The Killing Kind
Ancient Secrets Locked In Killer Whale Mystery
What's black and white and really weird? B.C. killer whales.Two types navigate southern B.C. waters. They look the same, but they behave like strangers. DNA tests prove these two types haven't interbred for thousands of years. They now squeak separate languages and their kills are different.
These killer whales are the same intelligent species. Why don't they mix and mingle? What happened, so long ago?
| Interesting Fact: Killer whales are also called "orcas" after their Latin name, "Orcinus orca." |
It's an intriguing mammalian mystery. Why did these killer whales fracture into different types… while sharing the same waters?
If scientists could ever unravel this puzzle, it could draw them into one of the planet's greatest mysteries – the origin of species.
Same species – separate lives
"The strange thing about these killer whales is that they may not consider themselves the same species - literally, it might never occur to them to mix and mingle outside of their groups," says Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard, a leading expert on B.C.'s killer whales. "This split has sent the two types down different evolutionary paths."
At a glance: the different killer whales
| Transient Killer Whales |
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Transient killer whales – fearsome to other creatures, like the Great White Shark – roam from California to Alaska. These killer whales are expert hunters that usually kill in small groups. A larger group can surround a whale, drown it and feed on its sinking carcass.
They are the "wolves" of the sea. They have no predators.
In B.C. and Washington waters, they hunt prey like seals and sea lions.
| Resident Killer Whales |
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Southern resident killer whales navigate the waters around Georgia Strait and Puget Sound in the summertime. These are the killer whales the tourists most commonly see from whale watching boats.
They are relatively chatty, salmon-eaters that travel in "pods" of a dozen or more. They're also highly endangered. They try to survive in the busy waters near Vancouver and Victoria with dwindling salmon stocks. Just 86 remain. (Contact a Canadian politician! Tell them you want to save the Southern Resident Killer Whales!)
Different languages
If transients and residents pass each other in the water, they don't talk. They may not understand each other. Their languages sound very different.
Transients: These killer whales are quiet when they hunt. Their prey have ears and would be able to hear the whales approaching if they made noise.
Southern residents: These killer whales keep up a steady conversation, with lots of squeaks, whistles and whines.
What happened between these two groups?
Why the divorce between the species? Was there a single event, like a simple fight for territory? Did a few killer whales get lost while juveniles, and create a new way to survive? Was there something in their genes, like a ticking clock, that changed – but only in some of them? Will we ever know the truth? Or will this always be an unsolved mystery?
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