Scientists studying orcas off the coast of British Columbia have discovered something remarkable happening between two different species that normally don’t cooperate this way. Researchers led by marine scientist Sarah Fortune used drones, underwater microphones, and special cameras to record northern resident orcas hunting with Pacific white sided dolphins in what appears to be genuine teamwork. The dolphins, which usually hunt smaller fish like herring and cannot catch large Chinook salmon on their own, were often leading the chase while the powerful orcas followed behind them and dove deeper than when hunting alone. Both animals use echolocation by sending out sounds and listening to echoes to locate objects underwater, and scientists noticed they were taking turns making clicking sounds.
The researchers believe the dolphins act as speedy scouts using their high pitched echolocation to find and chase the salmon, while the orcas follow along and use their strength to actually catch the fish. This teamwork benefits both species because the orcas get help finding and catching food, while the dolphins receive protection from other orcas that sometimes eat dolphins plus they get to feast on salmon scraps the orcas leave behind. Scientists found it surprising that the orcas, which normally try to keep other animals away from their food, didn’t mind when the dolphins stayed nearby during meals. The research team plans to continue studying whether orcas that work with dolphins have more success catching fish than orcas that hunt on their own, though not everyone is convinced yet that the animals are truly cooperating.
