The Orca Adoption Program:

Orca adoptions make great gifts! As an alternative to consumerism, an orca adoption is welcomed by all ages. Simple, thoughtful and fun, it’s a great gift to receive. [See our Orca Adoption Packages.]

We make your gift especially meaningful by enclosing a gift card which explains your support.

ADOPT AN ORCA NOW>>

Now you can RENEW online, too!

Orders will be processed within 72 hours of receipt. Mailed via USPS. Please allow time for delivery.


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Which Orca would you like to adopt?

Adoption packages include:

J-1 Ruffles, M (est. 1951). Ruffles is the oldest male in the Southern Resident Community. The trailing edge of his 6-foot dorsal fin is very wavy, which is how he got his name. Ruffles is one of the orcas who was in the "Free Willy" movies.

K-11 Georgia, F (est. 1933). Georgia has one daughter, Skagit (K-13), and four grandkids--Spock (K-20), Scoter (K-25), Deadhead (K-27) and Cali (K-34), and a great grandchild Comet (K-38 ). Her mother, Lummi (K-7), is believed to be one of the oldest whales in the Southern Resident Community.

L-2 Grace, F (est. 1960). Grace is the mother of two sons, Gaia (L-78) and Wave Walker (L-88), and one daughter, Splash (L-67). This family often travels apart from the other maternal groups in L Pod.

J-2 Granny, F (est. 1911). Granny is believed to be the oldest female in J, K, and L pods. She plays a very active role in the community by acting as a babysitter for many of the young calves. Granny is also one of the orcas who was in the "Free Willy" movies.

K-12 Sequim, F (est. 1970). Sequim was named after a Makah native village located on the Olympic Peninsula. She has two living offspring, Sekiu (K-22) and Rainshadow (K-37).

L-5 Tanya, F (est. 1964). Tanya has one remaining son, Flash (L-73). Her other son--Sparky (L-58)--died at about age 22.

J-8 Spieden, F (est. 1933). Spieden makes a distinctive wheezing sound when she breathes through her blowhole. When researchers hear her they can identify J Pod even at night or in deep fog.

K-13 Skagit, F (1972). Skagit is a member of a five-generation family in K Pod! She keeps busy with her four offspring, Spock (K-20), Scoter (K-25), Deadhead (K-27) and youngest offspring, Cali (pronounced Kah-lee) (K-34). Skagit is a first time grandmother to Spock's calf Comet (K-38).

L-7 Canuck, F (est. 1961). Canuck and her daughter Lulu (L-53) are rarely seen apart and they spend a lot of time with adult male Faith (L-57).

J-11 Blossom, F (est. 1972). Blossom has three living offspring: son Blackberry (J-27), daughter Tsuchi (J-31), and Mako (J-39), a male born in March 2003. Spieden (J-8) is Blossom's grandmother.

K-14 Lea, F (1977). Lea's first two calves, K-23 and K-24, died after only a few weeks. Her third offspring Lobo (K-26) is now a very large teenager. In September 2003 Lea gave birth to Yoda (K-36) who loves to breach.

L-12 Alexis, F (est. 1933). Alexis' daughter, Squirty (L-11), died during the winter of 2000/2001. Alexis now spends a lot of time with her grandkids Mega (L-41), Matia (L-77) and Calypso (L-94).

J-14 Samish, F (est. 1974). Samish comes from a small, but interesting, family group. Her grandmother, Granny (J-2), and her great-uncle, Ruffles (J-1), are two of the oldest members in the Southern Resident Community. Samish had her fifth known calf, J-43 in November 2007; this calf does not appear to have survived the winter. Her other surviving offspring are Riptide (J-30), Hy'Shqa (J-37), and Suttles (J-40).

K-16 Opus, F (1985). Opus was seen with her first calf during the winter of 2000/2001, however the calf did not survive. In 2002 she gave birth to Sonata (K-35) who is doing well.

