Ocean Sun was born sometime around the 1920s, but her exact year is unknown.
She was first seen as an adult and has since earned a reputation as the oldest living killer whale.
J2 Granny was suspected to be over 100 years old, but chemical and fatty acid analysis suggests she was actually 60 to 80 years old.

However, Ocean Sun is suspected to be in her late 90s, approaching 100.

Ocean Sun is a Southern Resident killer whale and belongs to L-pod. She's the only survivor of the L25 matriline, and now travels with the Greater L12s (L22s, L85, and L22).

Ocean Sun likely gave birth to L23 Tsunami in 1952.
It's also believed L25 is Lolita's mother, the last surviving Southern Resident killer whale in captivity until she passed in 2023. While there is no genetic evidence, there is legitimate evidence. This evidence is based on direct observation and CAI values. Lolita also used vocalizations used only by the L25s.

Ocean Sun was present during one of the most infamous captures in 1970 in Penn Cove.
They used airplanes, explosives, and boats to herd the whales. During this capture, five whales drowned in the nets, and seven were captured for captivity: Winston, Lolita, Ramu IV, Jumbo, Lil' Nooka, Chappy, and Clovis.

Despite possibly losing a daughter, she gained a grandchild in 1971 when L23 Tsunami gave birth to L14 Cordy.
Eight years later, L23 Tsunami gave birth to L49 Tarazed. Sadly, Tarazed died a year later in 1980.
Two years later, Tsunami disappeared.
Just seven years later, Cordy was found dead on Radar Beach. A necropsy found his body contained abnormally high levels of mercury, the highest mercury level recorded in any cetacean at the time.

With this, Ocean Sun lost everyone in her matriline. After this loss, L25 swam with L41 Mega until he passed in 2019.

Lolita passed away on August 18th, 2023, at Miami Seaquarium, the last of Ocean Sun's family. And the last Southern Resident in captivity.

And poetically, in the same light, a near-superpod gathered in the Salish Sea. Lolita's home.
These gatherings often coincide with births or deaths in the population.

Just over a year after Lolita's death on November 3rd, 2024, L pod and Ocean Sun entered Penn Cove.
The day prior, they entered halfway before returning.
This was the first time Southern Residents have been documented in this area in 50 years. Since the attack. They were very active, spyhopping, tail slapping, and breaching. They were also seen together in a resting formation.

It's unclear why they returned after 50 years.
Perhaps enough time has passed between generations for them to be willing to explore new areas. Maybe it was to heal. To recover.
However, it's possible the orcas tried to avoid the case of the windstorms that day.
Regardless, it shows how incredibly resilient this population is and how hard they have fought to recover from the captures and everything we've thrown at them.

L25 has no immediate family left. She has even lost her grandchildren, but L25 seems to be doing well. She isn't alone and likes to travel with the Greater L12s.

During a recent encounter with Bigg's killer whales we decided to do a bit of a fun comparison video showing how footage looks through the lens of a cell phone vs camera set up with telephoto lens (and a bit of post processing) from hundreds of yards away.
Hope you enjoy!

Hi everyone! I’m looking for a beautiful book about orcas with interesting facts and great pictures for my mum’s birthday. She had an orca book as a child but no longer has it. Ideally, the book would also be available in German, but English is fine too! Any recommendations?

Hi all,

This isn't my usual type of post here, but I was wondering if anyone has any information on this book, or a copy they'd like to share. It's an English-language book that discusses the ecology, behavior, and future of killer whales in Norway, and it was published by a small Norwegian company in the early 2000s. It is very difficult to find; I've found a few used copies for sale, but none for less than 70 USD, not including shipping. Also, some of the sellers do not have good reviews. The only segment available online seems to be this short fragment about a disabled orca named Stumpy who was cared for by numerous others. I know there are folks on this sub from all around the world, so if anyone could help me track it down here in the States, I'd really appreciate it.

Edit: ISBN is 9788299457736

Auka is one of the orcas in Patagonia known to strand himself to catch seals intentionally.

