04/07/2025
An international collaboration which involved research teams from Italy, Norway, Sweden and USA has reconstructed the hunting mechanisms of orcas, identifying roles and techniques. The study, published in Current Biology, used drone footage to analyse the behaviour of orcas
Among hunting orcas, there are strikers – specialized in delivering powerful tail blows to stun fish – and helpers, i.e. specimens that act as assistants: this is how an international study, which brought together researchers from Italy (Institute of Biophysics of the National Research Council of Italy, Cnr-Ibf), Norway (Norwegian Orca Survey), Sweden (Linnaeus University) and the USA (University of Hawaii’s and Picture Adventures), has reconstructed the dynamics with which orcas (Orcinus orca) carry out their cooperative hunting strategies, identifying roles and techniques.
The study was published in the journal Current Biology: researchers used drones to film the predatory behaviour of these marine mammals in shallow waters, where it is easier to follow the animals' movements, in particular while hunting herring along the coasts of northern Norway, in the area of the Vesteralen Islands.
This collaborative work includes experts in the biology of Norwegian orcas (Eve Jourdain, Norwegian Orca Survey), in animal ecophysiology (Jacob Johansen, University or Hawai’i), and in the hunting strategies of large marine vertebrates (Paolo Domenici, Cnr-Ibf).
It turns out that, for orcas, hunting is not just a matter of strength, but a complex social activity, based on collaboration and strategic positioning, just like in team sports. “The videos from above allowed us to witness the hunt almost as if we were watching a match from the stands of a playing field. Killer whales often hunt in groups and, like many other predators, benefit greatly from teamwork. But the exact way in which they coordinate their actions has long remained a mystery”, explains Paolo Domenici, researcher at Cnr-Ibf amongst the authors of the research.
The researchers observed that these coordinated attacks usually involve two killer whales, and that they are much more effective than hunting alone. “The helper whales act as a barrier, concentrating the schools of herring so that the striker whales can hit them more effectively”, Domenici adds. “Interestingly, the pod also seems to divide into specific roles depending on size: larger whales are more likely to participate in the hunt as strikers, while smaller ones typically work as helpers. Another interesting and previously unknown aspect was that killer whales tend to hunt with the same partners over and over again. “This suggests strong long-term relationships that could help them learn and improve together over time”, adds co-author Eve Jourdain (Norwegian Orca Survey). Just like training in team sports.
Per informazioni:
Paolo Domenici
Cnr-Ibf
paolo.domenici@cnr.it
Ufficio stampa:
Francesca Gorini Danilo Santelli
Ufficio stampa Cnr
ufficiostampa@cnr.it
Responsabile Unità Ufficio stampa:
Emanuele Guerrini
emanuele.guerrini@cnr.it
ufficiostampa@cnr.it
06 4993 3383
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