Killer Whale Teamwork
The Remarkable Intelligence of an Orca Pod
Frozen Planet: David Attenborough
Antarctica: Humans have long felt the lure of this mysterious world, yet it was only a hundred years ago that the first explorers walked inland and were confronted by the highest, driest, coldest territory on Earth. Every year the continent is transformed when the ice that surrounds it disappears. This melt halves the size of Antarctica.
It’s the most spectacular seasonal change occurring anywhere on our planet. The remnants of the sea ice are occupied by sunbathing seals that have been here all winter.
But, new arrivals are following the retreating ice edge, and they have come here to hunt. Killer whales: the oceans top predator. Killer’s are like wolves, for they will hunt animals that are far larger than themselves, but even smaller prey are a problem if you can’t reach them.
The solution is teamwork. Swimming in perfect formation, they flick their tails in unison and create a wave that cracks the ice. They regroup and assess the damage, a more powerful wave is needed. The ice floe is breaking up. Now, they are close enough to get a good look at the target. The seal is a crab-eater, sharp-toothed and feisty, not their favourite. The rulers of the sea move on in search of easier quarry.
A Weddell Seal, that’s better. These are more docile and easier to tackle. The pod stays close together and travels silently. This time they unleashed a far more powerful wave, and with astonishing accuracy. These big waves are not intended to break the ice but, to knock the prey into the water, and they rarely fail.
The seal is now where the killers want it but, the hunt is far from over.
They need to grab their prey by the tail while avoiding its snapping jaws, only then will they be able to pull it down and drown it. Side swipes create violent underwater turbulence, a new tactic. Blowing bubbles provides cover for others to lunge at the seal’s tail. Somehow this seal manages to reach a tiny ice floe. The killers could easily grab it, but this now seems to be a game. The seal’s life hangs on a roll of the ice. Yet again, the pod joins forces to dislodge the seal.
The seal sees a chance to escape but, exhausted it no longer has the energy to pull itself to safety and the killers are moving in.
Although such team hunts are rarely seen, scientists believe they may be the most complex ever documented in the natural world. They were first witnessed by Captain Scott and his men when they came to explore Antarctica 100 years ago.
