Kadi the explorer

Kadi the explorer 🌅 “Through my lens, I don’t just capture waves — I capture emotions.” 🌊✨

An orca named Galiano (T019B) surfaces quietly in the open waters of the Salish Sea, his tall dorsal fin slicing through...
25/12/2025

An orca named Galiano (T019B) surfaces quietly in the open waters of the Salish Sea, his tall dorsal fin slicing through the calm like a mark of dominance.

A well-known male Bigg’s (transient) killer whale, Galiano belongs to a population known for stealth and precision. Unlike resident orcas that feed on fish, Bigg’s whales hunt marine mammals, traveling silently and relying on strategy, coordination, and experience passed down through generations.

Frequently sighted throughout the Salish Sea, Galiano embodies the wild, nomadic nature of his kind — powerful, elusive, and deeply shaped by the ocean he patrols. 🌊
In a single rise to the surface, he reminds us that ancient predators still move with purpose beneath these waters. 🐋

📚 Source:
Orca Network — Bigg’s (Transient) Killer Whales of the Salish Sea
NOAA Fisheries — Killer Whale Ecotypes and Behavior

A young orca named T068C5 was born in late 2020 to Bazan (T068C), a matriarch of the Bigg’s killer whales that roam the ...
25/12/2025

A young orca named T068C5 was born in late 2020 to Bazan (T068C), a matriarch of the Bigg’s killer whales that roam the Pacific Northwest.

He swims in his mother’s shadow, learning the rhythms of survival — how to hunt, where to travel, when to stay close. In the cold, kelp-lined channels of British Columbia, their bond is more than instinct. It’s legacy.

Bigg’s killer whales live in tight-knit family groups, where calves remain with their mothers for years, sometimes for life. Through these maternal lines, knowledge of prey, place, and kinship is passed on.

In Bazan’s wake, T068C5 isn’t just growing — he’s inheriting a story written in saltwater and memory. 🖤

📚 Source:
Center for Whale Research — Individual ID: T068C5, Bigg’s (Transient) Killer Whale Catalog

Two coastal orcas, NZ133 and NZ68 — known as Pickle and Funky Monkey — were spotted gliding through the calm waters off ...
25/12/2025

Two coastal orcas, NZ133 and NZ68 — known as Pickle and Funky Monkey — were spotted gliding through the calm waters off New Zealand’s shores, their dorsal fins slicing the surface like signatures on the sea.

They belong to a small, endangered population of New Zealand coastal killer whales, recognized for their unique behaviors and strong social bonds. Researchers have followed these individuals for years, identifying them through photo-identification, distinctive markings, and repeated sightings.

Pickle and Funky Monkey are often seen traveling together, reflecting the close associations common among coastal orcas. From navigating nearshore currents to hunting prey such as stingrays and sharks, their movements reveal intelligence, coordination, and familiarity.

Scientists rely on long-term tracking to better understand and protect these whales. With fewer than 200 individuals estimated in the population, every confirmed sighting is vital.

Beyond the science, watching two known orcas move in sync reminds us that conservation is not just about numbers — but about preserving relationships, memory, and a living lineage of the sea. 🌊💙

📚 Source:
New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) & Orca Research Trust

An orca named Keto died on November 22, 2024, at Loro Parque in Tenerife, Spain. He was 29 years old. Born at SeaWorld O...
25/12/2025

An orca named Keto died on November 22, 2024, at Loro Parque in Tenerife, Spain. He was 29 years old. Born at SeaWorld Orlando, Keto never lived in the wild — spending his entire life in captivity, transferred between parks and used in breeding programs.

In 2009, Keto fatally injured a trainer during a routine interaction, reigniting global concern over the impact of confinement on highly intelligent marine mammals. Despite this, he remained in captivity.

A necropsy later revealed bacterial pneumonia, a condition seen in other captive orcas and often linked to stress and artificial living conditions.

Keto’s life and death raise enduring questions: What is lost when an ocean wanderer is confined to a tank?
In his passing, he became not a performer — but a reminder. 🖤🌊

📚 Sources:
Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC)
BBC News (2009)
National Geographic (2021)

A group of Southern Resident orcas — L109, L118, L55, L86, L106, and L87 — glide together through the cold coastal water...
25/12/2025

A group of Southern Resident orcas — L109, L118, L55, L86, L106, and L87 — glide together through the cold coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest, their dorsal fins cutting the surface in quiet synchrony.

