The Orca Man is the result of condensing what would have been a $20K+ research project into its most basic format. The project's goal was to provide an accessible avenue for people to learn about Orcas.
But before I get ahead of myself, we need to go back a couple decades.
My story began back in 2002, when my parents bought a Chevy Venture. Chevy was running a special edition van with a dvd player that came with a movie as a partnership with Warner Bros. The movie in our car happened to be Free Willy.
I was three at the time, and apparently very impressionable.
Fast forward 10 years, my parents "Adopted an Orca" for me from The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor, WA for Christmas. Her name is Alki, J-36. From then, my sights were set on San Juan Island, where a few years later I took my dad on a trip to volunteer with The Whale Museum.
With a LOT of luck and some help from people on the Island, I got to see many Orcas during this trip—including Alki.
A few years after that trip, I made my way out to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada where I studied Geography (focusing on geographic computation and environmental history).
While at school I developed a research project to compile information about Orcas (catalogs, conservation organizations, research, etc) into a singular accessible medium. This was named Project Sonic after Alki's only offspring thusfar, Sonic J-52, who passed as I began my studies.
Project Sonic as a pure initiative was not viable, but I still wanted to find a way to connect people to the species that has brought me insurmountable joy.
I was going to go to YouTube to achieve this, but my roommate, wisely, pointed me to TikTok where I began posting under the title "The Orca Maven." After posting a few videos, I was designated Orca Man by my new pod.
Thus, The Orca Man began.
.jpg)
I've now been The Orca Man for three years, and everything I've been able to do thusfar has been because of the support from those around me.
From my parents indulging my childhood interest, to my roommate nudging me towards TikTok, to you... reading this right now.
Growing up, Orcas gave me more wonder and joy than I knew what to do with. Today that answer is simple...
Share it.