Springer (killer Whale) - Identification

Identification

Killer whale experts tried to solve the mystery of this faraway whale, initially known to locals and ferry workers as "Baby Orphan Orca" ("Boo") or "Little Orcan Annie." They pored over high-resolution photographs of the young orca, images provided by concerned advocates like Seattle photographer and marine scientist Fred Felleman. They also hoped to find clues in the orca's calls.

The killer whales of Washington State and British Columbia coasts have been extensively studied since the pioneering work of Michael Bigg in the early 1970s. Each of the approximately 500 killer whales which frequent these waters is named, and experienced watchers of these animals can recognize individuals by their unique markings and the shape of each killer whale's dorsal fin. Birth records of each killer whale have enabled the compilation of detailed family trees. They are considered the most-intensively studied and best-known marine mammal population in the world.

Orcas in the region's inner coastal waters take two forms, "resident" and "transient," which have different diets and social structures and do not interbreed. Different groups of orcas vocalize using different sets of calls, known as "dialects." Closely related groups have more similar dialects than more distant relatives.

In February, Seattle marine acoustics specialist Joe Olson from the Puget Sound Chapter of the American Cetacean Society recorded Springer's calls in Puget Sound. From those recordings and the Felleman photographs, Helena Symonds of OrcaLab and Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada biologist John Ford determined that the killer whale belonged to a group of around 215 killer whales known as the Northern Resident Community, ranging some 250 miles north, a group rarely seen in the Puget Sound area. Resident killer whales leave the coast each fall; their migration routes are still relatively unknown.

It was known that A45, a female killer whale from this community, and her calf A73 had not returned to Johnstone Strait the previous summer and were both feared to be dead. Through assessment of Springer's dialect, she was confirmed to be A73. A45, also known as "Sutlej," was Springer's mother. Her body was never found. Orca fathers do not play a role in rearing their young, so Springer is considered an orphan. Her closest maternal relatives are other members of the matriline (subpod) known as A24, which is in the pod known as A4. A73 had been given the nickname "Springer" shortly after her birth. Like many of the region's killer whales, she is named after a geographical feature – Springer Point in southern Johnstone Strait.