Photo Credit: BCwhales.org
A70 Sunny, A100 Kwatna, and A111 Denny of the A35 Matriline beach rubbing- July 26, 2020, Photo taken off of the Orcalab Explore Cam on Strider Rubbing Beach by me via Explore.org's snapshot feature
The Northern Resident Community is a three-clan, 16-pod, salmon-eating population consisting of approximately 341 individuals (as of July 2023). They are well known for their beach rubbing, a technique that has only been documented in one other population- the Alaskan Residents! It is unknown when or why they started beach rubbing, but the Northern Residents get excited as they approach the beach, exhale, and rub their bodies against the smooth stones of the shallows.
Photo Credit: Killerwhale.org
Species: Orcinus orca ater
Population Numbers:
In the Northern Resident Community, there are roughly 341 individuals. The community is split into 3 clans, A, G, and R with multiple pods for each clan.
A Clan Pods: A1, A4, A5, B1, C1, D1, H1, I1, I18, I2
G Clan Pods: G1, G12, I11, I31
R Clan Pods: R1, W1
Population Status: Threatened (CAN)
Study Years: 1973-present
Diet: Chinook Salmon