Happy birthday to Unna at SeaWorld Texas today! Unna, who is Katina's third calf, turns 9 years old today! It is suspected that Unna is currently pregnant with her first child. Unna currently spends most of her time with older female Kayla, who she shares dominance with, and younger males Tekoa and Tuar. She also lives with three males, Kyuquot, Keto and Keet. Happy birthday, beautiful!

Kyuquot, the oldest male at SeaWorld Texas, turns fourteen today! Ky was born on Christmas Eve fourteen years ago at Sealand Victoria, and he holds the distinction of being Tillikum's first calf. Ky is now really beginning to grow rapidly and mature, and its possible he's the father of Kayla's new calf. Happy birthday, big guy, and happy holidays to everyone!
Above photo of Ky copyrighted to Nicole Jardine.

K38, Spock/K20's first calf, was first seen today, making him or her a year old today! K38 is part of an amazing five-generation family in K-Pod. Her family consists of her mom Spock, her uncles and aunts Cali, Deadhead, and Scoter, her grandma Skagit, her great-grandma Georgia, and her great-great-grandma Lummi, the oldest female in K-Pod! K38 will probably be named soon, having survived the perilous first year. Good luck, little one!
Above photo copyrighted to the Center for Whale Research. DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION!

Today is Kalia's first birthday!! Kalia is a sweet, adorable little girl and the third offspring of Kasatka, the dominant whale at SeaWorld California. Kalia lives there with her mom, her big brother Nakai, Ulises, Orkid, Corky2, and Sumar. Happy birthday, little girl! Today is also the first day Suttles/J40 was seen last year, making her one year old as well! Suttles travels with her mom Samish/J14, her great-grandma Granny/J2, her great-uncle Ruffles/J1, and her older siblings, Riptide/J30 and Hy'Shqa/J37. On a random note, today is also one of my best friend's birthday!! Happy Bday, Snow's owner!! :P
Above photo of Kalia copyrighted to Nicole Jardine.

Corky2 (seen above interacting with a guest) has been in captivity for 36 years today. Researchers believe Corky, numerically known as A16, was born in the year 1964, making her 41 years old and possibly the oldest orca in captivity. Corky originally lived at Marineland of the Pacific until the park was bought and shut down by SeaWorld. She now lives at SeaWorld California, where she is liked by all the orcas except Ulises. She's had 7 calves, but none of them lived longer than 46 days. However, she is an excellent surrogate mom, and has mothered orphans and rejected calves in captivity like Orkid, Sumar, and Splash (who was moved at a young age). She is a gentle orca and is generally the first orca new trainers meet. Her mother, Stripe/A23, passed away five years ago, but she currently has a sister (Ripple/A43), a brother (Fife/A60) and a niece (Midsummer/A69) in the wild. Let's hope this beautiful whale lives to see many more!
Above photo of Corky2 by Nicole Jardine. Don't use without permission!

Bad news for orcas up north. The WWF released a statement saying that blubber samples from orcas living in Tysfjord, Norway revealed that the orcas had high levels of PCBs and other contaminents. Previously, polar bears were thought to be the most toxic mammals in the far north, but this research has shown that orcas, in fact, hold the title. This is very bad news for them, and for all Arctic wildlife. Since the killer whales are at the top of the foodchain, they are warning beacons for dangers, and this is definitely a danger!

The results of Kim2's necropsy were released recently. (A necropsy is an autopsy of an animal). Kim2 died of sepsis, which is caused by pneumonia, one of the leading causes of death in both wild and captive whales. The bacteria causing the pneumonia is called pseudomonas which are very hard to treat. RIP Kim!!

Although no orcas were born (to my knowledge) specifically today, Rainshadow (K37) and Doublestuf (J34) were both born in the month of December. Rainshadow was born in 2003, making him two years old! He was recently named in a contest by the Whale Museum in Friday Harbour. He travels with mom Sequim, nephew Tika, and older siblings Raven and Sekiu. Sadly, Rainshadow recently lost his older brother Tatoosh. Doublestuf was born in 1998, making him 7 years old! Doublestuf is an exuberant young whale who travels with mom Oreo and younger sibling Cookie. The family is collectively known as the Cookies :) Doublestuf also spends lots of time with his orphaned cousin Rhapsody, and his cousins Princess Angeline, Polaris and Tahlequah.
To everyone out there, it's time for the countdown to the holidays :D (Whatever holiday, they're all in December mostly lol)

Above photos of Rainshadow with mom Sequim copyrighted to the Center for Whale Research. DO NOT TAKE WITHOUT PERMISSION!

Kayla turns 17 today! Kayla is the oldest whale at SeaWorld Texas. She was born to Kenau in 1988, but was separated from her mom shortly after. This year, Kayla had her first calf. Sadly she rejected it, maybe because she hasn't really been around young whales since she was first born. Kayla's a laid-back whale who, although she's one of the dominant females, never really uses her power. Happy birthday, Kayla!
Above; Kayla's photo copyrighted to Nicole Jardine.

Still no news release from SeaWorld, but the calf is 7 feet long, and 350 pounds. He/she was born at 10:22 pm in Shamu Stadium. Today Kalina and her year-old calf Skyla were with Takara and the new baby, along with Takara's older daughter, Kohana. We don't know the father, or the gender of the calf yet.
Above photo of the calf copyrighted to Meg.

