When an endangered B.C. southern resident orca was spotted with a fresh wound at the base of its dorsal fin, alarm bells rang.
Because of a recent spate of vessel strikes in B.C. waters that have injured humpback whales – which may have resulted in three deaths – there were immediate concerns the orca may have suffered a similar fate.
The 16-year-old male, identified as J45, was first seen with the injury in late November in Active Pass, travelling alongside other members of J pod.
He was observed from shore by members of the QENTOL, YEN / WSANEC Marine Guardians Program, who reported the sighting to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and other researchers for further assessment.
While the cause of the wound was not immediately clear, the group initially feared the worst.
“We are deeply saddened that this has happened to one of our relatives of the deep, on the heels of multiple vessel related humpback whale deaths and injuries further north,” they said in a social media post on Nov. 21. “The ocean is their home, and they deserve the right to be safe.”
Later, they edited the post, explaining that while the wound “resembles that of an interaction with a vessel,” it could also have been caused by “an interaction with another killer whale.”
Days after the group’s sighting, researchers from Center for Whale Research were given an opportunity to take a closer look Nov. 25, when J pod visited Victoria’s waterfront.
While the whales foraged, researchers were able to observe and photograph J45’s “new battle scars” on both his right and left sides.
The encounter confirmed the wound was the result of normal animal behaviour and not a vessel strike as first feared.
“It was clear that the scarring was not from a propeller and indeed fresh killer whale teeth rake marks,” notes the researcher’s encounter report, published Dec. 18.
According to the Center for Whale Research, rake marks likely occur during rough play and aggressive interactions between southern resident whales.
The whales will scrape their teeth on the body of another whale, or sometimes pierce the skin. The behaviour is commonplace in the southern resident community and throughout killer whale populations around the globe.
“Some rake marks can be severe and penetrate deep into the flesh,” notes a report from 2023.
When rake marks appear on saddle patches, eyepatches or cause nicks and notches to form along the dorsal fin, the unique scarring patterns can be used by researchers to help identify individuals.
“Males, particularly sub-adult males like J45, tend to accumulate these at a higher rate than females and older males,” researchers noted.