Bare Facts: Female ~ Born est.1947 ~ Died 1991 ~ Mother Unknown ~ Father Unknown ~ Children A17, Patches, Sharky, A15 ~ ID Open saddle patch, deep dip

Saddle was born around 1947. She was full grown at the time the study started, and we have no idea who her mother was.
Saddle's most distinctive feature was her namesake. Her saddle patch was shaped like a check mark...it was what's called an 'open saddle', meaning it's not solid gray, but has black in it. Open saddles are very common in southern residents, but in the northerns, Saddle's, well, saddle, made her unique.
Around 1964, Saddle gave birth to a calf ID'd as A17. Five years later, she gave birth to A18.
The year A18 was born, Saddle and her family were captured. Saddle had tumour-like growths at the corner of her mouth, and because of this, their captors let her go. Sadly, A17 and A18 were taken into captivity, and died long ago.
In 1971, Saddle gave birth to Sharky. Sharky would become her constant companion. Unlike the calm and steady Saddle, Sharky was a fireball.
In 1979, Saddle had her last calf, a male called A15. For the next while, the family consisted of the three of them.
In 1986, at the age of fifteen, Sharky had her first calf. Saddle was a grandmother!
Then in 1991, at the age of around 44, Saddle disappeared and was declared dead. At the same time, her son A15 died as well.
Saddle was a much-loved whale. Despite having been captured, trained, and traumatized by humans, she had no fear of boats and would let A15 and Sharky play in the boat's wakes, floating nearby. She was a calm whale who didn't get spooked. She lives on in her two grandchildren, Nodales and Surge.