Kim2 died yesterday at Marineland France. Kim, the only mature male there, was the father of four living calves: his daughter Shouka, sons Valentin and Inouk, and daughter Wiki. Kim had just reached his 23rd year in captivity. He was around the age of 24, still a young adult for orcas. He was a sweet whale who was very gentle with calves. RIP Kim!! :(
Above photo copyrighted to Stefan Jacobs.

I just found out that Takara, a 14 year old captive at SeaWorld Florida, has FINALLY given birth to her new calf! The calf was born on the 23rd. No details yet, but let's hope the little one is going strong. :)(There probably won't be a news release today because it's Thanksgiving there)

OrcaNetwork released unhappy news today. Three southern residents are missing and presumed dead this year, bringing the population back down to 87. Tatoosh (K31), the little six-year-old male who kept disappearing, has probably disappeared for good. The other two deaths are Olympia (L32), one of the L-Pod matriarchs who was around 50 years old, and L107, the newborn we already knew had passed away. RIP Tatoosh, Olympia, and L107!

Today is the anniversary of Ulises' capture. He was captured in Iceland, in 1980, at around the age of 3. This is his 25th year in captivity...he's now around 28 years old, not old but not young. He lives at SeaWorld California, where he gets along with all the other whales except Corky2. Uli, as he is affectionately known, is great with younger orcas.
Above photo of Ulises copyrighted to Nicole Jardine.

This may seem like an odd thing to celebrate, but the Southern Residents are now listed as 'Endangered' in the United States and are under the protection of the Endangered Species Act. Previously, they were only listed as 'Threatened', but many appeals finally got them the status of Endangered. While there is not much difference in protection between the two labels, the status Endangered should create more awareness and concern for the plight of the Southern Residents. Right now, they number only 89, while the Northern Residents number 230-233!
Above; A Southern Resident spyhops, photo copyrighted to Stefan Jacobs.

Tekoa turns five today! :) Tekoa is the second son of Taima, who unfortunately is not a very good mother. She was aggressive to both her sons, and they had to be taken away from her at a very early age. Tekoa is a playful little guy who spends most of his time with his best friend and half-brother, Tuar.
Above; Tekoa, copyrighted to Nicole Jardine.

Indigo (L100) turns 4 this month, and Sonata (K35) turns three! Sonata travels with his mom Opus, his aunt Lea, and his cousins Yoda and Lobo. Indigo excited researchers because before he was born, his whole family had died except his mom! Now the matriline is made up of just him and his mom Ino. There are rumours, however, about Ino having a new calf...
Above; Indigo, copyrighted to the Center for Whale Research. DO NOT TAKE WITHOUT PERMISSION!

This month marks the anniversary of the capture of four whales. Tillikum (seen above) is the biggest orca in captivity. He lives at SeaWorld Florida and is normally kept away from the other whales, only with a female named Taima. Tilly is a breeding machine! He's had 15 calves! 10 of them are still alive: Taku, Unna, Ikaika, Nakai, Kohana, Skyla, Tekoa, Tuar, Sumar and Kyuquot. Kandu7 is the longest orca in captivity, and is also father to many calves. However, only one, sadly, survives, and that's Athena. He lives at Marineland Ontario. Thor is another big male. He lives at Kamogawa Sea World and currently has three daughters, Lara, Lovey and Sara. This is Tilly's 22nd year in captivity...he's now around 24 years old. Kandu7 is around 27 and has been in captivity 21 years. Thor is around 23 years old, and has been in captivity for 21 years as well.
Above; Tillikum in a gorgeous photo by Nicole Jardine.

Cali (K34) was first seen today four years ago. When he was first seen, he was so young you could still see the fetal folds, so it is likely he was born on that day. He's now four years old! His name means 'heart' in Coast Salish. He travels with an impressive family: great-grandma Lummi, grandma Georgia, mom Skagit, sisters Spock and Deadhead, brother Scoter, and niece/nephew K38! Hopefully he'll see many more!
Above; Cali with mom Skagit, photo copyrighted to the Center for Whale Research. DO NOT TAKE WITHOUT PERMISSION!

October 27-OL IS ENDING!!!!!!

If you got the Nature Network newsletter today, you know the horrible news....Orca-Live is OVER! On October 31 at 5 pm, the season will end. But not only will the season end-Paul and Helena have delivered the awful news that this will be the last season of Orca-Live! Next year, the season won't start again. Orca-Live will just be closed. :( They have said that there is hope that they may bring it back someday. But for now, watch while you can!!! The last 24 hours of feed will be a replay of 2005 OL highlights. The comment board will stay open until around the new year. The OrcaLive site is also supposed to stay open until March 2006. They may put up a light version of OL (just the sound) soon, and someday they may bring the cameras back. We can only hope!

October 27-RIP L107! :(

I just received the sad news that L107, Marina(L47)'s fifth calf, is missing and presumed dead. Marina's last two calves, L102 and L99, both passed away in their first year. Apparently when L107 was born, he/she didn't look very healthy, and this summer the little one went missing. We are reasonably sure this means the calf has passed away. RIP L107!
ABOVE: L107 with mom Marina. Photo copyrighted to the Center for Whale Research. DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION!