L-21 Ankh, F (est. 1950). Ankh spends the majority of her time with her daughter, Marina (L-47), and her grandkids, Moonlight (L-83) and Muncher (L-91).

J-16 Slick, F (est. 1972). Slick has four offspring: two sons, Mike (J-26) and Keet (J-33), Alki (J-36), gender still unknown, and new calf J-42, who was first seen May 2, 2007. (This calf will be available for adoption after surviving a full winter and will receive a name in 2008).

K-20 Spock, F (1986). For years researchers thought Spock was male because of her tall, straight dorsal fin that is typical of males. However, in December 2004 she had her first known calf, Comet (K-38), proving that she is indeed a female.

L-22 Spirit, F (est. 1971). Spirit is part of a very active family consisting of her two offspring, Skana (L-79) and Solstice (L-89), and younger brother Onyx (L-87).

J-17 Princess Angeline, F (1977). Princess Angeline is named after the daughter of Chief Seattle, the Duwamish elder for whom Seattle is named. She has two daughters–Polaris (J-28) and Tahlequah (J-35). Princess Angeline is one of the orcas who was in the "Free Willy" movies.

L-25 Ocean Sun, F (est. 1928). Ocean Sun has outlived her immediate family, so she spends time with many different subgroups in L Pod.

J-19 Shachi, F (1979). Shachi's first calf, J-29, was born in 1993 but only lived a few weeks. She spent much of her time babysitting young calves until July 1, 2005 when she had another calf, Eclipse (J-41).
K-21 Cappuccino, M (1986). Cappuccino is a mature male. He has a distinct saddle patch and a very wide dorsal fin. He is seen often traveling with his sister Raggedy (K-40).

L-26 Baba, F (est. 1956). Baba's only surviving family is her daughter, Ballena (L-90), and grandson named Crewser (L-92). Her daughter Rascal (L-60) died in spring, 2002, and her son, Hugo (L-71) died in 2006.

J-22 Oreo, F (1985). Oreo has two offspring: DoubleStuf (J-34) and Cookie (J-38).

K-22 Sekiu, F (1987). In spring 2001 Sekiu was seen with her first calf, Tika (K-33). Sekiu gave birth to her second calf (K-41) in August 2006, however this calf did not survive.

L-27 Ophelia, F (est. 1965). Ophelia has two younger sisters, Nugget (L-55) and Surprise (L-86). She has outlived all four of her offspring but has the opportunity to spend time with her two sisters and their offspring.

J-26 Mike, M (1991). Mike was named after the "father of killer whale research," Dr. Michael A. Bigg, who passed away in 1991. Mike has three young siblings, Keet (J-33), Alki (J-36) and J-42 who was first seen May 2, 2007. (This calf will be available for adoption after surviving a full winter and will receive a name in 2008).

K-25 Scoter, M (1991). Scoter is the second of four offspring born to Skagit (K-13). Scoter is growing into adulthood and spending more time with Lobo (K-26) a male his same age.

L-41 Mega, M (1977). Mega was born one year after the study of the Southern Resident Community began so we have been able to watch him grow from a small calf into the large adult male he is today.

J-27 Blackberry, M (1991). Blackberry and pod-mate, Mike (J-26), spend a lot of time playing together, as they are both the same age. Blackberry is a very mischievous teenager.

K-26 Lobo, M (1993). Because Lobo's mom, Lea (K-14), lost her first two calves, she was a bit more protective than other whale moms. Now that Lobo is maturing he spends more time off playing with whales his own age. Lobo has a younger sibling, Yoda (K-36).

L-47 Marina, F (1974). Marina is a member of a very cohesive family unit made up of her mother, Ankh (L-21), and her two offspring, Moonlight (L-83), Muncher (L-91).

J-28 Polaris, F (1993). Polaris is the first calf of Princess Angeline (J-17). She is at the age of having her first calf . She is a spunky whale and can often be found "in the crowd."

K-27 Deadhead, F (1994). Deadhead is one of four offspring born to Skagit (K-13). She was named to honor the passage of Jerry Garcia, the leader of the rock band "Grateful Dead."