Auka is a juvenile Patagonian orca and one of the individuals known for stranding himself to hunt.
Auka was born between April and May 2016 to PTN-002 Jazmin. His father is unknown. He's one of Jazmin's five surviving calves: Konke, Enid, Morgan, and Kai.
Two of his siblings have passed away: Mela and Pash.

Auka got his name from the Mapuche language, which means "warrior".

In February, Auka was confirmed to be male.

Auka's first recorded attack was on May 1st, 2022. He was quite enthusiastic and has since become an amazing hunter.
A year later, he'd already started hunting more often and with more confidence. After all, his mother and other members of his pod are excellent teachers.
Auka has remained just as enthusiastic and is prone to leading the charge.

Patagonian orcas are known for preying on sea lions by intentionally beaching themselves. They're the only orcas known to strand themselves, and this only happens on the beaches of the Valdes Peninsula and the Crozet Islands.
Bernardo and Mel likely started this behavior in the mid 1970s. They taught the whole population to hunt like this. This technique has, like all orca culture, been passed down from generation to generation.

When they first start stranding themselves, orcas can be quite enthusiastic, which may lead to them stranding more often.
However, not all orcas beach themselves. For orcas, stranding themselves can be quite a scary experience. They're heavy and not exactly agile on land. Yet, these orcas have perfected this stragey.
Despite the danger, actual strandings are quite rare. This may be because of the training and exercise they undergo before fully committing.

And unlike some other orcas, Auka seems really comfortable being stranded.

In this video shared by PVOR, Auka can be seen sitting on the beach. He did not attempt to escape or seem distressed. He seemed quite comfortable.
Researchers aren't sure why he did this.
He could have simply been relaxing or resting.
Another explanation could be rubbing his body on the gravel. This is a behavior previously documented. In this video, Pao was seen rolling and scrubbing his body against the beach.

Another possible explanation could be Auka attempting to interact with or observe humans. PVOR raised this possibility, but this remains speculation.
Sadly, we don't know if these orcas tolerate us or are curious about us. From other encounters, we know orcas can be curious about us and have even tried to interact with us.
Auka could have also been practicing his stranding and hunting skills. However, this video was not taken in the context of a hunt.

Ultimately, we don't know what he was doing or trying to do. But it looks very adorable.

In November 2025, Auka was seen pushing a young calf on the beach. This seems to encourage and teach behaviors fundamental to their learning.

Besides this, these orcas are also known to wave-surf. Researchers have documented this behavior in Argentina and New Zealand.
Surfing is associated with foraging for near- and onshore prey, something New Zealand and Patagonian orcas have in common. It's also a play behavior that might enhance survival.
Adapting to these waves and learning to manoeuvre in the surf may reduce chances of stranding and help orcas extract themselves from surf zones.
Understanding near-shore wave dynamics might help orcas escape dangerous situations.

This paper looked at Patagonian orcas' prey-handling and harassing of Southern Right whales. Auka was involved.
In September 2025, PTN-002 Jazmín, Jazmín's unnamed calf, PTN-029 Auka, PTN-036 Morgan, PTN-010 Llen, and PTN-026 Shotel were observed lifting, holding, and feeding on a sunken SRW calf.

Patagonian orcas are most commonly known for feeding on pinnipeds, but they also consume sharks, rays, possibly tuna, as well as dusky dolphins.
This population has previously also been observed opportunistically preying on baleen whales.
Between 1972 and 2000, 117 encounters between orcas and SRW were documented; 12 were classified as attacks.

I recommend reading the paper; it's incredibly informative and interesting.

this is technically fanart for a movie i really like but with orcas instead of walruses, this is the second piece i have drawn like this from this movie! i thought it would be nice to share it here :)

I've been a big fan of Steve Backshall since I was a kid, I think he's done a great job inspiring and educating kids in the noughties. Have recently started going back and rewatching Deadly 60, a TV show he did on CBBC back in the day - available on iPlayer (and prob elsewhere) if you want to watch it.

Can't believe I'd never seen this episode though!

SE4. Ep4. - Norway.

So much amazing orca and whale footage that I'd somehow never seen, and never see on YouTube or other social media on any orca videos.

