MUG SHOTS HISTORY Because killer whales are marine mammals and spend their lives in the sea, it is challenging for people to observe and study them in the wild. Many myths surrounded the elusive whales called "killer" as early scientific data had been based on scattered casual observations at sea, combined with a few stranded animals and the tales from the days of whaling. In the 1970's, a Canadian researcher, the late Michael Bigg, and his colleagues developed a technique that revolutionized the study of killer whales. By photographing the killer whales' dorsal fin and gray saddle patch at the base of the fin, they found that individual whales could be identified and studied. The late Michael Bigg looking at photo identification of killer whales During the past 25 years, this method has allowed field biologists to systematically study individual killer whales, their social structures, their movement patterns, and the underwater sounds of the wild populations. Canadian researchers, Dr. John Ford of the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre and the University of British Columbia and his colleague Graeme Ellis of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, continue to track the individual whales that frequent the Canadian waters, and reveal the mysteries of the killer whale to the world. All pictures and audio © Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre 1999 Killer Facts | Distribution | Snacks & Facts | Clans & Pods | Whale Chat | Behaviour | Mug Shots |