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J-2 Granny, F (est. 1911). Granny is believed to be the oldest female in J, K, and L pods. She plays a very active role in the community by acting as a babysitter for many of the young calves. Granny is also one of the orcas who was in the "Free Willy" movies.
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K-12 Sequim, F (est. 1970). Sequim was named after a Makah native village located on the Olympic Peninsula. She has three living offspring, Sekiu (K-22), Rainshadow (K-37) and Saturna (K-43).
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L-2 Grace, F (est. 1960). Grace has two living offspring, sons Gaia (L-78) and Wave Walker (L-88). She has had several unexpected losses in her family.
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J-8 Spieden, F (est. 1933). Spieden makes a distinctive wheezing sound when she breathes through her blowhole. When researchers hear her they can identify J Pod even at night or in deep fog.
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K-13 Skagit, F (1972). Skagit keeps busy with her four offspring, Spock (K-20), Scoter (K-25), Deadhead (K-27), and Cali (pronounced Kah-lee) (K-34). Skagit is the grandmother of two, Comet (K-38) and Saturna (K-43).
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L-5 Tanya, F (est. 1964). Tanya has no living offspring. She travels with Nyssa (L-84), the only other living relative in this family group, known as the L9s.
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J-14 Samish, F (est. 1974). Samish belongs the J2 family group. Her living offspring are Riptide (J-30), Hy'Shqa (J-37), Suttles (J-40), and Se-Yi'-Chn (J-45).
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K-14 Lea, F (1977). Lea has three living offspring -- Lobo (K-26), Yoda (K-36) and Kelp (K-42).
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L-12 Alexis, F (est. 1933). Alexis has no immediate living offspring. Alexis spends a lot of time with Mystery (L-85) who has lost all known older females in his family group.
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J-16 Slick, F (est. 1972).Slick has three living offspring: Mike (J-26), Alki (J-36) and Echo (J-42). They are most often seen traveling together.
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K-16 Opus, F (1985). Opus was seen with her first calf during the winter of 2000/2001, however the calf did not survive. In late 2002 she had her second offspring, Sonata (K-35), who can most often be seen close by his mother.
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L-22 Spirit, F (est. 1971). Spirit is part of a very active family consisting of her two offspring, Skana (L-79) and Solstice (L-89), and younger brother Onyx (L-87).
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J-17 Princess Angeline, F (1977). Princess Angeline is named after the daughter of Chief Seattle, the Duwamish elder for whom Seattle is named. She has two daughters, Polaris (J-28) and Tahlequah (J-35), and a son, Moby (J-44). She became a grandmother twice in three months when her daughters each had their first offspring. Princess Angeline is one of the orcas who was in the "Free Willy" movies.
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K-20 Spock, F (1986). For years researchers thought Spock was male because of her tall, straight dorsal fin that is typical of males. However, in December 2004 she had her first known calf, Comet (K-38), proving that she is indeed a female.
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L-25 Ocean Sun, F (est. 1928). Ocean Sun has outlived her immediate family. She spends most of her time with Mega (L-41) and his sisters.
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J-19 Shachi, F (1979). Shachi's first calf, J-29, was born in 1993 but only lived a few weeks. She spent much of her time babysitting young calves until July 1, 2005 when she had another calf, Eclipse (J-41).
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K-21 Cappuccino, M (1986). Cappuccino is a mature male. He has a distinct saddle patch and a very wide dorsal fin. He is seen often traveling with his sister Raggedy (K-40).
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L-26 Baba, F (est. 1956). Baba's only living family members are her daughter, Ballena (L-90), and grandson, Crewser (L-92). They are a tight knit group and will sometimes be seen with J Pod.
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J-22 Oreo, F (1985). Oreo has two offspring: DoubleStuf (J-34) and Cookie (J-38).
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K-22 Sekiu, F (1987). In spring 2001 Sekiu was seen with her first calf, Tika (K-33). She and Tika are close knit and can often be seen with Sekiu's mother, Sequim.