October 26-Anniversary of Katina/Kasatka's capture

Today is the anniversary of the capture of two well-known and well-loved whales. Katina, who lives at SeaWorld Florida, was the first captive whale to successfully give birth and raise a calf. Since then, she's had three more calves, and two grandchildren. She's also an amazingly high jumper! Kasatka, who lives at SeaWorld California, is a friendly, motherly whale who was the first whale to give birth thanks to artificial insemination (AI). She has three kids and a granddaughter. Both whales are the dominant whales at the park. This year makes Katina around 29 years old, and Kasatka around 28 years old.
ABOVE: Kasatka and her year-old daughter Kalia bowing together, copyrighted to Nicole Jardine.

October 18-Happy Birthday Echo!

Yes, that's right, Echo (A55) of the A12 matriline was born today fifteen years ago! Echo was the first of Simoom (A34)'s five calves. The day he was born, the folks at OrcaLab saw the A12 matriline (then consisting of Scimitar, Simoom, Pulteney and Nimpkish) near Blackney Pass. Then they disappeared, and when they returned later that day, Simoom was accompanied by a little orangey calf!

October 17-Happy Birthday L105!

L105, newest calf of Ophelia (L27), turns one year old today! The beautiful young one swims with mom, aunts Nugget and Surprise, and cousins Kasatka, Lapis and L106. Now that he/she has survived their perilous first year, the calf will soon be named! ABOVE: Photo of L105 copyrighted to the Center for Whale Research. DON'T USE WITHOUT PERMISSION!

October 16-Update on Kayla's Calf

SeaWorld has posted an update on how Kayla's newborn calf is doing. The little one, who is the first SeaWorld orca to be raised by humans, has gained 20 pounds and is supposedly doing well. I'm making a page on her, so any more updates will be there.

October 14-This is...Very..Angering

Bad news for Luna. The fact that this was happening just really makes me mad. Poor Luna, it's not his fault he's in this position! Here's the article: http://www.reuniteluna.com/news_release.php?id=785 It's about the wonders of putting Luna in captivity.

October 10-Baby Born at SeaWorld Texas! Trainers and Whales face difficult situation

SeaWorld has just announced that Kayla at SeaWorld Antonio has had her calf! Whale-lovers were shocked because another SeaWorld whale, Takara in Florida, is due any day now. Everyone thought Kayla wasn't due for months! Sadly, Kayla rejected the little calf almost immediately, ignoring him/her. Trainers separated the calf almost immediately afterwards, placing him/her with a bottlenose dolphin for company. This is the first time SeaWorld trainers have stepped in to try to raise a calf. Corky2 and Bjossa both had calves that trainers tried to save. The longest lived calf of those lived 92 days. Everyone is holding their breath and hoping for a miracle with this little fighter! It is suspected that the calf is premature, because his/her weight is about 100 kilograms underweight, although she might just be a naturally small whale.

October 9-Happy Birthday Stormy!

Stormy (A74), Simoom(A34)'s fourth calf, turns five today! The little one travels with mom Simoom, grandma Scimitar, uncle Nimpkish, and siblings Echo, Misty, Eclipse and A80 in the A12 matriline. Just a few months ago, Stormy became an aunt/uncle when Misty had her first calf. Stormy is still going strong!:)

October 8-Happy Birthday L104!

L104 was first sighted today a year ago, meaning this beautiful calf has survived its perilous first year! L104 was born in 2004, and travels with mom Jelly Roll (L43), older sister Racer (L72), and older brother Nigel (L95). Jelly Roll is a great mom and they're a very close family. ABOVE: Photo of L104 copyrighted to the Centre for Whale Research. DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION!

October 3-J40 has a name!

J40, Samish (J14)'s newest, and fourth, calf, has been named! On October 1, the Samish Nation named the calf in an official potlatch and ceremony. 150 people attended. The calf was named Suttles, after Dr. Wayne Suttles, a devoted researcher of the Coast Salish culture. Suttles' big brother, Hy'Shqa (J37) was also named officially by the Samish Nation, in October 2001. Hy'Shqa is Coast Salish for thank you, or blessing. Suttles travels with her great-grandma Granny (J2), great-great-uncle Ruffles (J1), mom Samish (J14), and older brothers Hy'Shqa and Riptide (J31). ABOVE: Suttles leaps into the air, allowing a great photo opportunity for researchers, who were able to identify her as female. Photo copyrighted to the Center for Whale Research. DO NOT TAKE WITHOUT PERMISSION!

October 1-Tatoosh worries Researchers

Tatoosh (K31), a six year old whale from Kpod, is beginning to worry researchers. In July, he disappeared for a few days, then showed up all alone. Thankfully, he was then seen streaking towards his pod, and they were reunited. Everything seemed normal, but now he seems to be missing again! In an encounter with all three Southern Resident pods, he wasn't seen. He might've just been missed, but researchers are worried that he's pulled a disappearing act again. Just what's going on? Hopefully we'll see him before the southern residents head out for winter.

October-Happy Birthday, Aurora!

And besides all those captures, one wild whale was born this month as well! Aurora was born in October, in 2002. He is now three years old. Aurora's big brother is the famous whale Luna. He travels with mom Splash, grandma Grace, and uncles Gaia and Wavewalker. Recently, whale-watchers were delighted with the site of huge Gaia playing with little Aurora in the wake of a boat. ABOVE: Aurora, copyrighted to the Center for Whale Research. DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION.

October-Anniversary of Stella, Oscar, and Nami-Chan's Captures

The last set of capture anniversaries are the Japanese orcas. Nami-Chan, who currently lives at the Taiji Whaling Museum and is the only orca there, was captured in 1985 around the age of 3. She is now about 23 years old. Stella and Oscar were captured together in 1987 at around the age of 1, making them both about 19 years old. They live together at Kamogawa Sea World. Stella has three living calves there with her: Lovey, Lara, and Sarah.

