Southern Resident Killer Whales of the Salish Sea
A living field guide to J, K and L Pods—the families, individuals and histories of the endangered fish-eating killer whales of the Pacific Northwest.
Search by J-, K- or L-number, nickname or matriline. We’ll take you directly to the matching catalogue results.
Meet the salmon specialists
Southern Resident killer whales are a genetically and culturally distinct fish-eating community made up of J, K and L Pods. Their society is matriarchal, and the basic family unit is the matriline: an older female, her sons and daughters, and the descendants of those daughters.
Unlike Bigg’s killer whales, Southern Residents are salmon specialists. Chinook is especially important, with chum and several other fish species also contributing to the diet. They may catch fish individually, but food sharing is a defining family behavior—especially from females to their offspring.
These whales can live in close maternal families for decades. Adult sons commonly remain with their mothers, and older females can continue helping descendants long after they stop reproducing. A few unusual whales have changed their primary travel companions after losing close relatives, showing that even within a strongly structured society there is room for individual social history.
Dorsal-fin shape, saddle patches and scars help researchers distinguish individual Southern Resident killer whales.
Living Southern Residents expected in the provisional July 1, 2026 census, pending final confirmation by the Center for Whale Research.
J-Pod whales in the current working count used for this guide.
K-Pod whales in the current working count, including K47.
L-Pod whales in the provisional working count, including L130 and excluding the lost calf L129.
Reading a Southern Resident designation
Every Southern Resident receives the letter of the pod in which the whale is catalogued—J, K or L—followed by a number. The number is an individual catalogue ID; it does not encode the family relationship the way a Bigg’s T-number often does.
What does “J16s” mean?
The added “s” is shorthand for a matriline. The J16s include Slick and her descendants even though those descendants have completely different individual IDs such as J26, J36 and J42.
Why do nicknames matter?
Common names make individual whales easier for the public to recognize, but the J-, K- and L-numbers are the stable reference system. Nicknames can come from Indigenous languages, places, scientists, physical markings, cultural references or public naming programs.
Fish hunters. Family culture.
Southern Residents are defined as much by what they learn from one another as by where they travel. Foraging, food sharing, calls and social relationships are all carried through generations.
Chinook remain central
Chinook salmon are a key prey, and recent Canadian science shows that May–September diets in Canadian critical habitat are dominated by Chinook. Chum and other fish become important at other times and places, while salmon abundance and accessibility strongly influence where the pods spend their time.
Food gets shared
A whale may make a catch alone and still bring pieces back to close relatives. Mothers and other females are especially important providers within their matrilines.
The old summer pattern changed
J Pod remains the most frequent inland visitor, while K and L range farther along the outer coast. All three pods now spend far less summer time around the San Juan Islands; July 2026 was the first July in Orca Behavior Institute’s modern Salish Sea tracking with no confirmed Southern Resident visit.
Endangered for more than one reason
Southern Residents face overlapping ecological, human-caused and genetic pressures. Recovery is not about solving a single problem—it depends on improving the conditions that allow a very small, slow-reproducing population to survive and raise calves.
Endangered in the United States and Canada
The population is listed as Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and under Canada’s Species at Risk Act. Canada’s most recent imminent-threat assessment concluded that threats to survival and recovery remain imminent.
A population reshaped by removals
Federal assessments estimate that 47 Southern Resident whales—mostly young animals—were removed during the live-capture era from 1967–1973. The first complete census in 1974 counted only 71 whales.
Isolation has a biological cost
Genome research shows strong inbreeding depression in Southern Residents, reducing survival and reproductive potential. No mating with another killer-whale population is currently known, so genetic isolation remains an important constraint alongside prey, contaminants and disturbance.
The population is documented whale by whale
The annual Southern Resident census is a July 1 snapshot, while births, deaths, body-condition assessments and family assignments continue to develop throughout the year. As of this review, NOAA’s public species page still cites the finalized July 2025 census of 74 whales, while Center for Whale Research reporting indicates the provisional July 1, 2026 census is expected to reach 76 if final confirmations hold.
