Orca

Orca (aka The Killer Whale, aka Officer Orca, aka The Apex of Apex)

male / officer of nature's law / 8 meters (26.2 feet or 3.7 Shaquille O'Neals) / 6.6 tons (or 8.5 F1 cars) / unknown population health

Orca the species:

There are about 40,000 orcas on Earth and they are broken up into groups that are something like a tribe. The tribes are small and as tightly knit as only a woman can weave. There are many ways to classify them, but orcas are either transients, residents or offshore travelers. Yet none of them really share any family bonds regardless of however close they may come into contact with one another. Even the DNA of a transient pod and a resident pod that share common waters have been compared only to discover that the last time they would have intermingled would have been about 10,000 years ago. This independence from one another has created specialization that is absolutely baffling to me. Some resident pods only eat tuna and specialize in that. Some specialize in river salmon, but damned up rivers have hurt ocean going salmon populations and thus pushed certain specialized pods towards local extinction (wink, wink, break the damns). Some hunt only seals, or baleen whales, or dolphins, or whatever they feel like hunting because they're quite literally the top of the food chain. They'll even go after the largest predator in the world, the blue whale. There's records of an orca killing a moose that was in transit for Pete's sake! If you're not too squeamish, look up orca hunting tactic videos. They're amazing and these apex of all apex animals are led by the female matriarch. The complexities of the matriarchal role are not known, but orcas have been observed to be masterful communicators. (Also, if you know who Pete of "Pete's sake" is, shoot me a line.)

Orca the character:

As the apex of nature, orca believes that it's the job of his species to keep all other species in line. He believes in executing nature's law, he believes he's an officer of that law that plans on maintaining order. He can instill fear in any other creature in the ocean, but he has the ability and tendency to take law and order too far, harming those he's sworn to protect. He must do his job, but doing too much of his job serves no one.

"Officer Orca Executing Nature's Law"

Right Whale

Right Whale (aka The Baleen Believer, aka The Right Way Whale)

male / follower of Islam / 19 meters (62 feet or 9.9 Muhammad Alis) / 95 tons (or 2.9 fully loaded cement trucks) / critically endangered

Right whale the species:

The right whale was named by whalers because it was "the right whale" to hunt. It was an easier kill than most because it came in close to the shore, it was a slow swimmer, and once they were killed, they were likely to float. This is because a right whale has a very high blubber content, which also made them perfect for harvesting whale oil. The species is actually comprised of northern pacific right whales, northern atlantic, and southern right whales. The north pacific species is the most critically endangered, but north atlantic rights are struggling to repopulate even while being protected internationally, but the southern right whales are not a huge concern and they're quite amorous so they likely stand a chance to survive going forward. The right whale also has the largest testes in the world, far larger than the next closest testes out there. They actually weigh more than any starting offensive line in the NFL. Despite being slow and rotund, right whales are beautiful breachers. They're very smooth and powerful. They do a lot above the water with their flukes that other whales don't seem to attempt. They're a truly special whale... worthy of a character.

Right the character:

Right is a follower of Islam and he wants to live the right way. He stays dedicated to the teachings of Muhammad, prays 5 times a day, eats the proper way, and wants to maintain his life his way. He's friendly, hospitable, and he's always happy to share his beliefs with you. He's worried about where his place with be in this world where other beliefs collide with his own.

Right Whale Praying For "Maghrib"

Pilot Whale

Pilot (aka The Sea Captain, aka The Natural Born Leader, aka Bossman)

Male / the navigator / 6.7 meters (22 feet or 3.9 Amelia Earharts) / 2.5 tons (or 2.1 Cessna 172 airplanes) / population health unknown

Pilot whale the species:

There are two types of pilot whales, the short-finned and the long-finned. They're closely related, but for the purposes of The Pod, I choose the long-finned pilot whale. Long-finned pilots are blackfish and primarily eat squid, but are also known to eat small fish as well. The name "pilot" was given to this species because it was originally believed that there was one pilot amongst them that would lead the group. Pilots are highly social and both males and females have been observed babysitting calves that are not directly related. They strand themselves more than any other whale and they tend to do so in large numbers. There are several hypotheses as to why this might happen, but I like the idea that they stick together through thick and thin.

Pilot whales have been hunted for over a hundred years by distressing them in boats that form a semicircle and forcing them to beach themselves as they close the circle. The meat is high in protein, but the meat is becoming increasingly dangerous to eat because of increasing mercury levels in the ocean. The reason it's dangerous to eat predators that are high on the food chain is because each level of the food chain passes only a percentage of the energy it consumes, but passes close to 100% of the mercury that's ingested. Tuna, for instance, are on the higher side of the food chain and some species only eat tuna. Day after day. So if you want my non-expert opinion, try eating lower on the food chain if you can help it. And I wouldn't eat a pilot whale either, they're just underneath the apex of all apex creatures, the orca.  

