Basic Whale Information

The vast majority of orca research, and much of research on other marine mammals, is done with the photo-identification technique, first pioneered by Michael Bigg in the 1970s. Bigg's basic findings from studying southern resident and transient killer whales was that no two whales look exactly alike, to the trained eye. Their dorsal fins, saddle patches, eye patches, pectoral fins, scratches and scrapes, are all unique. Using photography, these animals could be catalogued and studied. Bigg figured out how to analyze the whales without harassing them. He found a way to work with them, instead of against them. Today, the transient killer whales he studied in the Salish Sea are called Bigg's orcas or Bigg's killer whales. Bigg is also survived by J26 Mike, an adult male southern resident named after him. Today, these photos are put into catalogues, many of which can be found in my bibliography and sources section. 

Some research projects, with proper permits and without injuries to the whales, take skin samples of whales, to determine their genetic information, among other things. This is done with a test tube and a small knife on a really long stick. The blade scrapes a bit of the whale's skin off, which falls into the test tube. This doesn't hurt them, as their skin is tough and can be six inches thick. This genetic information can be used to determine whales' relation to each other, or how long certain groups have been genetically diverged. 

This one might sound strange, but you can tell a lot about a whale by their exhalations. To collect the cells and bacteria expelled when a whale breathes out, scientists, again with the proper permits and equipment, and without hurting the animals, will attach a petri dish to a long stick, and hold it above the whale's head when they surface. Bacteria and lung cells will stick to the petri dish, and scientists can analyze it that way. 

Collection of stool samples is a less invasive way to study the whale's genetic material. Whale poop actually floats, and can be collected for analysis. Though it might sound weird, feces can tell us a lot about what type of whale it came from, as well as the animal's physical condition. Fantastically, there is a dog named Eba who lives in the Salish area who is trained to smell for whales. Eba is a rescue and a mix, and she has been featured on Disney Channel and PBS for her whale sniffing skills. She wears goggles and a life vest. She appears to have a preference for resident whales compared to transient ones. Eba is simply excellent.

Like many cetaceans, orcas use echolocation as well as calls and clicks to communicate and find food. Research has proven that each family group has a unique set of calls that they use to communicate, once again proving their intelligence. Orcas echolocate with an organ called the melon, a soft tissue in the front of their heads that can detect sound waves. 

Killer whale's skulls often don't look the way you might expect them to. They are rather pointed and even a little canine looking. An orca is born with only one set of teeth, which come in after the baby is done nursing. With no 'baby teeth', this means that a whale's set of teeth must last a lifetime. Their teeth are conical in shape and are about 4-6 inches long. Certain orca populations use a technique called suction feeding, which wears down the teeth exceptionally. However, in the vast majority of wild whales, their teeth are intact. Missing or infected teeth would point to disease, injury, or simply very old age. Orcas probably have very good eyesight, although it is not their primary sense. Their eyes are likely adapted to see in the dark underwater scapes, but killer whales also enjoy checking out the surface. Orcas have blue irises. Like all dolphins, they can move their eyes independently of each other, meaning that a killer whale can have a full circle view around their entire head if they chose to. This is useful for hunting. Orcas do have external ears, which are small openings on either side of their heads, at the base of their skulls. Their hearing is quite good, and their ears are protected by natural waterproof wax.

Orcas mostly use their pectoral fins for steering when they swim, as most of their power comes from the tail. They can also be slapped on the water, either as play, or to get the attention of other whales. While a female killer whale's pec fins are fairly proportional to her body, males, due to sexual selection, have very oversized pec fins, which can reach six feet across.  A whale's pectoral flippers have five 'fingers'; bones in the fin. Killer whales' shoulders are built similarly to ours. Their pec fins have to hang down at their sides, as flipping them up could break the animal's shoulder.An orcas often most noticeable trait is its dorsal fin. Many whales' fins are adorned with notches, which make identification easy. While female whales' dorsals stay relatively small, a male's can be up to six feet tall. Because there are no bones in the dorsal fin, captive whales usually go through dorsal collapse, where the fin flops over to one side, probably due to heat, diet, gravity, and health stresses. In the wild, dorsal collapse is very rare and associated with mortality & disease. Orcas also have greyish saddle patches, which are unique to each whale. There are three generally recognized saddle patch shapes, which you can see below. There are open saddles, finger saddles, and closed saddles. Open saddles are pretty much unique to resident populations. 

An orca's spine makes up most of its skeleton, and, like all marine mammals, moves in an up and down motion in order to propel the body. Killer whales have robust ribcages which house their internal organs. This makes them naturally front-heavy, the front half of their bodies are much heavier than the back half.

Dolphins and whales are voluntary breathers, which means that they actively chose when to take their next breath, instead of having it be an automatic response. Killer whales have large, powerful lungs in order to hold their breath for up to 20 minutes at a time! Orcas and other cetaceans, unlike other mammals, cannot breathe through their mouths, only their blowholes. An orca's blowhole is located on the top of their head and creates a divot about six inches in diameter. When a whale surfaces, the misty cloud above their head can often give their location to whale watchers. Interestingly, orcas also have very big livers. An orca's liver makes up about 1/4 of its body weight. Killer whale's reproductive organs are stored in the very interior of their bodies, to prevent injury. 

Orcas have thick black and white skin which they slough off continuously. They are also very sensitive to sunlight and sunburn easily, which is why most wild whales spend a lot of time under the surface, and why captive whales are often covered with zinc oxide or other sunscreens. An orca's skin can also be indicative of health problems. Spotty or discolored skin could be a sign of an infection or disease. Baby orcas tend to have orangey colored skin as infants, but they grow out of it as time goes on. There have been a handful of cases of orcas being albino; most notably, T046B1B Tl'uk, a two year old Bigg's Transient who is white. His name means 'the moon', in the Lummi language. His condition does not seem to affect him physically or socially. He may darken as he gets older, and grow out of it. Only time will tell! 

A whale's penduncle is the area of muscle near the tail, sometimes called a flank. Killer whales have flukes, or tails, which are black on the top and white on the bottom. The fluke does not contain bones, and the whales' spine moves in an up and down motion to propel the body. Often, tail slapping or waving is used to express excitement or to communicate with other whales.