October-Anniversary of Kim2, Freya, and Sharkane's Capture

October is a busy month for orcas! It was the most popular month for captures, which is why there are so many 'birthdays' today. In France, Kim2, Freya, and Sharkane were all captured this month. Kim2 and Freya were both captured in 1982, around the age of 1, making them about 24 years old, still young adults by wild whale age. Sharkane was captured in 1989 around the age of 4, making her about 20 years old. ABOVE: Freya, copyrighted to Stefan Jacobs.

October-Anniversary of Kiska and Nootka5's Capture

Kiska and Nootka5, who live together at Marineland Canada, were captured in October. Kiska was captured from Iceland in 1979 at around the age of 3, meaning she is around 29 years old. Nootka was captured in 1981 at the age of around 2, making her about 26 years old. These two beautiful orcas are usually best friends, although at the moment, Nootka's jealously at Kiska's new calf Athena has them separated. Kiska is a friendly, gentle motherly orca, and Nootka is a whale who has a temper, but is usually playful and curious. Hopefully they'll see many more! If they were wild whales, they'd only be about middle aged. ABOVE: Nootka5 by Emilie Giguere. Don't take without permission!

September 30-Russian Orca Capture has FAILED!:)

Yup, that's right. The boat Putyatin returned to the city today after returning to the water. It had been forced to return earlier because of the typhoon Nabi. However, at some point it resumed the capture attempts. Thankfully, they failed to capture any orcas and ended up returning to the city empty-handed! I don't know if they'll try again, but for now at least, the orcas of Russia are safe for a while.

September 26-Happy Birthday Kalina!

Today is the birthday of the first successful orca birth in captivity! Kalina, the first orca born in captivity to survive, was born today 20 years ago. She is an amazing whale, and a three-time mother herself. She is also proof that we no longer need wild captures, when our captive-born whales are living to 20 years! Hopefully many more to come:) Speaking of wild captures, no new news on the Russian captures yet. The typhoon Nabi is still keeping the capture boat in port. Above photo of Kalina copyrighted to Laurie Neron. Don't use without permission!

September 25-New Calves for the I-Pods!

Yes, two more new calves for the northern residents! The first calf was first seen September 20 by Seasmoke Whale-Watching tours, and it's born to Trinity (I16). Trinity has had six calves, four of which are alive. Her youngest calf before the new addition is now five years old, so she has her hands full! The second calf was reported by Helena at OrcaLab, and it's mother is I33, of the I31 matriline. I33 has had five calves, four of which are alive. The fifth calf, I79, is missing.

September 25-1000 Hits!:)

This isn't really news, I know, but I'd just like to say thank you to everyone who came to my site so far (and hopefully will keep coming!). The site has reached 1000 hits:) (Above photo of Valentin copyrighted to Stefan Jacobs)

September 23-Happy Birthday Orkid!

Orkid, a female orca who lives at SeaWorld California, turns 17 today! Orkid is a dominant and very intelligent whale who nonetheless gets along with almost all the other orcas at SeaWorld. She was born to Kandu5 and adopted at a young age by Corky2. She is the second oldest living captive-born orca. She has been artifically inseminated, but this didn't work on her before so we are waiting to see if she is pregnant. Above photo copyrighted to Nicole Jardine.

September 20-Happy Birthday Yoda!

Yoda (K36), who was only recently named, was first seen today, two years ago, making him/her around two years old! Yoda is still doing great-the calf travels with protective mom Lea (K14), big brother Lobo (K26), aunt Opus (K16), and cousin Sonata (K35), who's only a year older than Yoda. ABOVE: Yoda with mom Lea copyrighted to the Center for Whale Research. DO NOT TAKE WITHOUT PERMISSION.

September 19-Awful News for Russian Orcas

Earlier this month, the ship Putyatin left to undergo a wild-capture operation. Despite outrage and protest from orca-lovers everywhere, the plan is to capture orcas from Okhotsk. Thankfully they were forced to return recently because of bad weather-unfortunately they plan to continue the hunt when the weather clears up. Two years ago, when they attempted to capture orcas, one was drowned in nets and the other died a month later.

September 19-Happy Birthday Luna!!

That's right, Luna turns six today! Unfortunately, he is still alone up north. This is the fourth year Luna has been alone without his family. However, the fact that he's venturing farther out is promising. Luna's family, aunt Grace, mom Splash, uncles Wavewalker and Gaia, and little brother Aurora, are doing fine down south-hopefully the growing orca will soon join them!

September 19-Anniversary of Kshamenk's Capture

Kshamenk, the only captive orca in South America, is in his 13th year of captivity. This makes him around 17 years old. Kshamenk was forced to strand, and then 'rescued' and placed in Mundo Marino Aquarama, where he lives alone now. Above photo copyrighted to Caio Ribeiro. DON'T USE CAIO'S PICS WITHOUT PERMISSION!

September 15-New Hopes for Luna

Good news for Luna followers today! Luna wandered out from his usual enclosed home to the edges of the sea, where he lingered for a little bit, then headed back inland. This is good news, because if Luna goes out to the edge of the sea more often, he'll be able to hear his pod. He can't hear them from inside where he lives usually. This is the first time in a long time that Luna has gone that far out!

