Facts about Orca Predation Techniques
- 06
Orca populations in the Strait of Gibraltar have been observed teaching juveniles predation techniques, demonstrating clear cultural transmission of hunting behaviors.
- 05
Transient orcas employ a suffocation technique against large whales, ramming and covering the blowhole to prevent the prey from breathing.
- 04
Some orca populations use a spy-hopping behavior to visually locate prey above the waterline, lifting their heads vertically out of the water.
- 03
Wave washing is a technique in which orcas work together to create waves that knock seals off ice floes into the water.
- 02
Intentional stranding, where orcas beach themselves temporarily to snatch pinnipeds from shorelines, has been documented in populations off Patagonia and the Crozet Islands.
- 01
Cooperative carousel feeding, in which orcas herd fish into tight balls near the surface before stunning them with tail slaps, is a documented orca predation technique.