From sinking boats, eating shark livers, consuming whale tongues, to tossing dolphins around for entertainment, orcas are displaying some behaviors that can be quite alarming.
In March 2019, researchers off the southwestern coast of Australia witnessed a horrific scene: dozens of orcas charged at one of the largest creatures on Earth to kill it. The orcas devoured massive chunks of flesh from the ribs of a mature blue whale, which died an hour later. This was the first recorded case of orcas preying on blue whales, but certainly not the last.
The orca (Orcinus orca) is a top predator capable of hunting prey much larger than itself. (Photo: Asahi Shimbun Premium via Getty Images)
Recently, it has also been observed that orcas (Orcinus orca) are abducting young pilot whales and tearing apart sharks to eat their livers. Off the coasts of Spain and Portugal, a small pod of orcas has rammed and sunk boats. All of this demonstrates just how intelligent these apex predators are.
Deborah Giles, a researcher on orcas at the University of Washington and the nonprofit organization Wild Orca, stated: “These animals have extremely complex and highly evolved brains. They possess brain areas associated with memory and emotions that are significantly more developed than those in humans.”
Josh McInnes, a marine ecologist studying orcas at the University of British Columbia, mentioned that the brains of orcas do not change at the anatomical level. He explained: “Behavioral changes can affect anatomical changes in a species or population, but only after thousands of years of evolution.”
However, orcas are quick learners, meaning they can teach each other some frightening tricks, thus becoming “smarter” as they group together. Nonetheless, some of these seemingly new tricks may actually be long-standing behaviors that humans are just now recognizing. Similar to humans, some of these learned behaviors follow trends, rising and falling with social waves.
Teaching Hunting Strategies
There is no doubt that orcas learn from one another. Many of the skills these animals teach and share are related to their role as highly evolved apex predators. Strategies are shared and passed down from adult orcas to calves. Taking down a blue whale “requires cooperation and coordination.” Orcas may have learned and perfected the skills necessary to handle such massive prey.
The remains of a shark attacked by orcas off the coast of South Africa. (Photo: Marine Dynamics).
Scientists have also recorded 78 instances of orcas tossing dolphins to one another like a ball. They suggest that these games could serve as lessons for young orcas on how to hunt salmon, which are nearly the same size as dolphin calves.
Researchers also propose that humans may indirectly be making orcas smarter by altering ocean conditions. Human-induced climate change may force orcas to rely more on one another for learning.
