Northern Resident Killer Whales

in British Columbia
Photo-Identification Catalogue 2007

Graeme M. Ellis, John K.B. Ford and Jared R. Towers

Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, British Columbia V9T 6N7
© Fisheries and Oceans Canada 2007
Northern Resident Killer Whales
in British Columbia
Photo-Identification
Catalogue 2007

Graeme M. Ellis, John K.B. Ford and Jared R. Towers

Pacific Biological Station

Fisheries and Oceans Canada
3190 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo, British Columbia V9T 6N7
© Fisheries and Oceans Canada 2007
Preface
This catalogue was prepared for inclusion in a report on the current status of
the northern resident killer whale population, to be published in fall, 2007.
We have made it available for the 2007 summer season to facilitate whale
identification by our research colleagues, whale-watch operators, and others
interested in this population. Images in this catalogue are copyrighted by
Fisheries and Oceans Canada and are not to be reproduced without permission
of the authors.

ii Northern Resident Killer Whales

A1 Pod A32 ? 1964 A37 ? 1977 A46 ? 1982
A36 Matriline

A-Clan
A1 /
1927

......
..

A36 / A20 ?
1947 1953

A32 ? A44 / A37 ? A46 ?

1973

Key

Deceased killer whale with estimated

A1 / or known birth date
1927

* Possibly dead

Genealogical relationship:
Positive
Probable
....... Possible

1 Northern Resident Killer Whales

A1 Pod A12 / 1941
A12 Matriline

A33 ? 1971 A34 / 1975

A34 and her offspring have been

known to travel apart from A12
and A33 in recent years.

A55 ? 1990 A62 / 1993 A67 1996 A80 2004

A83 2005
A12 /

A31 ? A33 ? A34 /

1958

A55 ? A62 / A67 A74 A80

2000

A83

2 Northern Resident Killer Whales

A1 Pod A30 / 1947
A30 Matriline A2 /
1927

....
. . . . . . . . . .

..
A30 / A3 ?
≤1952

A6 ? A38 ? A39 ? A40 A50 / A54 /

1964 1981

A72 A84 A75 A86

A38 ? 1970 A39 ? 1975 A50 / 1984 A54 / 1989

A-Clan
A72 1999 A84 2005 A75 2001 A86 2006

3 Northern Resident Killer Whales

 ............. ................ ................. ...........
A4 Pod

....
A11 / 1958
A11 Matriline

A13 sustained an injury to the tip

of his dorsal fin in 2006, and it is
likely that his fin now looks
significantly different than in
this photo.

A35 / 1974 A13 ? 1978 A56 1990

A82 is believed to have been hit
by a speedboat in the summer of
2006. It is not clear at this time
whether or not it has or will
recover from the accident.

A52 / 1987 A70 1999 A77 2003

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . first offspring of A10

.....
A81 2004
A11 /
A82 2004
A35 / A13 ? A48 / A56
1983

A52 / A59 / A70 A77 A65

1992 1996

A76 A81 A82

2002

4 Northern Resident Killer Whales

............. ................ ................. ...................... ..................
A24 / 1967 A4 Pod
A24 Matriline

A73 is also known as Springer.

In January 2002, she was found
alone and emaciated in Puget A64 1995 A71 1999 A78 2003
Sound. With a poor chance of
survival in Puget Sound, she was
captured and relocated to
Blackfish Sound in the hope she
would reunite with her matriline
(A24). After release in July 2002,
she travelled with various other

A-Clan
resident killer whales before
"settling in" with the closely-
related A11 matriline.

A73 / 2000

unknown

....
.........

..
A10 / A4 ?
1941 ≤1952
to A11 . . . . . . . . . . . .
A24 / A19 A47
1973 1983

A41 A45 / A49 A53 A58 A64 A71 A78

1981 1983 1985 1988 1992

A68 A73 /
1997

5 Northern Resident Killer Whales

A5 Pod A28 / 1974 A42 / 1980
A8 Matriline

A66 1996 A79 2004

A9 /
1937
....... ...

..
A8 / A5 ? A26 ?
1953 1957 1971

A28 / A42 /

A57 / A66 A79

1991

6 Northern Resident Killer Whales

A5 Pod A43 / 1981 A60 ? 1992
A23 Matriline

A60 was struck by a boat

propellor in 2004, and in the
years since the accident his
wounds have slowly healed.

