1. LUNA THE KILLER WHALE INTRODUCTION Killer Whales / Orcas
Luna (L98 / Tsuxiit)
Luna Stewardship Project
LUNA THE KILLER WHALE
Photo - Jared Towers
Video - Chantelle Tucker

2. KILLER WHALES Male Female Largest dolphin (cone shaped teeth)
Live in all cold oceans of the world
Rounded head and indistinct beak
Male dorsal fin grows to 6 feet; female dorsal fin grows to 3 feet and are more curved
Maximum: length for males is 32 feet and 28 for females; weight 22,000 and 16,000 lb respectively
Equivalent to the weight of 4 to 5 rhinos
Female L2
A32
Photo - Jared Towers

3. Model of an adult male killer whale dorsal fin
Killer whales are fully grown at 20 years of age
Photo - Chantelle Tucker

4. BC KILLER WHALES Residents Transients eat fish
inhabit the coast during the spring, summer, and fall months
unknown winter range
Transients
eat meat
unpredictable year-round range
In British Columbia, there are two distinct ecotypes of killer whales. They have different behaviours, morphologies, genetics, diet, and do not interbreed. This includes two populations of fish eaters; called northern and southern residents, a population of meat eaters; called transients.
T14
Photo - Rachael Griffin
Photo - Jared Towers

5. BC RESIDENT KILLER WHALE RANGE
214 threatened whales
87 endangered whales
There are two populations of fish eating killer whales in BC, called the northern and southern residents. The southern residents travel in the waters of southern Vancouver Island and Washington State. Total number of whales in this population is about 84 compared to around 200 whales in the northern community. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada acknowledges the southern resident killer whale population and lists them as Endangered. Endangered means they are almost extinct and could die out, leaving no representatives in this area.
Map - Modified from Ford 1991
Video - Chantelle Tucker

6. RESIDENT KILLER WHALE SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Longevity - males live up to 50 years old (ave 30) and females live to 90 years (ave 50)
Matriline - mother and up to 4 generations of her offspring, stay in acoustic contact all their lives
Pod - a group of related matrilines
Clan - pods that share similar vocal calls
Photo - Jared Towers

7. THREATS Decrease in fish stocks Pollution Vessel interactions
Photo - Jared Towers
Video - Chantelle Tucker

8. VOCALIZATIONS Echolocate - prey and the marine environment
Calls – maintain group cohesion and convey pod identity
Killer whales have adapted to their murky environments by utilizing sound as a communication device. Vocalizations of residents include clicks and pulsed calls. A series of clicks are used to echolocate prey and the marine environment. Calls dominate killer whale vocal sounds and seem to maintain family cohesion and convey group identity.
Audio - Rachael Griffin
Video - Chantelle Tucker

9. LUNA Five years old (b. Sep 1999) L pod member (L98)
L2 matriline (family)
Photo - Rachael Griffin

10. LUNA’S FAMILY
The southern resident killer whale community (J clan) consists of 3 pods (J, K, and L)
There are 12 matrilines in L pod
L pod lost 5 members over the winter season including Luna / L98 and his uncle Orcan / L39
Ford et al. 2000

11. LUNA’S HISTORY
Identified in Nootka Sound. Muchalaht/Mowachaht First Nation of Gold River recognize the whale as embodying their late chief Ambrose Maquinna and name him Tsuxiit.
Luna Stewardship Project begins monitoring as interactions with the juvenile whale increase.
Department of Fisheries and Oceans decide to reunite Luna for public and whale safety.
Attempts to move Luna are put on hold.
In July of 2001, Luna was identified in Nootka Sound. The Muchalat / Mochalat First Nations of Gold River name Luna “Tsux-iit”after their father the chief. As a lone social animal Luna started approaching boats. People unintentionally reinforced this behaviour by interacting with the young killer whale. By July 2002, Luna was interacting with vessels on a daily basis so the Marine Mammal Monitoring program, known as M3, was asked by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to deploy a stewardship vessel and crew into the area. In 2003, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans decided to intervene with Luna and relocate him the following year back to his family for the safety of the public and the whale.
Photo - Rachael Griffin

12. Vancouver Island Luna is here in Nootka Sound
Luna’s family lives in the Juan de Fuca Strait
Map – Advanced Satellite Productions

13. LUNA STEWARDSHIP PROJECT (LSP)
Monitoring
Education
Research
LUNA STEWARDSHIP PROJECT (LSP)
LSP
LSP
LSP
Video -Chantelle Tucker
Photo - Rachael Griffin

14. LUNA GUIDELINES: Do not approach or interact with Luna
Do not stop or slow down around Luna
Maintain vessel speed and direction
Photo -Rachael Griffin
Video- Chantelle Tucker

15. ACOUSTIC RESEARCH
Over 200 calls analyzed
Luna uses three family calls

16. Luna’s First Call in Nootka Sound (L98_1)
L98_1 is repeated twice
Sound frequency (kHz) versus time (s) graph of Luna’s first call (L98_1)
Audio - Rachael Griffin

17. Luna’s Second (L98_2) and Third (L98_3) Calls
L98_2 is emitted before L98_3
L98_2
L98_3
Sound frequency (kHz) versus time (s) graph of Luna’s second call (L98_2)
Sound frequency (kHz) versus time (s) graph of Luna’s third call (L98_3)
Audio - Rachael Griffin

18. SUMMARY
KILLER WHALES - males grow to 32 feet long, live up to 60 years of age, and live in family groups all their lives.
LUNA - juvenile male endangered killer whale alone in Nootka Sound, his mother is alive and he is making family calls.
LSP - crew go out on the water to educate boaters and encourage them to stay away from Luna.

19. ORCA RECOVERY ACTIONS www.lunastewardship.com
Promote conservation awareness
Help clean up salmon watersheds
Use biodegradable products
Learn more about stewardship
Volunteer
Photo - Jared Towers