L112 Sooke

L112 "Sooke." Photo provided by the Center for Whale Research.

### Half-Siblings

*L95 “Nigel”*, *J34 “Doublestuf”*, J35 "Tahlequah", J36 “Alki”, K33 ”Tika”, J37 “Hy’Shqa”, K34 “Cali”, *L100 “Indigo”*, *L101 “Aurora”*, K35 “Sonata”, K36 “Yoda”, J40 “Suttles”, K42 “Kelp”, J44 "Moby", J45 “Se-Yi’-Chn”, L116 “Finn”, L117 “Keta”, *J28 Polaris’ Calf (2013)*, ***L120 "Altair"***, *J50 "Scarlet"*, J53 "Kiki", **L125 "Element"**

### Aunts & Uncles

*L10 "Okum"*, ***L27 "Ophelia"***, *L42 "Mozart"*, ***L61 "Astral"***, **L55 "Nugget"**, *L64 "Radar"*, L77 "Matia", L94 "Calypso"

### Nieces & Nephews

J47 "Notch", J49 "Tilem l’nges", *J52 "Sonic"*, *J35 Tahlequah's Calf (2018)*, J57 "Phoenix", J59 "Sxwyeqólh"

### Cousins

***L62 "Cetus"***, ***L68 "Elwha"***, ***L80 "Odessa"***, **L82 "Kasatka"**, ***L93 "Nerka"***, ***L96 "Bernardo"***, **L103 "Lapis"**, **L109 "Takoda"**, L113 "Cousteau", *L114 "Capella"*, **L116 "Finn"**, **L118 "Jade"**, L119 "Joy", L121 "Windsong", **L123 "Lazuli"**, L124 "Whistle", L126 "Ken", L127 "Scuba"

L112 "Sooke" (*pronounced SOOK*), also known as Victoria (*pronounced vuhk-TAW-ree-uh*), was a 3-year-old female Southern resident killer whale.

## Early Life

Sooke was first seen and photographed on February 6th, 2009 with her mother L86 "Surprise." She was believed to be 6-8 weeks old at the time, and was her mother's second calf. Genetic testing revealed that her father was L41 "Mega."

## Death

Sooke was last seen alive on October 21st, 2011. On February 11th, 2012, a young, female killer whale was found dead north of Long Beach, Washington. Based on her markings, she was identified as Sooke. She was moved to a secure location at nearby Cape Disappointment State Park the following day for a necropsy.

The carcass was moderately decomposed, and it was estimated that Sooke had died between four and ten days before it was recovered. Examination found that she was in overall good physical condition. She had suffered from extensive bruising around her head and neck, which was determined to be the likely cause of death. Her head was frozen, and sent off for further study. Her bones were given to The Whale Museum, who cleaned and examined them. They found no fractures.

The cause of Sooke's lethal blunt force trauma was a matter of much debate. Despite the bruising she suffered, Sooke did not have any lacerations or broken bones, which would suggest something like a ship strike. It was believed that she had possibly been killed by an underwater blast or sonar, used by Navies. Further investigation found this unlikely. The US Navy had conducted no domestic activities involving sonar or explosives in early February of 2012. The Canadian Navy had conducted activities involving sonar and explosives in early February, but all took place approximately 211 miles downwind of the stranding location. All other members of Sooke's family group were sighted multiple times after her death and no other deceased marine animals were reported near the area at the time, suggesting Sooke's trauma was an individual event.

A few other possibilities of the source of Sooke's injuries were considered. There had been a small earthquake a few days before the stranding, but it was deemed unlikely that seismic activity would have effected only Sooke out of her family group. It was deemed possible that she could have been rammed by another animal. Ultimately, the source of Sooke's injuries and her ultimate cause of death could not be determined.

The Whale Museum applied for a permit to keep Sooke's skeletal remains, which was granted. The bones were mounted in an exhibited dedicated to Sooke, alongside a life-size model of her. The exhibit was completed in 2013.

## Galleries

* **Photos** of L112 Sooke
* **Videos** of L112 Sooke

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 'Southern Resident Killer Whale L-112 Final Report'
2. ↑ 'Who's Whose Father?'
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 'L112 Stranding Progress Report 1'
4. ↑ 'L-112 (Sooke) Memorial'