L-53 Lulu, F (1977). Lulu loves to breach and is one of L Pod's most active whales. She travels mainly with her mother Canuck (L-7). Faith (L-57) is often seen traveling with these two females.

J-30 Riptide, M (1995). Riptide is the second calf of mother Samish (J-14); an older sibling died in 1991. Riptide's surviving siblings are Hy'Shqa (J-37) and Suttles (J-40). Riptide's great-grandmother is Granny (J-2).

K-33 Tika, M (2001). Tika is the first known calf of Sekiu (K-22). The name Tika has Chinook origins meaning "swift." Tika became an older brother to new sibling K-41, born in August, 2006. This calf did not survive.

L-54 Ino, F (1977). Ino's mother, Victoria, died in 1996 and her older brother Oskar, in 2000. Ino had her first calf Indigo (L-100) in 2001. Sometimes she and her youngster are seen traveling with Grace's (L-2) family. In spring of 2006, Ino gave birth to her second calf L-108, who is named Coho.

J-31 Tsuchi, F (1995). Tsuchi is Blackberry's (J-27) younger sister. Her name comes from the Japanese word for "melon-headed whale," a North Pacific species of cetacean sometimes seen off the coast of Washington.

K-34 Cali, M (2001). Cali (pronounced Kah-lee) is the youngest calf of Skagit (K-13). He has a brother, Scoter (K-25), and two sisters, Spock (K-20) and Deadhead (K-27). Cali means "heart" in the Coast Salish language.

L-55 Nugget, F (1977). Nugget, her daughter Kasatka (L-82) and youngest offspring Lapis (L-103), are often seen with Nugget's younger sister Surprise (L-86) and her calf Pooka (L-106). Nugget had her third offspring L-109, who was first seen off the California coast in March 2007. (This calf will be available for adoption after surviving a full winter and will receive a name in 2008).

J-32 Rhapsody, F (1996). Rhapsody was J-20's first calf. Unfortunately, her mom disappeared during the winter of 1998-99 and is presumed dead. Rhapsody travels mainly with her aunt Oreo (J-22) and cousins DoubleStuf (J-34) and Cookie (J-38).

K-35 Sonata, M (2002). Sonata is the only living offspring of Opus (K-16). Sonata and Opus travel with sister Lea (K-14) and her two offspring Lobo (K-26) and Yoda (K-36).

L-57 Faith, M (1977). Faith's mother, Asterix, died in 1996 leaving Faith as the only member in his immediate subgroup. Faith spends a lot of time with Canuck (L-7) and Lulu (L-53).

J-33 Keet, M (1996). Keet is the second son of Slick (J-16). Keet is often seen in play-groups with other young whales including Polaris (J-28), Riptide (J-30) and Onyx (L-87).

K-36 Yoda, unk (2003). Yoda is the fourth offspring of Lea. Yoda’s only surviving sibling is Lobo who is ten years older. Yoda and his mother spend a lot of time with cousin Sonata (K-35) and his mother Opus (K-16).

L-67 Splash, F (1985). Splash has two living brothers, Gaia (L-78) and Wave Walker (L-88). Splash is also the mother of Aurora (L-101), born in the fall of 2002.

J-34 DoubleStuf, M (1998). DoubleStuf is the first known calf born to mom Oreo (J-22). He was first seen in December 1997, and seems to be a very healthy, exuberant youngster. DoubleStuf spends a lot of his play time with his cousin Rhapsody (J-32). DoubleStuf's sibling is Cookie (J-38).

K-37 Rainshadow, unk (2004). Rainshadow is the fourth calf born to Sequim (K-12). Thought to be a male, this youngster has a nephew named Tika (K-33) who is three years older. Rainshadow stays close to mom and they are often seen with Spock and Comet.

L-72 Racer, F (1986). Racer was first photographed off Race Rocks, near Victoria, British Columbia. Her mother Jelly Roll (L-43), died in 2006. Racer has a younger brother Nigel (L-95). In October 2004, Racer had her first calf, Fluke (L-105).

