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I packed out both pectoral fins as well as four vertebrae.
An 18 foot long, juvenile male orca washed ashore on a remote beach at Point Reyes just before thanksgiving 2011. This animal belongs to one of three ecotypes, the offshore group. It was last seen off Vancouver in September. The other ecotypes are resident and transient. These names are derived based on what the animals do during the summer months.
A full necropsy was performed. Blood was found in the blowhole and there was other evidence of trauma to the head. This may have been the result of being struck by a ship, or during interactions with other whales. No determination on cause of death has been made.
Little is known about offshore orcas. This may be only the second specimen of this type to be collected, most animals die offshore and sink.
Orcas are actually members of the dolphin family, the largest member. Males can grow to over 30 feet long, though are usually 20-26 feet in length. This is the first killer whale known to wash ashore at Point Reyes in many decades.
Offshore orcas mainly feed on sharks. Sharks have very tough skin and that is likely why the teeth of this animal are very degraded. Resident animals mainly feed on salmon, transients prefer marine mammals, such as seals.
Here is some video of the whale in the surf.
Orca – ©Richard James Photography
Orca – ©Richard James Photography
Orca flukes – ©Richard James Photography
Orca fluke – ©Richard James Photography
Orca mouth – ©Richard James Photography
Orca teeth – ©Richard James Photography
orca teeth closeup – ©Richard James Photography
So cool!! And sad as well. Is the skin eaten away? Did it smell really badly? What did the park do with it?
Hi Claire!
The whale had been rolling in the surf for a few days, so yes, much of the skin has been worn off. The day after I shot these images, biologists from The California Academy of Science and The Marine Mammal Center performed a necropsy. Tissue samples were taken as well as bones for further study. The whale is left to decay naturally after this, vultures and gulls are more than happy to help in this process.
Happy travels!
–coastodian
Is it normal for a juvenile male to have teeth in that condition, they look like they have been drilled
Hi Rob,
I have been told that it is not normal for the teeth to be worn so in such a young animal. As I learn more, I will share it here, stay tuned.
-coastodian
It’s suspected this orca is of the offshore type. Offshore orcas are known to eat sharks. Since sharks have very rough skin, that wears down teeth. It’s sad this orca died, but much information can be gathered from its body. This includes any food he may have eaten before he died.
They look like the kind of holes made by Seaworld on their Orcas, no real Fact, just an Observation
Oh, for – not this again. Sea World doesn’t drill holes in orcas’ teeth. The holes are pulp cavities that become visible when the teeth are worn down. That’s why you see them in this wild one. Captive orcas tend to wear down their teeth chewing on things, and some wild orcas wear them down due to a tough diet, like sharks in the case of this offshore animal.
He was an offshore orca. Their teeth get worn down way faster than say a resident orca. Its sad he passed.
All killer whales teeth look like that when worn to a certain point. Seaworld doesn’t touch the whales teeth unless they have to for simple cleaning or an infection.
I think the areas of missing outer skin are due to birds pecking away. Here are a few pictures I took there last Friday:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/76016463@N00/6419847797/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/artolog/6426025459/
In the second one, a bird is eating from one of those areas.
The Navy has increased bombing exercises along the west coast as part of their 5-year Warfare Testing Plan. I have been wondering if the blunt force trauma that has been reported could have been caused from explosive blasts. Some dolphins died earlier in the year near San Diego from this, but if an orca died it would be a violation of their ‘incidental take’ permit.
What is coming out of his mouth??
His tongue.
Hi Richard!
It was great to meet and work with you cleaning up the Pinnacle Gulch shipwreck today. Your photographs are beautiful . . . I wish I’d know you didn’t have a memory card as I would have happily given you mine.
I’ve seen Orcas here at Doran . . . they’re stunning . . . heartbreaking to see this beautiful animal gone and to think he might have been killed by a ship . . .
I’ll be following your blog . . . hope to connect with you on the beach again someday soon. Thanks for all your hard work.
I doubt SeaWorld conspired to dump a whale, but captive whales have their teeth drilled out all the time:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.130892610288888.14631.100001044495673&l=331ecd1197