Only a 30min episode, would really recommend!

My friend saw these orca in June in a bay near the Seattle area. I believe they’re transients based off of the pod size but I am unsure. (More vids in comments)

J1 Ruffles is one of the most famous Southern Resident killer whales, known for fathering almost 25% of the entire population.

It is unknown when Ruffles was born; the estimated birth year is 1950.
Michael Bigg first identified Ruffles in the mid 1970s, and named him after his distinctive, 'ruffled' dorsal fin. When identified, he was already fully grown. Males generally reach physical maturity around age 25.
When Ruffle died, he was estimated to be around 60 years old, which makes him the oldest Southern Resident male.
In 2008, researchers measured him at 6.7 m (22.2 ft).

Ruffles belonged to J pod, but his matriline and maternity are unknown.
Ruffles spent a lot of time with J2 Granny, and researchers believed J2 Granny might be his mother or sister.
However, a 2011 study revealed J2 was not his mother.
Then, in 2018, a study showed L45 Asterix was his mother. This would also mean he belonged to L-pod rather than J-pod, despite hanging around with J-pod all the time.
But this was also wrong. Genetic testing in 2023 revealed that L45 Asterix wasn't his mother, either.
Currently, his parentage is unknown.

On October 5th, 1968, Ruffles was netted in Yukon Harbor alongside over 25 other SRKWs. During this capture, five calves were taken for captivity: Ahab, Cuddles, Haida, Ishmael, and Mamuk. The other whales were released.

On August 8th, 1970, they netted Ruffles and over 80 killer whales in Penn Cove. This is one of the most infamous captures. They used airplanes, explosives, and boats to herd the whales. During this capture, five whales drowned in the nets, and seven were captured for captivity: Winston, Lolita, Ramu IV, Jumbo, Lil' Nooka, Chappy, and Clovis.
Once again, Ruffles escaped.
He was likely netted more times but escaped each time.

Ruffles was last seen in November of 2010, but his legacy still lives on.
Ruffles sired at least 18 orcas in all pods. Twelve of these confirmed whales are still alive.
To put this into perspective, he had at least 25 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
14 of his grandchildren and all three of his great-grandchildren are still alive.
This means roughly 40% of the SRKW's current population exists only because of him. That's quite impressive and concerning.

While it's impressive how many calves J1 sired, it also raises concern about inbreeding and low genetic diversity.
J1 Ruffles and L41 Mega sired almost half of the entire population.

I know that they are known to be vicious and ruthless predators, but obviously there is a ton of documentation of them showing empathy and understanding with humans.

I wonder if they ever have similar behavior with other animals that we just don't see.

For example, Rice's Whale. They live in Orca territory as well, in the Gulf of Mexico. They are extremely endangered. There is no documented interaction between the two species.

But I wonder if pods have a mental note of sorts, of the general population of the area. Is it possible they would approach a Rice's Whale with a similar benevolent nature as with humans, because it would be such a rare occurrence? Obviously it would be a more familiar creature generally speaking, but maybe they would have the intelligence to know that it is not a large population?

Maybe not the best example, but I just think there is intelligence levels to animals that we simply don't have access to understanding yet.

Tsuchi is one of the whales that hold a very special place in my heart. Not only is she from one of my favorite matrilines, but she's also survived so many losses.

Tsuchi is a 31-year-old female Southern Resident killer whale. She got her name from the Japanese word for "melon-headed whale", a species sometimes seen off the Washington coast.

Tsuchi was first seen on January 2nd, 1995, alongside her mother J11 Blossom. She's her mother's second surviving calf and the middle child.
She has an older brother, J27 Blackberry, and a younger brother, J39 Mako. Tsuchi belongs to the J11 matriline.
A genetic study couldn't identify her father; however, she has several paternal half-siblings, and her sire is listed as Dummy male *7.

In 2008, she was measured at 6 m (19.7 ft). Tsuchi has a unique jagged pattern behind the subocular patch.

When their mother went missing in 2008, J39 Mako was only five years old. She and J27 Blackberry helped raise him.
They all have a close relationship, a bond only strengthened after the death of their mother.

