A group of killer whales, or orcas, surprised residents on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast by coming close to shore and engaging in a unique behavior of rubbing their bellies on rocks. Ryan Chilibeck, a resident of Gibsons, rushed to Secret Beach Park upon hearing about the orcas’ presence on January 2. Witnessing the orcas swimming just feet away from the shore for about 20 minutes, Chilibeck described the experience as extraordinary and once-in-a-lifetime.
The pod of orcas, identified as the northern resident killer whales (NRKW) and specifically the A5 pod consisting of three different families, was observed by a group of people gathered on the beach. The whales’ behavior of rubbing their bellies on the pebbles is considered rare and unique, with only a few killer whale populations worldwide known to exhibit this behavior.
Jared Towers, the executive director of Bay Cetology, explained that the pebbles on the beach need to be suitable for the northern resident killer whales to engage in this behavior. The A5 pod is known to favor the pebbles found along the Sunshine Coast shoreline. Towers highlighted that this behavior is specialized and not commonly observed among killer whale populations.
The act of rubbing their bellies against the rocks is believed to provide the whales with a pleasant sensation and may aid in skin exfoliation. Towers mentioned that killer whales have active skin that constantly sheds, and the friction against the smooth pebbles could help in the exfoliation process.
Community members, like Chilibeck, rely on local social media groups to stay informed about whale sightings. Glenda Sewards, who manages a Facebook group for sharing whale sightings, emphasized the joy of bringing the community together to appreciate and enjoy these marine mammal encounters. Sewards established the group over a decade ago after spotting whales from her own property and finds pleasure in witnessing the community’s excitement over whale sightings.