'More questions than answers': Experts baffled by Alaskan mammal-eating orcas spotted near Seattle
Live Science • • science
Key Points:
- Three mammal-eating orcas, likely a mother and her two offspring, unexpectedly appeared in Seattle waters after traveling 1,500 to 2,000 miles south from Alaska, an unusual event that has puzzled scientists.
- Researchers identified the pod through unique markings and photo IDs, revealing their long-distance migration outside typical orca ranges, which usually remain consistent over generations.
- The presence of these orcas may indicate changes in prey availability, ocean conditions, or whale behavior, as shifts in local whale populations have been linked to food source fluctuations.
- Two orca subspecies inhabit the Salish Sea: endangered fish-eating Southern residents, whose numbers have declined due to salmon scarcity, and mammal-eating Bigg's killer whales, whose numbers are rising with increasing populations of seals and sea lions.
- Experts suspect the new pod belongs to Bigg's killer whales following prey southward, but further acoustic and genetic studies are needed to confirm their origin and how long they will remain in the area.