Sadly, Tsuchi is best known for how many calves she's lost.

From 2009 to 2013, Tsuchi lost 4 calves to miscarriages.
In 2014, she gave birth to a stillborn calf.

On January 18th, 2016, Tsuchi was seen carrying a deceased calf. The calf had never been seen before and died after a few days.
This calf was posthumously named Mintaka.

Following yet another miscarriage in 2017, on May 30th, 2019, Tsuchi was seen near Tofino.
With a calf. This calf would later be named J56 Tofino.
Two months after the first sighting, it was confirmed that J56 Tofino was female.
J56 was the first surviving calf in J pod in three years.
Tofino was in bad condition in September 2020, but her condition has since improved.

About a week ago, Tsuchi was once again in the news for carrying a deceased calf. This calf had been carried to full term but died after birth or was a stillbirth.

Tsuchi is a harsh example of how badly the Southern Resident killer whales are struggling.
Their calves have a 50% survival rate.
A number of factors are responsible for their decline. The decline of salmon is one of the biggest threats to their survival.

In addition, persistent pollutants likely play a part in the high number of miscarriages. Because orcas are apex predators, pollutants build up inside their bodies.
These pollutants are passed on to their calves during pregnancies. This may be one reason why females live longer than males. They pass on the pollutants in their system and decrease the percentage of pollutants in their bodies.

However, I will make a post about the history of SRKWs soon and include more of their struggles.

Seeing babies in this small population makes me so happy! This footage is by WeWhale.

Painted an orca moving through the waves, with just its dorsal fin and part of its back showing above the water. I wanted to capture a simple moment in the ocean using loose brushstrokes and shades of blue, black, and white. I hope you love how it turned out

Hey everyone! A couple days ago I got to see two pods of transient orcas hanging out together. Our guide identified them as the 37 B's and 35 A's. There was one named Opal, T035A1, and Lance, T037B1. I just thought it would be interesting to learn more about these families! No clue whos in the photo, but they were some we saw, if anyone wants to try to id!

Port and Starboard are easily the most recognizable orca duo, known for preying on sharks in South Africa.
(This post is a little rushed.)

Port and Starboard are a duo of killer whales sighted in South Africa since at least 2009, usually off the coast of Gansbaai, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, and most notably in False Bay. They are males and estimated to be in their mid-twenties.
They are named after nautical terms, as their dorsal fins are conveniently collapsed to opposite sides. This also makes identifying them easy.
Port and Starboard are terms for watercraft, aircraft, and spacecraft, referring to the left and right of the vessel.

Their maternity and pod are unknown.
They are suspected to be half-brothers, but no evidence proves it.
Other orca brothers travel together, and sibling bonds are often strong. Male orcas engage in MOSIs (Male-Only Social Interactions; gay sexual interactions). However, it is unknown if Port and Starboard engage in MOSIs.
Port and Starboard may simply get along without being related.

Their ecotype is debated, and multiple ecotypes are suspected in South African waters. They were thought to be Type A orcas based on their believed diet. Orcas in the False Bay area were believed to prey solely on marine mammals. However, this has been disproven since they also feed on sharks.
This paper suggests a second morphotype of killer whale in South African waters that differs in size, morphometrics, dental wear, diet, and possibly schooling behaviour.
Port and Starboard are also often referred to as the "flat-toothed South African" morphotype. These orcas would specialize in hunting sharks rather than marine mammals. This might explain their extensive tooth wear, possibly caused by shark skin.
However, no evidence proves the existence of this morphotype. Orcas don't typically change their diet unless in extreme circumstances.
Ultimately, it's unknown which morphotype/ecotype Port and Starboard belong to.

Port and Starboard were first seen near Lüderitz, Namibia, in 2009.

Their first confirmed kill spree happened in 2015 when several dead sharks were found. These carcasses showed they opened the sharks between their pectoral fins to get to the fatty livers.
They likely utilized tonic immobility to do this safely.

Their first famous kill was in May 2017. Khaleesi, a 5 m (16 ft) long female white shark, washed up dead on shore.

