Capra (AD31)

Lively Capra (AD31) was born in 1998, the second calf of Aaxlu (AD8); the first was born in 1994 but did not survive its first winter. Capra has two younger siblings, Scritch (AD35), born in 2001, and Carmina, born in 2004. He and his new siblings spend time playing together away from mom, but like all killer whales, they travel closely by her side when it’s time to rest or hunt. Capra often swims near the boat and stares up at us, then swims under the bow. After four years, we finally viewed Capra's underside clearly enough to discern that he is a male due to the markings around his genital slit. Another way to determine his sex would have been to take a skin sample and run genetic analyses. He seems to love to play with his younger cousin Nanwalek (AD33) born in the winter of 2000/2001, whom we suspect may also be a male. The two young whales frequently chase each other, slap their tails, and swim across each other's backs. Capra also plays with his uncle, Herring Pete (AD19), a friendly young male.

The AD5 pod to which Capra belongs numbered 16 whales in September 2008. We frequently see Capra in May and June in Kenai Fjords where the pod hunts king (Chinook) salmon. AD5 pod travels as far as Kodiak and is often seen in the fall in Kachemak Bay (near Homer) where they feed on silver (coho) salmon. Occasionally they are also seen in Prince William Sound.

At eleven years old, Capra is just starting to mature and his fin is starting to sprout into the tall dorsal fin of an adult male. The fin wont be completely grown for another 5 years or more. In the meantime, he remains one of the most rambunctious whales in the pod, chasing the other younger juveniles, Nanwalek (named after a native village) and Auriga and leading them over to the boat where they play in front of the bow. A typical encounter with Capra is the following, from May last year, when Capra made breached repeatedly and swam along with the boat, seeming to recognize Eva when she leaned over and signaled to him. He approached her repeatedly alongside the boat. In 2003, another nick appeared on Capra’s dorsal fin, probably due to his rough playing. Nicks and scratches in resident killer whale fins and saddle patches are common, and they aid in our ability to identify individuals.

In 2009, we first encountered Capra and family on May 12, where they hunted for Chinook salmon off Pony Cove, in Resurrection Bay. They were seen repeatedly in the same area in May, illustrating the importance of Agnes Bay, Cheval Narrows and Pony Cove as critical foraging habitats in early spring. After early June, when the Chinook salmon run dries up, the AD5’s move to other areas where fishing is more reliable.

The black and white picture included in your adoption certificate is part of the catalog that we use to identify the killer whales inhabiting the Gulf of Alaska. It presents the features (dorsal fin shape, scars, pigmentation) that allow us to recognize Capra when he shows up close to the research vessel.

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