Jenna's little "Marine" World

Meet my adopted whale Moonlight (L-83)

Origin of name: The contrast of the white moon against the dark sky being very similar to the black and white coloration of killer whales.

This image of moonlight(L-83) is from my certificate I got from the Whale Museum's orca adoption Program.

Gender: Female

Date of Birth: July 27th, 1990

Mother: Marina (L-47)

Sister: Muncher (L-91), L-111(*?)

Grandmother: Ankh (L-21)*

Uncle: Flash (L-48)*

Son: Midnight (L-110)

Image of Moonlight with son Midnight taken by fivestarswhales(Please do NOT use without photographer's permission)

How to Identify her: Mottled saddle patch on both sides that is open on the left side and closed with a finger on the right side. No nicks in the trailing edge of her dorsal fin. Has a greyish saddle patch.

Photo of Moonlight porposing is a countresy of the Whale Museum

Her story: Moonlight was born to Marina(L-47) on July 27th, 1990(when she was first seen). She would be one of the very whales in the wild to be seen a few hours after birth. At birth, her grandmother Ankh(L-21)*, and mother Marina(L-47) where far behind from the other animals in their pod with the small calf who was completley orange with a flopped over dorsal fin, which idicated that Moonlight was a newborn calf at the time of her very first sighting. Marina was 17 years old(considered in human years to be 25-30 years old) when she first gave birth to Moonlight and was her very first observed calf. Five years later in July 1995, Moonlight had a new sister who was named Muncher(L-91) and she now had a sibling who she can play with. Once, Moonlight was sighted with members of the L-9 pod when they captured a harbor porpoise. The whales all took turns carrying the young animal on their noises and playing with the porpoise a number of times before they released it physically unharmed. In 2006, Moonlight was sighted traveling with her family, also with Jelly Roll(L-43)*, her son, Domino(L-104)*, her daugther, Racer(L-72) and her calf, Fluke(L-105). This encounter with these L-37 pod members was likely to be a form of motherhood training for Moonlight and her sister Muncher for they were at the adverage ages to have their first calves. That same year, she was seen traveling with L-12 males Mega(L-41), and Matia(L-77) as they all passed by the west side of San Juan Island just along the kelp beds. On August 16th, 2007, Moonlight gave birth to her first calf, a son who would later be named Midnight(L-110). Midnight, with a little help from his mom, and family would survive his first year. Moonlight has become an excellent mother to Midnight and has now been seen with him as she barley leaves his side. Recently in 2008, Moonlight's grandmother Ankh went missing and is presumed dead as well as her younger sister who was born that same year, L-111(*?). Today, Moonlight's family now consits of her, her son Midnight, her mother Marina and sister Mucher.

More Pictures of Moonlight(L-83):

These photos were taken by the Center for Whale Research

Moonlight(L-83) with newborn Midnight(L-110)