The 2026 total therefore remains labeled provisional in this edition. K47’s maternity is intentionally left unresolved because current public research sources conflict, while L130’s maternity and sex also remain unresolved. L129, first documented in February 2026, was absent during the June re-encounter and is expected to be recorded as both a birth and a death within the 2026 census year.
Find a whale or family
Search by J-, K- or L-number, nickname, matriline, identification feature or family story. Open any entry for current members, losses, relationships and deeper field notes.
01 J16s — Slick’s family J Pod
Current / recently active members
- J16 / Slick — female, estimated born 1972
- J26 / Mike — male, born 1991
- J36 / Alki — female, born 1999
- J42 / Echo — female, born 2007
Historical / missing / presumed deceased
- J64 — calf born to J42 in September 2025; missing within weeks and presumed deceased
Family notes
- The J16s are one of six living J-Pod matrilines.
- J42 / Echo produced her first confirmed calf, J64, in 2025; the calf did not survive.
Individual field notes
- Slick’s unusually tall dorsal once caused early observers to classify her as a young male. She later became one of the population’s most successful mothers.
- Mike was named in memory of pioneering killer-whale researcher Michael Bigg. He was closely bonded with his much younger sister J50 during the final period of her life.
- Genetic studies have revealed unusually close-relative paternity in this family: J26 sired J42 with his mother J16 and also sired J52 with his sister J36, a concrete example of the inbreeding now known to affect the population.
- Alki has experienced repeated reproductive loss, including J52 and later failed pregnancies. In September 2025 she was observed carrying a full-term or near-full-term calf that did not survive.
- Echo is especially recognizable by open saddle patches on both sides and tends to be more socially flexible than several of her close relatives. Her first confirmed viable calf, J64, was born in 2025 but disappeared within weeks.
02 J19s — Shachi’s family J Pod
Current / recently active members
- J19 / Shachi — female, born 1979
- J41 / Eclipse — female, born 2005
- J51 / Nova — male, born 2015
- J58 / Crescent — female, born 2020
- J62 — female, first seen in late December 2024
Family notes
- J19 / Shachi is one of the oldest living females in J-Pod.
- J62 is a daughter of J41 / Eclipse and was first documented at the end of 2024.
Individual field notes
- Shachi has increasingly filled the leadership role once associated with J2 / Granny and is often observed near the front when J Pod changes direction or travels through major waterways.
- Eclipse became the youngest documented Southern Resident mother when she gave birth to Nova before age ten; Shachi played a major role in helping raise him.
- Crescent and J57 / Phoenix are close-aged podmates and have often been seen traveling or playing together while their mothers alternate supervision.
- J62 is Eclipse’s third surviving calf and was confirmed female in early 2025.
03 J22s — Oreo’s family J Pod
Current / recently active members
- J22 / Oreo — female, born 1985
- J38 / Cookie — male, born 2003
Family notes
- The J22s are currently one of J-Pod’s smallest matrilines.
Individual field notes
- Oreo is the last surviving female in her immediate matriline and has also acted as a caregiver outside her direct mother-calf relationship.
- Cookie frequently associates with J39 / Mako of the J11s. Their families have long traveled together, and the two males grew up as close-aged companions.
- Cookie’s tall, rounded-hook dorsal and matching finger-like saddle features make him increasingly distinctive as he matures.
04 J11s — descendants of Blossom J Pod
Current / recently active members
- J27 / Blackberry — male, born 1991
- J31 / Tsuchi — female, born 1995
- J39 / Mako — male, born 2003
- J56 / Tofino — female, born 2019
Family notes
- The J11 matriline is named for deceased matriarch J11 / Blossom; her descendants remain part of the living family line.
- J56 / Tofino is a daughter of J31 / Tsuchi.
