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Humpback whales around the globe are mysteriously rescuing animals from orcas

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Re: Humpback whales around the globe are mysteriously rescuing animals from orcas

#11

Post by zipwitch »

transfire wrote: post #7

Everyone knows that Orcas are the assholes of the sea.

Only some of them. The transient orca are the ones who eat mammals and don't have large social groupings. The resident orca have larger (matriarchal) social groups and don't eat other mammals, just fish.

It's always amazing to me that we have multiple intelligent (how intelligent is uncertain), social species right here on our own planet, and we spend such a tiny fraction of our energies as a society trying to communicate with them.

Re: Humpback whales around the globe are mysteriously rescuing animals from orcas

#12

Post by JumpCrisscross »

zipwitch wrote: post #11
transfire wrote: post #7

Everyone knows that Orcas are the assholes of the sea.

Only some of them. The transient orca are the ones who eat mammals and don't have large social groupings. The resident orca have larger (matriarchal) social groups and don't eat other mammals , just fish. It's always amazing to me that we have multiple intelligent (how intelligent is uncertain), social species right here on our own planet, and we spend such a tiny fraction of our energies as a society trying to commu…

> The transient orca are the ones who eat mammals and don't have large social groupings. The resident orca have larger (matriarchal) social groups and don't eat other mammals, just fish.

Source? Also, what does "resident orca" mean in this context?

Re: Humpback whales around the globe are mysteriously rescuing animals from orcas

#13

Post by SeanDav »

If I may play Devil's advocate here - it is very easy to anthropomorphize animal behaviour. There are numerous examples in the animal kingdom of animals protecting and even rearing animals from other species. This could be down to genetics and learned behaviour and nothing to do with altruism, or other noble sentiments.

Part of me says it is highly unlikely that Humpback whales have a vendetta against killer whales and are the policeman of the oceans, but the bigger part of me, wants to believe that they are exactly that!

Re: Humpback whales around the globe are mysteriously rescuing animals from orcas

#14

Post by wcameron »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #12
zipwitch wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only some of them. The transient orca are the ones who eat mammals and don't have large social groupings. The resident orca have larger (matriarchal) social groups and don't eat other mammals , just fish. It's always amazing to me that we have multiple intelligent (how intelligent is uncertain), social species right here on our own planet, and we spend such a tiny fraction of our energies as a society trying to commu…

> The transient orca are the ones who eat mammals and don't have large social groupings. The resident orca have larger (matriarchal) social groups and don't eat other mammals, just fish. Source? Also, what does "resident orca" mean in this context?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_whale#Types

Re: Humpback whales around the globe are mysteriously rescuing animals from orcas

#15

Post by [deleted] »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #12
zipwitch wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only some of them. The transient orca are the ones who eat mammals and don't have large social groupings. The resident orca have larger (matriarchal) social groups and don't eat other mammals , just fish. It's always amazing to me that we have multiple intelligent (how intelligent is uncertain), social species right here on our own planet, and we spend such a tiny fraction of our energies as a society trying to commu…

> The transient orca are the ones who eat mammals and don't have large social groupings. The resident orca have larger (matriarchal) social groups and don't eat other mammals, just fish. Source? Also, what does "resident orca" mean in this context?

[deleted]

Re: Humpback whales around the globe are mysteriously rescuing animals from orcas

#16

Post by nkoren »

peterwwillis wrote: post #10
electic wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just went to Alaska. It was my first time and I couldn't believe the amazing beauty I've seen. I would love to go back. You mentioned kayaking, any suggestions on where to go?

For Gray Whales, Bahia Magdalena, Puerto Vallarta and Laguna Ojo de Liebre all have great whale watching, and in Bahia Magdalena you can pet them from a boat; don't know about restrictions on kayaks there but it should be open in Puerto Vallarta (just don't get in the water, too much bacteria/jellies). There's also Depoe Bay in Oregon and Monterey Bay in California, and Lime Kiln State Park in Washington for Orca wat…

Petting a whale from a boat is an amazing experience -- I did this 23 years ago in Ojo de Liebre. The mother Gray Whales would push their calves up to the boats so that they could receive some petting on the nose. There was no material reward for doing so -- they didn't get food or anything. I got the distinct impression that they understood that having an emotional bond with humans was important, and that they were doing it for that reason.

Gotta say that it worked.

Re: Humpback whales around the globe are mysteriously rescuing animals from orcas

#17

Post by solipsism »

Frenchgeek wrote: post #9
ajmurmann wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought that's what those humans were that fish the whole thing empty and drag nets over the ocean floor.

We're the assholes of the land. We're just so good at it it spill over to the sea too. Let's hope one day we will be assholes in space.

Way to aim high!

Re: Humpback whales around the globe are mysteriously rescuing animals from orcas

#18

Post by knutae »

Humpback whales apparently have to defend their juveniles against hunting orcas. It is surprising that they would defend other species in the same way, but it seems likely to be the same instinct that causes them to protect their own, rather than altruism.

Then again, maybe you could make the same claim about humans. :-)

Re: Humpback whales around the globe are mysteriously rescuing animals from orcas

#19

Post by rtpg »

zipwitch wrote: post #11
transfire wrote: post #7

Everyone knows that Orcas are the assholes of the sea.

Only some of them. The transient orca are the ones who eat mammals and don't have large social groupings. The resident orca have larger (matriarchal) social groups and don't eat other mammals , just fish. It's always amazing to me that we have multiple intelligent (how intelligent is uncertain), social species right here on our own planet, and we spend such a tiny fraction of our energies as a society trying to commu…

Out of curiosity, what are the intelligences of whales compared to, say, dogs?

Do you think we'll ever reach a point where "real" communication would be possible?

Re: Humpback whales around the globe are mysteriously rescuing animals from orcas

#20

Post by niccaluim »

wcameron wrote: post #14
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The transient orca are the ones who eat mammals and don't have large social groupings. The resident orca have larger (matriarchal) social groups and don't eat other mammals, just fish. Source? Also, what does "resident orca" mean in this context?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_whale#Types

"Transients and residents live in the same areas, but avoid each other." Not so different from humans, then.
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