September 9-Happy Birthday Taku!

Taku, a nearly mature male orca at SeaWorld Florida, turns 12 today! Taku, whose parents are Katina and Tillikum, is taking after his dad-he's huge! His fin has flopped over as well. He lives at SeaWorld Florida with his mom, his dad, his sister Kalina, brother Ikaika, and niece Skyla, among other whales. Above photo copyrighted to Laurie Neron. Don't use without permission!

September 6-Clio's Calf ID'd

Clio's new calf, born only a few months ago, now officially has an ID number. The little one is now officially A84.

September 6-Happy Birthday Cedar!

Today is the day Cedar (A75), from the A30 matriline, was first seen. That makes Cedar approximately 4 years old! He/she has just got a new cousin, A84.

September 1-Happy Birthday Nakai!

Nakai is four years old today! Kasatka's second calf and only son, Nakai is an especially friendly and energetic little guy who lives with mom Kasatka and sister Kalia, along with other whales, at SeaWorld California. (Above photo copyrighted, do not use without permission!)

September-Misty's calf is now A83!

Yup, Misty's calf now has an ID number. He or she is now officially A83. Thanks to Jan's wonderful site for the info.

August 25-Happy Birthday Ikaika!

Ikaika, Katina's fifth calf, and fourth surviving, turns 3 years old today! Ikaika currently lives at SeaWorld Florida with mom, brother Taku and sister Kalina. He is getting bigger every year, and hopefully he'll have many more birthdays to come! (Above photo copyrighted to OrcaSpitt)

August 15-New Southern Resident Names!

The contest for naming the new southern residents is over! The three 2003 (and one early 2004) babies have names! K36 is now named Yoda, K37 has the beautiful name Rainshadow, and L103 is now known as Lapis.

August 11-Lolita's 35th Year in Captivity

Today is the 35th anniversary of Lolita's capture. Sadly this wonderful whale is still in the too-small tank at Miami Seaquarium, alone, surviving against the odds. She is now around 39 years old. Hopefully she will one day join her pod! (Above photo copyrighted to OrcaSpitt)

August 8-Happy Birthday Athena!

Yes, the beautiful new addition to the Marineland Canada pod has successfully reached her first birthday! Hopefully the beautiful little girl will beat the odds (of Marineland's past) and survive to see many more!

July 30-New Luna Proposal

A new proposal about Luna (L98), the lone whale in Nootka Sound, has been sent to the DFO. Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chrisholm, who have been working with Luna for some time now, recognize the need for urgent action. Their suggestions to the DFO include something that they really don't want to do, but accept that they might have to: have someone play with Luna. Engage him in enough play and activity so that people would be a sort of stand-in for the pod he should have. While in no way do they want Luna to get used to playing with people, it may be the only choice, considering his increasingly nerve-wracking behavior with boats.

July 29-Luna News Not Looking So Good

An update on the Reunite Luna site is cause for concern. According to reports from Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chrisholm, Luna is getting increasingly friendly and fishermen are getting increasingly fed up. Luna now goes after all the boats, all the time; it doesn't matter what kind of boat, how small it is, or if the people try to persuade him to come. Without any sort of encouragement, Luna will now try to play with all boats. Some fishermen are just fed up and angry, while others say that if Luna starts messing with their boats and they feel that their family is in danger, they've had it. Luna could easily tip a smaller boat. There is talk of shooting him, harpooning him, even poisoning fish and giving them to him. Something clearly must be done, fast! (Above photo of Luna scanned from Issue 11 of the Blackfish Sounder)

July 19-Guy Chiasson Not Guilty

The trail for Guy Chiasson wrapped up on Tuesday July 12. Chiasson was charged with beating Luna (L98), the lone orca in Nootka Sound, with a stick. Chiasson said that he was trying to get Luna away from rope, which he was getting entangled in, when it appeared from far away that he was hitting him. The incident happened in 2003, and the case has been going on that long. Chiasson was declared not guilty, but when he was seen outside the court house, he was worried that this might make people think that it's ok to interfere with Luna.

July 16-Time to Vote for Southern Resident Names!

Well, it's voting time! The choices for naming the three 2003 Southern Resident calves are in! If you are a member of the Whale Museum, you might be getting an email soon with the choices for the names. If not, you can send them your own email. If you aren't a member, never fear! Visitors to the Whale Museum in Friday Harbour can vote too! Voting continues until August 1. The names will be announced August 15. The choices are:
For K36:
Yoda, Solo, Amidala, Anakin
For K37:
Kai, Sahalie, Kakawin, Rainshadow
For L103:
Amak, Lena, Nanaimo, Lapis

July 15-Southern Resident hits boat!

A whale-watching trip and a rambunctious calf bumped into each other a week ago, but it doesn't look too serious. The boat, the Eagle Wing, was watching the whales, possibly K or L pod, when the young orca 'touched' the boat, coming up underneath it and bumping. The orca swam away, possibly bleeding, but the injury might not be too serious. The owner of the company, Eagle Wing Tours, said that they were following the Whale-Watching Guidelines and were surprised when the whale touched the boat. We'll be waiting for K and L pods to return, because they left soon after. Then we'll see who was hit and if they're OK.

July 13-New Calf for the A12s!