Individual field notes
- Blackberry and Tsuchi helped their five-year-old brother Mako survive after the siblings lost their mother J11 in 2008—an unusually clear example of older siblings filling a parental role.
- Tsuchi can be recognized by a jagged dark cheek-line pattern below the eye patch. She was seen carrying a deceased calf in 2016 before later producing surviving daughter Tofino.
- Mako once carried fishing gear in his mouth in 2015 and later shed it without an obvious injury.
- Tofino is notably surface active and has developed a reputation for frequent breaching.
05 J17s — Tahlequah’s family J Pod
Current / recently active members
- J35 / Tahlequah — female, born 1998
- J44 / Moby — male, born 2009
- J46 / Star — female, born 2009
- J47 / Notch — male, born 2010
- J53 / Kiki — female, born 2015
- J57 / Phoenix — male, born 2020
Family notes
- The J17s are one of J-Pod’s largest current matrilines.
- J35 / Tahlequah became internationally known after carrying her deceased calf for an extended period in 2018; she later gave birth to surviving son J57 / Phoenix in 2020.
Individual field notes
- Tahlequah became known around the world in 2018 after carrying her dead newborn for 17 days and more than 1,000 miles. Family members were at times seen helping carry the calf.
- After losing another newborn daughter, J61, at the end of 2024, Tahlequah was again observed carrying the calf’s body.
- Star attempted to support her younger nursing-age brother J54 after their mother disappeared, including bringing fish and helping him surface, but he did not survive.
- Notch’s dorsal injury occurred when he was young and the shape of the notch has changed as his fin has grown.
- Phoenix has been documented playing with driftwood and kelp and engaging in energetic play with close-aged J58 / Crescent.
06 J14s — Samish family line J Pod
Current / recently active members
- J37 / Hy’shqa — female, born 2001
- J40 / Suttles — female, born 2004
- J45 / Se-Yi’-Chn — male, born 2009
- J49 / T’ilem I’nges — male, born 2012
- J59 / Sxwyeqólh — female, born 2022
- J63 — female, first seen April 2025
Family notes
- The J14 family line descends from J14 / Samish.
- J63 was first documented in April 2025 and is the first documented calf of J40 / Suttles.
Individual field notes
- Hy’shqa has a pointed dorsal shape that looks more Bigg’s-like than the rounded fins typical of many Residents.
- Suttles became known as an enthusiastic babysitter before becoming a mother herself. J63, first documented in 2025, is her first known calf and was later confirmed female.
- J45 / Se-Yi’-Chn acquired a new notch near the base of his dorsal fin at the end of 2025; rake marks around the wound suggested rough social contact with another killer whale.
- By June 2026, J49 / T’ilem I’nges was visibly beginning to sprout, an important identification change as his dorsal fin develops toward adult male proportions.
- Several whales in this family carry names chosen through Samish cultural naming traditions.
- Sxwyeqólh’s name is associated with hope for the future, an especially fitting meaning for a young female in an endangered population.
07 K12s — Sequim’s family K Pod
Current / recently active members
- K12 / Sequim — female, estimated born 1972
- K22 / Sekiu — female, born 1987
- K33 / Tika — male, born 2001
- K37 / Rainshadow — male, born 2003
- K43 / Saturna — female, born 2010
Family notes
- The K12s are one of four current K-Pod matrilines.
- K12 / Sequim has been a long-lived matriarch within the endangered population.
Individual field notes
- Sequim’s narrow, wispy saddle patches are among the more unusual saddle shapes in the Southern Resident population.
- Sekiu once helped care for a newly orphaned young relative after the calf’s mother died, another example of alloparental care within the community.
- Rainshadow carried a temporary suction-cup research tag in 2020 that collected valuable overnight behavioral and acoustic data. In 2024 he appeared with a fresh notch in his dorsal fin.
- Saturna’s saddle patches have distinctive dark streaking along the back ridge and she is now within the age range when researchers watch closely for a first calf.