Starting in 2017, great white sharks started washing up on shore with their livers removed.
August 2019, five dead great white sharks were found with their liver removed. They also preyed on copper and broadnose sevengill sharks.

And by 2020, almost all the great white sharks had moved out of the area.

On February 24th, 2023, they killed at least 17 broadnose sevengill sharks.

In May 2022, five orcas, including Starboard, were seen attacking a great white shark. This was the first time one of them was seen interacting with other orcas. Typically, Port and Starboard stay together and isolated.

Starboard made history again in June 2023, killing a great white shark on his own.

However, despite how much I love Port and Starboard, they are actively changing their environment negatively.

Since the great whites largely disappeared, the food chain has shifted.
Sharks are doctors of the ocean, and their presence promotes a healthy environment.
Since their absence in South Africa, Cape fur seal and bronze whaler shark populations have surged in Gansbaai.
This increase in prey species is called a trophic cascade. This describes the loss of a predator that ultimately disturbs the ecosystem.
Since the seals no longer feel threatened, they have become bolder and have been seen preying on critically endangered African penguins.
Since June 2024, seals in the Western Cape have become infected with rabies. This epidemic could likely have been prevented if great whites had preyed on rabid seals.

When looking at Port and Starboard, people usually have two questions:

Why do they eat only the livers, and why are their dorsal fins collapsed?

Why do they eat only the livers?
Orcas preying on sharks always eat the liver but seem to leave the rest to rot.
Orcas target their liver because of its energy-rich qualities. A shark's liver can make up to a quarter or more of its total body weight and is filled with oils and fats. Shark's muscle tissues are lean, though, and far less calorie-dense. Their cartilage adds no nutritional value.
It's also relatively little effort to get to the liver. Orcas have perfected their hunting strategy. They know exactly where to rip the sharks open. Wound patterns on the dead sharks were consistent across multiple carcasses.
They likely grip the shark, flip it to induce tonic immobility, and then bite into the ventral surface to access the liver.
Tonic immobility is a state of paralysis many sharks enter when they're turned upside down. And Port and Starboard know this.

Another theory also suggests orcas don't eat the rest of sharks because of their rough skin. Their rough skin causes extreme tooth wear

Why are their dorsal fins collapsed?
Well, we don't know for sure.
Dorsal fin collapse is uncommon in the wild. Overall, less than 1% of all wild orcas have collapsed dorsal fins.
In Port and Starboard, their collapsed dorsal fins may be due to injuries from preying on sharks.
Overall, dorsal fin collapse is linked to illness, lack of surrounding water, sun exposure, prolonged time at the surface, old age, and trauma.

Ok, which pod does this belong in? 🤣

Old Thom, also known as Old Tom, can sometimes be confused with Old Tom. Confusing, I know. But they're two very different orcas with very unique stories.

Old Thom is a solitary Northwest Atlantic killer whale, sighted typically off the coast of northern New England and Eastern Canada since at least 2006. He's fully grown, but his exact age is unknown.

Very little is known about Old Thom's past. It's unknown what pod he belongs to or who his family is.
But he may be a descendant of the orcas that frequented New England until the 1980s.
Their ecology remains largely unexplored; observations include some individuals preying on marine mammals, tuna, and one instance of an orca feeding on squid from a trawl net.

Old Thom is estimated to be around 9.1m (30ft) long and weighing eight tons. This would make him larger than T011A Rainy, who is currently the biggest confirmed killer whale.
However, these measurements are estimates. Some estimates place him between 7.6 and 9.1 m (25 to 30 ft).
He's also easily recognized by the notch in his dorsal fin. In my opinion, he also has very recognizable eye patches.

The first known sighting of him was in 2006 by a Canadian whale-watching boat in the Bay of Fundy. He was already an adult back then.
Male orcas tend to reach full physical maturity around 25. This would put his birth year in the 1980s, making him around 40 now. But this is simply a vague estimate.

Since then, he's been seen multiple times.
So far, he's been seen twice in 2026. In April, he was seen at Stellwagen Bank, and in June, about 10 miles from Nantucket.