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L-27 Ophelia, F (est. 1965). Ophelia has two younger sisters, Nugget (L-55) and Surprise (L-86). She has outlived all four of her offspring but has the opportunity to spend time with her two sisters and their offspring.
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J-26 Mike, M (1991). Mike was named after the "father of killer whale research," Dr. Michael A. Bigg, who passed away in 1991. Mike has two living siblings, Alki (J-36) and Echo (J-42).
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K-25 Scoter, M (1991). Scoter is the second of four offspring born to Skagit (K-13). Scoter travels closely with his family, and is sometimes seen with other males his age.
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L-41 Mega, M (1977). Mega was born one year after the study of the Southern Resident Community began so we have been able to watch him grow from a small calf into the large adult male he is today.
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J-27 Blackberry, M (1991). Blackberry, his brother Mako (J-39) and sister Tsuchi (J-31) lost their mother in 2008. They travel closely with the J22s and the J17 family groups.
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K-26 Lobo, M (1993). Because Lobo's mom, Lea (K-14), lost her first two calves, she was a bit more protective of him. Lobo has two younger siblings, Yoda (K-36) and Kelp (K-42).
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L-47 Marina, F (1974). Marina is a member of a very cohesive family unit made up of her three offspring, Moonlight (L-83), Muncher (L-91) and Mystic (L-115). Marina also has one grandson, Midnight (L-110).
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J-28 Polaris, F (1993). Polaris is the first calf of Princess Angeline (J-17). She has always been a spunky whale and can often be found "in the crowd." Polaris was seen with her first known calf, Star (J-46), in November, 2009.
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K-27 Deadhead, F (1994). Deadhead is one of four offspring born to Skagit (K-13). She was named to honor the passage of Jerry Garcia, the leader of the rock band "Grateful Dead." Deadhead had her first offspring, K-44, in July, 2011. After K-44 survives his first winter, he will receive his common name and be entered into the Orca Adoption Program.
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L-53 Lulu, F (1977). Lulu loves to breach and is one of L Pod's most active whales.She and her mother Canuck (L-7) were sometimes seen with J Pod. Since her mother died in 2010, Lulu is most often seen with Racer (L-72) and her offspring Fluke (L-105) traveling with L Pod.
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J-30 Riptide, M (1995). Riptide is the second calf of Samish (J-14). Riptide's living siblings are Hy'Shqa (J-37), Suttles (J-40) and Se-Yi'-Chn (J-45). Riptide's great-grandmother is Granny (J-2).
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K-33 Tika, M (2001). Tika is the first known calf of Sekiu (K-22). The name Tika has Chinook origins meaning "swift." He stays close to mom.
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L-54 Ino, F (1977). Ino outlived her family, however that changed when she had her first calf Indigo (L-100) in 2001. In spring of 2006, Ino gave birth to her second calf Coho (L-108). In December 2010 she was seen with a new calf, L-117. During the summer of 2012, L-117 will receive his/her common name then be entered into the Orca Adoption Program.
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J-31 Tsuchi, F (1995). Tsuchi is Blackberry's (J-27) younger sister. Her name comes from the Japanese word for "melon-headed whale," a North Pacific species of cetacean sometimes seen off the coast of Washington.
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L-55 Nugget, F (1977). Nugget has three living offspring. Her two daughters are Kasatka (L-82) and Lapis (L-103) and her son is Takoda (L-109). Nugget became a grandmother when Kasatka had her first calf, Finn (L-116), in August 2010. Nugget had a new calf, L-118, first seen May 29, 2011. After L-118 survives his/her first winter, this calf will receive a common name and be entered into the Orca Adoption Program
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J-32 Rhapsody, F (1996). Rhapsody was J-20's first calf. Her mother died over the winter of 1998-99 and now Rhapsody travels mainly with her aunt Oreo (J-22) and cousins DoubleStuf (J-34) and Cookie (J-38).
