er 700 individuals These whales consist of two interbreeding clans distinguished by acoustic calls and whose ranges overlap The northern resident community lives in coastal and inland waters from southeastern Alaska to Vancouver Island It consists of three clans and 16 pods and number over 300 orcas total The southern resident community generally inhabits the inland waters of southern British Columbia and Washington， but can be found in the outer waters off Vancouver Island， Washington， Oregon and California They consist of one clan and three pods， and number less than 80 individuals and are listed as endangered

Transient or Biggs The diets of these orcas consist almost exclusively of marine mammals They live in the same areas as residents， but the two avoid each other Transients generally travel in small groups， usually of two to six animals， and have less persistent family bonds than residents Transients vocalize in less variable and less complex dialects Female transients are characterized by more triangular and pointed dorsal fins than those of residents The grey or white area around the dorsal fin， known as the “saddle patch“， often contains some black colouring in residents However， the saddle patches of transients are solid and uniformly grey Transients roam widely along the coast some individuals have been sighted in both southern Alaska and California Transients are also referred to as Biggs orca in honour of cetologist Michael Bigg The term has become increasingly common and may eventually replace the transient label The transient ecotype is estimated to have diverged 700，000 years ago There are at least three different “stocks“ of transients off North America， the AT1 stock which occurs from Prince William Sound to Kenai Fjords， the Gulf of AlaskaAleuti