#northern residents

a24matriline:

A rare sighting of Springer(A73) with her nearest relatives, the A24s! They were near Hartley Bay in May 2019

Photo credit: Archie Dundas (x)

Ocean Wise Marine Mammal Research Program:

Here’s one of our favourite shots of northern resident killer whales (the A42s) taken during our drone research study. From top to bottom individuals are Current (A79), Albion (A103), Cameleon (A88), and Sonora (A42). During periods of social activity, northern residents will spend a considerable amount of time rubbing their bodies on sloped, pebble beaches. Researchers do not know if there is a specific purpose for this behaviour or if it’s for pleasure or recreation.

Learn more about how we’re using drones to measure the body condition of killer whales here: https://research.ocean.org/project/body-condition-of-killer-whales (x)