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News Updates

June 28, 2004
Springer has returned once again to Johnstone Strait for the Summer season in the close company of her relatives, Aunt Yakat (A11) and her cousins (Yakat's offspring) and several other A pod members.  Another fantastic sighting and further confirmation that she is indeed back home with her family and thriving.  She was initially identified via voice (her cute voice so distinctive) and then confirmed visually by IDing her distinctive markings.

July 9, 2003
Springer is spotted returned from wintering with members of her family and is looking 100% perfect and healthy and fully restored to health and her pod in every way.  The news couldn't be better and is only marred by the situation brewing on the island's West coast for a 4 year old orphan from L-pod, Luna who doesn't seem able to garner the same amount of sympathy or help that Springer was lucky enough to get.

October 27, 2002
Springer has been in constant contact with members of her family and her pod since being released and seems to be doing great.  She is appearing healthy and fully accepted by her pod.  This time of year, her pod leaves for their Winter locations and activities, and she has indeed left with them.  Now we all just wait out the long Winter season and hope to see her return to the NE Island waters next Summer.

July 27, 2002 We personally spotted A73 Springer in Johnstone Strait - twice! This map shows where Springer was in Johnstone Strait at the time of our sightings. She was swimming very closely with A51 and A61.  On the second sighting A71 also joined but I only saw the foursome for a few minutes before losing sight of them. The first sighting, the threesome was traveling east toward Robson Bight and the second sighting they were going north past Cracroft Point with A71 right past our boat, which had been sitting idle for at least 20 minutes at the time.

Who is A73 Springer?

In early 2002 I became aware of a little orphaned orca and her plight just captured my imagination and heart before I knew what hit me!  Here's A73 Springer's life story in a nutshell as far as I know.  This is not a scientific account - just what I know.  Here's a family tree that I made for Springer.  It's not complete as there was a lot of loss of life in A4 Pod, so this document does not detail all of that.

Click to enlarge
Springer's Family Tree

A73 - Springer Timeline

MID 2000
A73 born to A45 (Sutlej) daughter of A4 matriarc A24

EARLY 2001
A45 and her daughter A73 Springer hang out with A35, a female from the A11 pod.  A73 had siblings but they didn't survive, and I don't know anything about them.

MID to LATE 2001
A45 is missing and presumed dead and A73 Springer tries to befriend some orcas (transients I think but I don't know any details) but was either rejected or just couldn't keep up with their speed.  She starts her behavior of approaching boats for companionship as she is left alone.

JANUARY 14, 2002
I first learn of A73 Springer along with the rest of the world when marine mammal experts identify an 18 month old female orca alone and lonely near Vashon Island in the central Puget Sound area.

WINTER 2002
Springer's health is a major concern as her 11 foot frame is underweight at 1240 pounds, she has ketone breath (burning body fat for fuel), has intestinal parasites as well as a fairly common itchy skin condition that experts nevertheless fear could spread and cause lung problems.  Several experts are quoted as giving her low chances of survival.  Springer's behavior in regards to approaching boats and ferries is also of particular concern.  She seems to befriend logs, the poor thing!  The public's imagination and hearts are captured, including mine.

JUNE 13, 2002
Springer is captured in a very smooth operation so she can receive medical attention and preparation for her return to Johnstone Strait. The plan is to get her weight up, have her skin ailment improve and go through a battery of medical evaluations and checks for any virus or bacteria problems that could pose a problem for her family pod when she's returned home to Johnstone Strait off the North East coast of Vancouver Island in the Summer.  Salmon injected with medicines are fed to her and she eats them up like there's no tomorrow - and nobody knows if there will be or not as this is the first attempt at rescuing a baby orca and returning it to the wild ever attempted.  Canadian and US wildlife officials are all involved and even Sea World has experts on scene, helping in every way possible.

JULY 3, 2002
Springer passes all her medical tests, is eating plenty of salmon and has packed on 150 pounds.  Her skin condition and ketone breath are markedly improved.

JULY 13, 2002
Springer is loaded up on a donated high-speed catamaran for the 10 hour trip home.  She remained quite calm throughout her transport which went very smoothly. Her breathing remaining for the most part normal and calm.  What a trooper!   It's like she knows all these people are trying to help her.  Everyone is thrilled to bits.

Springer in her holding pen after touching her native waters again she seems extremely excited and dare I say it?  Happy.  + click to enlarge

JULY 14, 2002
Springer's family pod is nearby within hours of her arrival and she is chomping at the bit, pushing and squealing like an excited child.  It's determined this is a great time to release her so A73 is released to her apparent delight.  She shows none of the signs of shyness Keiko is struggling with in Iceland.  She's off like a shot and quickly finds herself within communication range of her family pod in Johnstone Strait.  A73 spends about a week off and on with other orcas or alone.  When alone, sometimes approaching boats to rub on them or for company.  While each encounter with boats is discouraging, each encounter with other orcas encourages everyone and the balance seems to slowly tip in her favor as she appears to be thriving.

JULY 24, 2002
A73 has been consistently seen in close company with A51, a 16 year old female and her little brother A71, since July 18th.  Today she "slipped" to her Puget Sound behavior again and started to approach a boat carrying a researcher from the Vancouver Aquarium who observed A51 swim over and guide her away and back to the pod moving by.  Very encouraging behavior, and Springer complied too!  This is one of the last times I have heard of her approaching any boats.  Very encouraging!

JULY 27, 2002
I personally see A73 finally - still hanging out closely with A51, A61 and interestingly, about an hour later, A71 joined their group for a time.  A71 was born to Springer's Grandmother (A24) in 1999, so is an aunt or uncle.  At first as this foursome was headed directly for our boat, I thought well it's not her because there was a fourth, but it is confirmed via radio shortly afterwards that was indeed A71.  All four of these relatively young orcas were very closely following A24 and other pod members at the time.  Very exciting family development!

JULY 29, 2002
A73 Springer was spotted early this morning in Robson Bight. She was traveling with A51 Nodales and her younger brother A61 Surge.  She has been seen with these 2 orcas from the A5 pod on July 18, 23, and 27 and again today!  In other words every time she's been sighted at length, she's with them, which shows a definite bonding taking place we hope!  Interestingly, A73's grandmother A24 Kelsey was swimming near the three younger orcas this morning as well.  A lot of mixing and socializing is going on, and everything looks great and I'm so encouraged and overjoyed for A73 and everyone who brought her home in good health to live her life free!  What an amazing success story so far!  Go Springer!

A73 leaping for joy in Johnstone Strait

JULY 31, 2002
Springer took off with the rest of her family north through Blackney Pass as dusk was settling onto Johnstone Strait.  On the way past Orcalab on Hanson Island, Anna Spong, Orcalab's videographer, captured Springer exuberantly breeching in three marvelous leaps of joy within a few second's time.  I've seen a lot of great expressions of joy in my life, but I think that beats all.

August 17, 2002
Springer and her family have been out of the strait for a couple weeks fishing I suppose and on this day they returned and sure enough, Springer is right in the thick of things with her aunt and cousins.  This is true success.  You CAN return orcas to freedom, don't believe the captive slave driver's lies anymore!  These intelligent creatures deserve their freedom!  They're entire natural lives are spent with their families and that's exactly where they should be, not forced to perform until their deaths in marine parks.

If you have a taken a possible picture of A73 you can
compare it to these and see if you can determine identity.