Animals in the United States

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false killer whale :: Article Creator

Hawaii Is Home To False Killer Whales

The main Hawaiian Islands are home to a resident population of an estimated 150-200 endangered false killer whales. A mother and young calf are pictured above. -- Cascadia Research/ROBIN W. BAIRD photo

Our ocean's pelagic world is as beautiful as it is dangerous, but for the false killer whale, it's a place called home.

The false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) is considered to be the most socially advanced whale species in Hawaii. Found throughout the tropics and subtropics worldwide, there are three false killer whale populations in Hawaii: pelagic (open ocean), Northwestern Hawaiian Islands insular, and the endangered Main Hawaiian Islands insular, which are genetically different from all other Pseudorca.

The false killer whale's common name is deceiving as it looks nothing like the true killer whale, Orcinus orca. It is dark grey in color, has a long, slender body, and grows up to about 14-17 feet in length. Its common name is derived from similarities between the two species' skull and teeth rather than external appearance.

False killer whales, like killer whales, are members of the family Delphinidae and are technically dolphins. Whales are divided into two groups: baleen whales (Mysticeti), such as humpbacks, and toothed whales (Odontoceti), which include beaked whales, sperm whales, dolphins and porpoises. There's a popular rule of thumb to remember: "All dolphins are whales, but not all whales are dolphins."

According to Cascadia Research Collective, a nonprofit research organization, false killer whales are socially advanced beings. They have a lifespan of up to 60 years, form long-lasting bonds, and have peacefully associated with other delphinids, including bottlenose and rough-toothed dolphins.

Groups range from five to 25 whales that break off into smaller groups to hunt. False killer whales cooperatively hunt for large prey, including mahimahi, ahi, ono, aku, monchong and other pelagic species. False killer whales are known to share their captured prey with each other, and on some occasions have even offered their catch to boaters and divers.

False killer whales are inquisitive and commonly exhibit positive behavior toward humans. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the human impacts on false killer whale populations. Whale hunting continues in Japan, Indonesia and the West Indies.

In offshore waters in Hawaii, accidental bycatch and interactions with long-line fishing gear, as well as entanglement with derelict fishing equipment, can lead to fatal injuries. The accumulation of toxic PCB and DDE chemicals found in false killer whales, a result of ingesting prey that has accumulated these toxins, is negatively impacting their reproductive capabilities and causing immune system problems.

The endangered main Hawaiian Islands population is estimated to be only 150-200 individuals. Conservation efforts, including a NOAA-established Take Reduction Team (2010) and Take Reduction Plan (2012), ongoing research and efforts to mitigate land-based pollution, are several strategies being implemented to protect this vulnerable species.

As we enter peak humpback whale watching season, please remember that our ocean is home to many other whale and dolphin species.

Humpback whales will eventually return to Alaska, but for the main Hawaiian Islands false killer whales that do not migrate to distant seas, Hawaii is their home year-round. They are residents of these islands, true kamaaina that warrant our admiration, respect and care.

Individual lifestyle changes and support of nonprofit organizations and government agencies are just a few ways we can increase the chances for the false killer whale to become the next success story in marine mammal conservation.

For more information about false killer whales, their status and conservation efforts, visit www.Cascadiaresearch.Org or fisheries.Noaa.Gov.

* Evan Pascual is the marketing and public relations coordinator at Maui Ocean Center. "Ka Mo'olelo Moana," or "the Ocean Story," is a monthly column submitted by Maui Ocean Center staff members. The center is open from 9 a.M. To 5 p.M. Daily in Maalaea. For more information, call 270-7000.

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Studying False Killer Whales And Bottlenose Dolphins

By Jochen Zaeschmar, founder of Far Out Ocean Research Collective

Image by Far Out Ocean Research Collective. A pod of false killer whales off the coast of New Zealand.