That's right, it's another new calf for the northern residents! This time joining the A12 family. This is Misty (A62)'s first calf! Making Simoom (A34) a first-time grandma, and Scimitar (A12) a first-time GREAT-grandma! The calf, which doesn't yet have an ID number, joins Scimitar, Simoom, great-uncle Nimpkish (A33), aunts and uncles Echo (A55), Eclipse (A67), Stormy (A74), and A80, not yet named. (Above photo of Misty and her new calf copyrighted to Orcalab and me)

July 12-Porpoises Should Be Afraid...Very Afraid

J Pod has been seen AGAIN chasing porpoises, though we don't know what happened to the porpoise in this case. First, the pod was chasing one in Haro Strait, and then later Tahlequah (J35) was seen harassing one. This is extremely unusual, because A) they are exhibiting transient-like behavior (but they still won't actually eat the porpoises), and B) while K and L pods have both been seen harassing other marine mammals like this, this is the first time J Pod has been involved.

July 11-Happy Birthday Taima!

Today has been such a hectic day for news that I completely forgot Taima! Taima, a mature female with questionable parenting skills who lives at SeaWorld Florida, turns 16 today! Taima has had two calves, but both were separated from her because she was aggressive towards them. (Above photo copyrighted to Laurie Neron)

July 11-Orca Live is on the air!

Orca-Live 2005 has begun! The live feed began for the year today to the cheers of people around the world. Spike the sea urchin has already made himself known, as have the boats around the area. We're waiting for the whales to arrive! (Above OL screen cap copyrighted to me and Orcalab)

July 11-J Pod After Porpoise Again; This Time Ends in Death

For the third time in a short while, a family from J Pod has been seen terrorizing a porpoise. This incident involved Blossum (J11), and her sons Mako (J39) and Blackberry (J27). This is the second porpoise incident Blackberry has been involved in. The difference with this incident is that when the whales swam away, they left a very dead porpoise floating on the surface. After examination, it was concluded that the porpoise wasn't harmed in any way. In fact, it went into shock and drowned.

July 9-Another Porpoise Incident and Happy Birthday Takara!

Takara, Kasatka's first calf who currently lives at SeaWorld Florida, turns 14 today! Takara is a new mom to daughter Kohana. Meanwhile, in the southern residents, another family has been seen harassing a porpoise! Today the culprits were Slick (J16), her son Mike (J26), and child Alki (J36). The family were chasing, pushing and lifting the porpoise into the air. At one point Slick pushed it up with her nose clean out of the water! After a little while, the whales dove, and when they surfaced, everything seemed normal again. Nothing was found of the porpoise, so it may have died or escaped. (Above photo of Takara copyrighted to Nicole Jardine)

July 5-J Pod Terrorizes a Porpoise

As dramatic as that sounds, it's true. Mirroring a similarly unusual incident with the A36 boys last year, Blackberry (J27) and two other juveniles who weren't identified, were seen pushing a porpoise around, near Lime Kiln lighthouse. Unusual behavior for fish-eating residents!

July 2-New Calf in J-Pod!

A new calf has been spotted in J-Pod today! Shachi, or J19, was seen today with a new calf-her first in 12 years! Shachi's first calf, J29, was born in 1993 and died the same year. Unusually, she has had no calves since. But she is an active baby-sitter! Researchers have been hoping to see her with another calf of her own, and here it is! J41, as the calf has been designated, brings the total population of the endangered Southern Residents up to 90. ABOVE: J41 with mom Shachi, copyrighted to the Center for Whale Research. DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION.

July 1-Sonar Near Southern Residents

A Canadian Naval ship has been testing sonar near the southern residents. At least one of the three pods were seen near the ship, which was in the San Juan Islands. Researchers made recordings where you can hear high-pitched sonar, and then orcas in the background. While navy sonar almost certainly isn't good for the orcas, nothing has been solidly proven, and Haro Strait has unique geology for sonar testing.

June 30-Sleepless Calves

While this might not be a breaking news story, it was recently posted on Orca Network and I found it fascinating. Researchers studied two orcas and their calves at Shamu Stadium in SeaWorld San Diego (no word on which orcas), as well as four dolphins and their calves at Utrish Marine Mammal Research Station and Gelendgick Dolphinarium. They found that for the first month after they're born, the calves were almost constantly awake and moving. In fact, they seemed to sleep for no more than 30 seconds at a time! The mother dolphins got even less sleep, while the mother orcas got slightly more sleep. This lack of sleep may serve many purposes, including getting the calf used to following its mother, taking breaths often, and the constant movement may keep them warm as they build up the blubber and fat that they need. (Above photo copyrighted to Stefan Jacobs)

June 24-IWC Decides to Keep Ban

Good news for whales today! The International Whaling Commission, or IWC, conference in Ulsan, Korea ended today, and the international ban on commercial whaling is still in place! Despite Japan's best efforts, the moratorium on commercial whaling, which has existed for 19 years, held. However, the IWC has agreed to meet again soon to discuss the possibility of relaxing restrictions.

June 22-Happy Birthday Tuar!

Tuar turns 6 today! Tuar lives at SeaWorld Texas with Keto, Kayla, Kyuquet, Keet, and Tekoa. Tuar was Kalina's second calf; he only just recently moved to Texas and is being prepared to be moved to Spain in the near future. Originally, he was named Flash, but public response was so negative he was renamed Tuar. (Above photo copyrighted to Laurie Neron)

June 17-Happy Birthday Keto!

