Teamwork makes the dream work, apparently even for some of the most fearsome predators in the ocean.
A team of scientists recently captured remarkable footage in the North Pacific, showcasing orcas, apex predators, and dolphins possibly collaborating to hunt salmon, as The Guardian detailed.
Traditionally seen as lone hunters, orcas were observed taking their cues from dolphins and working together to tackle their prey in a study published in Scientific Reports.
"These whales are top salmon hunting specialists," said Sarah Fortune, marine scientist at Dalhousie University and the study's lead author. "To see them following dolphins as though they were leaders was really counterintuitive — and really exciting,"
The researchers observed dolphins, swimming rapidly in groups, locating Chinook salmon efficiently. Just behind them would be orcas ready to capitalize on their finds. As you'd expect, both parties had something to gain from the transaction.
For the orcas, having a skilled scout like dolphins clearly paid off. The dolphins probably benefited the most from the arrangement, as the Chinook salmon are too large for them to hunt on their own. So, the dolphins would eat the orcas' leftovers.
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Counter to their usual behavior, the orcas didn't mind this intrusion on their prey, per the study. Fortune pointed out that if the whales deemed the dolphins to be mooching off their hunt, there'd be a much different reaction.
"We really didn't see evidence of antagonistic behaviours between species," Fortune noted. "And that really surprised us."
It's possible that the species even signaled each other as part of the arrangement. The researchers tagged whales, and the results were intriguing.
"Our tagged whale would echolocate, and then there'd be a period of silence, and then we'd hear dolphin echolocation clicks," Fortune said. "And this raises a question: Are both species listening to each other?"
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Definitely 👍 Orcas and dolphins are already known as some of the more intelligent species in the sea, but this study opens up new possibilities for just how resourceful and adaptive they can be. Fortune noted that orcas are traditionally social creatures, but fiercely independent in the hunt.
This research revealed just how resourceful and open-minded they might be in reality. It also sheds light on why research on these iconic creatures is valuable and worthwhile. In the future, the scientists hope to uncover just how much the dolphins and orcas benefit from the arrangement.
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