Coordinated behavior of killer whales, Orcinus orca , hunting a crabeater seal, Lobodon carcinophagus

A pod of seven killer whales (Orcinus orca) was seen to attack a lone crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus) which was lying on an ice floe. The whale located the seal, moved away from the floating ice, then swam as a group close to the floe. This caused a wave which tipped up the ice floe and broke...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Journal of Zoology
Main Authors: Smith, Thomas G., Siniff, Donald B., Reichle, Richard, Stone, Sheridan
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1981
Subjects:
Animal Science and Zoology
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Lone
Crabeater Seal
Lobodon carcinophagus
Orca
Orcinus orca
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z81-167
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z81-167
Description
Summary:A pod of seven killer whales (Orcinus orca) was seen to attack a lone crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus) which was lying on an ice floe. The whale located the seal, moved away from the floating ice, then swam as a group close to the floe. This caused a wave which tipped up the ice floe and broke over it, causing the seal to be thrown into the water. The whales swam immediately to the vicinity of where the seal disappeared but it was not possible to ascertain if a kill was made.

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