The L22's are still hanging out on the West side of San Juan Island as of 7/6/13, after arriving on 6/30/13.
The "Odyssey", a San Juan Excursions whale watching boat, caught up with this matriline again today near False Bay, as they foraged for Chinook salmon. The L22 matriline is made up of only three members now: Spirit L22, and her two sons named Skana L79, and Solstice L89. I thought in this blog post we could take a closer look at the story of the L22's and the members of this matriline that could be seen with these three orcas in the past. We will look at this entire matriline from the point of Spirit L22.
The "Odyssey", a San Juan Excursions whale watching boat, caught up with this matriline again today near False Bay, as they foraged for Chinook salmon. The L22 matriline is made up of only three members now: Spirit L22, and her two sons named Skana L79, and Solstice L89. I thought in this blog post we could take a closer look at the story of the L22's and the members of this matriline that could be seen with these three orcas in the past. We will look at this entire matriline from the point of Spirit L22.
Spirit L22 on 7/6/13.
Spirit's mother was Olympia L32, who was estimated to have been born in 1955, but passed away in 2005, at an estimated age of fifty years old. On the day of her death, Olympia was extremely emaciated to where her bones were showing. Even the back of her skull was visible. She could hardly open her blow hole and struggled to breathe. She swam slowly just at the surface and paused next to a whale watching boat, where witnesses say that Spirit's younger brother named Onyx L87, born in 1992, surfaced beside her and supported her at the surface so she could breathe. Soon mother and son moved off and dove underwater. Onyx surfaced awhile later but Olympia did not, and was never seen again.
Once Olympia was gone, Spirit and her family continued on, but Onyx started traveling with an elder female in K pod called Lummi K7 (est.1910-2008). The two would hang out for awhile, Onyx right in her slipstream, but when K and L pod went their separate ways, Onyx would rejoin Spirit and the rest of his family. This was interesting because often when an orca loses its mother it will travel with its other family members. But Onyx surprised us all and continued spending time with Lummi until, instead of leaving Lummi when it was time to go, he stayed with her. From then on Onyx spent all of his time with K pod. It seems that Onyx had adopted Lummi or had she had adopted him?
Once Olympia was gone, Spirit and her family continued on, but Onyx started traveling with an elder female in K pod called Lummi K7 (est.1910-2008). The two would hang out for awhile, Onyx right in her slipstream, but when K and L pod went their separate ways, Onyx would rejoin Spirit and the rest of his family. This was interesting because often when an orca loses its mother it will travel with its other family members. But Onyx surprised us all and continued spending time with Lummi until, instead of leaving Lummi when it was time to go, he stayed with her. From then on Onyx spent all of his time with K pod. It seems that Onyx had adopted Lummi or had she had adopted him?
Onyx L87 on 6/5/13.
Then in 2008, Lummi passed away at an estimated age of ninety eight, and Onyx was left without a mother figure again, but not for long. Onyx was then adopted by Georgia K11 (est.1933-2010), Lummi’s probable daughter, until she passed away in 2010, at the estimated age seventy seven. Again, Onyx was left in search for another mother, and by now was eighteen years old. A mother figure is one of the most important things to an orca, as sons and daughters stay with their mother their entire lives. Luckily Onyx began spending time with two elder females in J pod named Spieden J8, estimated to have been born in 1933 and Granny J2, estimated to have been born in 1911, and he switched pods again from K to J pod. To this day he can still be seen with these two elder females.
Spirit has had four siblings during her life time but only one, Onyx, is still alive. Spirit is the oldest of Olympia's offspring, and her other siblings were two brothers named Leo L44 (1974-1998), and Scotia L63 (1984-1995) and one sibling named Disney L56 (1978-1981) who was never sexed.
She had one aunt named Misky L28 (est.1949-1994), and three cousins but only one is left, a male named Mystery L85, born in 1991. Spirit's other cousins were Dylan L38 (est.1965-1998), and Summer L69 (1984-1985). Mystery is kind of like Onyx in a way but instead of changing pods, he changed matrilines. After Mystery lost his mother, Misky, in 1994, he was raised his older brother Dylan until 1995, when Alexis (est.1933-2012) came along and together she and Dylan took care of Mystery. Three years later, Dylan passed away at just thirty three years old, and for the next fourteen years, until Alexis passed away in 2012 at an estimated age of seventy nine, Mystery and Alexis stuck together, traveling with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Mystery can still be seen with Alexis' family to this day.
Spirit had her first calf, a daughter named Panda L75 in 1986 but she died in 1993. She went on to have two more children, sons Skana L79, who was born in 1989, and Solstice L89, born in 1993.
Spirit has had four siblings during her life time but only one, Onyx, is still alive. Spirit is the oldest of Olympia's offspring, and her other siblings were two brothers named Leo L44 (1974-1998), and Scotia L63 (1984-1995) and one sibling named Disney L56 (1978-1981) who was never sexed.
She had one aunt named Misky L28 (est.1949-1994), and three cousins but only one is left, a male named Mystery L85, born in 1991. Spirit's other cousins were Dylan L38 (est.1965-1998), and Summer L69 (1984-1985). Mystery is kind of like Onyx in a way but instead of changing pods, he changed matrilines. After Mystery lost his mother, Misky, in 1994, he was raised his older brother Dylan until 1995, when Alexis (est.1933-2012) came along and together she and Dylan took care of Mystery. Three years later, Dylan passed away at just thirty three years old, and for the next fourteen years, until Alexis passed away in 2012 at an estimated age of seventy nine, Mystery and Alexis stuck together, traveling with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Mystery can still be seen with Alexis' family to this day.
Spirit had her first calf, a daughter named Panda L75 in 1986 but she died in 1993. She went on to have two more children, sons Skana L79, who was born in 1989, and Solstice L89, born in 1993.
Skana L79 on 7/6/13.
Solstice L89 on 7/6/13.
Spirit has gone through menopause now, and with no more females to continue on the matriline, this family will disappear when these members pass away (many, many, many, years from now). When the Southern Resident orca survey began in 1976, L pod was made up of twelve matrilines, but since then, two families lost their reproductive females and disappeared. Now there are ten matrilines that make up L pod, three of which, including Spirit's family, are dead ones. J pod has one dead matriline out of the five matrilines that make up the pod currently, but the pod has not lost any matrilines since 1976. K pod has six matrilines in it, with one dead one, and has lost two families since 1976.
What will the future hold for the Southern Resident orcas? With many threats that can knock out reproductive females and calves, we can help the Southern Resident matrilines have a fighting chance by changing our ways.
What will the future hold for the Southern Resident orcas? With many threats that can knock out reproductive females and calves, we can help the Southern Resident matrilines have a fighting chance by changing our ways.
