Shows
The Vancouver Aquarium’s whale and dolphin research program is widely known and respected around the world. In cooperation with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, we have been participating in the world's longest continuous study of killer whales—and one of the longest on any animal species—for over 30 years. Through photo identification, acoustic analysis of calls and DNA analysis, we've tracked the lives of more than 500 killer whales living along the British Columbian coast.
Photo: Lance Barrett-Lennard
The Vancouver Aquarium’s groundbreaking killer whale research is focused in three areas: ecology (how do they interact with other species?), social structure (who do they live with, who do they mate with, who are they related to?), and conservation (how are they doing, what threats do they face?)
As long as humans have gone to the sea in boats they have been fascinated by whales. They have feared them, revered them, pursued them, loved them, hated them—about the only thing they haven’t done is been bored by them. Learn about how the Vancouver Aquarium acquired its first killer whale in 1964 and about how she, and the whales we had subsequently, fundamentally changed public attitudes towards the species.
The B.C. Cetacean Sightings Network is a conservation and research collaboration between the Vancouver Aquarium and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). We collect sightings of whales, dolphins, porpoises and sea turtles to better understand these populations in the wild.
By adopting a killer whale and becoming a member of the B.C. Wild Killer Whale Adoption Program, you'll directly support research on wild killer whales. Continuing research will lead to a better understanding of the whales, their place in the ocean ecosystem and the conservation measures necessary to protect them.
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