Orcas simulate drowning each other in a rare training session captured by cameras.
Orcas, also known as killer whales (though they are actually dolphins), are the most feared predators of the oceans, capable of hunting anything from large great white sharks to blue whales, the largest animals on the planet. However, they are not born with these skills; they learn them from adults and, as new evidence shows, they also practice them among themselves.
First-time Footage of Orca Training
A BBC production narrated by David Attenborough has recorded images of orcas learning to drown their prey for the first time. In the scene, a matriarch leads the training session while an orca pretends to be the victim, allowing the others to surround her and practice pushing her blowhole underwater to prevent her from breathing. Specialized underwater stabilizers and towed cameras were used to film the orcas in action. This technology allowed the team to move at the same speed as the pod and gain new perspectives on their behavior.
Real Hunting Skills in Action
The footage was captured near Bremer Bay, in Western Australia, the same area where in April dozens of tourists witnessed about 60 orcas devouring an endangered blue whale. After the practice session, the series shows the pod applying their skills in a real hunt against another blue whale caught off guard in open waters. These giants can hold their breath for between 10 and 30 minutes, but not always long enough to escape a coordinated ambush. The hunting training among orcas is just one of the many parenting moments captured during filming over three years on six continents and 23 countries.