A69 1996

A-Clan
A7 /
1927

..
A23 /
1947

A16 / A21 A27 ? A29 A43 / A60 ?

1964 1967 1971 1977

A63 A69
1994

7 Northern Resident Killer Whales

A5 Pod A51 / 1986 A61 ? 1994
A25 Matriline

A85 2005

A14 /
1947

A17 A18 / A25 / A15 ?

1964 1969 1971 1979

A51 / A61 ?
A85

8 Northern Resident Killer Whales

B1 Pod B7 / 1947
B7 Matriline

B10 ? 1979 B13 ? 1987 B14 / 1991 B15 1995

A-Clan
B16 2004

B13's fin collapsed completely

towards his left side during the
summer of 2006, shortly after
this photo was taken.

unknown
....

.........
..

B11 / B2 ?
1927 ≤1952
............
..
.

B7 / B1 ? B3 ? B5 ? B6 ?
≤1951 1958 1963 1973

B8 ? B10 ? B12 ? B13 ? B14 / B15

1964 1984

B16

9 Northern Resident Killer Whales

C1 Pod C6 / 1955
C6 Matriline
C21's body was recovered and
necropsied near Prince Rupert in
2006 and showed signs of blunt
force trauma indicative of a
major collision. Her calf C27 was
unknown seen travelling with C8 after the
accident.

....
......... ............

.
.
C4 / C3 ? C7 ?
1937 ≤1952 ≤1951
...............
..

..

C1 ? C6 / C8 / 1975 C14 ? 1985 C18 ? 1991

≤1951

C9 ? C8 / C12 C14 ? C18 ?

1971 1979

C16 ? C19 C21 / C22 C25

1994

C27

C16 ? 1989 C19 1991 C22 1997 C25 2004

C27 2006

10 Northern Resident Killer Whales

C1 Pod C10 / 1971
C10 Matriline

C13 / 1985 C17 ? 1989 C20 ? 1993 C23 1998 C26 2004

A-Clan
C24 2000

C5 /
1924

C11 ? C2 ? C15 C10 /

1945 1957 1964

C13 / C17 ? C20 ? C23 C26

C24

11 Northern Resident Killer Whales

D1 Pod D1 Pod D9 / 1971 D10 / 1978 D13 / 1984
D11 Matriline D7 Matriline
D11 / 1975

D12 / 1982 D15 1987 D19 1998 D23 2005

D17 / 1990

D20 1999

D7 /
1941

D21 2004
D4 ? D8 / D9 / D10 / D13 /
1958 1967

D12 / D16 D18 D15 D19 D23

1987 1995

D20

unknown
....

...........
.

D3 / D1 ?
1939 ≤1952

D2 ? D5 ? D11 /
1956 1963

D14 D17 / D22

1987 2004

D21

12 Northern Resident Killer Whales

H1 Pod H1 Pod H5 / 1973
H3 Matriline H5 Matriline

H7 ? 1981 H8 / 1986 H9 / 1988 H13 2004

A-Clan
H14 2005 H12 2002

unknown
....

...........
.

H6 / H1 ?
1942 ≤1952
...........
.

H3 / H2 ? H5 /
1959 1965

H4 ? H7 ? H8 / H10 H9 / H11 H13

1974 1994 2000

H14 H12

13 Northern Resident Killer Whales

I1 Pod I19 / 1968 I23 ? 1973
I1 Matriline

I54 / 1983 I92 1999 I117 2005

I71 / 1993 I97 2002 I114 2006

I112 2006

14 Northern Resident Killer Whales

 I40 / 1980

I69 / 1991 I82 / 1994 I90 1999 I115 2005

A-Clan
I113 2006 I116 2006

unknown

....
...........

.
I1 / I3 ?
1952 ≤1954

I19 / I23 ? I40 /

I54 / I56 I70 I92 I117 I69 / I82 / I90 I115

1986 1993

I71 / I81 I97 I114 I113 I116

1997

I112

15 Northern Resident Killer Whales

I2 Pod I22 / 1965 I18 Pod
I22 Matriline I17 Matriline

I39 ? 1980 I26 / 1975

....
I93 1992 I91 1996 I118 2006

I2 /
1936
.......................
.

