Aurora – The Story of a Matriarch

        First identified in Tysfjord (in the Lofoten islands) in 1986 by Dr. Tiu Similä and colleagues, Aurora (NKW-1001 in the Norwegian Orca ID catalogue) quickly became known for her resilience and leadership. Each year, she returned to follow the Norwegian Spring Spawning stock of Atlantic herring. Her family has relied on her experience to locate the richest feeding grounds. For more than 25 years, this pattern was reliable, giving her family abundant food and security. But the ocean is changing. Over the years, the herring have shifted their migration farther north and out of the inner fjords. Warming seas, fishing pressure, and other environmental changes have sped this movement, forcing killer whales to adapt; or risk losing vital feeding opportunities.

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Aurora has successfully guided her family through these changes, passing on the ecological knowledge that ensures their survival. Yet, not all whales are as lucky. Many individuals have disappeared from the study area, and we still don’t know why. Only by monitoring feeding grounds and tracking whales over time can we understand which families thrive, which struggle, and how environmental changes impact their survival. Your support helps us follow these matriarchs, protect their families, and safeguard the future of Norway’s killer whales.