r/natureismetal • u/SurayaThrowaway12 • 3d ago
Killer whale attacking false killer whales
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u/SurayaThrowaway12 3d ago edited 3d ago
In the attack depicted in the photographs, an adult false killer whale leaps out of the water while attempting to escape an attacking female orca. However, the orca "launched itself at the adult false killer whale at such speed that the false killer whale was knocked upwards and its body contorted at the impact site."
The ramming "rotated the false killer whale in a tail-over-head direction." The force also "propelled the false killer whale further into the air so that its head was approximately 8.5 meters (and the tail approximately 12.5 meters) clear of the water at the apex of the curve."
These photos were taken by Tommy Hatwell (Explore Images) in the first recorded predation on false killer whales by killer whales (orcas) was off of the Bay of Islands in New Zealand, as discussed in a paper by Visser et al.
On March 25, 2010, a group of 50 to 60 false killer whales was spotted by whale watchers. This group, which contained around 15 calves, was also accompanied by 3 to 5 bottlenose dolphins. False killer whales and bottlenose dolphins are known to form mixed pods with each other and hunt together.
Within 30 minutes, a pod of approximately 8 orcas approached this large group. 5 false killer whales (both adults and calves) were attacked by the orcas.
Despite reports from various news outlets that the adult false killer whale in the photographs was killed almost immediately from a broken back, the same adult was witnessed swimming off to rejoin the mixed-species group, so it seems that the adult false killer whale was able to survive the injuries from the attack at least initially.
The same cannot be said for one of the false killer whale calves. The calf was caught and passed around various members of the orca pod. The orcas swam around at the surface with the calf held in their mouths. Eventually, the female orca seen attacking the false killer whales in the photos ,as well as two juvenile orcas, shared and fed on the carcass of the false killer whale calf for around 10 minutes.
The type of orcas which attacked the false killer whales in this rare interaction are not the same type of orcas which are more frequently seen off of the coast of New Zealand. There are at least two "ecotypes" of orcas in New Zealand.
The New Zealand coastal orcas are members of the more well-known "ecotype." These orcas are seen in shallow waters around New Zealand, where they often hunt for elasmobranchs such as stingrays. They have not been observed hunting marine mammals.
The New Zealand pelagic orcas, on the other hand, do hunt marine mammals including other dolphins. These orcas tend to stay in deeper pelagic waters and thus are not sighted as often as the NZ coastal orcas. They also often have cookiecutter shark bites on their bodies.
The pelagic female orca in the photos is catalogued as NZOP-006.
Observations of killer whale (Orcinus orca) attacks on false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) are very rare. False killer whales got their name because their skull shapes are fairly similar to those of orcas.
There also have been some observations of false killer whales going after and attacking other dolphins, sperm whales, and humpback whales, though none of these observations are recent.
Adult false killer whales, particularly when remaining together as a group, may be able better to defend themselves from orca attacks than other dolphin species are able to. Indeed, another orca in the attacking pod was seen with fresh tooth-rake marks on its caudal peduncle, though it could not be determined if these rake marks were from other orcas or the false killer whales.
The robust jaws and teeth of false killer whales could ultimately pose a substantial risk for attacking orcas and other predators, which may make them less appealing as prey typically.
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u/Mathisbuilder75 2d ago
The ramming "rotated the false killer whale in a tail-over-head direction.
Get rotated idiot
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u/PainStorm14 Death is just side effect of being eaten alive 3d ago
False killer whales and bottlenose dolphins are known to form mixed pods with each other and hunt together
Actual Killer Whale: "And you think this gives you power over me?"
The calf was caught and passed around various members of the orca pod
Got passed around like a prison wife 😆
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u/Limp_Pressure9865 3d ago
Killer Whale: You’re just a cheap fucking knock off.
False killer whale: Oh no no no… I’m the upgr…
Gets obliterated*
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u/BadLuckPorcelain 3d ago
I love how different Orca pods from different areas around the world have their own language and hunting strategies as well as their own feeding behavior. If they just ate/killed one it's probably more a "get the fuck out of our hunting grounds" thing
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u/Communal-Lipstick 3d ago
I love that too. I'm not an expert at all but that sounds like culture. They must be so intelligent.
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u/BadLuckPorcelain 3d ago
They have higher social skills than any other mammals. Watch some documentaries. Their social behavior and therefore the language they developed and their behavior as pod is actually insane. Basically second most intelligent Mammals right after humans. Only reason why they aren't higher up than some Apes are their lack of hands and therefore not able to use tools. And they make that even with hunting tactics.
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u/Communal-Lipstick 3d ago
I watch every doc I can about orcas and Apes. I'm just so fascinated with intelligent animals. I wish we could talk to them.
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u/TricksterPriestJace 2d ago
Even different languages. Other dolphins can tell one orca language from another. In BC, Canada there are orcas wh hunt salmon, who are super chill with other dolphins and like to check out whale watchers. Then there are orcas who hunt other marine mammals, who the dolphins know to stay the fuck away from and flee if they hear the whale eaters' language.
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u/stanimal211 3d ago
So much for all the videos I've seen talking about how orcas fear these guys lol
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u/Ok_Antelope_1953 3d ago
large pods of pilot whales and false killer whales (closely related and similarly sized species) do occasionally harass and chase orcas, but that doesn't mean orcas "fear" them. no other dolphin species poses a threat to adult orcas, as they are 2-3 times bigger than the next biggest dolphin (pilot whales).
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u/SurayaThrowaway12 2d ago
Yes, harassment of orcas by pilot whales and other marine mammals resembles various mobbing behaviours against predators.
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u/stanimal211 3d ago
I know it's just click bait but here's a couple of videos on YouTube that title it "orcas fear them"
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u/bb2722 3d ago
Will the real slim shady please stand up
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u/StarkaTalgoxen 2d ago
"Try to use my name, that's fatal
Tried to claim my fame but that's fatal
About to bring the pain, that's fatal
Bite through your jugular vein, that's fatal""Fatal" by RZA
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u/SonofMedusa 3d ago
Ok but what breed of whale do we recognize the "false" ones as?
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u/SurayaThrowaway12 3d ago
False killer whales are oceanic dolphins in the subfamily Globicephalinae, of which pilot whales and melon-headed whales are also members of. Despite the shapes of their skulls, false killer whales are more closely related to pilot whales than they are to orcas.
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u/LokisDawn 3d ago
First two pictures: Oh, it almost looks like they're playing. almost.
Last picture: Ouch!
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u/CheekyMenace 3d ago
I'm not a fan of orcas. They're such pricks with the way they go about hunting/killing.
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u/RiteOfSavage 2d ago
Saw these back to back: https://www.reddit.com/r/OceansAreFuckingLit/s/Ctdp5KUOyM
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u/FrogInShorts 3d ago
Gee, just a comment section full of jokes of the slaughtering of a highly intelligent species that form tight social bonds. Pretty heartless, fellas.
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u/Not_very_soft 3d ago
Sad
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u/dinoboyj 3d ago
You sure you're on the right subreddit? This is pretty common around here
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u/hnnrss 3d ago
"Get your own fucking name!"