North Gulf Oceanic Society
'Residents', the Salmon Specialists
'Residents' should really be called 'loud-mouthed salmon-hungry swim-with-their-mother' killer whales. They might seem like residents when they show up to their favorite fishing hole at the same time every year, but some pods of so-called 'residents' travel 1800km! Like our AF5, AF22, and AG pods that spend most of their time in Southeast Alaska, but are seen frequently in Prince William Sound, Kenai Fjords, and Kodiak! Also the L pod in the San Juan Islands makes regular winter trips to the coast of California.
These salmon specialists LOVE salmon, and it makes up a huge proportion of their diet. In our study area in the Gulf of Alaska, our research shows that Chum, Chinook, and Coho salmon are all very important for these large and calorically expensive whales. We have found they they consume a small amount of Pacific Halibut, Arrowtooth Flounder, and a very small amount of Sockeye Salmon. Is it a surprise to anyone that they don't seem to like Pinks very much?
Residents do in fact swim with their mother their entire lives, so when you see a big bull male, he is not the leader of the pack... He is a giant Momma's Boy! He will mate outside the pod when many animals get together temporarily, then its back to live with Mom.
Residents are very chatty, their families/pods can be identified by their calls, check out our acoustics page!
'Residents', the Salmon Specialists
'Residents' should really be called 'loud-mouthed salmon-hungry swim-with-their-mother' killer whales. They might seem like residents when they show up to their favorite fishing hole at the same time every year, but some pods of so-called 'residents' travel 1800km! Like our AF5, AF22, and AG pods that spend most of their time in Southeast Alaska, but are seen frequently in Prince William Sound, Kenai Fjords, and Kodiak! Also the L pod in the San Juan Islands makes regular winter trips to the coast of California.
These salmon specialists LOVE salmon, and it makes up a huge proportion of their diet. In our study area in the Gulf of Alaska, our research shows that Chum, Chinook, and Coho salmon are all very important for these large and calorically expensive whales. We have found they they consume a small amount of Pacific Halibut, Arrowtooth Flounder, and a very small amount of Sockeye Salmon. Is it a surprise to anyone that they don't seem to like Pinks very much?
Residents do in fact swim with their mother their entire lives, so when you see a big bull male, he is not the leader of the pack... He is a giant Momma's Boy! He will mate outside the pod when many animals get together temporarily, then its back to live with Mom.
Residents are very chatty, their families/pods can be identified by their calls, check out our acoustics page!
'Residents', the Salmon Specialists
'Residents' should really be called 'loud-mouthed salmon-hungry swim-with-their-mother' killer whales. They might seem like residents when they show up to their favorite fishing hole at the same time every year, but some pods of so-called 'residents' travel 1800km! Like our AF5, AF22, and AG pods that spend most of their time in Southeast Alaska, but are seen frequently in Prince William Sound, Kenai Fjords, and Kodiak! Also the L pod in the San Juan Islands makes regular winter trips to the coast of California.
These salmon specialists LOVE salmon, and it makes up a huge proportion of their diet. In our study area in the Gulf of Alaska, our research shows that Chum, Chinook, and Coho salmon are all very important for these large and calorically expensive whales. We have found they they consume a small amount of Pacific Halibut, Arrowtooth Flounder, and a very small amount of Sockeye Salmon. Is it a surprise to anyone that they don't seem to like Pinks very much?
Residents do in fact swim with their mother their entire lives, so when you see a big bull male, he is not the leader of the pack... He is a giant Momma's Boy! He will mate outside the pod when many animals get together temporarily, then its back to live with Mom.
Residents are very chatty, their families/pods can be identified by their calls, check out our acoustics page!
"Transients,' or Bigg's killer whales, are the mammal specialists, and while they often have a huge range compared with residents, they have their favorite hunting spots also. They have home ranges, just a bit bigger. In fact, we have some very 'local' transients.
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They love harbor seals and porpoise, which have a lot of blubber and don't put up much of a fight. Some 'transients' will take sea lions, fur seals, or even larger whales, but this is dangerous work and requires some specialized skills... it doesn't happen overnight!
The North Gulf Oceanic Society is a small non-profit in Homer and Seward, Alaska, dedicated to whale research and education since 1984!
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We keep track of more than 950 killer whales in the Kenai Fjords, Prince William Sound, and the Gulf of Alaska through Photo ID. We have nearly 40 years of long-term monitoring, and we work to demonstrate trends in population health, impacts of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, response to food availability, and changing temperatures.
We collaborate extensively with NOAA and their Canadian equivalent, DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) to gain a better understanding of a healthy ocean, and to compare trends for whales in Alaska with those in British Columbia and Washington State (e.g., the endangered Southern Residents).
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Our funding for 2023 was secured, and our project fits the mission of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, so we are hopeful for continued funding. The Alaskan community has reached out on our behalf. Read some of our letters of support here.