Photo: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/killer-whale#populations

Orcas (Orcinus orca) are the state marine mammal of Washington. They are often seen in the Puget Sound and along the west coast of the United States. However, they do not exclusively exist in Washington State. Orcas can be found in oceans all around the world. They are often called Killer Whales, a name that came from ancient sailors who witnessed Orcas hunting whales. This earned them the name “Whale Killers” which later changed to “Killer Whales.” The name Killer Whale is misleading because Orcas are not whales. They are actually the largest member of the dolphin family (Delphinidae). Though, the “killer” part of their name holds true because they are top predators of the ocean and expert hunters. Different pods of Orcas have different primary food preferences including fish, sharks, pinnepeds (seals and sea lions), and sometimes whales. They also eat sea turtles, squid, octopus, otters, and even sea birds. Humans, however, are not on an Orca’s menu.

Orca populations

Orcas are very social and travel in family groups, or pods, that are based around the matriarch, or mothers of the family. To keep track of Orcas, scientists identify them by their dorsal fin, saddle patch, and other notable markings on their body. They also assign letters to pods of Orcas to help scientists track the families. Individual Orcas are given numbers and a name. For example, the oldest known Orca who lived to be 105 years old was known as J2-Granny. J is the family pod, which she was considered the matriarch of, and the “2” identifies her as an individual along with her name “Granny.” You can view more of “J-pod” here: https://whalemuseum.org/collections/meet-the-whales

Orca populations we see in Washington are often divided into 3 categories: Resident, Transient, and Off-shore. Resident Orcas are generally fish eaters, preferring Chinook Salmon. There are 4 populations of Resident Orcas. The ones that spend a lot of time around the San Juan Islands and the start of the Puget Sound are the Southern Residents and consist of the pods: J, K, and L. Transient Orcas travel in smaller groups from California to Alaska. They generally eat more marine mammals but will eat more of a variety of animals than Resident Orcas do. Occasionally, Transient Orcas come into Puget Sound in search of seals and sea lions. Lastly, are the Off-shore Orcas. They live and travel up to nine miles away from the shoreline and are smaller in comparison to the other Orca populations. They generally feed on sharks and other fish.