J-35 Tahlequah, F (1998). Tahlequah is Princess Angeline's (J-17) second offspring. She has an older sister named Polaris (J-28). This family group appears to be very close and loving. They spend a lot of time traveling with the other maternal groups in J Pod, and Tahlequah enjoys playing with all the other youngsters.

K-38 Comet , Unk. (2004). Comet is the first calf of Spock. A comet streaks through the dark sky just like the whale, Comet, likes to streak through just under the water's surface. This youngster can be seen sticking close to mom.

L-73 Flash, M (1986). Flash is the second calf born to Tanya (L-5). He likes to hang out with his cousin, Saanich (L-74).

J-36 Alki, Unk (1999). Alki is the third offspring born to mom Slick (J-16). Alki gets a lot of attention from older brothers Mike (J-26) and Keet (J-33). Now Alki has a younger sibling J-42 to give attention to.

K-40 Raggedy, F (est. 1963). Raggedy is named from the tattered condition of her dorsal fin along its trailing edge. She has never been seen with a calf of her own, but is often seen traveling with her brother Cappuccino (K-21).

L-74 Saanich, M (1986). Saanich is named for the native peoples who lived on the peninsula at the southern end of Vancouver Island near Victoria, British Columbia.

J-37 Hy'Shqa ("Hy'shka"), F (2001). Hy'Shqa's family consists of older brother Riptide (J-30), younger sister Suttles (J-40), mom Samish (J-14), great-grandmother Granny (J-2) and great-uncle Ruffles (J-1). "Hy'Shqa" is a Coast Salish word for "blessing" or "thank you."

L-77 Matia, F (1987). Matia is at the age where she could have her first calf. She's gotten a lot of mothering experience the last few years caring for her younger sibling Calypso (L-94).

J-38 Cookie, Unk (2003). Cookie is Oreo's (J-22) youngest calf. Cookie's older brother is DoubleStuf (J-34). Cookie is part of a very tight knit family group.

L-78 Gaia, M (1989). Gaia is an almost fully grown male and still spends a lot of time with his younger brother Wave Walker (L-88).

J-39 Mako, M (2003). Mako's name derives from the Japanese "mako kujira" which means sperm whale. Little Mako has a big brother, Blackberry (J-27), and a big sister, Tsuchi (J-31), to keep him entertained.

L-79 Skana, M (1989). Skana means "killer demon" or "supernatural power" in the language of the Haida tribe of the Northwest coast of British Columbia; they also use the word to mean "killer whale."

J-40 Suttles, F (2004). Suttles is the offspring of Samish (J-14) and sibling to Hy'Shqa (J-37) and Riptide (J-30). Suttles was named in a traditional potlatch naming ceremony held by the Samish Nation on October 1, 2005.

L-82 Kasatka, F (1990). Kasatka is a Russian word which means both "darling" and "killer whale." She was identified as a female when only a few weeks old. Her mother is Nugget (L-55). She has a sibling named Lapis (L-103), and a new sibling L-109, who was first seen in March 2007 off the California coast. (This calf will be available for adoption after surviving a full winter and will receive a name in 2008).

J-41 Eclipse, Unk. (2005). Eclipse is the second calf of Shachi. Eclipse was born on July 1, 2005 and there was concern because this calf was so tiny. Yet Eclipse has grown a lot and is very active.

L-83 Moonlight, F (1990). Moonlight was first seen by researchers only a few hours after this small female was born. Her mother is Marina (L-47) and she has a younger sibling named Muncher (L-91). Moonlight has given birth to her first calf, L-110, who was first seen August 16, 2007. (This calf will be available for adoption after surviving a full winter and will receive a name in 2008).

L-84 Nyssa, M (1990). Nyssa's mother Nootka died in 1999. Now he travels with his cousin Saanich (L-74) and Tanya (L-5) and her son Flash (L-73).