08 K13s — Spock’s family K Pod
Current / recently active members
- K20 / Spock — female, born 1986
- K27 / Deadhead — female, born 1994
- K38 / Comet — male, born 2004
- K45 / Uhura — female, born 2022
Family notes
- K45 / Uhura was the first successful calf born into K-Pod after an approximately 11-year gap.
- K45 is a daughter of K20 / Spock.
Individual field notes
- Spock’s tall dorsal caused her to be classified as male when she was young; the birth of Comet confirmed she was female.
- Deadhead lost her only known calf, K44, who disappeared and was declared deceased in 2022.
- Comet is unusual for an adult male because his dorsal has remained shorter than expected, retaining a sprouter-like appearance well into adulthood.
- K45 / Uhura was the first successful K-Pod birth after an approximately eleven-year gap and, as a young female, is especially important to the pod’s future reproductive potential.
09 K14s — Lea’s family K Pod
Current / recently active members
- K14 / Lea — female, born 1977
- K36 / Yoda — female, born 2003
- K42 / Kelp — male, born 2008
Family notes
- The K14s have historically formed a close family unit within K-Pod.
- A new K-Pod calf designated K47 was first documented in December 2025. The calf is treated separately below because current public research sources still conflict on maternity.
Individual field notes
- Lea and her sister K16 / Opus are unusual in that the sisters lead separate living matrilines rather than remaining grouped under one current family branch.
- Lea was initially thought to be male and briefly carried a different common name before her sex was corrected.
- Yoda has often been observed around younger whales. One current identification resource treats K47 as her first calf, but other Center for Whale Research reporting has pointed instead to K43 / Saturna, so this guide does not assign K47 to Yoda’s branch as settled fact.
- Kelp spent the summer of 2015 traveling with J2 / Granny and a mixed group rather than with the rest of K Pod, illustrating how pod boundaries can temporarily loosen.
10 K16s — Opus and Sonata K Pod
Current / recently active members
- K16 / Opus — female, born 1985
- K35 / Sonata — male, born 2002
Family notes
- The K16s are currently the smallest established K-Pod matriline.
Individual field notes
- Opus has had only one surviving son, Sonata, and has not produced another documented calf since his birth in 2002.
- Sonata historically had a particularly close relationship with K21 / Cappuccino. Since Cappuccino’s death, the K16s have more consistently remained with the rest of K Pod.
- Researchers once recorded Sonata diving to roughly 500 feet while hunting salmon; acoustic tag data captured the transition from echolocation clicks to a rapid prey-approach buzz and the eventual capture.
11 K47 — 2025 K-Pod calf update Recent update
Current / recently active members
- K47 — sex unknown, first documented December 2025
Status or relationship not fully resolved
- Maternity / matriline placement remains unresolved across current public sources. Orca Behavior Institute currently treats K36 / Yoda as K47’s mother and places the calf in the K14s, while July 2026 reporting based on Center for Whale Research observations identified K43 / Saturna as the likely mother. Orca Conservancy continues to list maternity as unknown.
Family notes
- Because maternity determines matriline placement, this guide keeps K47 as a separate update until Center for Whale Research or another formal census / catalogue update resolves the discrepancy.
Individual field notes
- K47 was first documented in December 2025 and became the first new K-Pod calf since K45 in 2022.
- The calf has been seen closely with both K36 / Yoda and K43 / Saturna in public reports. Because matriline placement depends on maternity, this WUTA guide keeps the relationship flagged rather than hiding the uncertainty.
- The K46 number was skipped because that designation had already been used historically during a rare pod reassignment.
12 L12 legacy group — Spirit, Ocean Sun and Onyx L Pod
Current / recently active members
- L22 / Spirit — female, estimated born 1971
- L25 / Ocean Sun — female, estimated born as early as 1928
- L87 / Onyx — male, born 1992
Family notes
- L25 / Ocean Sun is currently regarded as the oldest living Southern Resident killer whale.
