Rare "Moonwalking" Killer Whale Behavior Hides Much More Gory Truth

From wearing salmon hats to sinking yachts and some impressive marine tool use, orcas can really do it all. Now it seems that they are also taking over the dance world, with some impressive moonwalking abilities. 

While dancers around the world might be surprised to learn you can moonwalk without feet, videos have emerged of orcas performing this rather unusual behavior. They appear to surface tail-first before moving backwards under the water. So what is actually happening?

“It’s thought that perhaps that it’s part of a prey sharing event. It’s a little bit gruesome,” marine mammal zoologist Anna Hall told CBC News in a video interview. “They could be ripping a prey species into pieces to share amongst the family members.”

Hall went on to explain that this population, called the transient or Bigg’s killer whales, prey on marine mammals like seals, porpoises, and occasionally other whale species, and roam together in small family groups. This species was only declared to be a separate species from the resident orca population in 2024 after 20 years of speculation. 

“They’re the most different killer whales in the world, and they live right next to each other and see each other all the time,” said Barbara Taylor, a former NOAA Fisheries marine mammal biologist who was part of the science panel that assessed the status of Southern Residents, in a statement in 2024. “They just do not mix.”

North Shore News shared that the moonwalking female is known as T65A Artemis. She was born in 1986 and is well-known for her moonwalking behavior, sometimes displaying it after killing harbour porpoises. 

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"It is remarkable, just how smooth that backward motion is. You anticipate the forward motion being smooth,” Hall told North Shore News.

The Orca Conservancy said on TikTok that the behavior is exclusive to the Bigg’s killer whales in the Pacific Northwest. Elsewhere in the ocean, other species have different methods for chowing down on their unfortunate prey.