L-85 Mystery, M (1991). Mystery's mother, Misky, died when he was only three years old. His older brother Dylan died in 1999. Now he's seen mainly with a grandmother named Alexis (L-12) who seems to have "adopted" Mystery.

L-86 Surprise!, F (1991). The birth of this calf surprised researchers back in 1991 since there was a 14-year gap between Surprise (L-86) and her older sister, Nugget (L-55). She has another older sister name Ophelia (L-27). Surprise gave birth to her first calf Pooka (L-106) in the spring of 2005, surprising everyone once again!

L-87 Onyx, M (1992). Onyx's family consists of his sister Spirit (L-22), and three male cousins--Mystery (L-85), Skana (L-79) and Solstice (L-89). These boys really know how to have fun!

L-88 Wave Walker, M (1993). Wave Walker is the youngest of five born to mother, Grace (L-2). Only two of his siblings still live--older sister Splash (L-67), and older brother Gaia (L-78).

L-89 Solstice, M (1993). Solstice is the son of Spirit (L-22). He has an older brother named Skana (L-79). This little family sticks together and seems to be very playful with each other.

L-90 Ballena, F (1993). Ballena means "whale" in Spanish. The killer whale is often referred to as "ballena pinta" or the painted whale.

L-91 Muncher, F (1995). Muncher sticks really close to older sister Moonlight (L-83), mom Marina (L-47), and grandmother Ankh (L-21).

L-92 Crewser, M (1995). Crewser was first seen in May of 1995 and was sexed as a male by the researchers while his mom, Rascal (L-60), was pushing and rolling him around.

L-94 Calypso, F (1995). Calypso is actually mom Squirty's (L-11) fifth calf, although only three are still alive. They include older sister Matia (L-77) and older brother Mega (L-41). Unfortunately, Squirty also died sometime during the winter of 2000/2001.

L-95 Nigel, M (1996). Nigel has an older sister Racer (L-72), and a niece/nephew, Racer’s calf Fluke (L-105). His mother Jelly Roll (L-43), died in 2006.

L-100 Indigo, M (2001). Indigo is Ino's (L-54) first offspring. This small subgroup was down to just the two of them when Ino had another calf L-108 in 2006. Indigo never got a chance to meet his grandmother, Victoria (L-35), his aunt, Aquarius (L-65), or his uncles, Oskar (L-1) and Shala (L-50).

L-101 Aurora, M (2002). Aurora's family is large and three generations deep. Grandmother Grace (L-2) has three living offspring - daughter Splash (L-67), Aurora's mother, and sons Gaia (L-78) and Wavewalker (L-88). Aurora also had an older brother, Luna (L-98), the young orca who spent several years alone in British Columbia until his death in March, 2006.

L-103 Lapis, F, (2003). This is the third calf of Nugget (L-55). Lapis has two siblings - Kasatka (L-82) and new calf L-109 first seen in March 2007 off the California coast. (This calf will be available for adoption after surviving a full winter and will receive a name in 2008). Surprise (L-86), is Lapis’ aunt. Lapis became a cousin to Surprise’s calf, Pooka (L-106) born in the spring of 2005.

L-105 Fluke, unk, (2004). Fluke got his/her name because there was uncertainty as to who this calf's mother was. At first it was believed to have belonged to Ophelia (L-27). Fluke has been seen on several occasions swimming in Racer's slipstream, perhaps showing us who mom really is.

L-108 Coho, Unk, (2006). This is the second calf of Ino's. Coho has an older brother named Indigo who was born in 2001. Coho is named for one of the salmon species that the Southern Resident orcas feed on in the Pacific Northwest.

Photo credits: photos taken Jeanne Hyde, Sandy Buckley, Monika Weiland, Jeff Hogan, Gwen Jones ...

(Note: The birth of a calf is rarely witnessed by researchers, so it is difficult to determine the actual birth date. Periodically, we gain new information which may change birth years. Birth years are established by the Center for Whale Research based on the best science at the time.)

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