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RE: Bigg’s orca on the hunt
Orca are thinkers. They will wait and work out how to do something and then try it. If it fails they will re-group and work out a different way to get their food. Once they work out a safe and easy way to do it, they will begin to teach other orca that technique... I am happy you have been able to witness such various hunting strategies of these apex predators
I don't know if you're familiar with the work of Dr. Kenneth Norris, but he was the first one who effectively proved, in the early 1980s, that orcas speak in dialects, giving credence to their use of abstract language.
One of the cases he referenced in the piece I read involved a fishing boat, surrounded by a pod of orcas, that finally harpooned one of the orcas in exasperation so that they could continue fishing, as the orcas were driving away the fish.
According to Dr. Norris, the orcas around that vessel disappeared, as did the orcas around every fishing vessel in the area that had a pulpit and harpoon gun.
The orcas in the vicinity of vessels without pulpits and harpoon guns stuck around.
Pretty fascinating.