Killer whale mothers train their babies to mimic drowning, unique footage shows. The rigorous training helps the whales develop the skills needed to hunt the largest animal in history.
In the recording, a young killer whale (Orcinus orca) plays the role of prey, allowing other members of the pod to surround it and flood its blowhole so it cannot get air. Members of the pod learn to hold the young killer whale's head underwater for a period of time before releasing it.
Later in the video, the pod uses this technique while hunting a blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus). The killer whales appear to sneak up on the whale, giving them an advantage in an unequal fight with this giant. They surround the whale's head and cover its blowhole with water, but it is unclear from the video whether they succeed in killing the huge mammal.
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A spokeswoman for the BBC, which has produced material for its new nature documentary series Parenthood, told The Times that while scientists knew that killer whales were capable of killing whales by drowning them, “this hunting behaviour had never been captured on film before”.
The narration is provided by British biologist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough. “These killer whales need to be in excellent physical condition,” Attenborough explains in the recording. “They hunt the largest animals that have ever lived on Earth: blue whales.”
Filmmakers used specialised underwater stabilising mechanisms known as gimbals and towed cameras to capture the scene off the coast of Bremer Bay in Western Australia. “The technology allowed the team to work at the same speed as the hunting pod of killer whales and provided new insights into their behaviour,” a BBC spokeswoman told The Times.
Sourse: www.livescience.com
