months and years. Pictures were taken by Coastal Rainforest Safaris