These whales belong to L Pod, one of the three pods of the endangered Southern Resident killer whale population found between Washington State (USA) and British Columbia (Canada). Highly social and matrilineal, they travel, hunt, and survive as extended families, guided by shared memory and lifelong bonds.

For orcas, family is everything. Knowledge of feeding grounds, migration routes, and survival is passed from elders to the young — a culture built on trust and togetherness.

In moments like this, their formation speaks without sound:
strength through unity, resilience through family. 🌊🐋

📚 Source:
Southern Resident Killer Whale research and identification records — NOAA Fisheries / Center for Whale Research

An orca identified by her dorsal fin tells a story — and here, four fins rise from the water: J26, T49A1, T75A, and T123...
24/12/2025

An orca identified by her dorsal fin tells a story — and here, four fins rise from the water: J26, T49A1, T75A, and T123A, photographed across different encounters in the Pacific Northwest.

Each belongs to a different lineage and life history — Southern Resident and Bigg’s (transient) orcas — shaped by distinct diets, family structures, and survival challenges. Yet all move through the same cold, tidal waters of the Salish Sea and nearby coastal regions, where generations of orcas have lived, hunted, and passed down knowledge.

To scientists, dorsal fins act like natural fingerprints. Their unique shapes, scars, and notches allow researchers to identify individuals, monitor health, and trace family histories over decades.

Beyond science, these fins represent individuality — four lives, each with its own journey, rising from one shared ocean. 🌊🐋

📚 Sources:
• Center for Whale Research (CWR) — Orca Identification & Population Studies
• NOAA Fisheries — Killer Whale Identification and Monitoring

A newborn orca swims closely beside an adult female, its tiny dorsal fin still soft and curved, as it is guided through ...
24/12/2025

A newborn orca swims closely beside an adult female, its tiny dorsal fin still soft and curved, as it is guided through the calm waters of the Salish Sea, near the forested coasts of Washington State (USA). The calf was recently spotted with J Pod, part of the critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales of the Pacific Northwest.

Born into a fragile community struggling with declining Chinook salmon, vessel noise, and pollution, the newborn rarely leaves its mother’s side — drafting in her slipstream, learning to surface for air, and remaining protected within the pod’s tight formation as relatives surround them.

For Southern Resident orcas, each birth is a collective milestone. Calves are raised through shared care, social learning, and strong family bonds — essential for a population whose survival depends on cooperation and cultural knowledge passed down through generations.

Beyond conservation numbers, this sight represents renewed hope. 🌊
In waters marked by loss and resilience, the arrival of a newborn signals life continuing against the odds. 💚🐋

📚 Source:
Center for Whale Research (CWR); NOAA Fisheries — Southern Resident Killer Whale updates and field observations

A young orca named J56 swims close to her resting pod, surfacing with a gentle exhale in the quiet waters of the Salish ...
24/12/2025

A young orca named J56 swims close to her resting pod, surfacing with a gentle exhale in the quiet waters of the Salish Sea, near the forested shores of Washington State (USA). She is one of the younger members of the endangered Southern Resident killer whales — a fragile community whose survival depends on deep bonds, shared knowledge, and collective care.

Born in 2019 to J31, J56 represents hope in a population struggling against declining Chinook salmon, vessel noise, and the long-term impacts of environmental stress. Today, the J pod moves slowly — resting at the surface, breathing in unison, staying close. And J56, still learning the rhythms of pod life, checks in.

Scientists refer to this as a “resting state,” a synchronized behavior in which orcas float, drift, and surface together. These quiet pauses are essential for recovery, social bonding, and maintaining the tight-knit relationships that define Southern Resident families.

But beyond science, the moment speaks to something deeper — the quiet presence of a young whale among elders, the instinct to stay close, to learn, to belong. 🌊
In the stillness of the sea, J56’s breath becomes a whisper of continuity — a reminder that even in rest, the pod endures. 💞

📚 Source:
Center for Whale Research; NOAA Fisheries — Southern Resident killer whale behavior and calf development

An orca known as T49A2, a young Bigg’s (Transient) killer whale, was photographed breaching powerfully from the coastal ...
23/12/2025

An orca known as T49A2, a young Bigg’s (Transient) killer whale, was photographed breaching powerfully from the coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest — a moment that has since become part of his gender reveal.