Pilot the character:

Pilot is a natural born leader. He's used to being in charge, but he's got plenty of learning to do before he can be a true leader. True leaders don't just bark orders, they build on potential. Look for Pilot to play an important role.

Lady Melon-headed Whale

Lady Melon Head (aka Mel', aka Melon Headed, aka The Taoist Punk)

Female / a rebel at heart / 3 meters (9.8 ft or 1.9 Lady Gagas) / 440 lbs (or 5 Lady Gagas) / healthy population

Melon-headed whale the species:

A few years ago, a documentary called "Blackfish" was released to the world and seem to indicate that this was the nickname of the infamous killer whale. Unfortunately that's not quite true. This is the nickname of false killer, pilot, pygmy killers, the killer and melon-headed whales. The melon-headed whale is predominantly dark grey except they seem to have lighter "mask" that appears to go over it's face. They prefer deeper water so they're rarely seen by humans, but we do know that their primary diet is squid and that it will associate with dolphins, pilot and humpback whales.

Melon Head the character:

Lady Melon Headed doesn't necessarily need to be called a lady. She's independent and thinks for herself. She rarely trusts information unless she's had a chance to test it herself. She doesn't think she has a religion, she merely follows the Tao. Tao is everywhere so there's no need for her to seek answers about Tao. It's in everything she does and what she does is rebel against organizations that lead her fellow creatures astray. Don't pick a fight with her, she'll end that fight and you won't feel so tough anymore. She's not the biggest of the bunch, but you wouldn't know it by the way she acts.

Gray Whale

Gray (aka Old Gray, aka The Last Atlantic Gray Whale, aka The Devil Fish, aka The Old Warrior, aka The Pagan Remnant)

Male / the last atlantic gray whale / 15 meters (49 feet or 7.9 Chris Hemsworths) / 44 tons (or 29.5 Pagani Huayras) / population 1

Atlantic gray whale the species:

The north atlantic gray whale is considered to be extinct. During the late 17th and 18th century they were gone. However, one gray whale was sighted off the coast of Israel in the Mediterranean Sea. Scientists believe that this was a north pacific gray whale examining old breeding grounds. While they were still being hunted, the gray whale was known as the Devil Fish. Whalers had rough experiences trying to bring them into the boat because they fought back when being hunted. The pacific variety of gray whales still boasts a healthy population and they're friendly with whale watchers that are lucky enough to encounter them in the pacific waters. On one occasion, a female was observed in the southern hemisphere. That migration pattern of grays has, along with the sighting in the Mediterranean Sea, given cetologists hopes for repopulation worldwide. 

Gray the character:  

Gray was a fierce warrior and all the other grays that fell to whaling were fierce as well. He seeks the wisdom of his forefathers, but knows that he's the last atlantic gray left on Earth. He hopes he'll find another gray to make his bride, but so much of him has given up hope. He's looked everywhere for another gray, but they're all gone. He's a pagan and like many other pagans, the old world seems to have disappeared for him. No one thinks like him and the stories that his forefathers taught him are struggling to survive. He is the last of his kind.

   

"The Down and Out Last Atlantic Gray Whale"

Bottlenose Whale

Bottlenose (aka Dr. Bottlenose, aka The Atheist Data Accumulator)

Male / scientist / 9.7 meters (31.8 feet or 5.7 upright Stephen Hawkings) / 8 tons (or 4.5 Buick LeSabres) / population unknown

Bottlenose whale the species:

Most of us know exactly what a bottlenose dolphin is, but there's also a whale version.  The northern bottlenose looks really similar to its dolphin cousin, but it's bigger, much bigger, as in 25 times larger than the dolphin version.  The bottlenose whale is one of the deepest diving mammals on Earth and is highly curious about boats.  Curiosity killed the cat and curiosity is also the reason that this whale was hunted so extensively during the height of whaling.  The sperm whale had a substance in their head that made the best wax for candles.  They were difficult to get into the boat because of their extreme size, but the northern bottlenose whales had very similar wax in their noggin and they weighed half as much.  They're very playful whales, naturally curious, and they often get close to boats.  This made them easy victims for whaling vessels when whaling was legal.

Bottlenose the character:

In the book, Bottlenose dives deep into scientific topics and his curiosity drives him to find answers. He does not believe in God or religions because he believes that only science has value worthy of worship. He struggles with the ability to see any spirituality that can be found within science. He helps The Pod see what is and does not focus on the unseen.  

