OrcaLab

OrcaLab "My hope is to bring people closer to Nature without disrupting her" (Dr. Paul Spong) OrcaLab is a whale research station in west coast Canada.
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Nestled against the evergreen forest of Hanson Island, British Columbia, OrcaLab was established by Dr. Paul Spong in 1970. Here at OrcaLab, our philosophy is to observe and study the whales without disturbing them. By remaining on shore, we reduce boat noise that impacts the whales. We use a network of hydrophones, cameras and eyes on land to track the whales across their ‘core habitat’. OrcaLab’

s research goal is to gain a complete picture of what the Orca are doing day to day, with specific focus on the northern resident community. The Lab helps to maintain an up to date record of which families are returning every year, and keep track of any changes in the community. Webstite: http://orcalab.org/

Corky’s saddest DayIncredibly, December 11th, 2025 marks the 56th anniversary of Corky’s capture. She only had four ye...
12/11/2025

Corky’s saddest Day

Incredibly, December 11th, 2025 marks the 56th anniversary of Corky’s capture. She only had four years at most with her mother before she was stolen away. We can only imagine her and her mother’s fear, confusion and sadness. It was wrong, hurtful and ignorant.

Corky’s ability to withstand the stresses of captivity for so long - deprived of her family and the ocean she was born into - can only be explained by her will to live. Knowing that people around the world want her to come home, she is above all, patient.

On this day, let’s dream Corky back to her deep, beautiful ocean, back to the sounds of her family, back to where she, in her own dreams, is already, as she circles around and around and around again.

Please, join us in lighting a candle for Corky today.

Paul & Helena

09/18/2025

Yesterday, on September 17th, the A23s surprised us at the rubbing beach! They had been spending time further south around the mid-Vancouver Island area, with their closest relatives, the A25s. After their long journey back up Johnstone Strait, this silent pass of Strider Rubbing Beach was on their agenda! Enjoy this beautiful footage from our remote underwater camera in the Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve.

The A23s are Corky the orca's closest relatives. She was taken from the area over 55 years ago and has been in captivity ever since. Members of our beautiful community are working hard to bring her home. Make sure you check out the exciting developments at Double Bay Sanctuary for more information!
https://doublebaysanctuary.org/

🎥 taken by our remotely-operated cameras OrcaLab explore.org

Yesterday we witnessed the death of I76 in the Johnstone Strait. He was a 28 year-old male, belonging to the I4s, who is...
08/19/2025

Yesterday we witnessed the death of I76 in the Johnstone Strait. He was a 28 year-old male, belonging to the I4s, who is very well known to us. While our sorrow runs deep, we are uplifted by the community around us who gave space and respect to this family in their last moments together.

Please read our account of the day, written by Helena Symonds.

https://orcalab.org/blog/the-death-of-i76-august-17-2025/

08/02/2025

Enjoy some beautiful scenes from our cameras on July 30th, 2025.

1. A23s rubbing at the protected beach in beautiful sunrise light.

2. Humpbacks close to our cameras in Johnstone Strait.

To learn more about our work and support us --> www.orcalab.org

🌊💙

Cameras powered by explore.org
Many thanks to Jenny Killer Whales of B.C. for the clips

07/29/2025

Incoming 👀 Here's A60 (Fife) of the A23s passing our cameras within the Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve, July 26th 2025.

Live cameras powered by explore.org

Many thanks to Jenny from Killer Whales of B.C. for this clip.

07/27/2025

The Northern Resident orcas are well and truly back in the area!
It has filled our hearts to see and hear the familiar sounds of A1, A4 and A5 pods back again in the past few days!

Here are some of the first clips of the A86s (of the A54s) and A60 "Fife" (of the A23s), recorded on our remote cameras located at the rubbing beaches in the Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve. This Reserve is a protected space for orcas, and each year we are fortunate enough to witness them returning to these beaches to forage, socialize and rub their entire bodies along the smooth pebbled beaches.

Live cameras powered by explore.org.

Many thanks to Jenny from Killer Whales of B.C. for creating these clips.

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PO Box 510
Alert Bay, BC
V0N1A0

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