I14 ? I5 ? I8 ? I22 / I28 ?

≤1954 ≤1954 1962 1974

I39 ? I55
1987

16 Northern Resident Killer Whales

 I17 / 1959

I50 / 1982 I57 / 1989 I99 2003

A-Clan
I89 1996 I100 2003

I17 /

I26 / I38 I50 / I57 / I87 I88 I99

1979 1996? 2000
..

I60 I93 I91 I118 I89 I100

1987

17 Northern Resident Killer Whales

I18 Pod I20 / 1964
I18 Matriline

I21 / 1979 I52 ? 1986 I83 1997 I101 2003

I119 2006

Key

Deceased killer whale with estimated

A1 / or known birth date
1927

* Possibly dead

Genealogical relationship:
Positive
Probable
....... Possible

18 Northern Resident Killer Whales

 I24 / 1980 I53 ? 1986

During the course of this study,

H1, I1, I2, and I18 pods have been
I96 2002
encountered infrequently,
suggesting that they prefer to
spend more time off the north
and west coasts of BC.

A-Clan
I48 ? 1983

I18 /
1947

I20 / I7 / I49 ? I24 / I53 ? I58 173

1968 1976 1989 1992

I21 / I52 ? I66 I83 I101 I48 ? I59 I96

1991 1988

I84 I95 I119

1996 2001

19 Northern Resident Killer Whales

G1 Pod G3 / 1956
G3 Matriline unknown

....
....................................

.
G1 ? G3 /
≤1952

G20 / G19 ? G22 / G32 ? G44

1976 1989

G37 / G48 G56 G61 G69 G73 G51 / G68 G74

1994 1998 2001 2004

G63 G80 G81 / 1979

G20 / 1972 G22

G37 / 1984 G48 1990 G69 2001 G73 2004 G51 / 1992

G63 1999 G80 2006 G81 2006

20 Northern Resident Killer Whales

 G1 Pod G31 / 1981 G1 Pod
G16 Matriline G31 Matriline

G32 ? 1982 G39 ? 1986 G52 1992 G54 1994 G66 1999 *

G-Clan
Both G32 and G39 received
dorsal fin injuries in 2006. It is
not known how these types of
injuries happen but they are
possibly caused by bites from
G18 /
1945
other killer whales.
These animals may look G11 ? G16 / G31 /
significantly different now 1962 1971
compared to their appearance in
these photos. G39 ? G52 G54 G66 *

21 Northern Resident Killer Whales

G1 Pod G25 / 1975 G23 / 1980
G17 Matriline

G40 ? 1987 G60 1998 G78 2004 G50 1991 G59 1994

unknown

....
...........

.
G17 / G7 ?
1948 ≤1952

G9 ? G25 / G23 / G38 ?

1965

G40 ? G57 G60 G78 G50 G59 G65 G79

1992

22 Northern Resident Killer Whales

 G38 ? 1986 G1 Pod G29 / 1970
G29 Matriline

G65 2001 G79 2005 G45 ? 1988 G46 / 1991

G-Clan
G72 2004

G30 /
1919

...
G24 /
1941

G5 ? G29 /
1958

G45 ? G46 /

G72

23 Northern Resident Killer Whales

G12 Pod G12 Pod G27 / 1973
G8 Matriline G27 Matriline

G41 / 1987 G58 1996 G64 2000 G76 2005

Since being orphaned in 2000,

the juvenile G62 has spent much
of it's time in the presence of
members of the G2 matriline.

G62 1999

G12 /
1955

G8 / G27 / G33 ? G42

1971 1978 1986

G35 ? G47 G62 G41 / G58 G64 G76

1985 1990

G75
2005

24 Northern Resident Killer Whales

G12 Pod G2 / 1961
G2 Matriline

G34 / 1977 G53 1994 G77 2005

G-Clan
G49 / 1990 G70 2003

G2 /

G34 / G28 ? G36 G43 G53 G77

1981 1985 1989

G49 / G55 G70

1994

G71

G71 2005

25 Northern Resident Killer Whales

I11 Pod I11 / 1954
I11 Matriline

I12 / 1970 I13 / 1974 I42 ? 1983

I47 ? 1985 I78 1997 I105 2004 I108 2005

I11 /

I12 / I13 / I37 ? I42 ? I64 ?

