Here is a killer whale fact for you: despite decades of intensive research, we still do not know for sure what killer whales eat in most regions of the world. Killer whales are top predators, and the amount and types of animals they eat can greatly impact a whole ecosystem. To figure out how killer …
What do killer whales eat in the North Atlantic? Fat’s the question! Read More »
Most of you have probably heard about resident and transient killer whales. They are the most studied killer whales in the world, and they can be found off the west coast of North America. But did you know there are killer whales in the Antarctic as well? Some scientists estimated they are around 25 000 …
A new paper by Dr. Andy Foote just came out; it encourages people to stop calling North Atlantic killer whales “type 1” and “type 2”. These two types were defined by Dr. Foote himself during his PhD research. Let’s find out why we should stop talking about two types in the North Atlantic. How the two …
You can stop calling North Atlantic killer whales type 1 and type 2 Read More »
How long do whales live? Whales have some of the longest life spans in the mammal kingdom. In fact, several whale species have been recorded to live over 100 years old! Which whale lives the longest? Do captive whales live longer than their wild counterparts? How can we calculate the age of wild whales? Let’s …
A new study presented a method to reconstruct killer whales’ diets using the lipid composition of their blubber. By measuring these lipids, called fatty acids, in the killer whales’ fat and those in their potential prey, scientists can estimate the abundance of each prey species in the whales’ diet. This new method may hold the …
Scientists develop a model to reveal wild killer whales’ diets Read More »
Every time a southern resident calf is born, orca lovers all around the world sigh in relief. The critically endangered population is struggling to stay healthy in an environment full of stressors, including noise, chemical pollution, and a serious lack of food. You might have come across baby orca photos in the news. Have you …
Welcome to our new “whale of the month,” the leopard seal. This muscular seal has a large reptilian-like head and is the third-largest pinniped in the world. This Antarctic seal has also been featured in a TikTok video on a beach in South Australia, a couple of days ago. Whether you came here from TikTok …
Worn-out teeth, also called tooth wear, are pretty common in cetaceans. Although there are many documented cases of tooth wear in captivity, worn-out teeth exist in wild whales. And especially those who eat a lot of fish, like herring-eating killer whales. In this post, we explain why eating some fish can damage wild killer whale …
Some fish-eating orcas have worn out teeth: Here’s why Read More »
Scientists have for a long time thought that orcas in Iceland specialized in eating fish (like herring). Recently, however, experts have noticed that some Icelandic orcas seem to enjoy another type of snack: marine mammals. This could be a problem, and eating marine mammals could threaten the long-term survival of these orcas. In this post, …
Preying on marine mammals might be threatening the survival of Icelandic orcas Read More »
Fresh news in the killer whale world, Surprise! (L-86) just gave birth! Since July 2020, three different Southern Resident Killer whales have given birth! J35, Tahlequah, who lost her baby about two years ago, gave birth on September 6th, 2020, to a baby boy, J57. Next, J41, Eclipse, was the second mom, giving birth to …
Third newborn for Southern Residents: Killer whale baby boom Read More »
