Orca Guardians Blog

10 Apr 2018

by Lionel Davoust

Weather and nature are not to be commanded, and especially not in Iceland…
I have had the pleasure of arriving in Grundarfjörður at the beginning of the week, back with the Orca Guardians team. I have worked along researchers before, but orcas have always been especially fascinating to me, and having the opportunity to observe them in the wild, to learn about them and make a small contribution to their conservation, is an amazing perspective! All through the long journey to Grundarfjörður on several buses, the weather was wonderful, and I admit my breath caught at seeing the fjords here under the glory of the afternoon sun, thinking: “Wow. This is where I’m going to work…!” So, of course, I have been looking forward to my first trip to sea here, after having been a tourist several times in the area…

… but strong winds have us confined to land for two days. And by strong, I mean really strong: walking counter to the wind is like walking uphill. (A temperamental hill that occasionally wants to throw you off its back.) And yet I can hear the locals laughing already: it seems it’s still very tame compared to the real storms that can happen around here!
But… this is the way of the wild. And I feel that this apparent lack of luck is, on the contrary, an invitation to meditate on the resistance to our wishes. That wildlife and nature require patience and mindfulness, in a way that the developed world, all with its instant notifications and e-mails and things to do and pulls on the attention All! Requiring! Action! Now! may have forgotten. The beauty of nature and of approaching it lies as much in the journey, in the effort, in the waiting, as in seeing what you came to see. The richness of the experience lies also in the fact that mankind must abide by its rules, and that means, sometimes, accepting that your plans do not necessarily work out – a valuable lesson in a world of instant gratification.

OK, so, obviously, this is inconvenient for someone on vacation, with a tight schedule… Last time I was here, as a tourist, I could only go out to sea once on a stay of four days. But when you don’t have a choice, why not reflect on that fact and make the most of it instead of feeling frustrated? To settle down, to look, to take the time. To think. And even, maybe, to be grateful for that thinking imposed by nature frustrating our desires; an increasingly rare occurrence in today’s developed world. When coming to see orcas, the experience of not seeing them is in line with their life and habitat. Their absence is as telling as their presence. They are not to be commanded. And this, maybe, is also an experience in itself. It is an opportunity, especially in the wild and demanding landscapes of Iceland, to face oneself, to find oneself anew, by taking stock of what can and cannot be.

Orcas on my previous trip in April 2017

Another image from one year ago

2 Apr 2018

by Shilpa Shah

I’ve been in Grundarfjörður, West Iceland, with Orca Guardians for a week now. Last week started with bad weather and we were stuck on land – a good time for meetings and planning projects. We’ve been out on the water six times since Thursday. A big snowstorm started yesterday. Orca Guardians founder Marie and I are currently snowed in, catching up on admin and blogging.

Thursday had calm, glassy waters. We observed fifteen orcas in the morning, including SN280. We saw fifteen in the afternoon, including Von, Whirlwind, the cheeky Katla and family. The mood seemed relaxed, in the water and out. The orcas were cruising along fairly slowly. The humans on the boat enjoying watching them against the pinkish romantic sky and clear view of the glacier.

Friday morning’s trip was disappointing, with only a few white-beaked dolphins spotted at a distance. The wind was strong and sharp, sometimes making my face sting when scanning the horizon. Then in the afternoon we saw two small groups including Thor, Odin and Skadi. Marie sees these orcas fairly regularly; it was wonderful to see her greet them with a smile, like old friends.

Yesterday we had two very different trips. A fairly chilly, calm morning, where we quickly came across 12 orcas, including a number of youngsters. One slapped his/her tail repeatedly on the water in a way that seemed playful (we can’t tell the gender until they get older). At one point a small group started porpoising towards the back of the boat (porpoising is travelling fast, lunging out of the water rhythmically). They dived under and surfaced on the other side and headed away from us. I wondered if they were chasing something under the surface and felt the familiar achey frustration of only being able to witness their air-based world.

In the afternoon… snow. Everywhere. The thick, slow, Christmassy kind of snowflakes. We head out, with the crew regularly having to brush snow from the boat windows. Visibility drops. A cheeky snowball is thrown. Then suddenly: Gannets! Gulls! Orcas! Feeding frenzy. A number of large males and youngsters are particularly prominent, near the boat. They are surfacing all around us. It is hectic and incredible.