False killer whales are a fascinating species that we still have much to learn about. Like several other cetacean species, they exhibit regional cultural differences that make them very interesting to study. Our Aotearoa/New Zealand false killer whale research programme began in the year 2000 as a citizen scientist project to collect sighting information on these charismatic but largely unknown whales. Since then, we have learned a lot about New Zealand false killer whales. They live in large stable social clusters, their presence in our coastal waters is seasonal and they form long-term associations with oceanic bottlenose dolphins. The latter is a particularly intriguing part of their social organisation that is still not fully understood.

the two species spend virtually all their time together

Our long-term monitoring shows that the two species spend virtually all their time together. What's more, the identification of individuals of both species shows that the same false killer whales return to the area year after year and that many of the dolphins that associate with the whales do so for many years.

One of our biggest challenges in the early days was just finding the whales. Their low numbers, fast travel speed and large home ranges provided some serious logistical challenges. Consequently, we were excited when the opportunity presented itself to collaborate with the BBC for the making of Blue Planet 2 in 2015 – the project offered the exciting possibility of an extended search effort, not only by boat but more importantly by air, and resulted in far more false killer whale encounters than we could have hoped for!

The key research findings were that false killer whales in New Zealand spend most of the summer and autumn months in coastal waters, and that all the individuals we found were part of two stable social clusters. However, while it also highlighted the close bonds between false killer whale and bottlenose dolphins it did not provide many new insights into the nature of the association.

Image by Alexis Waterhouse. A false killer whale breaches close to a research dinghy.

Fast forward six years to 2021, and we were fortunate to be contacted again by the BBC, this time for their Mammals series. By now our sighting network had expanded significantly and we had a much better understanding of false killer whale movements in the area. We also knew that food was an important component of the false killer whale-bottlenose dolphin association, but we had little understanding of the specifics.

a mutually beneficial association that has rarely been documented in the cetacean world

This new collaboration with the BBC enabled us to gain fascinating insights into the foraging behaviour of both species, especially the false killer whales. The extensive underwater filming provided us with great insights into the specifics of prey capture and cooperation, both within and between species. It clearly showed that both species were actively involved in the herding of prey despite an apparent partitioning of prey species.

Bottlenose dolphins were observed targeting the smaller kahawai while false killer whales showed a clear preference for the larger kingfish. Regardless of the fish species encountered, both whales and dolphins would herd the fish cooperatively to enable their capture by the other; a mutually beneficial association that has rarely been documented in the cetacean world. The project also revealed for the first time that false killer whales often rest at night and may enter shallow bays to do so.

It was undoubtedly the attachment of camera tags to the whales that provided the most fascinating results. The key findings were that individual false killer whales actively forage at great depth even when the groups appear to be relaxing at the surface. The tag data revealed that false killer whales undertook regular dives to the sea floor and shared prey at depth and in mid water. It had previously been assumed that false killer whales foraged mainly in mid to surface waters and that food-sharing occurred mostly near the surface.

Image by Far Out Ocean Research Collective. A false killer whale swims with the remains of it's catch still in it's mouth.

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Rare Orca Encounter Off San Diego Includes 'rainblow' Surprise

A rare orca encounter Wednesday off San Diego was made extra special when one of the mammals swam to the boat and provided an enchanting moment.

"As if seeing this beautiful animal in the wild wasn't enough, it also gifted us with a beautiful rainbow!" Domenic Biagini, owner of Gone Whale Watching San Diego, exclaimed via Instagram.

The accompanying footage shows the orca's close approach – and features  Biagini's exuberant narration – and its "rainblow" greeting.

Biagini and crew, acting on tips from nature and local sportfishing captains, located more than 10 Eastern Tropical Pacific killer whales, or orcas, near the U.S.-Mexico border.

ETP orcas are commonly encountered in Mexico's Sea of Cortez but occasionally venture into U.S. Waters to hunt dolphins and other marine mammals.

Biagini explained the tip he received from seabirds:

"Our initial exploration found a lot of interesting wildlife, but what stood out to us the most was the number of Black-Footed Albatross we were seeing much closer to shore than usual.

"Those Albatross are often a harbinger of larger predators being around like False Killer Whales, sharks, and especially Orcas!"

Biagini promised "more to come from this incredible day" as the ETP watch is in full swing after the encounter.

The orcas were headed south as Biagini returned to port, but that does not mean that they will not resurface off San Diego or elsewhere in Southern California in the coming days.





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