While teaching their young how to hunt, Bigg’s killer whales launched several murre birds resting on the water’s surface.
Bigg’s killer whales tossing some seabirds resting on the water.
Evan Brodsky, a passenger on a Monterey Bay Whale Watch tour, captured footage of a pod of Bigg’s killer whales actively engaging in the waters of Monterey Bay, California, as reported by IFL Science on September 20. The whales were tail-slapping, breaching, and even tossing some seabirds resting on the water to teach their young how to hunt.
The birds disturbed by the killer whales in the video are common murres (Uria aalge), which typically nest in large colonies on coastal cliffs and spend most of their time foraging offshore. While the actions of the killer whales may seem playful, learning to hunt is a vital survival skill for young whales.
According to whale observation groups, the pod of killer whales in the video consists of Bigg’s killer whales, a recently identified species distinct from resident killer whales. Bigg’s killer whales travel in smaller pods and typically hunt marine mammals, while resident killer whales primarily feed on salmon. Experts plan to designate the scientific name for Bigg’s killer whales as Orcinus rectipinnus, which in Latin means “upright fins,” possibly referring to their tall, pointed dorsal fins. Meanwhile, the expected scientific name for resident killer whales is Orcinus ater, derived from their predominantly black coloration.
Bigg’s killer whales playing in Monterey Bay. (Video: Monterey Bay Whale Watch).
Bigg’s killer whales are migratory, frequently moving along the coast. Reports also indicate that they vocalize less than resident killer whales, aiding them in stealthily hunting larger prey.
Bigg’s killer whales and resident killer whales are not interchangeable, according to Barbara Taylor, a marine mammal biologist who previously worked at NOAA Fisheries. “They are the most distinct killer whale types in the world, living right next to each other and encountering each other often. They just cannot mix,” Taylor explained.
