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Killer whales and dolphins may be helping each other hunt of B.C. coast: new report
Researchers documented coordinated hunting where dolphins scout for large Chinook salmon and orcas follow, with 258 events recorded near northeastern Vancouver Island.
- Dalhousie and UBC researchers documented apparent cooperative hunting between northern resident killer whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins off Vancouver Island, British Columbia using drones and orca-mounted cameras.
- Field recordings from Vancouver Island showed researchers tracked nine northern resident orcas using suction-cup biologging tags with forward-facing video and aerial drones for body-condition analysis.
- Field audio and video showed both species echolocating, researchers recorded 25 recorded follow-and-forage instances, eight recorded Chinook capture-and-share events with dolphins present in four events, and one observed scavenging of an adult Chinook at around 197 feet deep.
- The study's authors urged further research to determine if co-foraging improves northern resident killer whales' hunting success, body condition, or reproduction, noting it could prompt stricter Chinook salmon conservation measures.
- Earlier studies framed interactions as kleptoparasitism, noting one observed mildly antagonistic behaviours, but researchers suggest dolphin safety and drafting benefits amid uncertainty about whether behavior is novel or historical.
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·Vienna, Austria
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Researchers have observed a rare collaboration between marine mammals. The joint hunting of killer whales and dolphins opens up new avenues of research.
·Budapest, Hungary
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Total News Sources46
Leaning Left13Leaning Right6Center15Last UpdatedBias Distribution44% Center
Bias Distribution
- 44% of the sources are Center
44% Center
L 38%
C 44%
R 18%
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