Orca

Orca live in matrilineal family pods which means that the eldest female who is the matriarch of her family lives with her sons, daughters and daughters offspring. Staying together for life builds an incredible hunting machine as every member within the family pod builds an elite skill set trained over many years with each member having a role to play in the families survival.

The Bremer Bay Killer Whales live in family pods of 6-20 individuals and within the population their is believed to be anywhere from 15-30 or more family pods that we observe every season. Our research is continuing to document these pods and place each identified individual into the correct pod structure. Genetics can then be collected after visual observations to confirm the relationship between each individual.

Orca can be found in every ocean of the world making them the second most widely distributed mammal on our planet only second to humans. Orca tend to be more numerous in colder waters which hold more nutrition in comparison to the tropics which drive a stronger and more abundant food source. The Bremer Bay Killer Whales have a specific diet as do all populations of Killer Whales around the world. Their diet includes Squid, Beaked Whale, Tuna and other species of baleen whale including Humpback Whale, Blue Whale and Antarctic Minke Whale as documented during our onboard research programs.

The Language of the Orca is unique to each population and is a fundamental part of the daily life of a Killer Whale. Three main vocalisations are known which are clicks, whistles and pulsed calls. During the hunt clicks are used as part of the sonar Orca use to identify food or define objects in their environment. Whistles are continuous and used for social interactions and play an important role in close-range acoustic communications. Pulsed calls are also used for communication with each family pod having their own repertoires.

The dialect of each family pod is unique and must be passed on from one generation to the next through consistent teaching from the elders to the youngsters within the family. The Orca of Bremer Bay are very social with strong bonds between each of the family pods who will often hunt, socialise and rest together. Our research onboard during each tour is vital to better observe and understand the complex social structures and Orca culture of these family pods.