{"id":43037,"date":"2024-10-28T14:43:46","date_gmt":"2024-10-28T13:43:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/1f234be2-3af1-493a-aeeb-16cc899b795d"},"modified":"2024-10-28T15:27:25","modified_gmt":"2024-10-28T14:27:25","slug":"how-orcas-team-up-and-unleash-brutal-wave-attacks-that-knock-seals-off-ice-floes-into-the-water-where-the-predators-are-waiting","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/how-orcas-team-up-and-unleash-brutal-wave-attacks-that-knock-seals-off-ice-floes-into-the-water-where-the-predators-are-waiting\/","title":{"rendered":"How orcas team up and unleash brutal ‘wave attacks’ that knock seals off ice floes into the water- where the predators are waiting…."},"content":{"rendered":"

Orcas in Antarctica have developed a ruthless hunting strategy… wave-washing, says Bob Pitman <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Monday, 28 October 2024 at 13:43 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Wave-washing is an extraordinary hunting technique recorded in the pack-ice of the Antarctic, says Bob Pitman.<\/strong><\/p>

Orcas<\/a> swim in synchrony to create waves that knock seals off small ice floes and into the water, where the predators can kill and eat them.<\/p>

The waves can also be powerful enough to break up larger floes, throwing their occupants into the sea.<\/p>

Orcas usually target Weddell seals, and though they have been observed wave-washing penguins<\/a>, these birds are not a common target. This might be because they are comparatively small and thus simply not worth the effort: each wave-wash requires a synchronised charge from as far away as 50m. We have even seen young orcas wave-wash penguins off a floe only to swim away and leave the birds behind – they could have been practising or just playing.<\/p>

Why are killer whales attacking boats?<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>
We don’t know how or when wave-washing evolved in orcas. family groups that stay together for decades, effective hunting strategies are passed down the generations, a process known as cultural transmission.<\/p>

Are killer whales dangerous to humans?<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>
Youngsters have plenty of opportunities to learn – each individual will assist in catching tens of thousands of seals during its lifetime.<\/p>
Orcas also work co-operatively underwater, not only to seize the dislodged seal, but to skin and dissect it.<\/p>

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