- L87 / Onyx is unusual among Southern Residents because he spent many years associating primarily with K- and J-Pods before returning to the L12 subgroup.
Individual field notes
- Spirit has outlived all three of her known calves and now travels with other members of the broader L12 social group, where she can still be seen interacting with younger whales.
- Ocean Sun is the oldest living Southern Resident in current public catalogues. A widely repeated idea links her to Tokitae, but no scientific evidence has confirmed that proposed mother-daughter relationship.
- Onyx is the population’s most famous long-term pod switcher. After losing his mother, he spent years traveling with K Pod and then J Pod before returning to L-Pod’s L12 subgroup.
- Despite years living with other pods, recordings of Onyx alone have still captured the call types associated with his natal L12 acoustic group.
13 L54s — Ino’s subgroup L Pod
Current / recently active members
- L54 / Ino — female, born 1977
- L88 / Wavewalker — male, born 1993
- L108 / Coho — male, born 2006
- L117 / Keta — male, born 2010
Family notes
- The L54s are the smallest of the major L-Pod subgroups.
- L88 / Wavewalker is the last surviving member of the L2 matriline and travels socially with the L54s.
Individual field notes
- Ino is known as a surrogate figure for orphaned males and now travels with her sons plus L88 / Wavewalker, the last surviving member of a different matriline.
- Coho and Wavewalker maintain a close male-male bond and are frequently seen traveling together.
- The L54s are the smallest major L-Pod subgroup and are also among the least frequent Southern Resident visitors to inland Salish Sea waters.
- Keta’s name refers to chum salmon, while his brother Coho is also named for a salmon species.
14 Greater L4s — largest L-Pod subgroup L Pod
Current / recently active members
- L55 / Nugget — female, born 1977
- L82 / Kasatka — female, born 1990
- L86 / Surprise — female, born 1991
- L90 / Ballena — female, born 1993
- L103 / Lapis — female, born 2003
- L106 / Pooka — male, born 2005
- L109 / Takoda — male, born 2007
- L116 / Finn — male, born 2010
- L118 / Jade — female, born 2011
- L123 / Lazuli — male, born 2015
- L125 / Element — female, born 2021
Historical / missing / presumed deceased
- L128 — calf of L90 / Ballena, born September 2024 and lost within weeks
Family notes
- The Greater L4s are the largest major social subgroup in L-Pod and include several matrilines.
- L90 / Ballena produced her first documented calf, L128, in 2024; the calf did not survive.
Individual field notes
- The Greater L4s are the largest social subgroup in L Pod and contain several separate matrilines plus L90 / Ballena. Their reproductive success has an outsized effect on the trajectory of the entire Southern Resident population.
- Nugget became a mother at a very young age, and daughter Kasatka’s 1990 birth was directly witnessed by researchers as podmates moved around and helped bring the newborn to the surface.
- Surprise earned her name because her mother had been thought to be past reproductive age; her birth forced researchers to reconsider some age assumptions in the family.
- Ballena became a first-time mother at an exceptionally old age in 2024. Her calf L128 survived only a short period.
- Element has formed a recurring social relationship with similarly aged K45 / Uhura when K and L Pods are together.
15 L72s — Racer and Fluke L Pod
Current / recently active members
- L72 / Racer — female, born 1986
- L105 / Fluke — male, born 2004
Family notes
- L105 / Fluke is especially recognizable by his tall dorsal fin and bold open saddle patches.
Individual field notes
- Racer has one of the population’s most recognizable open-hook saddle patterns, including a thin line running through the saddle on both sides.
- She has experienced reproductive loss, including a dead newborn carried in 2010 and a later pregnancy that did not result in a surviving calf.
- Fluke’s nickname came from early uncertainty about his mother. His tall dorsal and brightly pigmented open-hook saddle now make him one of the easier adult males to identify.
