2026 just-for-fun March Madness bracket starts today!

You've all been waiting for it, and it's finally time: our 2026 just-for-fun March Madness bracket starts today! Over the last five years, your votes have helped us crown winning whales in various categories. All five of them have been Southern Residents, but this year, we are guaranteed our first Bigg's killer whale champion. Why? Because we're giving them a little boost by removing Southern Residents from the competition for this season!

This year's competition pits 16 Bigg's killer whale contenders in our latest Saddle Patch Showdown to determine who has the best right-side saddle patch. There's no age or sex restriction so we have participants from all backgrounds vying for the top spot. Southern Residents may have all the saddle patch flair, but this year the Bigg's are asking you to look at battle scars and subtler nuances to choose your favorites.

We start round one at the sweet 16 stage, where there are two matches for you to vote in each day. Click the link below, click "Start Voting", cast your vote in the first match, then click "Vote Again" to vote in the second match. Make sure to come back each day for the next 11 days to vote in each consecutive round!

Our first match pits young male T90B Piglet, sporting a black racing stripe on his right-side saddle, against the raked-up saddle of veteran T19 Nootka. The second match is between the 16th seeded underdog T60F Tigris and fan favorite T99B Holly. While Holly is known for her distinctive notches, her good sportsmanship led her to remind fans to vote for her not based on her dorsal, but on her wispy saddle.

Help us kick off round one by voting via this link, and don't forget to lobby for your favorites!