I watch Marie taking hundreds of photographs with a determined focus. On each trip she collects data on each orca, adding to her understanding of who is in which group, where they are going, what they are eating, how they behave. She is painting a picture of their existence here over time, which is building a strong case for their conservation. And she does this entirely in a non-invasive way, allowing them to be just as they are without disturbing them, or trying to collect samples from them.

I couldn’t feel my toes until the evening and my fingers didn’t de-freeze until a hot drink was placed into my hands, but the glow from seeing the orcas looking well this week surrounds me like a warm duvet. They currently seem to be feeding enough, and we have seen a number of energetic youngsters in the group (those under two years old have orangey patches, which turn white as they get older). I’m glad Orca Guardians is doing its part to help protect the orcas and their way of life, just as it is.

You can find the codes and photos of orcas mentioned here, and many others, collected in the Orca Guardians ID catalogue.

Orcas breathe together in front of the glacier

A lone orca against the pinky afternoon sunset sky

Gannets, gulls, orcas... all after the herring!

Young orca surfaces with relatives while feeding

A young orca playfully tail-clapping near the boat

20 Mar 2018

by Shilpa Shah

Today I write from London. I’m off to Iceland soon, to work with Orca Guardians for a few days, supporting organisational strategy development and, of course, being your trusty correspondent on this blog.
I will join Orca Guardians and Láki Tours on the daily boat trips, for research and whale-watching with tourist passengers.
This is my third opportunity to look for orcas.
My love for orcas is second only to my love for… I am struggling to finish this sentence. So I am very excited, of course. And there is something else; nervousness and anxiety.
I notice different voices inside, battling it out.
There is the Excited Me, cartwheeling and whooping ‘Orcas! Orcas!’ Like a chant at a football match.
And Slightly Anxious Me, biting her nails. She whispers ‘I have experienced trips where I spent three hours looking at a blank horizon…. What if I don’t get to see ANY orcas?’
Somewhere in the background sits a quieter, more practical, Chilled Me. In fact, she looks a bit like me right now, sitting in the library, looking out the window at birds on the pond while I write this.
Chilled Me clears her throat and addresses the other two in a voice that sounds like silk. She says ‘You know what sweethearts, it’s nature… ‘
Excited Me interrupts – ‘YEAH but ORCAS… yee ha!’
Chilled Me takes a breath. ‘Look, you both know the orcas go where the herring goes. The herring goes where it can find food. We have absolutely no control over that – and neither do other human beings.’
Slightly Anxious Me snaps back ‘But what if we don’t see them, it would be so unfair!’

Chilled Me replies – ‘The Laki Tours people know their stuff – if there are orcas there, you know they will find them. I understand it would feel difficult to miss them, but it’s not actually unfair is it? It’s unlucky for that trip. It’s nature doing its thing. You just have to be prepared to try again.’
Slightly Anxious Me isn’t convinced. ‘But I worked hard to get here! I deserve to see them! Someone totally has it in for me if I don’t get to see them!’
Chilled Me loses her cool. ‘You know what, darling. That’s nonsense. No-one has it in for you! Orcas do not exist only for your pleasure. They are gloriously wild and free. Seeing them is a real blessing, a magical experience. This is one of the best places in the world to do so. You need patience! If you’re demanding that you should DEFINITELY see them on a boat trip, how different is it to going to see them – with 100% certainty – in a tank in a water park?’
With that she turns back to the window and crosses her arms.

My current window view in London

All voices go quiet for a minute and the message sinks in.
‘Wildness is not found but revealed’, said conservationist Paul Gruchow. As the different voices in me relax, I notice I feel deeply grateful. Grateful for the wildness of orcas and grateful for the chance to enjoy whichever revelations may come my way.

1 Feb 2018

by Shilpa Shah

Yesterday’s news about orcas is getting total side-eye from me. Some orcas (killer whales) have been found to be able to mimic human speech. Here is why this is a COMPLETE NON-NEWS story.

