Classroom adoption packages available!
An adoption package is a fabulous way to introduce students to the idea of environmental stewardship, learn about killer whales (a marine mammal), their fragile habitat, and doing the right thing for marine conservation.
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Nasparti (B17) with Uncle Slingsby (B10)
Photo by Lance Barrett-Lennard
Five new calves join the Adoption Program!
We are happy to announce that our 2008 babies survived their crucial first year and they’re ready for you to adopt!
Cameleon (A88), named after Cameleon Harbour on Sonora Island, is Sonora’s (A42) third calf and we can already tell you that Cameleon is a little girl. Kanish (A89), named after Kanish Bay on Quadra Island, is Schooner’s (A64) first calf and we wish Schooner well as a new mom. Pine (A90), named after Pine Island in Queen Charlotte Strait, is Skagit’s (A35) fifth calf. Nasparti (B17), name after Nasparti Inlet off northwest Vancouver Island, is Klaskish’s (B14) second calf. Kelp (K42) is the third calf of Lea (K14) and thanks to the Center for Whale Research we also know that Kelp is a little boy.
Northern resident killer whales have a clan based mating system which means they almost always mate with members outside their own clan. In the southern residents, where there is only one clan, individuals will mate with members outside their own pod. Mating is generally thought to occur in late summer and fall when several clans come together to feed on migrating salmon. Killer whales have a long gestation rate of about 17 months and calves appear to be born in winter or early spring. Researchers admit though that mating and calving can probably occur in any month of the year.
The first year for a killer whale calf is crucial and unfortunately the survival rate during the first 6 months is only about 60%. Factors such as pollution, winter weather and inexperience of first time mothers may all contribute to the low survival rate. For this reason we feel it is important to wait and make sure the new calves survive their first year and are seen by researchers the following summer before we add them to the adoption program.
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By becoming a member of the B.C. Wild Killer Whale Adoption Program you will be directly supporting research on wild killer whales. Continuing research will lead to a better understanding of the whales, their place in the ocean ecosystem, and the conservation measures necessary to protect them.
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B.C.
WILD KILLER WHALE ADOPTION PROGRAM
Join the Killer Whale
Conservation Team!
Adopt a wild killer whale today!
How Do I Adopt a Whale?
To symbolically adopt a whale and support our field research program, you simply choose the type of adoption package that suits you best, and select the whale or whales you would like from a list of transient and resident killer whales living off the coast of British Columbia. Choosing your whale is the hardest part. Some people select a whale born in the same year that they were or the year their child or grandchild was born. Others select whales because they like the sound of their name. Still others choose their whale because its picture appeals to them. To get started on adopting your whale, click here.
What Do I Get with My Adoption?
We have a variety of adoption packages, but they all have something in common. With all packages you will receive a photograph and biography of the whale you've chosen, an adoption certificate, and the most recent issue of our annual journal, the Blackfish Sounder. For more details, click here.
How will my adoption help wild killer whales?
Killer whales, or orcas, are found
in all the world's oceans, but nowhere are they more accessible
for viewing and studying than in Canada's west coast waters.
Learning everything we can about killer whales
is the best way to protect them.
- How
do new pods form?
- Where
do resident killer whales go in the winter months?
- Why
do 50 per cent of newborns die in their first year?
- How
do killer whale dialects develop over time?
- Are
killer whales particularly susceptible to environmental
toxins?
- Is
increased boat traffic affecting killer whale behaviour?
Researchers
in Canada and the U.S. have been investigating groups
of killer whales that frequent the area annually for
more than 25 years and are trying to answer these questions
and others. Once widely feared, killer whales are now
understood far better than they were only three decades
ago.
Some
of the projects funded by the program include:
Population
genetics: Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard
at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine
Science Centre has been using
DNA analysis to answer questions
like how do resident killer whales
avoid inbreeding and how do female
killer whales know how to choose
a mate.
Acoustics:
Killer whales rely on sound
to communicate and to navigate
through the water. Researchers
are studying the sounds killer
whales make to learn more about
their social structure and
monitor their movements along
the B.C. coast.
Photo-identification: Photo-identification
is one of the most useful
tools of whale biologists.
It is an invaluable method
of monitoring the health
of British Columbia's killer
whale populations.
Marine Mammal Conservation: Click the link above to read about many of the research and conservation projects sponsored by the Adoption Program in back issues of our annual research newsletter, the Blackfish Sounder. In the 2007 edition, for example, you'll find details of an international conference on fisheries depredation (raiding of fishing gear) by killer whales and sperm whales, and research into the causes of a massive sea otter decline in Alaska. By the way, the most recent edition of the Blackfish Sounder is only available to Adoption Program Members!
Adopt a wild killer whale for yourself or someone else.
A gift membership in the B.C. Wild Killer Whale Adoption
Program is a unique and thoughtful gift for people of all
ages.
The
B.C. Wild Killer Whale Adoption Program is hosted by
the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, a non-profit
organization. All contributions go directly to research
and conservation of killer whales in the wild. Contributions
are tax-deductible both in Canada and the USA to the
extent of the law.
Contact us:
B.C. Wild Killer Whale Adoption Program
Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre
P.O. Box 3232
Vancouver, BC, Canada
V6B 3X8
PHONE: (604) 659-3430
E-MAIL:CLICK HERE
Books of Interest
Operation Orca - Springer, Luna and the Struggle to Save West coast Whales - Daniel Francis and Gil Hewlett
A wonderfully well-written and well-researched account of the lost killer whale calves Springer and Luna and the nature of their kin off Canada's west coast. To purchase this tale contact the Killer Whale Adoption Program at 604-659-3430.
Leaving Resurrection:
Chronicles of a Whale Scientist - Eva Saulitis
Beautiful collection of
lyrical and meditative essays. To order visit the publishers website.
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