An orca matriarch known as “one of the most prolific female killer whales” on record is presumed dead after nearly a year without a sighting on the West Coast, according to B.C. researchers.
T46, also known as Wake, was a transient or Bigg’s killer whale thought to have been born in 1966.
Jared Towers, a research technician with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and executive director of Bay Cetology, said Wake birthed eight calves during her reproductive years. Her daughters gave birth to 15 grandchildren, and her granddaughters had five great-grandchildren.
“Keep in mind, these are only maternal descendants. Any offspring that any of her sons
