Elli (AD5)

This matriarch, Elli, is the oldest female in the resident AD5 pod and a leader in the group. We first watched her in 1984 when she had a new calf, Homer (AD6), who is now an adult male. Elli is at least 43 years old and has probably produced her last calf, China Poot (AD25), who was born in 1995. Her distinctive dorsal fin is often the first one we recognize when we pull up to this group of whales. She has four living offspring who travel near her much of the time, the oldest is Sadie (AD12) who was born in 1974. Her pod spends much of their time in Kenai Fjords National Park in the spring where we watch them catch king (Chinook) salmon. She sometimes swims by the boat displaying her catch. This pod is often very friendly, swimming around the boat, much to the delight of the students we take out in the spring. Elli also travels with her pod to Kodiak Island waters, Prince William Sound, and Kachemak Bay. We often see her in Kachemak Bay (near the town of Homer) in the fall chasing silver (coho) salmon.

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