The A8s, although fairly common in the Johnstone Strait area, are possibly the least-known A matriline. They have always been small, and though not everyone has heard of them, they are some of the most interesting whales.

The A8 matriline actually started as a submatriline. The matriarch, Licka (A8), was probably the daughter of Eve (A9), who is the matriarch of the A9 matriline. When Licka had her own children, she branched out and began the A8 matriline.

The A8s are part of the larger A5 pod. A5 pod was captured twice in the Strait of Georgia, and 12 whales were captured for the aquarium business. One of these whales survives today.

The A5 pod lost an entire generation to the capture business, and therefore has been downsized considerably.

Licka, the matriarch, was fully grown at the time of the study, and she would've been involved in the captures. She may have been the cow known as the 'wide-nicked cow' to researchers, though I'm not sure.

Her eldest daughter, Havannah (A28), is unusual in the fact that although she is well past the age when she could have calves, she has had none. Havannah's younger sister, Sonora (A42), on the other hand, has had three calves.

So far, in the history of this matriline, only two whales have died. Interestingly, they haven't had any calves die in their first year of life.

The matriline is now made up of Havannah, Sonora, Sonora's son Surf, and Current. When Licka's possible mother Eve died, her probable brothers, Top Notch and Foster, spent most of their time with the A8s. The brothers have also died now, but the A8s continue to spend time with the rest of A5 pod. They have also been seen with the A11 matriline on OrcaLive in 2005.