[CINC] Additional Killer Whale Info for 12/31 Sightings!

[Shauna Bingham]

Below you will find information about the killer whales sighted on 12/31 
in the Channel (they are different whales from the ones documented 
earlier in December and described in my previous email).

4 IDs: 
  CA171B (male sprouter "Fatfin")
  CA138 ("Scratchy"- adult female)
  CA138A (juv)
  CA138B (calf) 

These whales are most commonly sighted off Monterey, but they have made 
quite a few excursions to the Channel Islands (and even a few down my way).

Some sighting history:

1. CA171B: (sprouting male): close associate of CA138 (NOT her juvenile)
   He was born around 1999. This whale has an odd, triangular, wide 
   dorsal fin. CA138 has been sighted with this whale many times since 
   August 2005. He has been sighted with several different whales, and 
   is sometimes seen alone. Also, he was with CA138 and calf off Santa 
   Barbara from the Condor Express on 21 December 2008 and most recently 
   on 9 Sept 2010.

2. Adult female CA138 "Scratchy" (she has a very scratched-up saddle). 
   She was first photographed in Monterey Bay on 10 October 1995. I saw 
   her off Palos Verdes on January 3, 2003. She traveled with a group of 
   5 whales southbound into waters off Orange County, the southernmost 
   point documented along the Pacific coast of any known transient ecotype 
   killer whale (and repeated this in December 2009). I also saw her off 
   Monterey in 2005 and 2006. She was with her VERY young calf in May 
   2007 off Malibu. She has been seen in the Santa Barbara Channel several 
   times since 2007. 

3. CA138A (juv of CA138)
   As far as I know: first photographed in May 2007 off Malibu (very small, 
   with intensely orange eyepatches). They have been seen off Santa Barbara 
   a few times (including September 2007 and 21 December 2008), off Santa 
   Cruz Island in August 2008, and in Monterey Bay in October 2008.

4. CA138B (calf of CA138)
   First sighted in April 2010 off Monterey.   

CA171B is a presumed orphan who is most often sighted with CA138. You sighted 
him on 28 December 2008 - his dorsal fin has grown a lot! Anthony saw these 
whales in 2005, 2006, and 2007. 

I am keeping image records of both sides of the dorsal fins and saddles, as 
well as both eyepatches. If you have any more good ones that show these, 
please pass them on.

Thanks again for the great pics! They are really helping to fill in the life 
histories of these whales. It is ESPECIALLY important to document the calves. 
They rarely have distinctive markings. If they lose their moms (like CA171B), 
we only know that due to good images shot of him while he was with her. 

(this is a response sent from Alisa Shulman-Janiger, American Cetacean 
Society-LA)

Shauna Bingham wrote:
> Happy New Year CINC!
> We have been seeing some killer whales in the Channel recently and 
> thanks to the boat operators and your photo-ID efforts we are able to 
> provide valuable information about the killer whales sighted in our 
> region. I would like to thank Joel Justin for getting CINC PID images 
> to Alisa Schulman-Janiger so quickly. Please read below for Alisa's 
> report on the sightings from mid-December.
> Cheers,
> Shauna
> The 6 killer whales that the Condor Express encountered on Dec 12 and 
> Dec 16 were the same transients: the CA51 matriline. These include a 
> matriarch and her 4 offspring as well as her grandchild.
> The CA51s are probably the most frequently seen transients off the 
> Moss Landing area of Monterey Bay, often preying on California sea 
> lions and harbor seals. I have seen them several times; they are very 
> curious and often closely approaching boats. My colleague Nancy Black 
> has seen them attack gray whale calves off Monterey on multiple 
> occasions. The CA51s were last confirmed off southern California in 
> June 2010 (off Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Dana Point: looking into 
> the boat! They were off Monterey in September.
>
> IDs for the CA51s (5 whales over 3 generations):  1. CA51 - adult 
> female, first documented off Monterey Bay in 1991.     CA51 has 4 
> offspring: CA51A, CA51B, CA51C, and CA51D  2. CA51A (female). CA51A 
> has a juvenile, CA51A-1.
>  3. CA51B (Nearly sprouted male): he has the tallest fin  4. CA51C 
> (Probably a young male; fin is starting to change shape)  5. CA51D 
> (Calf, born this year).  5. CA51A-1 (juvenile: born 2007).
> Keep an eye out for this group! We really need better ID pics of the 
> young calf; your images from these encounters are the first that I've 
> seen of this calf.
> Thanks so much!
>
> Alisa
>


-- 
Shauna Bingham 
Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator
NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
3600 S. Harbor Blvd. #2-202
Oxnard, CA 93035
Shauna.Bingham at noaa.gov
(805) 382-6149 ext. 102
Fax (805) 382-9791
http://channelislands.noaa.gov

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