Whale Song

Orcas (Killer Whales) are actually the largest members of the dolphin family. They are very social animals; bonds between pod members are strong and last a lifetime. Orcas share the responsibility of protecting the young and caring for the sick and injured. They tend to travel is close knit family pods. Newborn calves swim to the surface instinctively within ten seconds for their first breath, helped along by mother’s flippers.

Orcas are visually appealing and easily identifiable with their unique color pattern (jet black above, bright white below), their streamlined shape and imposing dorsal fins resulting in a magnificent creature. They are fascinating to watch, they are excellent swimmers and can perform impressive acrobatics in the water. Orcas are often observed breaching, speeding to the surface and leaping completely out of the water and falling back with an amazing splash. Orca pods have there own “dialect” of discreet calls and use echolocation to aid in detecting prey, navigation and sensing danger. “Tail slapping” is an activity they perform possibly as a way of warning other pod members of danger. They are sometimes referred to as the “wolves of the sea” due to their sophisticated pack-like behavior of attaching prey and sharing the spoils.

Luckily, Orca populations are currently thought to be stable as a result of protective measures imposed by the International Whaling Commission in the early 1980’s. Orcas are still captured in small numbers however, for display at zoos and marine parks which still remains an emotional and controversial issue.

This painting is double-signed, “Cajl” on the front in oil, is hand-signed in charcoal “C.J. Lauterbach” and has the title and date on verso. A Certificate of Authenticity and Artist’s Statement are also included.