Giovanni, a cherished member of the Bremer Bay Orca population, is showing signs of “peanut head,” raising concerns among our team. But what does this term really mean?
Understanding Peanut Head
“Peanut head” refers to a visible fat loss in Orca and other cetacean species, resulting in a head shape resembling a peanut. This condition is concerning as it often indicates underlying health issues, particularly since the rest of Giovanni’s family pod, including the new calf Gabrielle, appears to be thriving with excellent body condition.
Giovanni was strong and healthy when the 2025 season concluded in April; therefore, this weight loss must have occurred sometime during the winter and early spring. Identifying the cause of Giovanni’s fat reserves depletion can be challenging. It’s possible he may have sustained an injury while hunting Blue Whales and Humpbacks during the annual baleen whale migration.
It is also possible he has an underlying illness which is preventing him from retaining nutrients from his meals and gaining weight. Lack of food is also a possibility, perhaps this winter/spring has been a difficult season for the family with a lack of regular meals resulting in wight loss but then we would also expect to see this wight loss in other pod members which does not appear to be the case from what we have observed.
Overall it appears that it may be more about something just Giovanni is dealign with, we hope that this summer feeding season will provide him the sustenance he needs and allow him to regain weight. Our team will continue to monitor Giovanni through the season ahead and desperately hope that he will be alright. Today this beautiful boy approached us in a very friendly greeting which provided us the opportunity to capture some helpful images of his body condition and we hope to use these as reference photos for the season ahead to look for improvements to his weight.
