Transients: Mammal-Hunting Killer Whales of British Columbia, Washington, and Southeastern Alaska

by Ford, John K. B.; Ellis, Graeme M.

• ISBN13: 9780295978178
• ISBN10: 0295978171
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-06-01
• Publisher: Univ of Washington Pr

Summary

Killer whales are found in all oceans of the world, but nowhere are they better known than in the coastal waters of Washington, British Columbia, and Southeastern Alaska, where 25 years of study have yielded many surprising discoveries about their natural history. One of the most remarkable is that two genetically distinct forms of killer whales reside in these waters. The two groups of whales do not associate and each leads a completely different lifestyle. Residents specialize in a diet of salmon and other fish, while transients are hunters of seals, sea lions, porpoises, and even large whales. Enigmatic and elusive, these mammal-hunting whales travel in small groups, often moving unpredictably.

Transients contains the latest information on the natural history of transient killer whales, including their feeding habits, social lives, and distribution patterns. It also includes photographs of and notes on over 200 individual whales. Numerous sidebars contain interesting observations on encounters with transients as well as information on how and where to best

Author Biography

John K. B. Ford is Director of Marine Mammal Research at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre and an adjunct professor in the Department of Zoology and the Marine Mammal Research Unit at the University of British Columbia. Graeme M. Ellis is a marine mammal research technician at the Pacific Biological Station, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Nanaimo, BC.

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments	6	(10)
Natural History of Transient Killer Whales	10	(15)
Population Identity, Range, and Size	10	(2)
Seasonal and Annual Distribution	12	(1)
Feeding Habits	13	(5)
Social Structure	18	(4)
Vocal Behaviour and Dialects	22	(1)
Population Parameters	22	(3)
Watching Transient Killer Whales	25	(16)
Transient Activities and Behaviours	25	(3)
Where to Find Transients	28	(2)
Watching Transients without Disturbing Them	30	(11)
Catalogue of Transient Killer Whales	41	(49)
Determining Community Membership	41	(1)
The Naming System	42	(1)
Catalogue Composition and Organization	43	(1)
Sex and Year of Birth	44	(1)
Catalogue	45	(45)
Afterword	90	(1)
Supplementary Catalogue Information	91	(3)
Glossary	94	(1)
Bibliography	95