For those of you who are
not living near the Ocean and for our far away readers, this may be of
interest. We live a stone’s throw from
the Pacific shores here at Juan de Fuca Strait in Victoria, Canada. In
this region are not only Humpbacks but also southern resident Orcas. Erroneously called Killer Whales, Orcas are
the warriors of the Dolphin species. Once
in a while we see a Pod on our walks, but only seldom since they prefer to be
in the Salish Sea near the Gulf Islands.There is an Orca “star”, a
centenary-plus great-grandmother who is believed to be 103 years old. (Average lifespan is 60-80 years.)
+by+Simon+Pidcock.jpg)
“Granny” is on the left. Photo Simon Pidcock.
This matriarch, named Granny, was spotted on the weekend near
Saturna Island. She was with her Pod,
called “J Pod” and her “official name” is J2. Researchers say she is in excellent
health. The amazing thing is, 103-year old Granny was spotted in California on May 2, which
means she has travelled 1,290 kilometres in one week! Chapeau.
Brava! Granny!
Henri van Bentum
Does that mean that we finally know where our resident orcas go in the winter? That was a mystery for a long time!
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