The Northern resident orca community has over 300 whales with strong family bonds and unique acoustic dialects that distinguish one pod from another. Resident orcas have stable social structures based on matrilines, with males and females remaining with their mothers and closely related family members for life. Daughters may establish their own line of descendants, creating sub-pods. Pods consist of 1-3 matrilines and travel together, sharing a common dialect learned from their mothers and family. The community is divided into 3 clans, each consisting of pods that share common calls resulting from a shared ancestral pod that developed distinct dialects over generations. Closely related clan members share more calls. Listen to examples of each clan.