"Bottlenose Diving Deep For Answers"

Lady Minke

Lady Minke (aka Mink, aka The Trendy Cheerleader, aka The Supportive Saltwater Sheep)

Female / a natural follower / 8 meters (26.2 ft or 4.6 Paula Radcliffes) / a lady never shares her weight thank you / healthy population

Minke whale the species:

The minke whale is one of the smallest baleen whales and thus it wasn't hunted at the same rate as its smaller cousins at the height of whaling.  During the twilight years of whaling, hunting rates of the minke increase, but only because the other large whales had been over hunted in the years prior.     The name minke is pronounced with two syllables and the pronunciation rhymes with pinkie. Sightings of minke whales is rare in the tropical waters, but very common everywhere else.  They tend to reproduce every 2 years and this keeps the population thriving minus human interaction (boat collisions, whaling in the name of science, and nets).  They almost exclusively eat krill.  They are regularly preyed on by orcas in both hemispheres.  They can move pretty quickly and though they don't breach often, they can be quite spectacular when they do.

Minke the character:  

Minke is always happy to cheer on the others and rarely takes the spotlight herself.  She's a bit of a follower and Narwhal believes there's more to her if she'll look inside herself.  She's trying to find out why there's nothing wrong with being the black sheep.    

"Lady Minke Pirouettes"

Strap-Toothed

Strap Toothed (aka Strap Tooth or 'Strap' for short, aka The Aggressive Occupier, aka The Buddhist Separatist, aka The Tooth)

Male / Buddhist / 5.7 meters (18.7 feet or 3.4 Vladimir Putins) / 1.15 tons (or 60 sacks of IAMS large breed dog food.. the big size) / population unknown

Strap-toothed whale the species:

Considering the facts that a narwhal has a tooth that grows through its head, that a baleen whale boasts filtering teeth, or that a Cuvier's beaked whale sports only a pair of bottom teeth that protrude out from their face, I shouldn't be surprised that a strap-toothed whale has a pair of bottom teeth that grow up and over the top of its bottlenose, but they do.  The teeth are found only on males within the species and are grown in such a way that it actually prevents males from opening their jaw as far as females of the same species can.  Males literally have to eat smaller bites and it stunts their growth as females are bigger, longer and if I had to take a guess.. probably stronger too. It appears that the strap-toothed males are quite territorial as they're usually found alone and scarring from the teeth of other strap-toothed whales is almost always present. The species is predominantly found south of the equator in places sharing latitudes with the south side of Australia.  They're mainly found in pelagic (deep ocean) zones.  

Strap Tooth the character:

I'd have to guess that if I couldn't open my mouth because my teeth kept it shut, I'd be a bit ornery as well.  Strap is grumpy, he just wants his home waters and he'll  do whatever he can to keep them.  He's not necessarily happy at home, but he's willing to fight for his property.  Oddly enough, Strap Tooth is a Buddhist underneath that rough exterior.  He's a loner and doesn't think he needs anyone's help or company.  A lot will have to change for this cetacean if he's to join The Pod.  

Beaked Whale

Beaked (aka Beaked Whale, aka The Allegory Guru, aka The Heroic Hindu, aka The Celebration Cetacean!!)

Male / Hindu / 7 meters (23 ft or 3.8 Irrfan Khans) / 2.75 tons (5,500 lbs or 11.8 Ducati Motorcycles) / healthy population

Beaked the species:

There is no one species known as "the beaked whale", but there are 22 species that fit within the family of ziphiidae (beaked family).  The type of beaked whale I'm be focusing on here is the Cuvier's beaked whale. Many of the beaked whales share physical features with the dolphin family, but they're often larger and only share the scientific classification at the infraorder level of 'cetacea'.  The Cuvier's beaked whale mostly eats fish and squid, but the fish and squid they prefer is often in the very deep parts of the ocean.  In fact, this whale has been recorded diving 9,816 feet in search of food.  That's almost 2 miles and it's a confirmed world record.  To give you an idea of how deep that is, drive for 4 minutes at 30 mph down a neighborhood road and imagine you're going straight down.  It's deep.  The tallest building in the world isn't even half the distance. If there was a building that tall, it would be about 727 floors up.  These creatures are amazing and because of their unique feeding practices, they're somewhat difficult to find.  The Cuvier's variety of beaked whales is the most common of all of them and can be found throughout the world (minus the poles), including The Indian Ocean.  There are two types of scars found on Cuvier's beaked whales, one from the teeth of rival males that are linear swooshes and the oval scarring is from cookie-cutter sharks.

