The unusual spectacle of an adult female killer whale spotted with the adopted – or abducted – calf of another species is causing experts to reassess orca behaviour
Orcas, or killer whales, are apex predators, best known for their ferocious hunting techniques. So when a female was seen apparently caring for the offspring of another species, it came as a bit of a surprise. “I saw straight away there was something weird about it,” says Thérèse Mrusczok, who was working as a spotter on the Láki Tours whale-watching boat that witnessed the encounter.
The ship’s crew initially thought it was a very small killer whale calf swimming alongside the orca, but photos later confirmed what Mrusczok suspected – that the female, called Sædís, appeared to be looking after a newborn long-finned pilot whale.
