Researchers have discovered that northern resident orcas in British Columbia are cooperating with Pacific white-sided dolphins to hunt salmon — a partnership never documented before.
Using drones, underwater video, and acoustic tags, scientists observed dolphins leading the chase, moving quickly through the water toward large Chinook salmon. The orcas followed behind, catching and breaking apart the fish. The dolphins then scavenged the leftovers, while the whales showed no aggression.
Recordings captured alternating echolocation from both species during dives, suggesting they may even be listening to each other’s sonar to expand their ability to track prey.
The behavior cannot be explained by dolphins seeking protection or stealing scraps, since the whales neither avoided them nor acted hostile. Instead, the consistent pattern points to a cooperative hunting strategy, benefiting both predators.
Scientists now want to learn whether orcas hunting with dolphins are more successful — and how widespread this surprising partnership may be.
