1991/11/01 by Christophe Guinet · 2 citations
Environmental Science · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Marine animal studies overview #Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Biology #Archipelago #Possession (linguistics) #Shore #Fishery #Zoology #Ecology
paper · doi:10.1139/z91-383
openalex publication_date 1991/11/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/10
Over three hunting seasons, killer whales (Orcinus orca) from two pods were observed stranding intentionally on the beaches of Possession Island, Crozet Archipelago. Intentional stranding was performed principally by adult females to catch elephant seals on shore and during social play. Within a pod significant differences existed in the number of intentional strandings performed by individual females during hunting and also during "social beaching play." During intentional stranding, calves were associated with an adult female. Two calves were systematically associated with their mother, but one calf was associated significantly more with the two other pod females. This calf s mother stranded intentionally significantly less than the two other females. This suggests that alloparental "teaching" may occur within a pod according to the specific skills of the pod members.