Overview
- A Scientific Reports study led by Sarah Fortune presents the first documented cooperative foraging between northern resident killer whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins.
- Fieldwork around Vancouver Island in August 2020 followed nine orca using movement tags, underwater cameras, acoustic recordings, and aerial drones.
- Researchers logged 25 instances of whales altering course to follow dolphins on foraging dives targeting Chinook salmon.
- Eight Chinook captures were observed being shared among orca, dolphins were present in four events, and dolphins scavenged salmon scraps in one case.
- The authors propose acoustic eavesdropping and reciprocal benefits, including possible protection for dolphins, while emphasizing the limited sample and the need for broader seasonal studies.