THE LEGENDARY ORCA

Many stories surround orcas, before Blackfish, before SeaWorld even. There are stories that started earlier then the press and before television was ever in our homes, back before the captures.

Native legends, specifically Pacific Northwest tribes, have rich cultured tales of the magnificent sea-beasts lasting hundreds of years.

ORCAS, A SYMBOL OF:

Powerful being

Bringing luck

Guardian of the sea

Strength

Bonds of a family

Medicinal

Protectors of humankind

Depending on the tribe, the orcas were considered sacred to the tribes' people. Tribes like the Tlingit were advanced whale hunters yet never hunted orca pods due to their sacristy.

Tlingit Legend Continued: http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/Natsilane-Tlingit.html

Some villages even thought that fisherman transformed into whales once they died and that sighting whales was a great omen and would rid any illnesses one possessed while watching. Some tribes also thought that the whales were reincarnations of native chiefs.

"The Native American orca or killer whale is one of the most popular subjects of Pacific Northwest Coast art. A piece of Pacific Northwest Coast art or jewelry featuring a killer whale is considered a most appropriate gift of romance or a present for an individual who brings harmony into one's life.

Another legend says that humans who drown at sea became killer whales. Whales interacting with boats or swimming close to shore are those trying to communicate with their human families.

One thing is for sure; these legends are as deep as sea and as strong as the waves. Orcas considered more than killer hunters but powerful spirits. More than a marine mammal or a pool acrobat.