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K-34 Cali, M (2001). Cali (pronounced Kah-lee) is the youngest calf of Skagit (K-13). He has a brother, Scoter (K-25), and two sisters, Spock (K-20) and Deadhead (K-27). Cali means "heart" in the Coast Salish language.
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L-72 Racer, F (1986). Racer was first photographed off Race Rocks, near Victoria, British Columbia. She has outlived her mother. Racer has a younger brother Nigel (L-95), and in October 2004, Racer had her first calf, Fluke (L-105).
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J-34 DoubleStuf, M (1998). DoubleStuf is the first known calf born to Oreo (J-22). He was first seen in December 1997. His younger brother, J-38, is named Cookie. Rhapsody (J-32) is also a member of this close knit family.
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K-35 Sonata, M (2002). Sonata is the only living offspring of Opus (K-16). These two whales are seen with various groups in K Pod.
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L-77 Matia, F (1987). Matia is eight years older than her sister Calypso (L-94). Matia is only the second whale of the L-12 subgroup to have a calf, L-114, in the last fourteen years. Her first offspring, L-114, seen in February 2010 did not survive.
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J-35 Tahlequah, F (1998). Tahlequah is Princess Angeline's (J-17) second offspring. She has an older sister named Polaris (J-28), a brother J-44, who was first seen in January 2009. In November 2009 Tahlequah became an aunt when sister Polaris had her first calf J-46. Tahlequah was seen with her first offspring, Notch (J-47), on January 3, 2010.
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K-36 Yoda, F (2003). Yoda is the fourth offspring of Lea. Yoda has two siblings -- Lobo (K-26) and Kelp (K-42). Yoda is often seen playing with pod mates Rainshadow (K-37), Cali (K-34) and Sonata (K-35).
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L-78 Gaia, M (1989). Gaia is an adult male and can be seen with his mother Grace (L-2) and brother Wave Walker (L-88).
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J-36 Alki, F (1999). Alki is the third offspring born to mom Slick (J-16). Alki has an older brother Mike (J-26), and a younger sibling Echo (J-42). These two are often seen together.
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K-37 Rainshadow, M (2004). Rainshadow is the fourth calf born to Sequim (K-12). He has a nephew named Tika (K-33) who is three years older. Sequim had her fifth calf, Saturna (K-43), first seen February 2010. Rainshadow is very attentive to his little sister Saturna.
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L-79 Skana, M (1989). Skana means "killer demon" or "supernatural power" in the language of the Haida tribe of the Northwest coast of British Columbia; they also use the word to mean "killer whale."
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J-37 Hy'Shqa ("Hy'shka"), F (2001). Hy'Shqa's family consists of older brother Riptide (J-30), younger siblings Suttles (J-40) and Se-Yi'-Chn (J-45), mom Samish (J-14), and great-grandmother Granny (J-2). "Hy'Shqa" is a Coast Salish/Samish word for "blessing" or "thank you." The name was give to her during a traditional potlatch ceremony held by the Samish Nation on October 6, 2001.
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K-38 Comet, M (2004). Comet is the first calf of Spock. A comet streaks through the dark sky just like the whale, Comet, likes to streak through just under the water's surface. This youngster can be seen sticking close to his mom.
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L-82 Kasatka, F (1990). Kasatka is a Russian word which means both "darling" and "killer whale." Her mother is Nugget (L-55). Kasatka has three siblings, Lapis (L-103) and Takoda (L-109), and new calf L-118, who was first seen in May 2011. Kasatka had her first offspring, Finn (L-116), in October 2010.
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J-38 Cookie, M (2003). Cookie is Oreo's (J-22) youngest calf. Cookie's older brother is DoubleStuf (J-34). Cookie is part of a very tight knit family group.