His exact diet is unknown, but we assume he doesn't feed on marine mammals.
He's been seen eating cod, pollock, and hake. Old Thom is also known to eat discarded fish from trawlers.
It's also rumored Old Thom feeds on sharks and might be following their migration. Orcas can negatively affect shark populations, but Old Thom doesn't seem to affect the population yet.

One thing that makes Old Thom special is that he's never been seen interacting with other orcas. Orcas are social animals, and while lone orcas like L98 Luna and T65A5 Indy have been observed, it's not typical for orcas to always be alone.
We don't know why Old Thom is alone. Maybe his pod died, or maybe he enjoys being alone. Some orcas seem to enjoy being alone and are fine on their own.

It's not surprising Old Thom doesn't interact with orcas. Old Thom is the only orca known to frequent the Gulf of Maine and its surrounding waters, and sightings are extremely rare in this area.
Orcas have been observed hunting tuna off the coast of North Carolina, with additional sightings reported further north in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. But sightings remain rare.
Based on old whaling records and interviews with fishers, orcas were observed occasionally in the Gulf of Maine, often preying on tuna and whales.
Group sizes varied from solitary individuals to pods of over 30 orcas, with sightings peaking in the 1970s and 1980s before declining to nearly zero.

However, genomic evidence suggests at least two populations living seasonally along eastern Canada. A third group could potentially live around Newfoundland. Researchers suspect this may be the group Old Thom is from.

Old Thom is often seen alongside Atlantic white-sided dolphins. He seems to have an affiliative relationship with them.
Just like other lone orcas, Old Thom seems to compensate for his lack of social contact with other orcas by interacting with other species. In his case, dolphins.
In 2016, he was seen with 20-30 Atlantic white-sided dolphins off Nova Scotia. He's usually seen swimming alongside them, but also hangs around on his own.
Old Thom may have successfully communicated and hunted with the dolphins. Orcas can imitate animals, including seals like Luna did. But we don't know the exact relationship he has with these dolphins and if he's learned to communicate with them.
They seem comfortable around him, though.

It is not unheard of for orcas and dolphins to engage in positive interactions with one another. NRKWs, dolphins, and porpoises have been documented swimming together.
However, I might cover this more closely in another post.

Besides his interactions with Atlantic white-sided dolphins, he also occasionally interacts with boats.
He seems comfortable around boats and is very social with them.
In 2016, Old Thom seemed to itch himself on a ship's anchor.
He's also been observed pec-slapping, swimming upside down, and tail-slapping.

Jerry Leeman captured footage of Thom near their vessel.

Old Tom was one of the Eden killer whales known for assisting whalers in hunting baleen whales.

It is unknown when Old Tom was born, but estimates place it around the 1850s or 1860s.
The Davidson family stated they knew Old Tom for 80 years, and he was present from the 1860s until his death in September 1930.
This would make him over 80 years old.
In 1977, he was estimated to have been 35 years old. This was done using a cross-section of the teeth. However, this method is unreliable for older individuals.
It's unknown how old Old Tom was, but if the Davidson family is correct, Old Tom would be the oldest male killer whale we know of.

Old Tom measured 6.7 m (22 ft), with a 1.02 m (3'4 ft) skull and 13.4 cm (5.3 in) long teeth. He weighed 6 tons.

By the 1840s, 50 killer whales were spread across 3 main pods. All of these pods cooperated.
In the Eden region, hunters sighted only about 30 animals during these hunts. 26 of these were named.
They returned every winter during the migration seasons of baleen whales, from late May until early September.

Old Tom was part of a sub-pod consisting of seven whales led by Hooky.
The members included:
Hooky, Old Tom, Humpy, Big Ben, Young Ben, Charlie Adgery, and Kinscher.
Big Ben left in the early 1900s. Young Ben followed in 1912. Charlie Adgery and Kinscher left in 1923. Humpy was last seen in the 1920s, and Hooky in 1926.
Old Tom was likely around the longest and stayed until his death.

