Drone Footage Shows Synchronized Moves By Killer Whale Pairs Are More Effective Than Hunting Alone

Killer whales are known to be pretty successful hunters, but new research has revealed that teaming up with a buddy can help them catch herring off the coast of Norway. Using drone footage, the team recorded multiple pairs seemingly swimming in sync to catch herring and then sharing the fruits of their perfectly matched dance – sorry, hunting moves. 

The drone footage, recorded in the winter of 2016-2017, included 26 individual orcas off the coast of northern Norway. The team recorded hunts in shallow waters less than 5 meters (16 feet) deep to make it easier to observe the orcas’ behaviors. 

While killer whales are known to use tail slaps to stun fish like herring, the researchers found that pairs of killer whales – where one of the pair used a tail slap to stun the fish and the other made a barrier with its body to block the fish escaping – were more successful, and that killer whales were more likely to hunt together using this method rather than alone.  

The pairs were often made up of a large and presumably older orca and a smaller one. The researchers even suggest that these pairs could be made up of related orcas or “close kin”, and that this would be a method of transferring knowledge of hunting behaviors to the younger orcas. 

The large killer whales were predominantly the strikers and the smaller whales were dubbed the “helpers”. Interestingly, both striking and helping behaviors were seen more often in male killer whales than in females. There were two juveniles that took part in this hunt and neither ever performed a tail slap, though they did play the role of the helper. Additionally females were seen tail slapping twice and being the helper nine times. 

The individuals involved in the joint slapping herring hunting behavior were found to have preferred partners to hunt with. Orcas have a considerable lifespan, so it stands to reason that they would hunt with other whales that they have known for multiple decades. 

The study is published in Current Biology.