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K-40 Raggedy, F (est. 1963). Raggedy is named from the tattered condition of her dorsal fin along its trailing edge. She has never been seen with a calf of her own, but is often seen traveling with her brother Cappuccino (K-21).
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L-83 Moonlight, F (1990). Moonlight had her first offspring Midnight (L-110) in 2007. Her mother is Marina (L-47). She has a sister named Muncher (L-91) and a brother, who is 20 years younger, named Mystic (L-115).
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J-39 Mako, M (2003). Mako's name derives from the Japanese "mako kujira" which means sperm whale. Mako has two siblings, Blackberry (J-27), and Tsuchi (J-31). He is a very playful whale.
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K-42 Kelp, M (2008). Kelp is the fifth offspring of Lea. He has two siblings -- Lobo (K-26) and Yoda (K-36). Kelp is a spunky whale who has lots of playmates.
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L-84 Nyssa, M (1990). Nyssa's mother Nootka died in 1999. Now he travels with Tanya (L-5). They are sometimes seen with Ino (L-54) and her family.
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J-40 Suttles, F (2004). Suttles is the offspring of Samish (J-14). Her living siblings are Hy'Shqa (J-37), Riptide (J-30) and younger sibling Se-Yi'-Chn (J-45). Suttles was named in a traditional potlatch naming ceremony held by the Samish Nation on October 1, 2005.
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K-43 Saturna, F (2010). Saturna is the fifth offspring of Sequim (K-12). She is a spunky whale. Saturna and her brother, Rainshadow (K-37), are often seen playing together while their mother is off foraging.
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L-85 Mystery, M (1991). Mystery lost his mother at the age of three. His aunt stepped in until she died in 2005. Now he's seen mainly with Alexis (L-12) who seems to have "adopted" him.
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J-41 Eclipse, F (2005). Eclipse is the second calf of Shachi. Eclipse was born on July 1, 2005 and there was concern because this calf was so tiny. Yet Eclipse has grown a lot and is very active.
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L-86 Surprise!, F (1991). The birth of this calf surprised researchers back in 1991 since there was a 14-year gap between Surprise (L-86) and her older sister, Nugget (L-55). She has another sister name Ophelia (L-27). Surprise gave birth to her first calf Pooka (L-106) in 2005, and another new calf, Sooke (L-112) first seen in January 2009,surprising everyone once again!
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J-42 Echo, Female (2007). Echo is the fourth known calf of Slick (J-16). She is a very active calf, often seen leaping above the surface. Echo is short for 'echolocation' which is what the whales use to navigate and forage.
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L-87 Onyx, M (1992). Onyx's family consists of his sister Spirit (L-22) and her two sons and a cousin named Mystery (L-85). Onyx traveled with K Pod for a few years and now travels with J Pod.
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J-44 Moby, M (2009). Moby is the third offspring and first male calf of Princess Angeline (J-17). At such a young age he is already an uncle to his two sisters' calves Star (J-46) and Notch (J-47).
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L-88 Wave Walker, M (1993). Wave Walker is the youngest of five born to mother, Grace (L-2). He and Gaia (L-78) are Grace's living offspring, and they are a tight family.
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J-45 Se-Yi'-Chn (pronounced “sea-ee-chin”), M (2009). Se-Yi'-chn is a Coast Salish/Samish word meaning ‘"younger sibling" or the younger one in the family. He is the sixth offspring of Samish (J-14). His living siblings are Hy'Shqa (J-37), Riptide (J-30) and Suttles J-40. Se-Yi'-chn was named in a traditional potlatch naming ceremony held by the Samish Nation on October 17, 2009.
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L-89 Solstice, M (1993). Solstice is the son of Spirit (L-22). He has an older brother named Skana (L-79). This little family sticks together and seems to be very playful with each other.
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J-46 Star, F (2009). Star is the first offspring of Polaris (J-28), seen for the first time passing by Lime Kiln Lighthouse on November 11, 2009. Her mother is very independent. This may give Star many opportunities to meet and play with others besides her uncle Moby (J-46) and cousin Notch (J-47).
