it became clear they were actually a separate population, a different kind of killer whale than the residents. They named them “transients,” and indeed these were whales who would roam extraordinary distances, from the coast of California to the Queen Charlotte Islands (or Haida Gwaii), and everywhere in between, including the Salish Sea. They looked different: The females’ dorsal fins were more triangular and pointed in appearance; their saddle patches were a solid, uniform grey; and the whales in general were often more nicked up and scratched. In addition, they did not vocalize heavily
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