16 L11s — Matia, Calypso and descendants L Pod
Current / recently active members
- L77 / Matia — female, born 1987
- L94 / Calypso — female, born 1995
- L113 / Cousteau — female, born 2009
- L119 / Joy — female, born 2012
- L121 / Windsong — male, born 2015
- L124 / Whistle — female, born 2018
- L126 / Balcomb — male, born 2023
- L127 / Scuba — female, born 2023
Family notes
- L126 / Balcomb is the first calf of L119 / Joy, while L127 / Scuba is the third calf of L94 / Calypso; both were documented as new calves in 2023.
- L124 / Whistle has a distinctive split/open left saddle patch used for photo-identification.
Individual field notes
- Matia and Calypso remain grouped as the L11s because their deceased mother L11 is the matrilineal link connecting both branches of the family.
- Calypso is one of L Pod’s more consistently successful mothers, with surviving calves born in 2009, 2015 and 2023.
- Joy disappeared for many months as a very young whale and was presumed lost before unexpectedly reappearing the following year. She later became a mother herself at age eleven.
- Whistle’s left saddle is split into two disconnected patches, an especially unusual identification feature.
- Balcomb and Scuba were the surprise pair of new L-Pod calves documented in 2023 after researchers initially thought only one calf was present.
17 L47s — Moonlight and descendants L Pod
Current / recently active members
- L83 / Moonlight — female, born 1990
- L91 / Muncher — female, born 1995
- L110 / Midnight — male, born 2007
- L115 / Mystic — male, born 2010
- L122 / Magic — male, born 2015
Family notes
- The L47s are part of the Greater L4 social subgroup.
Individual field notes
- Moonlight and Muncher were among the L-Pod whales that spent about a month in Dyes Inlet in 1997 before the group eventually left.
- Moonlight was identified as being in poor body condition in 2022 but was no longer listed in the same condition the following year.
- Midnight has been flagged in photogrammetry work for low body condition and also carries a visible jaw-line feature from an injury when he was young.
- Mystic survived after a long run of unsuccessful calves in his mother’s family line, while younger Magic continues the L47 tradition of M-themed common names.
18 L129 & L130 — 2026 L-Pod calf update Recent update
Current / recently active members
- L130 — calf first documented June 14–15, 2026; sex and maternity unresolved in public reporting
Status or relationship not fully resolved
- L130’s mother had not been confirmed in the public material reviewed for this guide. Researchers said further observations were needed.
Historical / missing / presumed deceased
- L129 — calf first documented February 16, 2026; not found with the group in June and expected to be recorded as a birth and death in the 2026 census year
Family notes
- The provisional July 1, 2026 census was expected to place the living Southern Resident population at 76, pending one final confirming encounter with the Greater L4 subgroup.
- The guide will update this entry when the Center for Whale Research publishes the final 2026 census and maternity information.
Individual field notes
- L129 was first documented in February 2026 while traveling near both L55 / Nugget and L103 / Lapis. Maternity had not been conclusively established in the public material before the calf disappeared.
- When the group was re-encountered in June, L129 was absent and was expected to be counted as both a birth and a death within the census year.
- L130 was first documented during the June 2026 return of J Pod and the Greater L4s to inland Salish Sea waters. Initial Center for Whale Research observations described the calf as energetic and well-fed, but public reporting still left maternity and sex unresolved.
Where the facts come from
This WUTA guide is independently written using current census data, photo-identification records, government assessments, field research and long-term observational data from the organizations below.
- Center for Whale Research
- NOAA Fisheries
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada
- Orca Behavior Institute
- Orca Conservancy
- SR³ / SeaLife Response, Rehabilitation & Research
- Puget Sound Institute
Common names vary between organizations, so J-, K- and L-numbers are the most reliable identifiers. Birth years, maternity, sex, body condition and status can be revised as new photographs, genetics and census encounters become available. Where current sources conflict, this guide keeps the uncertainty visible.
