Library:First account of apparent alloparental care of a long-finned pilot whale calf by a female killer whale (research)
Alloparental care of a pilot whale calf by a killer whale is a study published in the Canadian Journal of Zoology in 2023 and received attention from the scientific community and the media as a novel and intriguing example of interspecies relationships in cetaceans. It is the first documented account of a female killer whale caring for a newborn long-finned pilot whale calf in Icelandic waters, and discusses the possible explanations and implications of this behavior.
Alloparental care is a form of social behavior in which an individual cares for the offspring of another individual of the same species. This behavior has been observed in several mammalian and avian species, including some cetaceans (whales and dolphins). However, interspecific alloparental care, in which an individual cares for the offspring of another species, is much rarer and less understood.
In 2021, a group of researchers reported the first documented case of a female killer whale (Orcinus orca) displaying apparent alloparental care toward a newborn long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas) calf in the waters off West Iceland. The killer whale, identified as SN0540 “Sædís”, was observed swimming in echelon position with the pilot whale calf, which showed signs of emaciation and poor body condition. The other two killer whales in the group, SN0089 “Zale” and SN0092 “Dragonfly”, did not interact with the calf. The researchers suggested that the killer whale female may have adopted the calf as a substitute for her own offspring, as she had never been seen with any calves of her own in the previous eight years of study. They also proposed that the killer whale female may have displayed epimeletic behavior, a form of nurturant behavior toward a dead or impaired individual, as the pilot whale calf was likely weak and orphaned.
The researchers also described a subsequent interaction between the same killer whale group and another group of long-finned pilot whales in 2022, in which the killer whales exhibited unusual movements that may have indicated an attempt to obtain another pilot whale calf. The pilot whales, on the other hand, chased the killer whales away, possibly as a preventive measure to protect their young. The researchers suggested that the interactions between killer whales and long-finned pilot whales in Iceland may be more complex than previously thought and influenced by multiple factors, such as resource competition, predation risk, and social and reproductive advantages.