Keto, a young male orca living at SeaWorld Texas, turns 10 today! Keto is a rather rough young orca who currently lives with Kayla, Kyuquet, Unna, Keet, Tuar and Tekoa. (Above photo copyrighted to Nicole Jardine)

June 12-Kaikash has a new scar on his fin

Kaikash (A46) has a new scar on the right side of the fin, making him easily identifiable. The scar is halfway down and stretches to the top. It has been described as looking like he scraped a rock while hunting. Kaikash lives with his two brothers, Cracroft (A32) and Plumper (A37).

June 7-Two new L-Pod calves!

Exciting news today from the southern residents! Not only have all of the southern residents survived the winter this year, but two new calves were spotted today! L106 is Surprise (L86)'s first calf, confirming that Surprise is a female! And L107 is Marina(L47)'s fourth calf! L106 joins a family that's enjoyed many new additions lately, consisting of mom Surprise, aunts Nugget (L55) and Ophelia (L27), and cousins Kasatka (L82), L103 and L105. L107 joins a close-knit family consisting of grandma Ankh (L21), mom Marina, and siblings Moonlight (L83) and Muncher (L91). Sadly, L107's family lost both of the calves before L107-hopefully the new baby will fare better! ABOVE: L106 porpoises through the water, copyrighted to the Center for Whale Research. DO NOT TAKE WITHOUT PERMISSION.

June 4-Happy Birthday, L103!

One of five southern residents calves that aren't named yet, L103 was first seen two years ago today. He/She is now two years old! L103 is doing well. He/she lives with mom Nugget (L55), aunts Surprise! (L86) and Ophelia (L27), sister Kasatka (L82), and cousin L105. ABOVE: L103, copyrighted to the Center for Whale Research. DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION.

June 1-Happy Birthday Wiki! New baby in the A30s!

Wiki, the youngest orca at Marineland France, turns four today! Wiki lives with big brothers Inouk and Valentin, mom Sharkane, dad Kim2, and also Freya. In other exciting orca news, the A30 matriline, which showed up outside CetaceaLab today, have a new calf! That's right, Clio (A50) has had a new calf! As far as I know, the calf does not have an ID number, but this brings the A30 matriline up to 8 members! The calf joins grandma Tsitika (A30), uncles Blackney (A38) and Pointer (A39), aunt Blinkhorn (A54), mom Clio, sister/brother Bend (A72) and cousin Cedar (A75)! NOTE: Update! On August 2, the A30s went past the OL cameras, giving us a lovely view of the beautiful, tiny little calf! For photos see the OL Journal. (Above photo of Wiki copyrighted to Stefan Jacobs)

June-Happy Birthday, Tatoosh and Magin!

Well, June has arrived, which means orca season is now upon us! Tatoosh (K31) turns 6 this year! Tatoosh is part of the K4 matriline in the southern residents, which consists of him, his older sisters Sekiu (K22) and Raven (K28), his nephew Tika (K33), his brother K37 (unnamed), and his mom Sequim (K12). Magin (A71), in the northern residents, was also first seen in June. He/she is now six years old! Magin travels with mom Kelsey (A24), sister Schooner (A64), and brother/sister Toba (A78).

May 14-Happy Birthday Sumar!

Sumar, also spelled Summar, turns seven today! Sumar is a young male orca who currently lives at SeaWorld California. He was separated from his mom Taima six months after his birth because she was aggressive towards him. Before he was even one year old, he was moved to SeaWorld California, where he was adopted by Corky2. (Above photo copyrighted to Nicole Jardine)

May 3-Happy Birthday Kohana!

Kohana, an adorable female calf who lives at SeaWorld Florida, turns three today! Kohana is the first daughter to Takara, and she is the second orca born thanks to artificial insemination. One of her most well-known features is her gigantic mouth, which is almost always open! lol (Above photo copyrighted to Nicole Jardine)

April 21-Luna alone again

Earlier today, the big female was spotted again with Luna, but later on, Luna was seen alone. No positive ID was made on the female, and Luna has gone back to foraging.

April 20-Female Orca Spotted Near Luna!

A female orca has been spotted near Luna (L98), the lone orca who lives in Nootka Sound. To recap, Luna has lived alone for four years, hunting and playing with boats (not so good). He is now five years old. No positive photo-ID has been made on the female, but this could be good news!

April 14-Orca becomes State Symbol

The orca has become the official marine mammal of Washington this week, thanks to some determined students. Students at Crescent Harbor Elementary School, in Oak Harbor, realized two years ago that Washington didn't have an official marine mammal. After studying whales, the kids made a petition of 1,000 signatures to propose the orca as the symbol. Two years later, this week, Gov. Christine Gregoire signed the legislation that made the orca the official symbol. (Above photo of a Southern Resident copyrighted to Stefan Jacobs)

April 5-Splash dies

Splash, a much-loved 15-year-old male orca, died today at SeaWorld California. The exact cause of death is unknown, but apparently a tooth infection started it. Splash was born in 1989, at Marineland Canada, to Nootka5. He became the only one of her calves to be transferred, and was moved to SeaWorld California in 1992, where he lived ever since. Splash suffered from epilepsy; when he had a seizure, he went onto the slide-out and stayed there until it passed. Splash was a rambunctious, friendly whale who will be sorely missed. (Above photo copyrighted, do not use without permission!)

April 3-Happy Birthday Mako!

Mako (J39) was first seen two years ago today, making him two years old! Mako and his mom Blossum (J11) are still doing great and have been seen in 2005. ABOVE: Mako behind his mom, copyrighted to the Center for Whale Research. DO NOT TAKE WITHOUT PERMISSION.

