FACTS

- Moby Doll (MOH-bee DAHL) was named after the fictional whale Moby Dick.
- Likely born in the year 1959.
- First orca to be studied by man and gain worldwide attention.
- 100% Southern Resident orca and was once a member of J pod.

HISTORY

In 1964, the Vancouver Aquarium had an idea to make a life-size replica of an orca. At that time, orcas were seen as nothing but cold-blooded killers. A young sculptor named Samuel Burich and a commercial fisherman named Joe Bauer were hired to find and kill an orca to use to make the model. They set up a harpoon gun on Saturna Island and waited.

Two months later, on July 16, 1964, a pod of 13 orcas swam by the island. One of the men took aim and fired at the pod. A 3 foot steel harpoon lodged into one of the orcas. The young whale didn't die, but went into shock. Two orcas swam to the aid of the injured whale and pushed it to the surface. The orca began to thrash about, trying to get rid of the harpoon. Its cries filled the air. The men got into their boat and sped over to the orca. They saw that the harpoon pierced the skin just behind the right eye patch. One pulled out a rifle and shot it several times, but once again it didn't die.

Murray A. Newman, the aquarium director, got word about the situation and decided to save the orca. The orca was pulled through the water by the line attached to the harpoon. The journey was a 50 mile trek from Saturna Island to Vancouver. It took 16 long hours. The whole time, the young whale cried in squeaks and whistles. Then men nicknamed it "Hound Dog" due to its calls and laid back nature.

When they arrived in Vancouver, a drydock was flooded to make a pen to hold the orca. The whale appeared to be a female and was dubbed Moby Doll. The harpoon was removed and the wound was treated with penicillin. Her docile behavior was the complete opposite of the horror stories told. Word spread about the captive orca, and thousands of people flocked to see her. Scientists came to study as much as they could about her. They recorded her vocalizations, the first time any orcas calls were studied. Dr. Newman even trained the whale to roll over for a belly rub.

For nearly two months, Moby Doll did not eat. She was offered everything from salmon to horse hearts. She constantly swam lethargically in a counterclockwise pattern and was always vocalizing, probably to her family. After 55 days, she began taking fish. In fact, she ate almost 200 lbs each day. Vitamins were added to her food to try and help her back to health. She was playful and lovable, yet she looked gaunt, and her skin had lost its sheen. Her physical condition was slowly going south. She developed a skin disease due to the low salinity in the harbor water and seemed exhausted.

After 86 days in captivity, Moby Doll passed away. The reason was from drowning. She was too tired to even hold herself up. Newspapers around the world told of her death. An autopsy was performed to study her anatomy. Her skull was fractured from where the harpoon had hit. It also turned out that Moby Doll was an immature male. Moby Doll was about 5-years-old.

In the past several years, orca researches pulled out old recordings of Moby Doll's vocals. They were very similar to J-Pod, a Southern Resident orca group. His relatives may still be alive, though it is not known which might be his immediate family.

HOW TO IDENTIFY

KNOWN FAMILY

* = Deceased