Researchers have stumbled across a three-month-old orca calf thriving in its habitat off the south coast of Western Australia, despite missing a dorsal fin.
The calf was spotted with his pod in an area called The Patch, a favourite hunting ground for orca, in the waters off Bremer Bay.
Gemma Sharp, who operates a whale-watching charter vessel, said the unique youngster's appearance took her by surprise.
"We couldn't believe it … this tiny little calf popped up and he had no dorsal fin," she said.
An iconic (missing) flipper
Ms Sharp said tour operators and researchers who frequented the Bremer Canyon loved to name the orca after historical events.
"We were just as devastated as many Australians to hear the news of Shane Warne passing and we met this calf a couple of days after that happened," she said.
"We were sitting, as a family, thinking we need a really special name for this little orca — Warnie."
Shane Warne was famous for a bowling technique known as the 'flipper', with a trademark skidding delivery.
"Whenever we see him, we'll always remind ourselves of how we will always miss Warnie."
Possible birthing accident
Ms Sharp said she was unsure what exactly would have led to the fin becoming removed but there were some likely possibilities.
"It could be genetics, that is a possibility," she said.
"The other thing is sometimes when calves are born there's a bit of difficulty in that process."
She said the family sometimes helped the mother orca during labour.
"They'll help pull the calf from Mum," she said.
"They're born tail first [and] the next fin to come out would be of course the dorsal fin.
"The family pod members [will try] their best to be careful, but they can still tear or cause a little bit of damage and over time [the fin] could have worn away."
Without a dorsal fin, Ms Sharp said the whale's development could be affected.
Ms Sharp said because Warnie had experienced life without a dorsal fin from such a young age, he should be fine.
"He will adjust to it very well and it won't bother him … he won't know any different," she said.
"If this happened later on in life, it would have been challenging because he [would have] to relearn how to move and how to swim."
So far, there are noticeable differences between Warnie and the other calves.
"A week back, he was breaching and practising his tail slapping and you could see he was having to move his body slightly differently to the others," Ms Sharp said.
"It'll be very interesting to see as he gets older how he adjusts to that."
Good company
Warnie is not the first killer whale living in the Bremer Canyon without a dorsal fin.
Another female named Lucky is a well-known member of the resident population and is also missing her dorsal fin.
"She's probably at least 20 years of age, so she's been around for a long time," Ms Sharp said.
"She hunts with the family pod, she feeds with them, she's very social."
Ms Sharp said Lucky was a great example of what might be yet to come for Warnie.
"The family pod work together as a unit to ensure that everyone in the family survives and thrives," she said.