April 1-Taku bumps trainer

Taku, a 12-year-old male orca at SeaWorld Florida, roughed up a trainer a bit during the 12:30 show today. Taku apparently bumped the trainer a few times until he got out the water. The trainer was treated at Sand Lake Hospital for undisclosed minor injuries, and went back to work a few days later. Taku is a maturing male and he's getting pretty big, but everything seems OK now. Happy April Fool's Day everybody! (Above photo copyrighted to Nicole Jardine)

March 10-Russian Orcas Die

A pod of six orcas got trapped in ice in Russia; despite rescuers' best attempts, all six orcas died. The orcas will most likely be used for scientific research. Unusually, this is the second incident of this kind this year.

March 6-Kasatka's calf has a name!

Kasatka's December 2004 calf finally has a name! The calf, born on December 21 of last year, is now named Kalia, which is Hawaiian for 'beauty'. Kalia is the first-ever fourth generation captive orca! By the way, thanks to everyone who came to the website and signed to name her Noella! Noelle was actually one of the choices in the online poll:) (Above photo copyrighted, do not use without permission!)

February 25-Happy Birthday Shouka!

February seems to be a popular month for French orcas! Today Shouka, who lived at Marineland France until a few years ago, when she moved to Six Flags Marine World in the USA, turns 12! (Above photo copyrighted to Stefan Jacobs)

February 23-Happy Birthday Inouk!

Inouk, who lives at Marineland France, turns six today! Inouk is Sharkane's second calf and proud big brother to little sister Wiki. (Above photo copyrighted to Stefan Jacobs)

February 20-Surprise Springer Visit!

Today, a group of Northern Residents made a surprise visit to Johnstone Strait! Usually, the northern residents disappear in winter, not reappearing until June or July. However, the A11 matriline made a quick visit. The group consisted of Yakat (A11), Skeena (A13), Nahwitti (A56), and the famous little orphan, Springer(A73)! Springer is looking just fine and she was settled in nicely with her family. The group disappeared again shortly after. (Above photo of Springer scanned from Blackfish Sounder Issue 12)

February 14-Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Birthday Valentin!

Valentin, who lives at Marineland France, turns nine today! Valentin, appropriately named, lives with his mom Freya, his dad Kim2, a female Sharkane, and his two half-siblings, Inouk and Wiki. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!(Above photo copyrighted to Stefan Jacobs)

February 13-9 Japanese Orcas Die in Ice

A pod of Japanese orcas became trapped in an ice field on February 7, off Hokkaido. There were 12 orcas. Despite rescuers' best attempts to save them, almost all of the orcas died. Three, one cow and two bulls, escaped. The nine that perished consisted of one bull, five cows, and three female calves. Scientists are recovering the bodies and studying them.

February 9-Happy Birthday, Asuka, Ku and Skyla!

Skyla, who is the youngest whale at SeaWorld Florida, turns one year old today! Asuka and Ku, who live at Izu-Mito Sea Paradise and Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, respectively, were captured today eight years ago. Asuka is now around 15 years old, and Ku is now around 13. (Above photo of Skyla copyrighted to Nicole Jardine)

February 8-Happy Birthday, Lara!

Lara, who lives at Kamogawa Sea World, Japan, turns four today! Lara lives with two males, Thor and Oscar, mom Stella, and sisters Lovey and Sarah.

February 2-Happy Birthday Keet!

Keet, the first Grandbaby Shamu, turns 12 today! Keet currently lives at SeaWorld Texas, along with Kayla, Kyuquet, Keto, Tuar, Unna and Tekoa. Keet, along with Keto, Tuar and Tekoa, will be moved to Loro Parque, Spain, sometime in the future. He was born to Kalina, who became the first captive-born orca to give birth. (Above photo copyrighted to Laurie Neron)

January 25-Transients in Hood Canal?

Today, a group of six transient whales appeared in Hood Canal. The transients usually have been seen in southeastern Alaska, which makes it unusual that they were in Puget Sound, Washington. The interesting thing is that in 2003, 11 transients lived for 8 weeks in Hood Canal, feeding on the abundant harbour seals. Will this group stay as well? NOTE: As of July 2005, the transients, two females with two calves, are still there. Known as the Hood Canal transients and also the Slippery Six, the group doesn't seem to be depleting the harbour seal population, and show no signs of leaving. This is the longest documented time of orcas staying in one specific place.

January 21-Goro Dies

Goro died today at Nanki Shirahama Adventure World, Japan. He died of acute pneumonia. Goro was captured over 19 years ago in 1985, when he was around one year old. Since Nanki Shirahama's other two orcas, Ran and Kyu, died last year, Nanki Shirahama no longer has any orcas.

January 11-Happy Birthday Lovey!

Lovey, at Kamogawa Sea World, turns 7 today! Lovey was the first orca born in Japan after 5 unsuccessful pregnancies. She's also known as Oyako.

January-Happy Birthday Hy'Shqa, Tika, and Cookie!

January 1st-no orcas were born specifically today, but three were born in the month of January! Hy'Shqa (J37) and Tika (K33) were both born in early January, 2001-they're now four years old! And two years later, Cookie (J38) was also born in January. Cookie's now 2 years old:) ABOVE: Photo of Hy'Shqa copyrighted to the Center for Whale Research. DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION.