West Coast transient killer whales have long fascinated marine scientists with their impressive mammal-hunting techniques. Now, new research by the University of British Columbia (UBC) is shedding more light on these large ocean predators, confirming them to be two distinct subpopulations: inner and outer coast transients. Analysing 16 years of data covering more than 2,200 […]
Tag: orcas
Orcas Team Up to Hunt Great White Sharks in Astonishing New Footage
Killer whales have once again shown the world why they’re among the ocean’s most intelligent and strategic hunters. According to PEOPLE, researchers captured rare footage in the Gulf of California showing orcas working together to hunt great white sharks and feast on their livers — a behavior previously only documented in South Africa. The study, […]
Free Willy: When Hollywood’s most famous orca was rescued from captivity he vanished into the ocean – But what happened next?
Keiko lived two lives: one on the silver screen and one off it. Both alerted the world to animal-welfare issues a dolphinaria, but it is not clear which of his two lives was the more incredible. Rewind to 1979, when a two-year-old orca was captured off Iceland and ended up in a dolphinarium in Mexico […]
Another Endangered Orca Found Mourning Her Dead Calf in Washington Waters
An endangered orca known as J36 has been seen carrying her dead newborn calf through the Salish Sea, a heartbreaking reminder of the fragile state of the Southern Resident killer whale population. According to CBS News, researchers confirmed that the calf — still bearing its umbilical cord — was either full term or near full […]
Orcas Are Playing With Boats in Spain, Not Attacking Them
Off the coast of Galicia, Spain, Iberian orcas have been ramming boats again—but scientists say it’s not aggression. According to National Geographic, experts believe the whales have developed a learned cultural behavior, essentially turning rudder-bashing into a game passed down to younger pod members. Since 2020, the pod—made up of about 40 orcas—has been involved […]
Petition: SeaWorld Must Stop Exploiting Orcas for Entertainment
Kamea, an 11-year-old orca at SeaWorld San Antonio, has tragically died. Born into captivity, she spent her entire life trapped in a concrete tank – never knowing the feel of the open ocean, never swimming free with her pod. Her story is not unique. It’s the story of every marine mammal trapped in SeaWorld’s tanks, […]
Petition: Orcas Use Kelp to Groom Each Other – Now Climate Change Is Threatening Their Survival
For a long time, we thought only humans and other primates practiced the loving act of mutual grooming. But now, scientists have discovered that orca whales do this, too – using kelp! Sign the petition to help protect orcas and their ecosystems! Grooming is an important act that helps solidify bonds between people – or […]
Final dolphins ‘left for dead’ in abandoned marine park rescued after five others died
After being left in unconscionable states of captivity, four dolphins of Gulf World Marine Park have been saved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). This overdue rescue occurred on the morning of 4 June following a video released by the animal rights group TideBreakers, which caught the bottlenose beauties’ rapidly decaying enclosure […]