Researchers later confirmed that T49A2 is male, identified through long-term photo identification and behavioral observations of the T49A matriline. As he grows, his dorsal fin will likely continue to lengthen and straighten — one of the defining physical traits of adult male orcas.

Moments like this capture more than motion. They mark identity, growth, and the unfolding story of a life in the wild.
Each leap, each splash, is a reminder that every individual orca carries a future shaped by survival, kinship, and the open sea. 🌊🐋

📚 Source:
Bigg’s (Transient) Orca Photo-Identification Records and Regional Field Observations

A young orca named CA51F was seen nestled against her mother’s body, her small frame curved in a tender embrace as they ...
23/12/2025

A young orca named CA51F was seen nestled against her mother’s body, her small frame curved in a tender embrace as they glided through the waters off Monterey Bay, California.

Born into the CA51 matriline, CA51F is still learning the rhythms of ocean life — but already, she shows signs of deep social connection. In this moment, she wasn’t just swimming. She was cuddling. Pressing close. Seeking warmth, reassurance, and love.

Scientists call this affiliative behavior, a hallmark of orca societies where bonds are lifelong and physical closeness is a language of care. Mothers and calves often swim in tight synchrony, touching, leaning, and echoing each other’s movements.

But beyond biology, this image speaks to something universal — the comfort of a mother’s presence, the safety of her side, and the quiet joy of simply being together. 🌊
In the vast blue of the Pacific, CA51F’s cuddle reminds us: love begins early, and it runs deep. 💞

📚 Source:
Image by Alisa Schulman-Janiger / Monterey Bay Whale Watch.
For more on orca family bonds: “Killer Whales: The Social Lives of Orcas” — Whale and Dolphin Conservation.

An orca known as CA122C — nicknamed “Half Moon” — was identified by the crescent-shaped notch near her dorsal fin, a uni...
23/12/2025

An orca known as CA122C — nicknamed “Half Moon” — was identified by the crescent-shaped notch near her dorsal fin, a unique marking that helps researchers track individual whales across vast ocean ranges.

She was first documented off the coast of California, swimming with her pod through the deep Pacific waters. Like many orcas, Half Moon’s life is traced not by tags or technology, but by the stories etched into her skin — scars, curves, and shapes that speak of survival, kinship, and time.

Scientists use photo-identification to study orca populations, relying on these natural markers to understand migration, social bonds, and family histories. Each fin is a fingerprint. Each whale, a chapter in a larger tale of ocean life.

But beyond data, Half Moon’s presence reminds us of something quieter — the intimacy of recognition. 🌊
In a sea of shadows and waves, knowing one whale by name is an act of reverence. 💫

📚 Source:
“Photo-identification of individual killer whales” — Center for Whale Research, NOAA Fisheries, and Cascadia Research Collective

Four orcas surfaced together off the coast of British Columbia, their heads breaking the water in perfect unison — silen...
23/12/2025

Four orcas surfaced together off the coast of British Columbia, their heads breaking the water in perfect unison — silent, synchronized, and impossibly close. Scientists observed no vocalizations, no splashes, no signs of agitation. Just a quiet, deliberate formation.

These whales weren’t hunting or playing. They were traveling as one, their movements so coordinated it suggested something deeper: a shared purpose, a conversation beyond sound.

Researchers believe this behavior may be a form of social bonding or collective vigilance — a phenomenon seen in tight-knit pods where individuals mirror each other’s actions to maintain cohesion and emotional connection.

Among orcas, such synchronized surfacing is rare and often fleeting. But when it happens, it’s a glimpse into their complex inner lives — a choreography of trust, awareness, and unspoken understanding. 🖤

In the stillness of the sea, these four became a single breath, a single thought, a single moment of unity. 🌊

📚 Source:
“Orcas seen surfacing in rare synchronized formation off B.C. coast” — CBC News, by Bethany Lindsay

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