Firstly, dolphins and other animals with smaller brains than orcas have been taught human (English) words since the 1970s. I don’t believe this is the first time an orca has imitated a human word and don’t understand why it’s a big deal now.

But we should question why it’s news at all.

Orcas are INCREDIBLE creatures – they are far more capable than most humans would dare to realise. They are the top predator of the oceans. They are found all over the world and adapt their hunting techniques to whatever prey is available – from working as a cohesive team to corral herring into a tight ball before smacking with their tails to stun, then eating them one by one… to skilfully beaching themselves to pick a seal from the shallow waves.

They use a variety of complex sounds (clicks, cracks, moans, piercing wails) to locate their prey and communicate with each other. An orca’s call can radiate 10 miles, hit land and travel back to a whale to let her orient herself along a coast. A family group will have a distinct code – particular calls they use together and these songs evolve and change over time. Researcher, writer and environmental justice activist Alexandra Morton, in her time studying orcas in British Columbia, recorded 62 distinct codes (or languages). 62 different codes!

The scientists in the news claim they want to understand the role of mimicry in how orcas learn language. We know already that orca societies teach and learn through young ones copying adults. It’s why captive-born orcas don’t know how to nurse youngsters or catch live fish. We also know orcas are creative and love to move in synchrony, apparently for the joy of it. They literally copy each other while making up routines for movement together and a particular move will become fashionable amongst a group until they get bored of it and try a new one.

And then there’s their wisdom. Ancient Indigenous American stories emphasise the sacred wisdom of orcas. They are said to hold the planet’s ancient memory record and their song is said heal the whole world. Orcas are believed by researchers who spend a lot of time observing them to have emotional and empathetic capacities we can’t begin to understand. They outstrip our species in being able to live in healthy, caring societies where the young and sick are cared for and everyone has a valued role. Some people who have observed orcas in the ocean and in captivity believe they have the capacity to read human minds or intention – they have turned up when people out at sea need help and guided them back to land or they have copied an action a person is merely thinking about (and this isn’t news?!).

I say all this to demonstrate that mimicking the words ‘hello’ and ‘1,2,3’ is small fry for an orca. It really is. This ‘news’ is like congratulating Usain Bolt cos you saw him jog to his local shop for a pint of milk. No-one likes being patronised. Making a big deal of it in the news shows what a narcissistic species we really are. And it takes away from the real story….

These studies were done with an orca in captivity in France. There are 56 orcas believed to be held captive across the world right now. What on EARTH are sentient beings with this level of intelligence and social and emotional life still doing in tiny concrete tanks in 2018? Orcas travel over 100km a day in their natural habitat. They enjoy deep bonds with their family and pods – the mother-child bond in orca societies is thought to be one of the strongest among all species. Everything about them is designed to be and hunt in groups. Pulling an orca out of its pod destroys all of this.

Captured orcas are observed to be in states of grief, boredom, anger, loneliness, trauma. Their health deteriorates, the males’ dorsal fins collapse and they are pumped full of anti-biotics to keep infections at bay. Their life expectancy drops dramatically – a study (Ventre and Jett, 2015) showed that on average captured whales die within 6 years of capture. Wild orcas are thought to live 30 (male) or 50 (female) year on average (a 100 year old female has been observed).

This should be THE orca news story. And encouraging ways to keep plastic garbage out of our oceans, scale back polluting fish farms and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions so we can stop ruining their homes.

Here is an orca that came near the boat I was on last year, working with the brilliant Orca Guardians Iceland. I hope he never speaks any human languages. He’s known as Stormur and he is beautifully free.

6 Jun 2017

by Shilpa Shah

I’ve been back home in London, UK, for just over a week. There is a disappointing lack of orcas in this city. I find I’m very much missing being out on the boat and scanning the expansive horizon for dorsal fins.

I’ve been reflecting on my obsession with orcas. It’s not just an affection because they are considered an instantly recognisable, ‘cute’ mascot of the marine world. Or it’s not because they are the most powerful hunters of the ocean. It’s something deeper than that.