1979

I47 ? I78 I105 I75 I108

1995

26 Northern Resident Killer Whales

I64 ? 1990

G-Clan
27 Northern Resident Killer Whales
I11 Pod I16 / 1968 I27 / 1974
I15 Matriline

I43 ? 1983 I51 / 1986 I98 2002 I63 1990 I77 1997

I106 2004
Although the matriarch I15, died
in late 2005 or early 2006, the
matriline will retain her name
because the group maintained its
cohesion throughout 2006.
In time, however, the animals in
this group may begin to travel
apart and if so the groups will be
renamed appropriately as
separate matrilines.

28 Northern Resident Killer Whales

 I4 / 1980 I65 / 1990

I107 2004 I76 1997 I102 2003 I103 2003

G-Clan
I15 /
1952

I16 / I27 / I4 / I41 ? I44 ? I65 /

1980 1985

I43 ? I51 / I72 I85 I98 I109 I63 I77 I107 I76 I102 I103
1993 1998 2005

I106

29 Northern Resident Killer Whales

I31 Pod I33 / 1970 I35 / 1974
I31 Matriline

I45 ? 1985 I62 ? 1988 I110 2005 I67 ? 1991 I74 1994

30 Northern Resident Killer Whales

 I46 ? 1985 I68 / 1992

I104 2002 I111 2006

G-Clan
I80 1997

I31 /
1946

I32 ? I33 / I35 / I36 / I46 ? I68 /

1963 1980

I45 ? I62 ? I79 I94 I110 I61 I67 ? I74 I86 I104 I80 I111
1997 2001 1988 1998

31 Northern Resident Killer Whales

R1 Pod R3 ? 1956 R12 ? 1966 R1 Pod
R2 Matriline R5 Matriline

unknown
..

............
.

R2 / R6 ?
1938 ≤1954

R3 ? R12 ? R22 / 1984

R29 / 1994 R35 1998 R39 2001 R44 2004

R48 2006

32 Northern Resident Killer Whales

R5 / 1948

R4 / 1964

R-Clan
R26 ? 1988 R28 ? 1992 R33 1995 R36 1998 R41 2002

33 Northern Resident Killer Whales

R1 Pod
R5 Matriline, continued

R18 / 1967

R25 ? 1987 R37 1999 R46 2004

With the birth of R48 in 2006,
the R5 matriline became the first
known example of 5 living
generations within one family group
of northern resident killer whales.
This group of animals is by far the
largest single matriline within the
northern resident community,
consisting of 22 members.

R22 /

R29 / R35 R39 R44

R48
34 Northern Resident Killer Whales
 R24 / 1987 R30 1994

R-Clan
R40 2001 R45 2004

R31 1997

R5 /

R4 / R18 / R19 R20 / R24 / R30

1975 1979

R26 ? R28 ? R33 R36 R41 R21 ? R25 ? R37 R46 R31 R32 R40 R45
1982 1996

35 Northern Resident Killer Whales

R1 Pod R17 / 1965
R17 Matriline

R23 / 1985 R34 1996 R43 2002

R38 2000 R42 2002 R49 2006

R17 /

R23 / R27 ? R34 R43

1990

R38 R42 R49

36 Northern Resident Killer Whales

R1 Pod R7 / 1944 W1 Pod W3 / 1940
R7 Matriline W3 Matriline

R13 / 1979 W2 ? 1960 W5 ? 1974

R-Clan
R47 2005

R7 / W3 /
...........
.

R8 ? R11 R13 / W1 ? W2 ? W5 ?
1961 1973 ≤1958

R47

37 Northern Resident Killer Whales

Photographic
Credits
We are grateful to the friends and colleagues who have
contributed photographs for this book. They are listed below.

catalogue number
photographs photographer of photos

Northern Graeme Ellis 211

Resident John Ford 12
whales Jared Towers 8
Andrea Rambeau 5
Alex Morton 2

Cover photo Graeme Ellis

38 Northern Resident Killer Whales