Ocras Steal A Baby Humpback Whale

A group of three orcas has been recorded “stealing” or “kidnapping” a baby humpback whale.

Distracting the Mother

The video captures the orca’s cunning tactics of drawing the mother’s attention away from the calf while another pod member snatches her calf.

“Orcas KIDNAP a baby whale”, Source: “YouTube”, Uploaded: “BBC”

Specialized Hunting Techniques

Orcas have impressive hunting techniques. The orca pod works together to successfully remove the calf from its mother. They are known for their intelligence and complex social structures. Most recordings of orcas hunting highlight their impressive teamwork, primarily when they target seals on ice floes.

A Humpback Whales Nemesis

Mother and calf Humpback whales. Image by ead72 via Depositphotos.

Humpback whales are known for their impressive migrations, which cover thousands of miles between feeding and breeding grounds. These sea giants have been seen intervening during orca attacks, even when the attack is on another species. Scientists believe this is done to prevent the orcas’ hunting success and indirectly protect their own.

A Real Life Drama

It seems that humpback whales and orcas have a vendetta against one another. Orcas prey on humpback whale calves and humpback whales try to interrupt their attacks, even protecting other species. This real-life drama is fascinating for marine biologists and scientists!

Conclusion: Humpback Whale Kidnapping

The new observation of a humpback whale calf being “kidnapped” from the mother adds a new layer to our understanding of the relationship between orca and humpback whales.

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Cayla de Souza, M.Sc. Ocean Sciences & Marine Biology

Author at Animals Around The Globe. MSc Ocean Sciences & Marine Biology

Cayla comes from a small coastal town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, near the renowned diving destination Aliwal Shoal, where her deep-seated passion for the ocean first took root. Family trips to the Kruger National Park are some of her favorite memories; there’s nothing quite like being surrounded by wildlife. These experiences inspired her to study the natural world and its creatures, a path she's been on for the past 5 years. She attained her undergraduate and honors degrees in marine biology and recently completed her master's degree in applied ocean sciences, majoring in oceanography.

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