As a community development worker, I am fascinated by how orcas live in community together. Those that are sick or weak have been observed to be fed by others. They seem to take seriously the proverb ‘it takes a village to bring up a child’. Aunties, uncles, older siblings all get involved in rearing the calves. I do a lot of work to build women’s leadership and confidence in my work. I am inspired by the matriarchal leadership model for orcas – where the oldest matriarch in the family is recognised to be the wisest and guides the others around her.

As a child I was obsessed with the opening and closing sequences of the first Free Willy film. The orcas looked so free, so confident in their environment. Seeing orcas in the flesh didn’t disappoint. To me, they have a grace and dignity that leaves me feeling jumbled up inside. Orcas (Blackfish) are one of the most revered animals in some Native American traditions, who see them as a symbol of power, family and freedom.
The fact that orcas exist gives me a deeper faith in a world where loneliness and fear seem to be on the increase. I wonder what it would take for humans to live more like them – with abundance, connection, confidence.

Before I left Grundarfjörður, I had the opportunity to name one of the orcas, a female called SN234. I look at a photo of her and it takes ten seconds before a name bubbles up. I name her Joy.

Pollution, overfishing, fish farms which threaten the wild fish populations, noise pollution… orca populations in other places around the world are under threat. As we understand more about these amazing creatures, it is natural to want to ensure their way of life can continue undisturbed by human hazards. I’m so grateful that Orca Guardians is working to protect the habitat and way of life for Joy and other orcas who pass by Snæfellsnes. In the two weeks I was with Orca Guardians, I must have experienced a small fraction of the inspiration and energy that they receive from working with the orcas. They’ve achieved a huge amount in their first year of existence and I’m excited about what their second year and beyond is going to bring!

Orcas in calm waters

SN234 - from now on known as "Joy"!

Me with Orca Guardians' Marie and María

A sperm whale dives

22 May 2017

by Shilpa Shah

A couple of recent trips out to sea were very rough. When we did find orcas, I glimpsed them in moments between trying not to fall over. Other days, the sea was so calm it looked like silk sheets and I would lean back against the cabin and enjoy the warmth of the sun on my face.

The changing conditions out on the water feel like a metaphor for life – sometimes tranquil, sometimes stormy… always changing. The orcas are at ease, whatever the weather. Most of the time they are slowly travelling. Sometimes they dive under one side of the boat and surface on the other side. In one group we meet, the big male is wriggling in a funny zig-zag, possibly as part of a hunting strategy.

Orca Guardians says ‘We value killer whales as individuals with unique character traits, and promote respectful and mindful encounters with them’.

When I’m focussed on watching orcas, time stops. It’s easy to forget how hard Orca Guardians’ partner Láki Tours are working to manage the boat behind the scenes. Of course they are trying to give their passengers the best experience possible. However, the first priority is the whales – to put their safety first and respect their sensitivity to noise from the boat. Captain Gísli, in the wheelhouse, is taking into account the currents, swell and the wind and simultaneously keeping a tab on exactly where the whales are. A certain distance is maintained and the whales are never approached head-on, but from a side angle. The boat propeller and sometimes the engine is stopped.

Láki Tours adheres strictly to a Code of Conduct for whale-watching developed and promoted by Orca Guardians’ partner IceWhale. Unfortunately, principles like these are not followed by all boat operators around the world. You can see the impact – injury scars on orca dorsal fins are the most obvious. Some orcas are thought to be deaf, their hearing impaired by the engine noise of all the boats around them.

If you go whale-watching, please make sure you use a responsible operator. In some places where there are lots of boats on the water, it might even be better for the whales to watch from land.

Láki’s reputation for being best practice leaders in the field appears to have reached the orcas too – they seem to trust the boat and come closer of their own accord. They will swim alongside the boat, popping up to take a curious look. Sometimes I wonder what’s going on, is it whale-watching or people-watching? That’s the best thing – if approached with gentleness and respect, of course it can be both.

Orcas in choppy seas

SN188 "Four" surfaces near the boat

The crew relaxed in the wheelhouse on the way back to harbour

A clear sky and clear water

19 May 2017

by Shilpa Shah

I’m on the left-hand side of the boat, looking out for a male orca that has just dived. I hear a huge gasp and my head spins automatically to the right. I catch a glimpse of a juvenile orca fully in the air, then smacking down in the water with a big splash. Everyone is laughing giddily and smiling at each other. I feel like there is electricity running through my body. Who knows why she or he jumped or what it felt like to be airborne for that moment… it was just amazing to witness it and feel joy with others.

