Due dorsal fin shape and saddle patch, Nugget used to be easily confused with J17 Princess Angeline. They are one example of similar looking whales across pods, leading one to wonder if it's a coincidence or if they might have been related!

Incredibly, the birth of L82 was witnessed by researchers in the summer of 1990. Observation notes included the whales moving quickly, rolling at the surface, and the newborn being raised to the surface by podmates.

Surprise! was given her name because she was born to a female who was thought to be post-reproductive. Some estimated ages of whales within the L4 matriline were reassessed after her birth.

Many Southern Residents females have calves with different males, but in a few cases, there have been repeat matings resulting in full siblings. One such example is Lapis and her brother Takoda. Both of them were born to L55 Nugget and were sired by J1 Ruffles.

During multi-pod aggregations, young male Southern Residents often form what researchers have called a MOSI, or male-only social interaction. These groups often include a lot of sociosexual behavior and are an important part of life for a juvenile male. During his younger years, Pooka would often be seen with J39 Mako during these assocations. The two males are just 2 years apart in age.

Takoda has one of the most classic adult male resident killer whale dorsal fins in the population: broad and tall with a rounded tip and a silght cant forward.

Young orcas often play with their food, perhaps in part to help hone their hunting techniques. During the summer he was four years old, Finn was observed pushing salmon around at the surface in Haro Strait. Either he was still learning how to process a caught fish for prey sharing, or he was trying to bring back the famed "salmon hat" trend from the 1980s!

Orcas often get rake marks from the teeth of other whales, and usually these fade over time. Jade is unique in that she has distinct white rake marks on both saddle patches that have persisted, giving her a feature that makes her easily identifiable.

Like so many other sons born to whales in K and L Pods, Lazuli doesn't have any living siblings. A new calf seen in early 2026 might change that, as Lazuli's mom L103 Lapis is thought to be the mostly likely mother of L129, too. We will have to wait for L-Pod to return again in 2026 to learn if Lazuli does indeed now have a little brother or sister.

Element has seemingly formed a friendship with K45 Uhura who is one year younger than her. The two often associate when K- and L-Pods are together, perhaps in part because they are closer in age to each other than to any of their own podmates.