Oct 19, 2011
The amazing teamwork of killer whales while seal hunting
From The Telegraph…
An orca takes a seal and drags it into the water to drown it. This was after a three hour team hunt in which the entire pod co-operated in order to make giant waves that washed the seal from its ice floe, and then did side swipes with their tail, blew bubbles, rolled the ice floe and then eventually dragged the seal to its death.
It is partly done as a training exercise for the younger members of the pod but is also to ensure that the seal is exhausted and won’t turn round and attack. Captain Scott witnessed these hunts over 100 years ago and scientists today think that they may be the most complex team hunts in the natural world.
(via All Creatures)
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Seal meat must be mighty tasty!
You can see the fear in the seals’ eyes! Poor thing, about to be dragged to his doom…
I agree, I have a very hard time looking at the poor seal. Nature or not, that’s hard to take.
I know, it reminds me of nightmares where one is running or hiding trying to get away from bad guys. The poor seal couldn’t get away, even on its own ice floe…
Anyway, I agree that it’s fascinating how complicated their hunting is. But I still look forward to the day the lion can lie down with the lamb and the orcas with the seals!
Yes, amen to that.
That’s not the way nature works.
the seal is like, “put that stupid camera down and DO SOMETHING!!”
Here’s what happens after the seal is dragged off the ice. A sad, but true, continuation of the story.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEhQ5nauXgY