What lives in groups called “pods,” but isn’t a pea? What has babies called “calves,” but isn’t a cow? The answer to both riddles is the orca, or killer whale. And just like human mariners, the orca is busy sailing through the sea—in its pods with its calves, of course!

This mysterious creature of God grows up to 23 feet long. It can weigh 10 tons. But orcas can be hard to find—especially in the winter. A group of orcas lives off the west coast of the United States. During the year, the whales move through the Pacific between British Columbia and Northern California. Winter ocean conditions make them hard to track. Sometimes researchers spend a whole cruise looking for whales. By the time they actually find them, it’s time to go home!

But this year was different. The weather was perfect. Satellite tags attached to the whales helped the researchers follow the big marine mammals. They got to watch whales in the Pacific Ocean for 21 days! The researchers wanted to know what the whales ate, what dangers they faced, and what conditions attracted them. They wanted to answer a big question too. Do the whales need more protection?

The researchers listened to sounds the whales made. They collected samples of what the animals ate. Some orcas they found swam in water 26 feet deep on the coast of Washington State. (That’s way deeper than the deep end of a pool. But to a whale, it’s very shallow.) Many whales were eating salmon, just as the researchers expected. Researchers even got to see a whale family reunion! They also found something that surprised them: a baby whale. Coasts can be dangerous places for whale calves. This one will be the first coast-born baby to survive—if it does.

Now it’s time for the researchers to study all their findings. What will their data tell them about whales? They can’t wait to find out!