The calves stayed close, surfacing in echelon position, but also swimming away from the killer whales, and even being lifted out of the water. Were these interactions playful? Practice for hunting? Or caregiving gone cross-species?
In our new scientific note published in Ecology & Evolution we explore these rare and puzzling encounters - adding a new layer to what we know about the social lives of killer whales.
This was such a fun and rewarding team effort with
@annaselbmann.bsky.social,
Heleen Middel,
@jnschulze.bsky.social,
Giulia Bellon and @fipsamarra.bsky.social!
Funded by Rannís - The Icelandic Center for Research and
@earthwatch-org.bsky.social — thank you for supporting this work!
New paper about unusual encounters in Icelandic waters…
In June 2022 and 2023, neonate pilot whales were observed swimming alone among groups of killer whales off south Iceland - with no other pilot whales in sight.
🧶⬇️
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
This study documents two encounters off south Iceland where neonate pilot whales were observed in the company of killer whale groups, with no other pilot whales in the vicinity. The interactions invo...