We’ve been blessed with fantastic orca sightings over the last few days. Twice, we have seen Aurora (female SN105) with her little calf Niniti and others in their core group. They have been travelling in a fairly chilled out way. They move at a leisurely pace and take long sweeping moments at the surface to breathe. The group travels in a line, with Aurora in the middle, Niniti tucked in by her side and the two males travelling protectively at the outside. The usual pattern is to take a couple of short dips, then a longer dive. They come up to breathe at roughly the same moment. Little Niniti does a little enthusiastic ‘popping up’ movement, as s/he keeps up with the adults who surface more smoothly. It reminds me of my nephew skipping to keep up with the rest of the family when out for a walk in the park.

We know quite a bit about Aurora and her core group thanks to Orca Guardians’ research. They are no longer anonymous whales, but they have names and we know a bit and where they travel and how they socialise together. Orca expert Alexandra Morton in her book ‘Listening to Whales’ says ‘a wondrous thing happens when an animal moves from population status to individual standing: it can no longer be mistreated with impunity’.

Protecting orcas from being mistreated is exactly what Orca Guardians is doing through the Orca Adoption programme. ‘Adoptive parents’ of one of ten orcas receive a regular update to see how they are and what they have been spotted doing recently. Orca Guardians asks for a donation towards conservation projects in exchange.

The number of thank you emails received by Orca Guardians suggests ‘parents’ really enjoy learning more about their adoptee over time. As we build a deeper understanding of how orca families live, perhaps we can see that in some ways they are not that different from us.

You can read more about the adoption programme (and share with other orca lovers) here.

Orca breach! (Copyright: Markus Wagner)

Travel line

Little Niniti popping up beside mother Aurora

Orca male in front of the glacier

16 May 2017

by Shilpa Shah

Windy weather conditions mean there has been one boat trip in the last three days. We see four speedy white-beaked dolphins and some colourful puffins. A small part of me feels sad to not see orcas again. But I know deep down that that is just how it is today. I look out to the horizon and imagine them being there and my heart does a little somersault.

Being land-tied has given me time to discuss the core principles of Orca Guardians with founder and president Marie. The collection of data about the orcas around the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in Iceland is the foundation for the research, education and conservation work of the organisation. Ensuring research methods are ‘non-invasive’ is a principle at the heart of Orca Guardians’ work.

In Alexandra Morton’s wonderful book “Listening to Whales” about her work with orcas, she says ‘I know the very best hope for any species on earth today is that some group of humans love it’. She goes on to say ‘but the line is fine between guardianship and molesting a species’.

I learn more about what ‘non-invasive research methods’ means.

• Orcas are never tagged or biopsied in any way (even temporary tags can leave scars on orca’s backs).
• Photographic (and sometimes audio) data is collected upon Láki Tour’s whale-watching boat trips, rather than adding another boat on the water and additional noise pollution around the whales.
• The photos are used to identify individuals and spot patterns in groupings, feeding behaviours, migration paths.
• Láki captains drive their boats in a way that strictly avoids disturbance or harm to the whales.

Marie says ‘we want to encourage people to protect orcas in a way that lets them be just as they are, without human interference’.

These words settle over me as I sit by the harbour in Grundarfjörður. To admire and support another being in a way that centres the needs and freedom of that being…. Perhaps this is a way to define love? I look out to sea and my heart does a little somersault again.

The Láki Tours boat in the harbour

Boat work before the tour

In the wheelhouse

Sunset in Grundarfjörður

15 May 2017

by Shilpa Shah

We’d been out for an hour on the Láki Tours boat looking for whales and there was silence. Passengers and crew all scanning the calm fjord waters for tell-tale dorsal fins, or diving gannets feeding off the fish that orcas hunt. It is a silence that feels excited and nervous. Will we be able to see them today? Suddenly Marie’s voice booms – ‘we’re lucky today everyone, we’ve spotted a group of orcas’. There are gasps. Everyone rushes to the side of the boat to see.

