Here’s a pod of Northern Resident Orca photographed here on the BC coast a while back – known as the A30s. This group have appeared here on the blog a couple of times and are one of the most commonly seen and easily identified pods that we see each summer. The female orca seen centrally here is known as A72, (born in 1999) and as you can see she has a a notch, thought to be from a boat strike, in the front centre of her dorsal fin. Additionally, the large male seen at the rear – A38 – has a dorsal fin estimated to be around 2 metres high. Along with his now deceased brother A39, the pair had what was considered to be the largest dorsal fins on the coast. All key features that help make identifying this group relatively easy. See also A30s and Sleeping Orca.