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☆ An orca pod has been harassing and killing porpoises for decades — but they don't eat them. Scientists still don't know why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But oddly enough, the killer whales don't eat the animals. Orcas are killing porpoises but not eating themFrom 1962 to 2020, researchers recorded and studied 78 episodes of Southern Resident Killer Whales harassing and, in many cases, killing multiple types of porpoises. They lead the majority of their lives in a group setting, in pods of up to 20 other killer whales, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The orcas' choice not to eat the porpoises was consistent with what Marino had seen in her years in the field. And sometimes they show them how to do it and then they don't actually eat the animal," she said.

Persons: —, Eric Lowenbach, Lori Marino, Martin Ruegner, Marino, We've, orcas, Serge Melesean, Deborah Giles, Giles Organizations: Service, Southern, Mammal, British Columbia, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Newsweek Locations: Pacific, North Pacific, Washington , Oregon, British, Mayotte, France

[1/5] A killer whale member of the Bigg's orca T65B pod is seen in the Salish Sea near Eastsound, Washington, U.S., July 7, 2023. While the interactions may be frightening, they have also spawned a popular social media trend that humorously suggests killer whales are rising up to attack wealthy yacht owners. Dr. Michael Weiss, research director of the Center for Whale Research, has another theory for the orcas’ behavior – it’s a fad. "We've seen killer whales do fad-like behavior, and other cetaceans have fads. In 1987, Washington’s Southern Resident orcas suddenly began wearing dead salmon on their heads, like hats.

Persons: Matt Mills McKnight, orcas, Deborah Giles, Giles, Olivia Hafey, Hafey, it's, Dr, Michael Weiss, Weiss, We're, Matt McKnight, Jane Ross, Mary Milliken, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Puget Sound, University of Washington’s, Harbor Laboratories, Southern, Center for Whale Research, Reuters, Washington’s, Thomson Locations: Eastsound , Washington , U.S, Matt Mills McKnight SEATTLE, . Washington, Portuguese, Washington’s San Juan Island, Seattle

☆ White Gladis, the killer whale who could be behind orcas attacking boats, was pregnant when she started the 'uprising'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Scientists believe the orca White Gladis was pregnant when she started ramming into boats in 2020. White Gladis later gave birth to her calf in 2021, following a 16-18 month pregnancy. White Gladis is just one among many orcas in this apparent uprising. White Gladis first started ramming boats in the summer of 2020 and later gave birth to her calf in 2021, according to LiveScience. Many orca experts that Insider has spoken to maintain that White Gladis' behavior isn't rooted in trauma or revenge.

Persons: White Gladis, —, she's, Mónica González, Alfredo López Fernandez, LiveScience, Forbes, White, Renaud de Stephanis, Deborah Giles Organizations: Service, University of Aveiro, Orca Working, Orca, BBC Locations: Spain, Portugal

☆ Killer Whales Targeting Boats Could End Badly for the Orcas
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Killer whales near Spain and Portugal have been confronting, and even sinking, boats. The killer whales typically approach the ship from behind and then try to strike the rudder until the boat is immobilized. People online have joked the killer whales are "orcanizing" an "orca rebellion," with many social media users rooting for the whales. But the result could be an increase in fear of killer whales in the popular imagination, similar to what the movie "Jaws" did for sharks. In reality, killer whales — which got their names from hunting other whales — do not pose a significant risk of harm to humans.

Persons: —, Andrew Trites, Trites, Deborah Giles, Evan Brodsky, Luna Organizations: Service, Marine Mammal Research, University of British, NBC, Area, Nootka Locations: Spain, Portugal, University of British Columbia, Monterey Bay, Monterey, West, British Columbia, Canada, —

☆ A female orca traumatized by a previous encounter with humans may be behind mounting killer whale attacks on boats, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A traumatized female orca could be behind the increased killer whale attacks on boats. A traumatic event may have triggered a change in White Gladis' behavior, experts told LiveScience. While most orca interactions with boats are harmless, there has been a spike in aggressive behavior towards boats since 2020, biologist Alfredo López Fernandez told LiveScience. Janet Morris and Stephen Bidwell were on an already-bumpy ride when the crew spotted the killer whales on May 2 in the Strait of Gibraltar. as a pod of killer whales began banging into their 46-foot boat, per The Times.

☆ Orca whales were discovered with a toilet paper chemical in their livers and skeletal muscles. It's just the 'tip of the iceberg' for one of the most contaminated marine mammals in the world.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The scientists also discovered PFAS — known as forever chemicals — in the bodies of the killer whales. The amount of 4NP found in the killer whales, which tended to be higher in the blood-rich liver tissues, reached exceptionally higher in one calf. "So we are here talking about contamination that is harmful to the environment and harmful to this species of killer whales." "And those females that are losing their calves are nutritionally deprived which of course works to increase the impacts of chemicals," Giles said. And scientists like Giles are continuing to pay attention to what other unknown chemicals killer whales may be holding in their bodies.

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