US EditionSome Dolphins Appear to Have Orca Friends. Scientists Think They Have Figured Out What’s Going On
Researchers documented 258 interactions showing orcas sharing Chinook salmon with dolphins, who gain food and protection, revealing new cooperative hunting behavior.
- Between August 15 and 30, 2020, Sarah Fortune documented 258 interactions off British Columbia showing Pacific white-sided dolphins cooperating with Northern Resident killer whales to hunt salmon.
- By hanging out with the orcas, Pacific white-sided dolphins quickly eat leftovers and likely gain protection from other orca pods, while Northern Resident orcas use dolphins to locate Chinook salmon hiding at depth.
- The researchers captured drone footage and underwater video by attaching suction tags with cameras and hydrophones to orcas, recording echolocation clicks, salmon kills, and orcas following dolphins on dives up to 60 meters.
- The study concluded dolphins and porpoises benefit most from encounters, with Fortune saying underwater footage first revealed this behavior, upending scientific community views on Northern Resident orcas.
- For decades, researchers observed interactions between Northern Residents and dolphins off northeastern Vancouver Island, but Brittany Visona-Kelly said she was skeptical they represent true cooperative foraging since dolphins often initiate contact.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Orcas and dolphins are now hunting together in major scientific discovery
Scientists have captured footage that appears to show orcas and Pacific white-sided dolphins teaming up to hunt salmon off the coast of British Columbia – the first time this behaviour has ever been recorded.The findings, published last Thursday in Scientific Reports, reveal that these encounters between northern resident orcas and dolphins aren't just chance meetings while searching for food.Researchers from the University of British Columbia, …
Watch These Orcas Follow Dolphins to Snag a Salmon Feast. It Might Be the First Evidence of These Species Working Together
Off the coast of British Columbia, killer whales are tailing dolphins, and both seem to be rewarded with fishy meals. But not everyone is convinced it's teamwork—and the behavior may hint at other ocean stressors
How Orcas Have Transformed Dolphins Into Living Gps: the Hunting Strategy that Fascinates Scientists
Off the coast of British Columbia, researchers have recently documented an unprecedented phenomenon in the marine animal world: Orcas that voluntarily reduce the volume of their sonar to follow dolphins to salmon banks. This unlikely alliance between two species of cetaceans reveals a social intelligence and adaptability well [...]
A new scientific study from Canada has uncovered an unexpected alliance in nature: dolphins and orcas appear to actively cooperate in hunting, upending what we knew so far about their relationship. According to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, Pacific white-sided dolphins have been recorded hunting together with a specific population of killer whales, the so-called Northern Resident orcas, off the coast of British Columbia.
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