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L-90 Ballena, F (1993). Ballena means "whale" in Spanish. The killer whale is often referred to as "ballena pinta" or the painted whale.
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J-47 Notch, M (2010). Notch is the first offspring of Tahlequah (J-35). He has a cousin named Star (J-46) and an uncle named Moby (J-44). The three are often seen playing together. He acquired a large notch on the trailing edge of his dorsal fin before he was a year old.
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L-91 Muncher, F (1995). Muncher stays close to her mother Marina (L-47), older sister Moonlight (L-83) and Moonlight's offspring Midnight (L-110). She has a sibling named Mystic (L-115), who is 15 years younger.
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L-92 Crewser, M (1995). Crewser was first seen in May of 1995 and was sexed as a male by the researchers while his mom, Rascal (L-60), was pushing and rolling him around.
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L-94 Calypso, F (1995). Calypso's sister is Matia (L-77) and her brother is Mega (L-41). They are a tight family group and most often Ocean Sun (L-25) travels with them. She had her first offspring, Cousteau (L-113), who was first seen by her side on October 10, 2009.
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L-95 Nigel, M (1996). Nigel has an older sister Racer (L-72), and a nephew named Fluke (L-105). He is often seen with Crewser (L-92), another male about his age.
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L-100 Indigo, M (2001). Indigo is Ino's (L-54) first offspring. This small subgroup was down to just two when Ino had another calf Coho (L-108) in 2006. Ino had another offspring, L-117, in December 2010. After L-117 survives his/her first winter, this calf will receive a common name and will then be available for adoption.
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L-103 Lapis, F, (2003). This is the third calf of Nugget (L-55). Lapis has three siblings - Kasatka (L-82), younger siblings Takoda (L-109) and baby L-118. Lapis has two aunts and a cousin.
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L-105 Fluke, M, (2004). Fluke got his name because there was uncertainty as to who his mother is. After several encounters, the Center for Whale Research determined that Racer (L-72) is his mother.
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L-106 Pooka, M, (2005). Pooka is a creature of myth. According to legend Pooka is an adroit shape changer and most commonly takes the form of a sleek black or white horse.This Pooka is a killer whale calf born to Surprise! (L-86) who was a surprise when she was born.
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L-108 Coho, M (2006). This is the second calf of Ino's. Coho has an older brother named Indigo (L-100) and a younger sibling L-117 (not yet named). Coho is named for one of the salmon species that the Southern Resident orcas feed on in the Pacific Northwest.
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L-109 Takoda, M (2007). Takoda is the fourth known calf of Nugget (L-55), first seen near Monterey Bay, California in March, 2007. Takoda means "friend to everyone" in the Sioux Indian language.
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L-110 Midnight, Male (2007). Midnight is the first known calf of Moonlight. He was first seen in midsummer in the Strait of Juan de Fuca traveling in his mother's slip stream. Midnight was only a day or two old when first spotted.
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L-112 Sooke, F (2009). Sooke is the second offspring of Surprise! (L-86). Older brother Pooka (L-106) and Sooke are very active young whales and can be found staying close to their mother.
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L-113 Cousteau, F (2009) First seen in October 2009 near Port Townsend, Cousteau has the distinction of being the first calf born to this subgroup in fourteen years. Mother L-94 is named for Jacques Cousteau's research vessel the Calypso. The name Cousteau now honors famous researcher Jacques Cousteau.
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L-115 Mystic, M (2010). Mystic is the seventh offspring of Marina (L-47). At the age of one year, he had already outlived four previous siblings. Mystic is a very active young whale. He has two siblings, Moonlight (L-83) and Muncher (L-91).
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L-116 Finn, M (2010). Finn is the first offspring of Kasatka (L-82). His grandmother is Nugget (L-55). Finn has an aunt named Lapis (L-103) and and uncle named Takoda (L-109).
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