Beaked the character:

Beaked is from the Indian Ocean and is a Hindu.  He believes in multiple Gods like Shiva the Destroyer, Vishnu the protector, and Krishna the ultimate.  He finds reasons to celebrate almost any event and he's a very deep soul filled with stories from his culture.  He's extremely fun loving, wise, and crafty.  He's multifaceted like his beliefs and he's an important member to The Pod.  Welcome, Beaked my good friend.

"Beaked Whale Celebrating The Festival of Colors"

Lady Bryde The Bryde's Whale

Lady Bryde (aka The Bryde To Be, aka The Beautiful Bryde)

Female / 14 meters (46 feet or 8.6 Britney Spears) / a Lady never shares her weight / population unknown

Bryde's whale the species:

The bryde's whale is extraordinarily beautiful even compared to the already beautiful other cetacean species.  They have clean lines to go with their blue bodies that match perfectly with their pink mouths and yellow baleen. The species name is pronounced is closer to Brutus (like Brutus from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar stage play) than bride, but for the purposes of The Pod she's Bryde like a bride dressed for a wedding.  I'm well aware that I've butchered the species name, but such is art.  The species prefers tropical climates and their diet consists mainly of small fish (sardines, anchovies, mackerel) and krill and varies based on their location and time of year.

When a bryde's whale eats fish, they will frequently locate a bait ball to get their fill.  A bait ball is generally created by sharks or dolphins or predatory fish like tuna.  The smaller fish are forced to swirl when they're surrounded and birds are frequently found above them preventing them from going to the surface.  They're quite literally surrounded by predators. Things get worse for the bait balls though. Many unfortunate spheres of fish whose mass exodus from the living world comes at the hands or rather the mouth of the bryde's whale.  When a bait ball forms and when a bryde's whales can be opportunistic, they can put a dent into a their local population, but there's something different about how they do this. The bryde's whale will hit the bait ball near the surface and continue upwards until they hit the surface.  That's not unique amongst whales, but what is unique is that they'll frequently stay at the surface with their mouth wide open at almost a 90 degree angle and sit for quite a long time before closing their mouths and sinking back into the sea.  That time they spend at the surface with a wide open mouth almost looks like they're singing out to a crowd at the top of their lungs.    

Bryde the character:

The name of the bryde's whale in The Pod is Bryde, pronounced like a 'bride' in waiting.  And this is why Bryde is a bride to be.  She's truly beautiful and looks ripe for marriage.  She's busy in life making all the arrangements for her upcoming wedding.  She's so focused on everything being right for her special day, but she's lost sight of the foundation for a happy marriage:  True Love.

"Bryde Sings a Love Song"

Lady Fin

Lady Fin (aka Mom, aka Lady Finback, aka The Single Mom, aka The Greyhound of the Sea)

Female / mom / 25 meters (82 feet or 14.7 Lionel Messis) / 82 tons (43.5 John Deere model 4044M green tractors) / Endangered Species

Fin whale species:

The finback whale is a baleen (filter feeding) whale and the second largest known species to have ever existed on this Earth.  Paleontologists have recently discovered the most massive dinosaur that has ever been discovered, but it's still less massive than this swimming giant.  Their bone structure can even support well over 100 tons if the environmental conditions were conducive to that kind of weight.  They're built aerodynamically and can keep up high speeds for prolonged periods.  There were times not too long ago when fin whales were actually faster than any ships on the water.  They have a varied diet of fish, krill, squid, copepods and crustaceans and they can be found nearly pole to pole and in every oceans on Earth.  It was hunted extensively during the previous century and over 725,000 of them were harvested during that 100 year period.  The population was down to a terribly low number in the mid-90s but the global population has improved some since then.  Oddly enough, submarines picked up on their vocalizations and frequently confused it for enemy vessels.        

To me, one of the most amazing things about a fin whale is it's physical prowess. This is the second largest species to exist, but it has the ability to breach almost completely out of the water. If you want to see this for yourself, there was a video taken near the Strait of Gibraltar a few years ago. If you do a video search on the internet, look for "fin whale jumping".  It's absolutely spectacular when you think about the fact that this whale is probably somewhere between 70 and 80 feet long yet still catches air, twice. Unbelievable.

Lady Fin the character:

Lady Fin, above all and to her core, is a mother.  She has twins that are in the process of becoming adults and independent.  The Pod members all adore her and her mothering instincts because who doesn't love a good mom, right?  Her mothering instincts are vital to the group and she uses those instincts to help the other whales along the journey.