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Mammal Hunting Killer Whales off Monterey, California: A 30-Year Synthesis

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Social Strategies of Carnivorous Mammalian Predators

Part of the book series: Fascinating Life Sciences ((FLS))

Abstract

Bigg’s (Transient) killer whales (Orcinus orca) display incredible cooperative hunting techniques and a complex social organization. We describe the predation behavior of Bigg’s killer whales in Monterey Bay, California, over a 30-year period. These killer whales are marine mammal foraging specialists, with aspects of their occurrence, habitat use, association patterns, hunting strategies, and communication calls influenced by this ecological specialization. This population encompasses at least 193 individuals and 44 different matrilines. Bigg’s killer whales off Monterey, California predate 12 different marine mammal species. Within this population, there are six key matriarchs that have played a significant role over the past three decades in 85% of gray whale calf (Eschrichtius robustus) predation events—an important prey in spring. Some killer whales gather in large groups during gray whale hunting season, where they jointly participate in attacks and engage in multi-group socializing for several days. When hunting smaller prey such as seals, sea lions, dolphins, and porpoises, they generally travel in separate matrilines composed of a mother and her non-dispersed offspring. Based on extensive observations, we believe that their prey-specific hunting techniques and their communication calls are likely transferred to subsequent generations through social learning, primarily through imitation. This culturally transmitted information results in sustained knowledge and enhancement of hunting techniques in successive generations. Despite apex predator status and lack of natural predators, Bigg’s killer whale populations are vulnerable to the effects of climate change through potential changes in their marine mammal prey abundance and distribution, and the effects of persistent contaminants such as DDTs and PCBs that could negatively affect their reproductive success and immune system. The current chapter is a descriptive summary of the social dynamics and hunting prowess of mammal hunting killer whales in Monterey Bay. Future investigations are necessary to analyze observed patterns on hunting success, group size dynamics, predation risk effects, and social association patterns.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    https://montereybay.noaa.gov/intro/mbnms_quickfacts.html

  2. 2.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80rH7ytG6Vc

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. California Killer Whale Project, Monterey, CA, USA

    Nancy A. Black, Colleen M. Talty & Alisa Schulman-Janiger

  2. Monterey Bay Whale Watch, Monterey, CA, USA

    Nancy A. Black & Colleen M. Talty

  3. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (Mammals), Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Alisa Schulman-Janiger

  4. Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL, USA

    Mridula Srinivasan

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  1. Nancy A. Black
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  2. Colleen M. Talty
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  3. Alisa Schulman-Janiger
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  4. Mridula Srinivasan
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL, USA

    Mridula Srinivasan

  2. Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA

    Bernd Würsig

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Black, N.A., Talty, C.M., Schulman-Janiger, A., Srinivasan, M. (2023). Mammal Hunting Killer Whales off Monterey, California: A 30-Year Synthesis. In: Srinivasan, M., Würsig, B. (eds) Social Strategies of Carnivorous Mammalian Predators. Fascinating Life Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29803-5_8

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