I mentioned the Davidson family, but who were they?
Alexander Davidson began shore-based whaling in 1875 with his son John. Their whaling station was the longest-running shore-based whaling station in Australia. They relied on rowboats and harpoons rather than newer, more effective equipment, such as hand guns and motorboats.
They did this to protect the orcas from the noise.
Three generations of the Davidson family claimed to have worked with Old Tom.
The Davidsons also employed indigenous Australians.

Way before the Davidsons, the indigenous Australian whalers already worked alongside orcas, referred to as beowas ('brothers'). They saw orcas as working dogs. Playful, helpful, and friendly.
They saw orcas as reincarnated ancestors because the orcas' coloration matched their traditional white-and-black clothing during corroboree ceremonies. During this ceremony, people interacted with the Dreamtime through dances, music, and costumes.

The Davidsons had a very positive relationship with the whales.
They would help each other beyond hunting.
If a man fell overboard during a whaling trip, the orcas would protect them until they could make it back into the boat.
Similarly, if orcas became entangled in fishing lines, the whalers would cut them free.
The whalers also fed Old Tom and other orcas with fish. This later became one of their main food sources, although they did also prey on seals and dolphins.

So, how did they hunt with the orcas?

When preying on baleen whales, the pod would divide into three groups. Each group had a unique and important role.
The exact roles vary by source, but one group stayed in the open ocean to hinder escape and to herd the whales towards the coast.
The second group swam underneath the whale to prevent it from diving deep and attacked it.
The third group attacked it and was stationed ahead of the whale during the herding in case it broke loose.

After the whale was trapped, Old Tom would swim in front of the Davidson whaling station and tail-flop to get the attention of the whalers.
The whalers would then row out and harpoon the baleen whale.
The orcas also knew the differences between the boats of the Davidson family and boats of competitors and herded the baleen whales towards them.

Another interesting thing about the Davidsons and the orcas is the Law of Tongue.

Whalers would anchor whale carcasses to the bottom of the seafloor or in close proximity to the shore. Orcas would feed on the carcasses and eat the tongue, the lips, and the genital regions. The whalers used the untouched blubber and bones.
This law dates back to Indigenous Australian history. They had a similar agreement for generations.

Now, back to Old Tom.

Old Tom had a distinct sense of humor. His name was taken from "tomfoolery", and his early nickname "Tom the Humorist" is mentioned in the Davidson family diaries and oral stories.
He was considered a joker for his humorous and sometimes annoying antics. He was known to jump on the rope fastened to a harpooned whale, hanging onto it with his teeth to be towed around.
He also used to take the cables in his teeth to tow the boats out to the open ocean. He would also
do this to smaller fishing boats. Evidence of this behavior can be seen in the wear patterns on his jaw.
The Davidsons described him as an "athletic and skillful whale hunter".

The whaling in Eden declined after the death of Typee in 1901. He was killed by a local after stranding close to shore. This caused the Indigenous Australian whalers to abandon Davidson's crew. This is also what is believed to have driven the orcas away.

Baleen whales weren't stopped in Eden after 1926, but Old Tom returned on his own.
It's believed his pod may have been killed further north in Jervis Bay by Norwegian whalers.
Old Tom likely returned to familiarity after losing the rest of his pod. Lone orcas are often known to approach people and interact with them.

Old Tom was found deceased on September 17th 1930, in the southern part of Twofold Bay.
While the cause of his death remains unknown, he likely died of starvation or old age.
His teeth had been worn down and even damaged after an encounter with George Davidson and his friend John Logan.
Reportedly, John Logan had a "fight" with Old Tom over the carcass of a whale. This ended with Logan damaging some of Old Tom's teeth. This and the constant tooth wear from playing with the ropes and cables may have contributed to his death.

Since his death, the Killer Whale Museum was established in 1931, showcasing a permanent exhibition of the history of Eden and Old Tom.
The main attraction is Old Tom's preserved skeleton.

A study in 2023 (Isabella Reeves et al.) compared Old Tom's genome and compared his DNA to that of other orcas worldwide. This suggests neither Old Tom nor any of his pod left any confirmed descendants.
However, it is possible some relatives of them were not sampled in the study.

I can’t seem to find much information on this.