Novel aerial observations of a group of killer whales Orcinus orca in The Bahamas

Dixon, Olivia F. L.; Gallagher, Austin J.; Towner, Alison V.

doi:10.3389/fmars.2023.1265064

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…While these animals were participatory and conditioned to rest at the surface for blowhole and rectal temperature measurement, infrared thermography is a non-contact method that may theoretically be used in individuals that are not conditioned, non-participatory due to malaise or other factors, or not amenable to handling, such as in the case of free-ranging animals. Such assessments may potentially be incorporated into data collection performed via unmanned aerial systems (drones) as previously described [7,24,[38][39][40][41]; however, further investigation is required, given that there are multiple factors that may influence the infrared temperature measurement of the blowhole of a free-ranging animal, including altitude or distance from the subject, air temperature, water temperature, wind speed, cloud cover, emittance of surrounding sea water, the animals' wet skin surface, or blowhole vapor interference [17,21,22,38,42]. It is also unknown whether blowhole temperatures will vary beyond what is observed here during swimming or exercise.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infrared Thermography of the Blowhole as a Potential Diagnostic Tool for Health Assessment in Killer Whales (Orcinus orca)

Russell,

Osborn,

Herrick

et al. 2024

Animals

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Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are experiencing increasing environmental pressures, with some ecotypes being identified as endangered, and the development and validation of non-invasive health assessment tools is critical for assessing the well-being of individuals within these endangered populations. Infrared thermography of the blowhole is a non-contact method of temperature measurement that was recently investigated in killer whales in managed care. Two male killer whales presenting with clinical signs at separate institutions had veterinary clinical health assessments performed, which included infrared thermography of the blowhole as well as concurrent rectal temperature measurement. The current case report is aimed at describing the clinical use of infrared thermography of the blowhole as a method to detect elevated body temperature in two killer whales. Both animals exhibited blowhole temperatures above the previously reported values (36.4 °C and 37.6 °C; the mean in healthy whales is reported to be 34.21 ± 1.47 °C) with concurrently elevated rectal temperatures, as well as clinicopathologic findings consistent with a systemic inflammatory response (e.g., neutrophilia, increased fibrinogen and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, hypoferritinemia). Following veterinary intervention, both animals’ blowhole and rectal temperatures returned to baseline. Infrared thermography of the blowhole represents a promising tool for the identification of pyrexic animals and with further investigation may be considered as part of conservation health assessments for threatened free-ranging populations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infrared Thermography of the Blowhole as a Potential Diagnostic Tool for Health Assessment in Killer Whales (Orcinus orca)

Russell,

Osborn,

Herrick

et al. 2024

Animals

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“…As a result, orcas have "predatory access" to virtually every marine species with which they overlap, including those species which pose the greatest energetic challenges due to their speed/mobility, size, defense mechanisms, or cognitive capabilities. Large elasmobranch fishes, such sharks (but also many species of ray), are likely underestimated in the diet of orcas (Fertl and Darby, 1996), although records are now beginning to increase in the scientific literature (e.g., Jorgensen et al, 2019;Towner et al, 2022;Higuera-Rivas et al, 2023), prompting new questions into the scale and impact of predatorprey interactions between orcas and large elasmobranchs, especially sharks which also serve as apex predators in many ecosystems (Towner et al, 2023, 2024, Dixon et al, 2023.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Orca (Orcinus orca) and shark predator-prey interactions within Cabo Pulmo National Park in the Gulf of California, Mexico

Ayres,

Gallagher,

Higuera-Rivas

2024

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Orcas (Orcinus orca) have a worldwide distribution and as apex predators feed on a wide variety of prey, including marine mammals, seabirds, sea turtles, cephalopods, teleost fish and elasmobranchs. Historically, there have been few observations of orca predation on large elasmobranch species nor are they commonly identified in the stomach contents of deceased orcas. In recent years there has been an increase in observational records of orca predation, such as on white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in South Africa, which could indicate that elasmobranchs serve a greater importance in their diet than previously considered. These events are often documented by members of the public due to the development and affordability of innovative cameras, including the use of the drones (unoccupied aerial vehicles). Here we describe new predator-prey interactions between orcas and large shark species in Cabo Pulmo National Park (CPNP), a small no-take marine protected area located in the Gulf of California. In this paper, we were able to successfully identify individuals from the described orca pods in the region; specifically, the same individuals hunting sharks over a period of nearly two years. We discuss the potential implications of these new ecological interactions, given the importance of tourism to sustain the management of CPNP, as cascading impacts have been documented elsewhere in light of orca predations on sharks.

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Killer whales (Orcinus orca) hunt, kill and consume the largest fish on Earth, the whale shark (Rhincodon typus)

Pancaldi,

Ayres,

Gallagher

et al. 2024

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are the apex predator in global oceans, and as such they are afforded access to prey species at all trophic levels and sizes. Due to their enhanced cognitive abilities, they are frequent predators of other ocean giants, including large sharks. Observations of these predator-prey interactions are rare globally; however, records appear to be increasing in recent years, possibly due to increased access to surveillance. Here we present reports of killer whales hunting and preying on the world’s largest fish species, the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), by collating and analyzing photo and video footage collected from four unique predation events spanning six years (2018 – 2024) in the southern Gulf of California. Across all events, orcas displayed a seemingly approach to collaboratively hunting and killing whale sharks, characterized by focusing on attacking the pelvic area (claspers and pelvic fins) which exsanguinates the prey and allows access to the lipid-rich liver. Photo identification of the killer whales revealed that an individual adult male “Moctezuma” was engaged in three of the four events, and the females involved in event four had previously been sighted with him. We suggest the potential existence of a specialized pod of elasmobranch-hunting killer whales occurring in the Gulf of California.

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Novel aerial observations of a group of killer whales Orcinus orca in The Bahamas

Cited by 3 publications

References 53 publications

Infrared Thermography of the Blowhole as a Potential Diagnostic Tool for Health Assessment in Killer Whales (Orcinus orca)

Infrared Thermography of the Blowhole as a Potential Diagnostic Tool for Health Assessment in Killer Whales (Orcinus orca)

Orca (Orcinus orca) and shark predator-prey interactions within Cabo Pulmo National Park in the Gulf of California, Mexico

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) hunt, kill and consume the largest fish on Earth, the whale shark (Rhincodon typus)

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