I watch a big male and two females slowly cruising along and my eyes brim over with tears at their grace and majesty.

Three boat trips with Láki Tours last winter upgraded my lifelong orca obsession to a whole new level. Since then, I have read everything about orcas that I could find in spare waking moments and they visit my dreams by night. I’m back in Snæfellsnes this year supporting Orca Guardians with the development of outreach and education strategies.

On our way back to harbour we see two solitary Minke whales; their glossy metallic-grey bodies powering discreetly through the calm waters. Their movement is less predictable than the orcas. Marie tells the passengers that Minke whales are still hunted and eaten in Iceland. A 2013 poll found only 3% of Icelanders eat whale meat regularly and support for whaling is decreasing. Minke meat is mostly eaten by gullible tourists who mistakenly believe that they are eating ‘traditionally Icelandic’ cuisine. The ‘Meet Us, don’t Eat Us’ campaign has succeeded in reducing whale meat consumption, but there is still work to be done to stop it completely.

How can you help? Research more whaling – become more knowledgeable and talk to your friends about it. And when you or your friends visit Iceland, refuse to eat at restaurants that serve whale meat. See which restaurants are whale-friendly here (with thanks to Orca Guardian’s partner organisation in Reykjavik, Icewhale).

SN172 "Smári" next to the boat

Shiny, glossy, but stinky Minke – we could smell its breath from the boat

SN234 with a glimpse of the awe-inspiring Snæfellsjökull glacier under the clouds

22 Dec 2016

by Lionel Davoust

Iceland in winter is a striking sight – especially for two foreigners used to warmer temperatures and only rain! The snow storms, the grey seas, the outcroppings of black rock make for a truly wild landscape where human beings realise they are but guests on the planet and not its masters.

A fitting setting for one of the most majestic, mysterious, fascinating marine animal of all, the orca. And orcas are not summoned at will. But with patience and some luck, you can be rewarded with a wonderful encounter.

Less than ideal weather conditions had defeated our first attempt to see them at sea. But, thanks to Orca Guardians, we learned that they sometimes follow the herring schools quite close to shore. So we went driving along the coast, keeping our eyes peeled, when the tell-tale shape of the black sword slowly rose from the waters, only a hundred meters away! A minute later, we were out of the car. And indeed, two individuals were exploring the fjord. Only the gentle lapping of the sea and the breath of the wind filled the air as we watched those two magnificent animals slowly roam their domain, with the snowy hills as backdrop.

The short winter day was fast declining, adding to the otherworldly quality of the encounter. Seeing those noble animals in their natural environment, even for a short time, is an awe-inspiring experience, always reminding you to listen to the silence of the wild, to open yourself fully to the moment. And maybe that is the chief reason for studying and protecting nature: to save our own capacity as a species to encounter beauty in the world. To save our souls.

That is why, when I had the wonderful honour to name one of the animals Orca Guardians regularly encounters – who was then a young calf –, I did not have to look far to find what seemed like a suitable name. “Ardence” is found in no French dictionary that you might encounter. It is a composite word based on the French “ardeur” (which roughly translates to “ardour”, with the added connotation of passion and courage). It comes from my “Léviathan” books, where it is a concept that the main characters search for and revere at the same time, both elusive and incredibly strong: it is the most supreme form of the will to live, to act fully, the power to make the impossible possible. It has the strength of the most intense faith, but without an object of devotion. I humbly hope that word will carry young Ardence to a wonderful, passionate, and above all, secure life!

Two orcas seen from land by Lionel Davoust, 21.12.2016. He visited Snæfellsnes from the 20th to the 22nd of December 2016, and was in the right place at the right time.

Winter landscape

The fjord in darkness

Juvenile Ardence (SN059) close-up from land in March 2015. Ardence belongs to the core group of Von (SN053) and is, therefore, part of our second most sighted group in winter.

Ardence (SN059) in the lead, followed by relative SN057 and the latest newborn in the group, the calf of Snowflake (SN054). Other well-known members of this core group are Katla (SN058) and Thunderstorm (SN060).