kids song video about orcas

Birdsong meets Eastern Tropical Pacific killer whales!

Dear Friends,

I saw orcas off the coast of Newport Beach, CA (USA) on January 7th! They were a rarely seen pod of Eastern Tropical Pacific killer whales, including 1 large male and 1 calf. Thanks to the Gray Whale Census Team and Alisa Schulman-Janiger for first spotting them from land at Palos Verdes while counting gray whales. Thank you also to my employer, Capt. Dave’s Dolphin Safari, for bringing us to the whales. I’ve included my photos of these beautiful creatures, taken at sunset. The tall, distinctive dorsal fin in the top photo is that of the male orca.

These types of killer whales, identified by their darker saddle area behind the dorsal fin, are usually seen from south of San Diego to Central Amercia. Because they are rarely seen, we don’t know much about them yet. It was a very fortunate sighting, indeed.

Check out the drone footage of these orcas taken by Newport Coastal Adventure at: Newport Coastal Adventure/YouTube and read more about this killer whale visit at: OC Register On-line. You can also hear my song about another type of orca, called Southern Resident Killer Whales, in my previous blog post. Sightings such as these  and the opportunity to teach about cetaceans are two of the many reasons why I love my job as First Mate and Naturalist.

Glad to be singing on the sea,

Birdsong

In Memory of Orcas: Kids song video about Southern Resident Killer Whales

Dear Friends,

A few years ago, I wrote this song, “Orcas”, as a celebration of the Southern Resident Killer Whales. Today I am re-posting this music video in memory of Granny (J-2), Doublestuf (J-34), Polaris (J-28), Rhapsody (J-32) and the other endangered SRKWs who have died since I released this song. May their beautiful spirits continue to teach us and inspire us to protect their remaining family members. Thank you for watching.

With love,

Birdsong

Meet the oldest and youngest Orcas of the Southern Resident Community

Hello friends!

I’m excited to show you these photos of the oldest and youngest members of the Southern Resident Community of killer whales, aka Orcas. The top picture is a photo of Granny (J2), who is believed to be about 104 years old! The bottom photo is of young calf L122 and his/her mother.

These photos are two of a huge collection of orca pictures taken by my friend, Captain James Maya. You can find more of Captain Jim’s amazing photos on his Facebook page. Learn more about Granny and the entire Southern Resident Community of Orcas at The Whale Museum and when you watch my music video,“ORCAS.“

Sending a whale of a thank you to all who work to protect these beautiful creatures,

Birdsong

Birdsong meets Killer Whales! Watch our new kids video featuring our song, “ORCAS”.

Dear Whale and Dolphin Lovers,      Hurray!  I met the Orcas (aka killer whales)!  In a recent trip to the U.S. San Juan Islands, Birdsong and the Eco-Wonders had the privilege of encountering the Southern Resident Orcas that are featured in my song “ORCAS” from our CD EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED and Other Animal Songs for Kids.  Imagine my delight when we sighted “Doublestuf” (JPod-34), an orca who is named in my song! We also met local educators, captains and researchers who are advocates of these beautiful and intelligent creatures and inspired us with their stories and dedication. They encouraged us to sign a petition to help save these orcas.      Needless to say, I feel more connected than ever to these animals; and I now have a new music video to share with you. This video weaves together my orca song with beautiful photos taken by my new friend, Captain James Maya, by NOAA and by me. Lyrics are included in the video, so watch and sing along with me with me as we celebrate the Orcas of the Salish Sea. With love, Birdsong